First-Year Doctoral Artifacts
In my first year as an LDT doctoral student, I have grown as a researcher and academic. Through my coursework so far, I have gained a stronger foundation in the field and research best practices.
I have gathered together some work samples from my coursework so far to demonstrate my growth as a scholar. If you would like to view my assessment of the LDT program so far, please use the button below.
EDIT 8100: Foundations of LDT
Dr. TJ Kopcha, fall 2025
Foundations of LDT has been one of my favorite classes so far in the LDT program. Not only did it provide an excellent introduction to the history of the field, but helped to challenge me to ground myself further into the literature of the field. It was in this class that I began to formulate potential research questions around informal learning and workplace performance and connect those questions to theories within the field.
To represent my work, I have included my reflection piece on the Great Media Debate of Clark and Kozma. I have also included my executive summary of my Be the Expert project where I analyzed 6 papers relevant to my research as well as the accompanying slide deck.
EDIT 8290E: Design-Based Research Methods
Dr. TJ Kopcha, Spring 2026
Design-Based Research (DBR) Methods appealed to my practitioner background as a way to bridge the gap between academic theory and field practice, which, as I look to study workplace performance and informal learning, is an important step. Through our interactive classes, we explored how DBR could be applied to our graduate work and dissertations, and how to create conjecture maps to help ensure that our ‘humble theories’ were grounded in foundational studies and theory.
I have included two reflections I submitted based on our readings on DBR and their connections to our research. Dr. Kopcha provided me with insightful feedback on my first reflection, noting that I need to connect my reflections back to my own work, which I have continued to incorporate into my work.
EDIT 8900: advanced research methods in instructional technology
Dr. matthew schmidt, spring 2026
Advanced Research Methods has been a fascinating, engaging, and fast-paced class. Through our annotated bibliography assignments, I have been able to think more deeply and crtically around research that is relevant to my research questions and expanded my research into self-directed learning as a component of informal learning. I have included two assignments where I critiqued 2 quantitative articles and 2 qualitative articles.
An exciting additional component to this class was the opportunity to conduct a pilot study that is relevant to our research. I worked with Dr. Stefaniak to create a survey to gauge the current workplace practices that instructional designers are taking to develop informal learning for their audience. I have included a PDF of our IRB submission.