Literature Review gotta be done!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Tide is High (Atomic Kitten)
Topic: Literature Review
So, got to do my literature review - and have no clue what to write about. Got back my DTZY 840 literature review did alright in that (32/40), but that concentrated on linear programming education but now I have to do some parallel work with that of CAS - and I am not sure what to write as yet. I am trying to think of empirical work that was done and can't really think of any - there is a lot of concept papers - so, got to find the empirical papers and write on them - just remembered - I may be able to pull them up from Endnote - but can't remember if I went through and did all the keywords for those papers and entered them into my database.

I've also got to mix into the this the approaches to teaching inventory and approaches to study - I am still not sure why I have that for my study - but have to make some justification - possibly teachers different beliefs might influence the way in which they teach linear programming?? But there is a problem with the approaches to teaching as it is controversial in what I am doing as- the ATI (or was it the ASI) is usually done with regards to a programme or was it course (well something large) and I want to treat it for a particular module - I think there is only one person who has done for a particular module. I think the same principles for ATI and ASI would apply i.e. if they are used for large programme or a specific programme - so might get some flak for that. Got to find enough literature to support my view or whyI have decided to do it that way - or probably I should have developed an ATI only for linear programming so it would have been ATLPI ... oh well !!

Was reading the book Authoring a PhD by Patrick Dunleavy, and he was saying that the PhD writer should avoid making up terms, acronyms etc. since examiners hate that (oh well so much for my MPhil thesis!).

Questionnaire has been sent!!!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Chicks dig it (Chris Cagle)
Topic: Questionnaire
Well my questionnaire is finally off .... its on the web - its live and it has been emailed to the participants. I've been getting some enquiries - one guy asked me what was my Ph.D research on and how I got his name. So had to explain, I got it off the net since to my knowledge there was not a list of LP lecturers in the UK. I think he probably thought there was a big conspiracy theory - or maybe didn't realise how easy it was to get information off the net.

Well this other guy wrote to me said he did not know what to do, since he taught two courses and wonder if he should amalgamate them in his mind and then answer the questions. Well, I told him to choose one course and answer it accordingly ... at least that was the instructions on the questionnaire. But that had been one of my problems with the questionnaire. I had wanted to send it for each course - but wasn't certain how that could be operationalised - and Doug had suggested that I should tell them to choose one of the courses - and I had agreed at the time since I didn't have a better solution. But I'm wondering how badly will that have skewed my data ... especially if they are teaching for two or three different types of students ... so thank goodness this is just a feasibility study - hate to think this was my Ph.D research because I already see a big hole in the validity of the results. Oh well, one more thing to talk about in my discussion :D and it may have influenced my results.

Questionnaire on the web!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Some boring Indian song - sounds a bit like classical music
Topic: Questionnaire
Well ... my questionnaire is finally on the web - and I have a list of 101 potential participants. I've not sent it out as yet ... This morning Donna sent Roland and Kevin links to the questionnaire to pre-test it for me, so hoping to get their feedback soon ... So, far only Kevin said he will look at it -hopefully Roland would do the same.

Donna says once they test it, she will tell me - and then we can send it out for the persons. Wow, that reminds me got to make a list of US and Australian persons also. I wish my British list was exhaustive, but when I reached 100 - I called it quits ... because had exams coming up. I'm going to set a reminder to do the British and Australian lists on Outlook now - before I forget.

I have the literature review coming up after exams - so got to prepare for that as well as the exams. We'll see how that goes.

How to get on top of my work!
Mood:  blue
Now Playing: Tujhe jeevan ki dor se baandh liya hai (Rafi and Lata: Asli Naqli)
Topic: Questionnaire
Well ... Donna has sent me back the questionnaire in a web format - I have to go through and correct it - and I have to finish the list of OR lecturers in UK -there is so much work to get done - and I can't seem to make headway - since I am also trying to get in top of my work for the exams coming up in two weeks -I want to be able to get this off by this week - but wondering if I can do it - just got to work hard I guess ... I am going to work on getting that list of OR lecturers - although finishing log-linear analysis looks more important - but I'll see how I divide my time.

Questionnaire oft to be electronic
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Ventura Highway (America)
Topic: Questionnaire
So, this morning I had a meeting with Donna and Nick ... and I handed over my questionnaire to them to make into an electronic format - so that's great since I have to do that myself. Anyway, Doug, James and I did some correction on it yesterday - not sure if it is perfect - but we'll see as time progress. Donna says she'll have something for me by mid next week ... so, we'll see how that goes. I have to in the meantime get a list of these British lecturers and that seems to be a daunting task since I have exams etc coming up and I have to study those also - anyway, need to send these of as soon as possible although I told Donna by the end of April ... I really will prefer by the 15th or thereabouts and that is next Friday ... so, got to get cracking on those email addresses.

Well, I've also included the ATI from John in that - I haven't read much literature in it - but yet I am using it - so I hope I don't find too much problem ... I am not certain what to do about analysis as yet - I know I should have determined the analysis beforehand - but there just isn't time if I expect to get this off by April ... not sure how to link this with the linear programming questionnaire, well I could see if there are any correlations between some of the factors in the ATI to the focus and teaching of somethings in the linear programming questionnaire - I hope it does not come down to only descriptive statistics - I really need some inferential stuff.

I wonder if I should ask how long the person has been teaching LP - I'm just wondering if that will have some influence on what is being taught - since the old school might like to have all the details of the LP.

Anyway, I need to find the RASI ... got to ask John for his latest copy - dreading doing that though - not sure how willing he is to part with that - I did find a copy of the NASI because it is included in Thang's paper. Not sure how it is different - well I think the RASI that John uses is 52 items whilst the NASI that Thang uses is 53 items - so need to see the difference. Thang said she used some items from the original ASI and from the RASI - so will have to look at that - have not read the paper completely as yet - but it looks interesting - probably Linda has a copy of the RASI - will have to check with her.

Literature Review Assignment!
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Somebody like you (Keith Urban)
Topic: Literature Review
I have a DTZY 840 assignment due tomorrow on literature review ... and I haven't started so it is making me feel tense. I still not sure what to do ... you see when I re-read my initial proposal it was on software use and I was planning to do the literature review on teaching styles so then I had to go look up stuff on software and teaching. That took me awhile but I then decided to put everything into Endnote since ... I don't have a reason why - but figured I should do it since it will be easier when I was quoting ... so did that for about 60 papers!

The good thing is that some of the papers I found were actually related to linear programming and software so that was good. The only way I found it was using scholar.google.com, since google has such as better search engine than the journal databases. I felt good though that I actually found some of these papers ... I realised I was using the wrong key words ... I should use MS/ OR rather than just linear programming. My other problem is that these papers don't look as if they come from referred journals ... some are from OR/MS Today (which is really a magazine), Interfaces and Informs Transactions on Education. I did find a paper on survey on OR/ MS in MBAs back in 1996 in US universities - so that was great.

I did see that some of the people recommended using the spreadsheets for these courses rather than specialised software such as Lindo etc. whilst others recommended the opposite. But it was mostly the business disciplines were recommending using the spreadsheet (then again most of the literature were about MBAs!) ... but Winston suggested that spreadsheets should be used by non-quantitative students such as the business and the other specialised programmes for the quantitative based students. So, I guess I can talk about that - but it has to be 2000 words!!! Don't know what I can speak about for that length!

Anyway, let me get cracking - because if I don't start it will never finish.

Some questions for the Computational and Learning Questionnaire
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Put your head on my shoulders (Paul Anka)
Topic: Questionnaire
James and Doug basically made me scrapped my two dimensional questionnaire, because it is going to be difficult to find relationships if the two dimensions don't correlate (there were some more arguments :D). Anyway, they probably know what's best - especially since this is a one year project - must make it as simple as possible - probably for the Ph.D can revisit that. Well, actually they did say that, probably, in this year find some foundation for those two dimensions and that type of questionnaire would become more meaningful.

So, James and Doug wants me to create some questions for the questionnaire by the 21st and not to worry about dimensions and scales!!! Sheesh ... suddenly realized how close that is, because the truth is I'll have to create it somewhere around the 17th so, I can send it off with the agenda, but I have DTZY840 due on the 18th.

Anyway, not sure what kind of questions to ask as yet. I have to find some questions that characterize the software and I am not sure if they should be yes/no or scaled questions. Let me think of some of the questions I can have related to the formulation of the problem:

1. Are students required to know how to formulate linear programming questions? (I wonder if giving an importance scale might be better - or something along AHP).

2. Is the formulation done by paper and pen or in the computer?
(I think I am going off track, the questions have to relate to defining computational and learning software - I am getting lost!)

Let me try some questions along the line of computation:

1. Are you aware if your software allows you to display the tableaus?

2. Are you able to choose the pivot row and variable without prompting from the software? (Was looking up on the net and see some people refer to it as the pivot element rather than variable and some just say the entering variable or basic variable)

3. Do you use the software to find the solution for the linear programming problem? (you see this is why I think there should be some scale - since everyone is going to use the software for some solution - yeah but thinking if there is only one yes to a list of questions then obviously using computational).

4. What algorithm is taught to students for using the software? (I am hoping it is simplex algorithm and nothing like interior-point or not only the network problems!)

5. What method are used for learning the simplex algorithm? (Using tableaus or matrices ... obviously can only answer this question if the previous one is answered simplex algorithm)

I think some practical course questions are also needed:

1. For how long is linear programming taught for in the course?
(Guess this can be a scale like 2 hrs, 8 hrs, 20 hrs - this will vary depending on the type of course I think).

2. What is the software used in conjunction with linear programming (if any)? (Not sure if I should provide a list or ask them to write it down.)

3. Are students provided with a workshop/ computer session for familiarization of the software? (Well, guess they should - unless it is some kind of TI calculator which they may be familiar with)

4. Is there a linear programming project associated with the course to use the software? (Not sure how useful this is - but in UWI students did this).

5. For which students is the course geared to? (I'm thinking maths, business and engineering - but there is also OR, agriculture, engineering management, business management, industrial engineering and economics that might have various levels).

6. Which department is the course based in? (Some courses although a business course could be taught by the math department - I'm thinking the math dept might influence the business style of course - guess that is where I can throw in some factor analysis - or the very least loglinear or logistic regression).

You know I am thinking, probably should make this a scorecard, like the first half positive towards learning software, so if answered yes, then add those points up, and the second half to computational software and if answered no, then those become points to add. A high score means using the software in a more learning basis. I will need to mix the questions up to ensure validity and reliability of the questionnaire.

Third Party Monitoring
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: Georgy Girl (The Seekers)
Topic: Third Party Monitoring
So, had my third party monitoring just now with Mary. That went well, I had no complaints, so we spent some time talking about MK, UK, London and Trinidad. Plus, its her job to hear me speak about those things to see if there is any complaints. Everyone thinks I'm being upbeat - which is kind of strange since I don't feel as upbeat as people think I do! Denise stopped me this morning - and asked me how things were going - and I told her things were going fine - as I say I have no problems with the OU or MK. Everyone thinks I'm gonna complain about - everything is fantastic so far - possibly when my real research starts - I'll have my bouts of depression. Sometimes, I'm stressed about the TMAs, but, pretty ok overall.

Computational and Learning Questionnaire
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
Topic: Questionnaire

So, had an informal meeting yesterday with Doug and James ... that went well ... James and I were updating Doug on the position of my research ... and its great to get Doug's input ... at first I was wondering if he would have added anything ... but he did!! I definitely think I should have as much people on my supervisory meetings as possible ... they do add ideas for you.

Anyway, what he said was that I should create a questionnaire that will be able to classify how lecturers use their software (or if at all) and try to make it a continuum such as from black-box to hand written. I think however the continuum in teaching linear programming should have two dimensions with respect to the:

1. teaching of the linear programming - that is from completely learning oriented to completely computational oriented

2. teaching using the software - that is from completely software oriented to completely hand-work oriented

Therefore, there can have four combinations:

1. hand work-learning oriented

2. hand work-computational oriented

3. software-learning oriented

3. software-computational oriented

Now, not sure what is teaching that is learning oriented - but I think I mean understanding the concepts - so I guess probably the nitty-gritty of why they are doing stuff - but I'm conflicted now ... won't the nitty gritty implied that you're doing the computational stuff??? I guess I should imply that the computational stuff means where the answer is given or maybe I should call that the blackbox approach. So, for hand-written I mean everything is done by hand, and by software I mean everything is done by software, the student doesn't touch pen and paper.

Alright, if I am going with that, I'm theorizing that math students in particular will most likely go with learning and hand written, learn the nitty gritty and do all iterations by hand. In this case they are using intermediate steps but practically. Then I am theorising that those who have learning and software, these will use intermediate step software.

So, what I'm saying there is two types of teaching one with intermediate steps and one without. Hmmm ... this comes to an interesting aspect ... does how the teacher teach the course relate to their intentions or beliefs ... i.e. how is learning-software related to their intentions or beliefs?

I think I've totally confused myself as yet! I am not sure what I am measuring any more .... oh well got to untangle this web I wove just now ... my brain is tied up in knots!

John's paper
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Dekho Maine Dekha Hai (Love Story)
Topic: Factor Analysis
Well, I've been reading the paper John sent me on "Teacher's beliefs and intentions concerning teaching in higher education" (first author is Norton, L.). I only have the author's proof mind you ... so the document might change ... but so far very interesting document ... I am taking my time reading through it since I believe I may use similar methodology in my work. I've only read the first 9 pages of the 35 page document!!!!! Oh well, I took a short break to read up on factor analysis in Andy Field's "Discovering Statistics" - it is much easier read than Howell's "Statistical Methods for Psychology" ... besides Howell doesn't have factor analysis. Had to do that before I proceed further into the paper - because I think I would have been lost!

I think I've finally understand factor analysis ... (well ... at least to understand the words when I read the article) ... for so many years when I read those stupid papers on their questionnaires and their mention of factor loadings and varimax used to get me so confused ... and what they meant by a factor ... I finally think I know ... Could you imagine, these factors that these people supposingly discover, are just a figment of their imagination ... well, not literally, but they are taking variables that cluster together ... and then they 'dream up' some word that will describe what these variables are describing ... like if age correlated with sex (M/F) and those two correlated with hair colour ... then they will say that factor is personal characteristics ... but whose to say the factor is actually personal characteristics but not describing something different ... you got to know good vocabulary to come up with these factor words ... to know what they could be related to ... you should take an English course in word association for factor analysis in my opinion. As for varimax ... its just simply a way of understanding the data better by transforming it... and the transformation is accomplished by just rotating the data about the factor axes - yup the factors - whatever name you decide to call them, can be considered on their own right as a kind of variable, and have relationships with one another, and hence can be plotted as a graph, with each having an axis!! If the variable (a real variable from the questionnaire) seems to be more incorporated towards one factor then it has a higher factor loading (basically a larger value on that factor's axis). But yeah that reminds me ... these variables from questionnaires ... what exactly are they?? I mean Field gave me the impression that the variables can be a question from the questionnaire ... but reading other people's papers ... I got the impression that variables are pre-determined and questions are asked that relate to that variable, and the means from these questions are used to represent the score of the variable. Now ... who's to say that those questions accurately measure that variable?? Won't a separate factor analysis will be needed on these set of questions, to see if they are measuring one thing i.e. the variable - then from a factor analysis, only one factor should be given ... not sure if this is sense to anyone out there ... but it is making perfect sense to me!

John's paper by the way is looking at teaching beliefs and teaching intentions of teachers in higher education institutes ... cool isn't it? They used a questionnaire based on some guys called Gow and Kember ... can't find a reason why they used it -probably in the paper somewhere and I am missing it. Anyway, this will be cool to check if teaching beliefs or intentions are related to the use of software and its types ... don't you think? Well ... first got to develop a questionnaire like Gow and Kember for classifying the software into computational and learning tool (unless I can find one ... somebody help me please!!!)... and maybe then I can find some factors ... and throw in the words varimax and factor loading wherever I feel like!