Today, I resumed battle with the evil Psych paper. The purpose is to take a series of personality tests – the assignment provided a list of links of which 1/4 are not longer valid and 1/2 require payment to receive completed results – and evaluate their use, validity and the construction of the instrument. The topic could be interesting if I could just stop wandering the Internet aimlessly searching for free Personality tests. I’m cheap. I’m already paying over 600$ a class to attend school. I can’t afford to pay 8-85$ for test results just so I can complete my paper.

Yesterday, I switched over to my official locked in the basement blog theme. The original plan was to switch to the black/grey theme when I was feeling particularly cranky or moody. Upon reflection, I think it’s the perfect theme for all those sunny weekends when I’m locked in my basement writing papers or studying for exams when all my friends and neighbours are out playing. Wheeee! I sound like a 12 year old sentenced to summer school…

Amy stopped by and offered a companion. Everyone locked in a basement should definitely have one of these to protect them. Of course, I have two of the larger, crankier versions on the lookout for the evil prison guard. He randomly stomps into the room asking impertinent questions – “are you done yet? “, “when can we eat?”, “do you know what your personality is yet?”, and my particular favourite “I’m an extroverted exhibitionist with pyromaniac tendencies. See, it’s easier if you just make it up.”

Update: Found some freebie tests that offer full responses without requesting I fork over some form of payment. At least that part of the process is now complete.

Once again I am spending the weekend locked in my basement working on a paper. I expect most of my weekends over the next 3 years will likely be spent in the same manner.

A few weeks back when I loaded the new design and joked that you’d be able to tell my moods based on the theme I’d chosen from my page someone asked (Wendy I think) how people would be able to determine what mood I was in. Since then I’ve had Luna put together a few new headers and colour schemes. I think it’ll be pretty obvious now 😉

I had this wonderful idea to explore collaboration and community through online courses and to draft a proposal for the upcoming ISSoTL conference in the fall. It seemed like such a good idea at the time.

For a research method I’d considered opening a voluntary survey of online students. Knowing where I could find a few dozen who might be interested in participating (my fellow classmates), I started working on the survey instrument and contacted my instructors to notify them of what I’d like to do and ask permission. Profs are willing to allow me to request voluntary participation in the survey if it passes the Ethics Review Board. All human subject research requires ERB approvals so that was always the next step in the process.

This morning I downloaded the ERB forms and started reviewing them. Being a neophyte when it comes to research – this would be my first project as the lead researcher – the approval forms seem a bit like greek at the moment and I’m struggling to remember what my original “question” was. My survey instrument, which needs to be included as part of the ERB application, now seems to be completely flawed and I have to sit down, regroup, and try to reframe both the original research question and ensure that the survey questions are a good fit.

Remind me again why this was such a good idea?

I have a feeling that everything won’t be in place in time to complete the proposal application for ISSoTL but I’m still going to try and get my ducks in a row. If I can complete the project I’m certain I’ll learn lots. And if it’s not complete in time for ISSoTL, there might be a more appropriate place to present the end results.

School update: Paper #3 was submitted today. Keep your fingers and toes crossed.

I’ve decided to take a night off – no surprise on a friday really – and just sit back and veg instead of worrying about school.  I received my history paper feedback and some of it was really good (the feedback, not the paper) and can be used to correct errors in the third one before I submit it.  Unfortunately, a large chunk is based on assumptions and since I’ve never been anything but opinionated, I wrote what I like to think of a detailed disagreement to the prof’s points and submitted them this afternoon.  It won’t change my grade but maybe he’ll start to understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions – especially on a position piece – and just because someone doesn’t agree with his, they’re not automatically invalidated.

This is why I need beer.

Before heading to bed last night we were treated to a beautiful light display courtesy of Aurora Borealis. I love the pink and red ones that dance across the sky in summer but the green ones lighting the sky last night were well worth standing on the porch at midnight in my jammies.

I’ve finished my paper but I’m going to wait a day or two before submitting it (it’s not officially due until Tuesday) in the hopes that I might receive feedback on paper @2 in the next day or two. If I do there might be something in the feedback that can help me tweak #3 before I submit it.

Psych paper is due in just over a week so I guess this means I can get a headstart on it.

After I nap. Clocks sprung ahead this morning while I was sleeping. Evil clocks. I’ve lost and hour of my life.