Phenomenology: The Abstract and the Concrete [Symposium Study I Part II]
  Dan Lukiv

Phenomenology attempts, in terms of the human experience, to describe phenomena, which could include a perspective, various perspectives, appearances, events, actions, changes, or any occurrence, really, but generally does not attempt to describe forces that produce such phenomena. Phenomenology attempts to describe a phenomenon in terms of its essence with regard to the human experience at hand. Descriptions could include data from one or a variety of individuals, or from other appropriate, non-fleshly sources, which could include literary texts, philosophy texts, art, science, and research.

Phenomenology differs from ontology in that Phenomenologists concern themselves with what is the essence of lived experience. Ontologists, on the other hand, concern themselves with what is reality for the individual. For example, ontologically, how does the individual see the world (his or her reality), or parts thereof? Answers to that question could describe why some researchers tend to do qualitative research (see, e.g., Wilcke, 2002; Graham, 1997; and Chalip, Marshall, Thomas, & White, 1998), whereas others tend to do quantitative research (see, e.g., Savicki, 2000). One researcher may ask a research question best investigated through statistical (quantitative) analysis (see, e.g., Boss & Taylor, 1989). Another researcher may ask a different question best investigated through hermeneutic phenomenological (qualitative) analysis (see, e.g., Lukiv, 2002a or 2003a). Doesn't each research question say something about the researcher who dreamed them up (Siegle, n.d.a)?    full text >>>

Using Instructional Design to Integrate Teaching, Learning and Technology
  Ruby Evans

As the 21st century has ushered in a new and digitized age of teaching and learning, three fundamental questions have arisen: 1. How do we keep our primary focus on student learning outcomes? 2. How do we best adapt our teaching to incorporate the new communication and instructional delivery technologies? and, 3. How do we evaluate student learning in digital teaching and learning environments? Using the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate) model of instructional design, this article outlines a 6-step strategy to answer these queries.   full text >>>

Deconstructing Language Education
  Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi

On a recent tour of Niagara Falls, I interviewed people at the site from all different walks of life, mainly North American with a variance of age, sex and education. As they were passing by the waterfalls, and the mist was running into their faces, I asked them to describe what was happening.

Immediate consciousness happens when people process information (about themselves or their emotions) mindfully and live in the present. The essence of immediate consciousness lies in people's immediate connection to themselves and their emotional state at the present time.

All participants described the end product of the event and not the event itself, in spite of the fact that I clearly asked them to describe what was happening and not the effect of what was happening. What does this suggest?    full text >>>