Month 4- Cycle Reflection

My objective was a mixed approach of quantative e and qualitative data to measure the success of using a department wiki for the Change of Enrollment Department. It was important for me to know not only how often data was being accessed but also if it was easy to access, update, and understand. The key for the wiki was to extinguish current challenges the department faced understanding and adhering to changing policies and procedures and insuring all employees had the same accurate information. The current path to information was to ask the most experienced person and rarely resulted in informing the team if procedures were not being completed correctly. By having a central location for all members to access it would prevent differences in how work is being completed and accuracy of the final work. As Administrator of the wiki, I was able to keep tabs on all discussions taking place, evaluate and answer all questions posted, and also all changes made to the wiki. I also asked members to write a personal evaluation of the ClearWiki used in cycle one so I could determine their likes, dislikes, and concerns.

After changing tools for cycle 2, I saw a much better response from users. The format was much more user friendly and collaborative. Members felt less like they were reading a policy manual and more like they were an intrical part of improving processes in the department. Communication overall improved the most and gave all members of the team a sense of empowerment. Currently management is evaluating work to see if the use of the web tool carried over into the accuracy in our procedures and I believe that is did.

Currently just finishing up week two of GSM but already finding many ways it assists me in my action research. Work, like school, comes with the task of dealing with employees and clients that all learn differently. The guest speaker from the week 2 Wibma session brought this to the surface for me and allowed me to understand that I need to take into account that not everyone will find my action research as useful as I hope it will be. Individual learning style should not prevent anyone from accessing information pertinent to the job. Having different avenues like weekly meetings or virtual sessions will only establish more communication and understanding of the information we are adding online.

Action Research Month 8

What changed in your set up from cycle 1 to cycle 2?

Some new and exciting developments have been going on in my work environment that has caused me to take a different approach for cycle 2. Management is becoming more and more aware of some needed improvements in the area of the Change of Enrollment department and after reviewing a proposal written by a colleague, and myself wanted more research. I have been able to expand on the wiki that was created in cycle 1 to a comprehensive database via wiki tools that will allow me to demonstrate circumstances that are causing the department to work less efficiently.

2. What’s happening that you didn’t expect? 


I found that it was difficult to get all team members on board from using the usual One Note to track meeting notes and new policies to a new forum. The feedback that I received was that they were having to do double work and were just too busy with their daily activities to re-write the policy or situation to clearwiki and felt it was already on a forum viewable to all of us. The problem with this is that One Note had no real search tool unless you knew exactly what week the information was reviewed. For a new member of a team to try to locate an update on policy could take hours. Not efficient at all. I needed to try a different approach and the department proposal being worked on was the perfect platform for this.

3. How are you tracking data differently?

We are not gathering information that we are using for our proposal and adding to a web 2.0 tools throughout the process. This way it allows us to look at the department from the ground up and start building processes that will be implemented after all is said and done. Some of this is a result of situations that arise for the first time and some is from and update on how our processes are working. Instead of forcing a new system on the employees out of the blue, we can build the system from step one for new members to use while training or just to get additional training from existing members.


4. How has FPE contributed to your Action Research?

I have not yet been able to use the tools from FPE in cycle 2 but am very excited about using what I have learned in training videos for the future. Getting comfortable with the camera, on camera, and with my voiceover will be a huge help in this area. I also am excited about documenting the process of implementing change in video for those who are interested in doing so in their own department.

Month 6 Action Research

My AR project this month is finally starting to become solid. With a short break from school I was able to research available wiki tools that are out there and decide on one to implement. I have started adding to a clearwiki site and invited my co-worker to join, view, and add as needed. It seems everyday a policy or procedure in my workplace is questioned or changed and I am hoping that this wiki will allow my department to collaborate and stay on top of the latest changes.

I have set up to have an email sent to me anytime a comment or topic is added to our Wiki. We are currently still in the phase of feeling it out and it will take some time to get all involved to start using exclusively but I will get there and be able to track any changes via email so new additions can be discussed at weekly meetings.

The process of finding a wiki to use was a bit trying since many either charge after a short trial period or are not completely secure. I had to do a lot of research and now have a lot of lingering inquiries from tools that are still trying to get my business. Free wikis are out there with some restrictions but in the business I am in it was very important to find one that would be secure and only viewable to the assigned Administrators.

This months course will shape my AR project in coming months as my Wiki grows. I am happy to learn how to design a lesson that perhaps I can present to management once my hard work pays off and is successful.

Emergent Technologies In A Collaborative Culture: How is the ETC Course Influencing My Research?

What is your official problem statement?

For the current department that I work in, keeping up with ever changing policies and procedures is a constant struggle. Financial aid students are facing several challenges when it comes to finding grants and loans to cover their college tuition and our job is to help them navigate this process. With recent changes to lending rules and federal laws, keeping up with how things are done is getting progressively more difficult for our department as a whole. There is a need for straight forward procedures and training tools that can be updated as frequently as the those changes happen and this currently does not exist on any level.

How did your research end up shaping this.

My research thus far has showed me that many companies are now implementing web 2.0 tools and wiki's in order to promote communication and organization in their businesses. I have found that the department I currently work in is falling more and more behind by not utilizing the tools that are available for use and as a consequence employees are struggling to feel that management is competent. I feel that if these tools can be implemented in my specialized department and improve training and communication then perhaps the rest of the department will follow.

What outcomes are you expecting?

I am expecting positive feedback from the employees that work with me. The use of a wiki will cause the employees again to feel knowledgeable and less worrisome of making mistakes. Time management will improve since there will be a single reference to answer all questions that arise during the job. Morale will improve since employees will feel that there is a collaborate effort to inform everyone of changes.
How are your critical friends helping in this process?

My critical friends have been very helpful and evaluation ideas posing potential pitfalls of my plan. I am able to get several perspective which opens up questions and answers that perhaps I have not thought of.

How is this month’s course helped in shaping your ARP?

By being able to explore the infinite number of web 2.0 tools that are available, this month has assisted me in choosing the best tool for my department. I have also been able to streamline new information that may come in to play when building my wiki with the use of google reader.