From Papers to Discussions

I am still reading and taking notes for the coming Gap Analysis paper. I had concerns that the literature review needed to be complete my reading prior to writing the paper. The thoughts stem from 2 years of conditioning in classes where the reading is completed prior to writing.

My mentor’s advice on this paper indicates a different level of discourse than my conditioning allows. The paper serves as a jumping off point for a discussion. So having the reading complete is not necessary. Her guidance suggests that I should write about the gap I see now, with the reading that I’ve completed thus far.

This difference is another paradigm shift in my educational journey. In the Bachelor program the student is kept in a very pedagogical station of absorption of learning from the sage. Moving into the Master program the emphasis shifts where the student becomes more of an expert and is counted on to contribute to the class through experience. The Doctoral program shifts again where the student and professor are collaborators on knowledge creation. The shift now taking place is the student becoming an expert and working with a mentor to sharpen that expertise (almost where the student is the teacher and the mentor is a…well…a…mentor).

The change almost feels informal, where papers are matters of discussion. A discussion that leads to great understanding and clarity. I’ll know for sure once this assignment is complete. Until then, I continue to read and write.

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