Moving on from Chapter 1...

This will be the last time I work on my Chapter 1. It has gone through more than 20 iterations already. In its present form, I think it is good enough but I can confidently say that it will not the final form when I submit my dissertation. My boss, sharing his PhD journey, had advised me not to be so hard-up on trying to improve it. He said that Chapter 1 would be the first and the last chapter you would write for your dissertation. He is right. I can sense that some sections need improving as my thinking is continuously shape from my reading, writing, reflecting and blogging - a never ending process. I am determined not to touch it anymore until my ideas are more concertized. And this means that I will only visit it again when I have written all my other chapters.

2-year research study plan

I have completed my last assignment for Dr M's class this afternoon. It was a paper entitled, Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Productive play "sandpits". 15-page paper and it took me 5 days. I brain is aching and if I only could take it out, massage it and leave it in a fridge for a week. I am mentally exhausted and drained. Looking back, with all the assignments for Steve's and Dr M's classes put together, I could possibly have written more than 100 pages (single space). Yes, I deserve a break. Anyway, above is the study schedule I am committed to. I have written Chapter 1 and my methodology chapter is halfway through. I have till end of June to finish it. Comfortabe runway for me since my work has started to pickup pace.

How players "read" a game?

It's is funny that while I blog what I am doing for my study, I never mention what my research topic is. My research topic is to find out how players "read" a game and the game genre I am interested in is MMOG. I am confident that we can develop a theory that describe how players "read" game and grounded theory approach will help me achieve that.

Just as learners may not necessarily take the view propounded an author when reading a book, and in some instances they may take a totally opposite and unexpected view, in MMOG too there is likelihood that players may not necessarily "read" a game as game designers and developers would want them to (Gee, 2003). We can better understand what players take away from playing a game by looking into the conversations and interactions players have with other players (Shaffer, 2007), and answer question that will broaden our understanding of social interactions, culture and practices in MMOG. So I will be focusing on a phenomenon or process and my study would look into evidences that will allow understanding of the process that links the two dynamics - players' interactions and conversation that emerge form social structures in MMOG, and their playing experience.

My study has potential to contribute to research on games for learning, because educators who are interested in exploring MMOG as a learning tool have to be aware of the nature of social play and community dynamic found in MMOGs. Furthermore, different learning opportunities are afforded in MMOGs based on different social context found in them (Squire & Jan, 2007). As such, designing MMOG for learning entails not only structuring learning activities to cover an intended syllabus, but also to view MMOG as a social system and to design game and social structures in MMOG that will engender interactions and conversations that are favourable for learning.

I have explored other qualitative approaches during my qualitative class but I feel social constructivist approach to grounded theory by Charmaz (2006) is most suitable (and I am also exploring Adele Clarke's situational analysis on top of Charmaz's approach). Many will argue that qualitative research is not aimed for generalizability but I feel constant comparison method to draw theoretical categories and theoretical concerns to the point of category saturation will end me up with a theory to describe the phenomenon I am investigating.

Choosing the right methodology and methods are important to give credibility to our findings and for readers to take our work seriously (Smagorinsky, 2008). Stories I write if I were to use narrative approaches (Polkinghorne, 1995), would at best explain a phenomenon with respect to a local setting (my specific research site). The same can be said with case study research (Yin, 2005; Stake, 1995). Phenomenology (Moustakas, 1994) would leave me with categories so thin that I can hardy pull them together to draw out a theory. Traditional grounded theory (Rock, 2001; LeCompte & Preissle, 1993) is a no as explained in my earlier post. Mixed method is interesting and Johnson & Onwuegbuzie (2004)'s approach is one version of a few versions of mixed methods approaches. I have heard a seminar by Dr Chen W. who said that in mixed method, quantitative methods may be used to affirm findings from qualitative methods (a turn around from Johnson and Onwuegbuzie). Anyway, I have explored the possibility of getting quatitative data by mining one the game servers of the MMOG I am researching on. However, the game distributor company chooses to put on deaf ears to my request. Ah well, I understand perfectly why they are doing so. : )

Foundation theories of play

I have decided to change the focus of my paper for Dr M's class (last assignment) and re-title it to MMOGS: Productive Play "Sandpits. So no more focus on superstitions. I am reading works by Huizinga (Homo Ludens: A Study of Play Element in Culture) and Caillois (Man, Play and Games) to understand their foundation theories on play. I am also using "cited by who" function, to see how their theories are criticized by games researchers. Google search using: huizinga OR Caillios +mmog OR mmorpg +"homo ludens" or "Man, play and games" Result: 53 items (nice and manageable *grin)

Research design

I finally finish my Final Research Proposal paper for Steve's class. The last section that touches on research design really forces me to confront what methodology I would like to consider for my study. I am glad that this assignment comes very early in my study because I see it is important to set the path clear from the very beginning. What comes ahead now look very clear and comprehensible and I really can't wait till next Jan 2010 to collect my data. : )

I know more now about grounded theory and methods I can adopt for my study. I feel I am confident enough to defend orally my choice of methodology and methods. This assignment has also made me relook at my subjectivity. I realise that I have not include some aspects. Steve is right. Subejctivity is not a "once and for all" exercie but more like discovering bit and pieces, one at a time, and picking them up as you move along your study. Good reflecting exercise indeed.

Anyway, I bump into a useful guide on APA5 formatting. If you like to take a peek at it, it is here.
What's next? Dr M's final assignment and I have only a week to complete it! How I wish I have more time. : /

Dissertation Doctor

My supervisor directed me to this website (click on pic) which I feel is useful if you need quick information about writing a dissertation. While browsing, I found this nice picture that liken a dissertation process to a journey. Where I am in that journey now? Well, I have move far ahead from the Gremlin's cave and now in the midst of literature fog. I think I will camp here for the next six months to have a good footing on things around me. : ) I'll survive for sure....for whenever I get bored, I just log into my game.

Hmm...there is a short cut that can bring me straight into finishing my writing. I wonder what that short cut is all about. *reading from the website* Oh...it's is about good strategies to make the journey easy and pleasant. What a suspens! For a moment I thought it's a shortcut just like in game that give you an advantage over the system without doing much work. *disappointed* I guess no pain no gain, huh? : )

Btw, where are you in your journey now? Isolated island?

Constructing Grounded Theory by Charmaz

I bought this book during lunch today at NIE bookshop. This book is the first of a few more book on grounded theory that will be my close companions as I continue my journey pursuing a doctoral degree.

Why Charmaz's book is important? Charmaz criticises Glazer's and Strauss' classic grounded theory for not committing to any epistemological assumption. The classic grounded theory expects researchers to be free from taking any philosophical approach and theoretical perspective when beginning their inquiry, to the point that literature review should be conducted only after data has been collected and an independent analysis has been developed by the researcher. Charmaz proposes a social constructivist approach to grounded theory to show that researcher can make a commitment to a theoretical perspective and an epistemological assumption. According to Charmaz, her contructivist approach to grounded theory "takes implicit meanings, experiential views, and grounded theory analyses as constructions of reality" and it complements well with symbolic interactionism (which is the theoretical perspective I take for my study) because "both perspectives emphasize the study of how action and meaning are constructed" (Charmaz, 2003, p. 314).

Anyway, on a seprate note, I didn't have much time to blog these days because most of my free time was spent on reading, writing and rewriting. Well, I have no complaint because I enjoy doing just that. How I wish I can lock myself up in my room every weekend and just write. Hmm...my wife and kids wouldn't like that. Ahh...the struggle to strike a balance.

Research is storytelling

It was a good critique session I had with Dr M today. While how I position my paper will depend a great deal on how my analysis turns out, at least now I can see possible paths that I may want to look deeper into from suggestions given by Dr M. One thing I learn today from Dr M which Prof DH also underscored in a sharing session I attend last week is that it would be best if we have research that challenge conventional thinking because it makes it a good story to read. So research is like storytelling. Well it's not about cooking up lies but how to position your research from an angle that is never thought of before. Like this book.

The conventional thinking is that it is wise to follow an elite few instead of the masses but his book tells a different story that many are actually smarter than the few. I am wondering now what is conventional thinking about some phenomenon in MMOG that I can show the contrary. Hmmm. : ?

Second best to this kind of story, I think, is what Prof DH said. If you can't tell this kind of story, then tell a story that goes well with conventional thinking but which people cannot describe in details. So your research is like providing the "thick description" of something people have accepted but can't describe. Well, I can think of Steinkuehler research on cognition and learning in MMOG. The conventional thinking is that people know learning occurs in MMOG but cannot describe how it takes place.

So what what kind of story will you be telling from your research?

Understanding superstitions in MMOGs paper completed

Phew! I have just completed my "Understanding superstitions in MMOGs" paper for Dr M's class about five minutes ago. 17 pages in all. It took me 9 days to finish writing it! I am pretty much breathless now. Let me catch my breath first. huh..huh..huh..*panting* : )

This paper was meant to support certain conjectures I make about MMOG in my Chapter 1 but the analysis and findings portion took it to a different path. I did not anticipate this but I guess that what happen when you do research, I mean you have to expect that you research may not turn out what you though it would. Any case all is not lost. This experience is a good reflective exercise for me to look deeper into my research site. There are links to my research topic which I need to uncover.

My next paper for Dr M's class is a follow up paper to this where I will provide more evidences to support my findings and suggest how superstition in MMOG can be redefined. I have identified two forum threads and will analysis the discussions there. I will be focusing on the interplay between individual cognition and community cognition. I have written a nice abstract for that. I look forward to the critique session with Dr M this Wednesday.

Definition of superstition

I enjoy my literature review on superstition a lot. I have been reading these books and an immediate sense I get is that there is a difficulty to pin down what it is as there is no way to differentiate superstition from other belief and action. On whose authority do we take a belief or an attitude to be superstitious? If we turn to religious authority, there is a continuing debate whether superstition can be distinguished from religion or is the latter itself, as Cattell puts it, just “silly superstition”. If we turn to science, experts often have different opinions and even if scientific community can come to a consensus, other group may not necessarily agree with them. If we leave to “the reasonable man in present-day Western society” or the consensus of the educated people to decide what superstitious belief is, we cannot avoid complicating the debate with cultural and historical issues. I know that it is beyond my paper to enlighten how superstition should be defined. For the aims of my paper, I think it is best to stay away from the above contentious areas and settle with Zusne & Jones’ (1989) definition that superstition is a “(a) specific, circumscribed belief or act that (b) involves magical thinking, either actually or as a remnant, held or engaged in because (c) it is culturally transmitted or learned through fortuitous reinforcement and (d) is resorted to under conditions of uncertainty. To act on a superstition is to become momentarily a magician on a small scale” (pg. 242).

More reading and writing for now...

Chapter 1

Finally, I manage to come up with a draft of my chapter 1 - Thanks to my supervisor's help and Steve's class. While I should be happy, I am also humbled by the writing experience. I feel this draft is by no means near to my final envisaged version. I remember going through 6-7 iterations for many parts of the chapter and this chapter will probably end-up with many more iterations before I settle for a final version. Was it Steve who said that you never can say that you have completed your writing. It is at best abandon for a while, only for you to return to work on it again.

So bye, bye Chapter 1 and see you next time. Next stop, methodology chapter. Hope to get that one out by the end of next month. Wish me luck! ^^

Chaos & Bliss

While JL likens her learning journey as living through a long Arctic day, my own experience so far have been many tosses and turns between two states of mind - chaos and bliss. The good news is, every time I am at bliss, I understood a bit more about my research, how and where to move it forward than I was in my last state of bliss. You can call that progress. ^^

So where I am today? I can say that I am in between, turning more closely towards bliss. Yesterday (before Steve 's class) was terrible. I was lost. I find blogging helps me organize my thoughts, consolidate what I have read and learnt and keep me away from chaos. Nice.

Ok that's all for now. Need to tidy up 2 writing pieces before working on another. Will blog again soon.

The burden of writing

The burden of writing is not just to complete an assignment but to ensure what gets communicated is clear and readers don't take away a message but THE MESSAGE that you want them to. Dr M spent half of his lesson last Wednesday teaching us how to organise our ideas in ways that a reader can understand everything by just reading our abstract, goes to our intro or chapter one then skip everything else and read our conclusion. He said that everything in the body is implied in the intro and conclusion. I was glad that he brought us through this because so far there isn't a module that teach us how to write research paper or dissertation.

Anyway, the outline that I had prepared earlier is good as rubbish. Will work on one soon. Good news is I got my first version abstract out. Here it is...

Superstitions in MMORPG:
Identifying suitable epistemological frame for analysis

Superstitions in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) is a phenomenon that has received rare mention in present literature on game research. In this paper, I present an analysis of two superstitious practices found in a MMORPG called Granado Espada concerning enchantment and chipping of weapons and armours. For the analysis, I view the phenomenon from two epistemological frames - cognitive and social constructivism, to argue [will find out what come out from the analysis]. To substantiate my claim, I draw from [need more reading and thinking through].

Any comments?