I wish I could read the full study linked to in this article (I can, but I don’t want to buy it). As an ABD, I can relate to the pressures that prevent candidates from finishing  Ph.D.s. The author of the article takes issue with this excerpt from the study:

17 percent of those who departed programs reported that they were in managerial positions, 13 percent reported that they were either judges or lawyers, and a majority of the rest found careers in education, mostly at colleges and universities.

This statement doesn’t match her experience, but it does match mine, in a way. I can say that I am in management, because I am. However, I don’t really define myself that way. Instead, I say that I am in educational technology because that is where my passion is. The fact that I am in a “managerial position” speaks to my success in the field.

For some of us, the reason we haven’t completed our degrees is all about opportunity. In my case, I had the chance to follow my passion and change the face of education and the degree wasn’t a requirement. If I had stayed in the program, the opportunity would have been long past when I completed my degree. Fortunately, I had an academic advisor who saw things the same way and counseled  me to seize the opportunity.

I wonder if the study considers how many of us outside the academy realized that the completion of our degrees was not the right path to our goals. I may go back to finish my Ph.D. if my goals change, but right now, it is not really an issue. My ABD status has not held me back yet.

When discussing lecture capture, the first concern should be capturing the attention of learners. A compelling lecture will be compelling in its recorded form and a boring lecture will be ignored in recorded form. I wish we had lecture capture available when I was in school. It is a key technology in extending the efficacy of in-class learning.

Some excellent suggestions for EDUCAUSE 2010. I enjoyed the conference this year, especially because it was in my home town and I got to sleep in my own bed every night. That said, it felt a little old. Sure, it was my eleventh time, but I would like to see better use of social media and remote technologies. I look forward to participating in a conference that takes advantage of these suggestions.