Although Dr. Csikszentmihalyi's work resides mainly in the more open qualitative side of research, he demonstrated his well rounded knowledge base of the different aspects of research. Although, I used to think of my self as one who belonged to the quantitative camp of research, Drs. Horan and Csikszentmihalyi showed how the camp can in fact be more interesting. They highlighted how qualitative research embodies both qualities of passion and creativity.

Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s example of his son’s (Chris) study, to try to prove that "grown ups don’t pay attention to kids when the kids are talking," was very interesting to me. Chris at the age of seven was conducting the "shine the mirror" experiment aimed at kids, teens, and grown ups. Chris used the three categories covering all ages in an exhaustive manner. What a smart kid Chris was!

Dr. Csikszentmihalyi went on to discuss the system model of creativity. In this system, there was a distinction between Creativity (capital C) and creativity (small c), and where each applied. The interactions among 1) PERSON, 2) SOCIETY: Field, 3) and CULTURE: Domain, were very informative and relevant. I also found interesting that Creativity is only 1% inspiration, but 99% perspiration.

First, I find biographies for each of the CGU faculty to be highly relevant to the educational environment at CGU. Each member of the faculty has unique contributions to his/her discipline. The individual faculty members are what makes a university stand out. They are the ones who do the work. Their contributions whether publishing articles, writing books, or teaching and by virtue of their association to CGU, get the name of CGU out and hence build its reputation.

Biographies will tell us each faculty's story. These stories will garner a tremendous amount of interest from us. They will be read with great interest. We will see in one way or another, how we as a students, share their experiences. These faculty members had to go through similar life struggles of making it. We will observe how they were able to juggle what life through at them and how they stayed focus. I am certain that many had to balance their work, family, and studies.

Each biography will present special events and epiphanies in an exciting manner. I can see that how those moments can be both reflective and motivational. The meaning of these stories will be of great interest and inspiration to us.

The second choice will be phenomenological studies. The study of superb education and effective teaching at CGU will be analyzed. The essential structure of achieving such high quality education can be discussed and investigated. This investigation will be conducted by the students, which will give it more value. It will probe a number of students, their faculty, teachers and mentors, and their interactions. The phenomenon of effective teaching at CGU can be studied in great detail.

Both of these two research traditions will be of great value to the research project. Their contribution will be evident to the teaching and research communities, and to academia at large.

I can highly relate to the elements presented.  I also suspect that many of us at one time or another, had experienced them.    I can relate highly to all of the element, but particularly the 4^th one “The Merging of Action and Awareness.”  I usually experience challenges, but somehow there is a point that I would like to refer to as reaching the sweet spot.  At that point, my focus seems to be at its highest, and words and ideas flow out.  On occasions, when I have to write a paper or do homework, I try to induce that sweet spot, because I feel that when I get there, somehow solving a homework problem or putting words on paper encompassing a coherent argument does not seem that hard.  Unfortunately, my techniques of getting to the flow point do not always work.  But when I am there, I do get lost in whatever I am doing.    

The novelist Richard Stern’s on this phase of “how it feels to become lost in the process…and feel the rightness of ones action,” does indeed provide an accurate description.   Barry Commoner described it as an “almost automatic quality.”  I can see how the nine elements highly correlate.  Once getting to the sweet spot, things become almost automatic and flow in an effortless manner.  This also relates to the 7th element of the “Autotelic Experience.”  Neither quality is mutually exclusive. The interrelation among them is highly visible. 

Hevner et al’s main goal was to sell researchers and practitioners on design science research.  Well, I am buying!  I found their presentation to be very useful in providing   the means of how to conduct design research.  The design science research guidelines were particularly helpful.  They provide clarification for all that needs to be done.   

At first, I questioned as to whether design can be considered research.  I researched further and found my answer here: http://www.isworld.org/Researchdesign/drisISworld.htm.  It helped me gain more insight about design research from action research.  I am growing to value this kind of research more and more, because I feel that producing an artifact adds the icing to the cake to research.    

Also, I was able to relate more to this article, thanks to the hard work of CGU faculty for organizing the first design research conference DESRIST 2006, here at Claremont.  At the conference, I met Alan and many other scholars, which sealed the deal for me. I look forward to DESRIST 2007 on May 13^th, 2007.

My least favorite is my desktop.  It is bulky and stationary.  The monitor takes up most of the desk space.  In fact, I do not use it much; I rely heavily on my laptop.  It also serves as an educational tool for my daughter.  She likes to use “Paint” and draw shapes and color them.  It uses a standard keyboard; the new ergonomic keyboards seem to cause less aggravation on the hand.  

As a parent, I believe that technology can certainly be used as a means to track children and to know of their whereabouts.  Children can have either chip implants or some type of bracelet devices that can not be easily removed.  Those devices would emit signals that GPS or other location finder type of systems can track.  Further studies should be done to assess the type of signals and devices in order to eliminate any harm (side effects).    

It is clear from the large numbers that this is clearly a problem.  Such devices would serve as deterrents, spare parents the agony and grief, and save lives.  Much of the governments spending get wasted on unworthy causes (e.g. unjustified wars etc…).  So finding funding should not be a problem for saving our little Americans.

I really enjoyed Dr. Wicker’s guest lecture.  I found it to be insightful and have certainly contributed to improving my level of understanding for naturalistic social science and documentary filmmaking.  It always makes a difference when a researcher is passionate about his work.  His cases were well chosen and they indeed portrayed a broader and realistic picture of the environments.  He deliberately chose those two cases and left the comparing and contrasting to us (the audience).

He used models (e.g., Encounter of Amerigo Vespucci del l’Amrique) that were somewhat disruptive to our thoughts.  The social interaction was relevant to Berger & Luckman’s where the two persons come from entirely different social worlds.  There were points to be made about individuality and collectivity.  I liked his explanation about how we see our world; phenomenalogically as the way it affects us. 

The models had multiple perspectives.  As we try to make sense out of them, we do not necessarily have to bind ourselves by anyone’s account, but rather by our own. 

I think it is neat that he is planning to attend a conference in Cuba to represent his paper (which I enjoyed reading).  Particularly when given that Cuba is not a common destination for many Americans.  I would be interested in his thoughts about the trip upon his return. 

As a future researcher, it is always enlightening to get different perspective on how and what can research also include.   Now, for me if I can figure out how to tie the context of such research to IS, then it would be worthwhile.  I hope to see Dr. Wicker again and I would very much be interested in his take about his visit.