To become a doctoral candidate and to achieve graduation is to become a part of the small percentage of Hispanic women who hold a terminal degree in technology. My civic duty is to continue my education to provide quality services to my community. I believe in the need for well-educated professionals in education. Through education, each teacher, mentor, administrator, counselor, or librarian can envision the best action plans for their learning environments. This ultimately benefits the students and the community as a whole. After becoming a doctoral candidate, I aim to gain hands-on experience regarding best practices in teaching in university and online settings. My goal is to become a knowledgeable university professor in the field of educational technology or library media and to be recognized for my expertise in the latest technologies and pedagogy in the field, as well as my ability to inspire and mentor students in these fields. I aim to integrate cutting-edge technologies and innovative pedagogy in my teaching, and to conduct research that advances the field and improves the learning experience for students. Furthermore, I strive to be a valuable asset to my university by engaging in professional development opportunities, participating in department and university committees, and fostering collaborations with professionals in my field. I also plan on expanding my services as an educational consultant to help educational institutions and educational companies refine their training programs. A primary goal is to help educational technology companies improve the effectiveness and accessibility of their microcredentialing and training programs by utilizing my expertise in learning design and assessment, as well as my understanding of the latest trends and developments in the field of educational technology. Through collaboration and consultation, I aim to help these companies deliver high-quality, relevant and meaningful learning experiences to their learners, and to contribute to the advancement of the field as a whole. While this is no small goal, this program will equip me with the skills and knowledge needed to help make this a reality. I am confident that my three years in the ISDT doctoral program have equipped me with the knowledge needed to develop impactful professional development, instructional planning, research, and program evaluations to assist educational institutions in making their mission and vision possible.

As part of my dissertation interest and research conducted in this program, my focus area includes exploring motivational factors and teacher beliefs that affect educators from pursuing microcredentials. As a library media specialist, I had opportunities to develop and lead various professional development opportunities for educators seeking ways to integrate technology in the classroom or libraries. This includes publishing articles for library journals such as Knowledge Quest, Booklist, and writing guest blogs for educational technology companies such as Mote, Buncee, and TCEA regarding how librarians can leverage microcredentials to amplify their teaching and learning. I also had the tremendous honor of co-authoring a Microsoft for Education certification course with Buncee that was aligned to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards in October 2021. As an avid pursuer of digital badges, I have also earned over thirty certifications in educational technology and library media. I aim to develop a better understanding of what prevents, or motivates, teachers from pursuing microcredentialing as a viable, efficient, and effective option for self-paced professional development. This focus aligns with my professional goals since I hope to assist educational technology companies, school districts, and universities in developing or adapting their current or future training modules toward a more engaging and immersive experience. Active involvement in academic settings, educational associations, and training companies will aid in my scholarship by providing a foundation of current research in the field and informing my research by guiding the development of hypotheses and study design. This focus area has not been explored extensively, and I desire to contribute to the existing literature by adding the knowledge gained through field research and case studies. My experiences and achievements would be valuable assets for someone interested in researching and teaching microcredentialing and future technology in education because they demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and skills in the field. My experience earning, designing, and delivering microcredentials shows a practical understanding of how they can be implemented in real-world settings. I aspire to add to my understanding of the current state of the field and the ability to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area. Additionally, my teaching experience with students or adults demontrates my ability to communicate and share knowledge with others effectively.

My knowledge and expertise in library media and information sciences have allowed me to share my experiences with educators regarding technology and its impact on literacy, digital citizenship, professional learning, and instruction. While my knowledge in the past was limited to library science, the instructional systems design and technology courses have prepared me to apply learning theory to design and develop high-impact and engaging teaching tools for children and adults. Through extensive application and review of current research regarding microcredentialing, I can identify gaps in the literature to develop a dissertation that can potentially answer how motivation acts as a subcomponent of educator and learner experiences. By developing this knowledge, I can identify and address the implications of these matters to adjust learning pathways to maximize learning experiences and improve academic and training outcomes. In collaboration with subject matter experts, evaluating instructional processes, refining strategic interventions, and improving performance, my ultimate goal is to determine how motivational factors affect these processes through the lens of instructional design. My career goals include becoming a university professor and while that role is not often synonymous with microcredentialing or library media, I intend to work with postsecondary instructors and students to employ training techniques that could potentially be delivered through mini-course formats to teach content needed for certification or degree attainment. This includes working with university students, faculty, and training departments to assist them in developing and delivering competency-based lessons or professional development needed for accreditation purposes. By identifying educational institutions’ training weaknesses, I can explore interventions and adhere to best practices to create meaningful educational experiences.