Blog

My PhD Journey in 2024: A year of growth and exploration

Following the tradition I started last year, I am pleased to be here again to reflect on the many achievements and experiences that shaped 2024. It has been a year full of growth, learning and memorable moments, and I look forward to sharing them with you in this yearly review. January I started the year by attending some courses, including the Methodenschule (Methodology School), where I learned about grounded theory from Dr. Anja Sieber Egger from PHZH, what helped me Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

What is a Research Hackathon? Insights from our recent event

Last month we organised a Research Hackathon together with Diana Pack and Prof. Dr. Sascha Schneider in the context of the Community of Education of the Digital Society Initiative. The event was a great success! The participants were very involved in the hackathon throughout the day and the different collaborations resulted in great ideas for research projects. Even those who could not attend expressed interest in learning more about the event and its outcomes. This interest inspired me to write Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

My PhD Journey in 2023: A Year in Review

Hello everyone! This is a review I wanted to do for myself, for my own reflection and improvement. However, I thought it may be a good idea to share it with whoever may be interested. Therefore, I would like to give you a glimpse into my journey during the year 2023, month by month, by highlighting at least one of the achievements or events of each month. The year 2023 has been loaded with learning experiences that have highly contributed Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

The (D)FIT-Choice Scale: Digital Factors Influencing Teaching Choice

The fresh summer air of Zurich is coming through the window while I am writing this post. It will probably be a bit warmer when I present this research poster at the JURE and EARLI conference next week in Thessaloniki, Greece! In this research poster, I briefly introduce the first study I conducted as part of my PhD. The aim of this study was to develop, validate and implement the (D)FIT-Choice model, building upon the existing FIT-Choice model. Please feel Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

How I learned German in less than 2 years

The “Swiss” language Switzerland is a country with 4 official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch (in order of prevalence). There are also several dialects of German under the term “Swiss German”, which is quite different from Standard German (I found it very fun to explore the Schweizerisches Idiotikon to listen to the different dialects). It is also interesting to know that the most widely used language in the workplace is Swiss German (60%), followed by standard German (30%), French Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

Spinning Around: A 3D-printed educational tool

I struggled with understanding concepts such as the seasons, and I remember thinking that it was warmer in the summer because the Earth was closer to the sun (although this didn’t make sense because I knew it was cold in other places of the world). When relearning about these concepts, I remember using mandarines to simulate the earth around the sun. Given this experience, I thought how useful it would be to have a physical model that would resemble the Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

Being a PhD student at two universities

Exactly how you read it. I am a PhD student at two different universities, simultaneously: the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Teacher Education. If you have never heard about anything like this it may sound somehow strange (at least this is how it sounded to me the first time I came across this idea). You may even be thinking: “Isn’t it complicated enough to get into just one university? Why did you bother to be in two?”. Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

Who makes my research possible?

When I wrote my last post, I found myself in an Airbnb room still getting used to my “new life” in Switzerland. This time, I am already at (what I can now call) home! During these nearly two months, I (together with my partner) have been going through the process of looking for and finding an apartment, applying to it, being accepted, looking for a suitable transport company, moving from Spain, quarantining again while unpacking everything, doing more paperwork… And Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago

Change is the only constant in life

Change is the only constant in life. Some changes just happen, but there other changes that we decide to make. Some changes may have a minimum effect, but other changes can determine your future. Today two important events are taking place in my life, and I am here to share them with you. Welcoming a new chapter of my life I have known for a very long time, that I want to devote part of my time to the improvement Read more…

By Judit Martínez Moreno, ago