1-Introduction

Introduction: Explain the topic of your study and its significance (why it is important).

The decision to undertake a doctoral program is not one that is taken lightly; in fact there are many factors considered during this process. All "worlds" organize meanings in predictable, relational ways, and the world of graduate school participants is no different. Individuals who are contemplating graduate studies often utilize the cost and benefit techniques that are inherent in social exchange theory to analyze the semantic relationships that are evident in the analysis of the doctoral program, the field of educational technology and the learning experiences of face to face and online students. As in any culture, the behaviors exhibited by the interviewed doctoral students are generally consistent and lend themselves to codification and analysis. This ethnographic study analyzes the exchanges current students made in deciding to participate in the EdD. program in Educational Technology at the University of Florida and the exchanges they continue to make throughout the process.