Six thinking hats... and ECU

Here's an intellectual exercise for myself: applying the Six Thinking Hats method to my question of which program to apply for at ECU (Edith Cowan University).

Issue: Which program at ECU is better for me in the short term?

• Master of Professional Communications (Interactive Multimedia Technologies), or
  
• a research Ph.D. in the Centre of Schooling and Learning Technologies (CSaLT).

White Hat (just the facts)

• The Masters is 1.5 years; Ph.D. is 2-4 years
• Masters: School of Communications and Multimedia; Ph.D.: Centre of Schooling and Learning Technologies
• Masters: course work and industry project; Ph.D.: research only
• Course start: Masters starts in February or July; Ph.D. has ongoing enrollment throughout the year
  
• Job prospects: Masters gets you contacts in industry; Ph.D. sets you up for academia
• ECU is located in Perth, Western Australia
• Western Australia has a special program that allows international post-grad students in research programs (masters or doctorate) to send their dependant children to public school for free
  

Red Hat (my feelings)

• Both programs excite me
• I'm not yet sure if the Master of Professional Communications program is eligible for the free schooling for my kids, so that concerns me
• Both programs deal with topics that I have wanted to learn more about, so I want to do both
• I'm concerned about money... can I afford these programs?
• I love the idea of going to Australia and getting a job either as a professor or going into industry, maybe even starting my own company
• Right now, I just think that the smart thing to do would be to do the Masters first, and then see if I would like to do the Ph.D. later
  

Black Hat (caution)

• I won't be working full-time for at least one and a half years. Can we afford this?
• The Ph.D. will require so much of my time that I won't be able to work much or spend much quality time with my family during my studies
• The Masters starts in February, although starting July is possible. Does this mean I should start in February, because I want to finish my JLS contract first (April)
• Ph.D.: can I handle the expectations of high-level research?
• Right now, I don't know if there are any scholarship opportunities for the Masters program
  

Yellow Hat (positive thinking)

• Either program will greatly benefit me: the Masters will give me hands-on experience making multimedia products, and the Ph.D. will involve doing high-level research into the use of technology in education
  
• There should be good job opportunities associated with both programs
• I will make contacts with important people in both programs (both programs involve working with people in industry or schools)
  
• The Ph.D. deals with many issues that I want to study, and may give me the chance to use my expertise in other countries, including Canada
• Completion of either program should greatly increase my odds of being granted permanent residence, which will allow us to stay in Australia
• As well, getting permanent residence should decrease the cost of tuition if I do the other program later
• There are scholarship opportunities for the Ph.D. program; part-time work (up to 8 hours per week) in the Ph.D. program, including lecturing that pays about $100/hour
  

Green Hat (creativity and new ideas)

• After doing the masters, I could try to form a company that develops multimedia resources for the Web or for portable devices
• I should join as many associations as possible after graduation to increase my networking opportunities and points total for getting permanent residence
• With either degree, I could possibly go back to Canada and apply my knowledge there
• With the Ph.D. and some work experience in Australia, I could return to Canada and help develop similar instructional technology programs for Canadian universities; consulting
  

Blue Hat (overview of everything)

• This is an introduction to my thought process, which will be ongoing
  
• I will have to decide which program to apply for first
• As I collect more information, my thoughts will evolve, maybe even to the point where I consider other options