Critical Self Analysis

The eleven weeks o f study have been not only informative but also mind opening. I have gained both knowledge and experience in both academic and social life that will way in helping me find solutions to problems and also view challenges in more than one dimension. The workshops, presentations and activities that we carried out during the eleven weeks were tailored to proved relevant lessons that will help me to solve not only academic problems but also life challenges.  This report gives a detailed analysis of all the lessons learned during the eleven weeks of study.

The week one, two and three experiences were mind challenging and also eye opening. After the workshop, I learned to look at issues in a multi-dimensional perspective.  Through the workshop I am able to constrictively generate ideas and elaborate of the conception frame work in which the idea can work and predict the expected outcomes if the idea if it is implemented. The knowledge will be important not only in my future career but also in providing solutions to the society as a whole (ElKhouly, Sedafy & Yehia, 2017). The ideas that I will generate will not rely on imagination but on a possible conceptual frame work.

The fourth week lessons challenged me to be a problem solver ruther than just somebody who identifies problems. In this way, I am able to be more productive in my profession and in the society. a connection of the lessons of the first three weeks and the fourth week describes a sober society. A society was ideas are generated constructively to solve problems using multi-dimensional approach.  The lessons challenged me to look for solutions to problems and not just focus on the problem.

while in most cases, different people may have different ways of solving the same problem, it calls for critical thinking in finding the adequate solution for the problem. This lesson helped me build on my problem solving skills that I developed right from week one. While the previous weeks emphasized on structural generation of ideas and learning to be a problem solve, this lesson introduced to me the concept of critical thinking in problem solving. Critical problem solving requires multidimensional approach which I was taught in the previous week (Rosenfield, Newell, Zwolski, & Benishek, 2018). The society today does not just need solutions to the problems but need working solutions. In order to come up with working solutions, it is important to critically think through the possible solutions as well as the ethical considerations of the possible solutions before you get to action. The lesson changed my view as initially I did not look at critical thinking as part of the finding solutions to problems. in my view, if one had a solution for a problem then they should act immediately without wasting any time. However, this lesson informed me of the need for critically thinking through the possible solutions first.

Knowledge Development

From lesson six, I learned that the basics of coming up with ideas still applies in the field of business. While it is requirement to develop structured ideas before thinking of implementation, customers might have so many views on the changes that should be made on a prototype. However, it is important to develop a plan for the proposals from the customers in order to avoid implementing random opinions from the customers. The ideas implemented must be properly analyzed and tested on the prototype before they are included in the final product( ). Even in business, we still need critical thinking skill. It is through critical thinking that one id able to amylase the proposals forwarded by the customers to select only the once that will adequately fit the product.

In the line of academia, I will need to write not only my scripts but also academic papers such as reports and term papers. The knowledge gained in the ninth week is important for any project that I will carry in the future. The lesson impacted me with knowledge that is will help me even when I will be doing my thesis. The knowledge of qualitative and quantitative approaches in a project goes a long way in determining the kind of results you want in your project. This knowledge is not only applicable to academic projects but also come in handy in the preparation of research projects and program projects.

During the first three weeks, we had a workshop that was designed to trigger ideas in my mind. In most of the times, I had been struggling to generate ideas from my mind and conceptualize the activities that relate to the ideas in my mind. However, during the workshop I got to understand that for ides to work well then there must be a proper functional frame work in place. Without such a frame work,  some of the ideas we believe might be instrumental in solving challenges in the future might actually turn out not to provide any future solution. I learnt that all ideas should be supported with operational frameworks if they are to achieve their objectives. it is therefore paramount to give ideas more than one dimensional approach  that are well researched and  planned to get the best possible outcomes (Shenton, 2014). The plans may require methodologies, public demos and trails to give a perfect product material.

The activities of the fourth week were a continuation of the learning process that started in the first week and went through to the third week. While the first three weeks were based on idea generation the fourth week provided more insight on how to look at problems in more than one way. The reality of the different views on problems was evident in the different views different people had on the same issue.  While others see problems, others see opportunities. This is the difference between entrepreneurs and other people.  While other people focus on the problems, the entrepreneurs do not see the problem but also tries to solve it (Ekhtiari,Yadegari,& Sadidi, 2016). The image that we decoded in class is an embodiment of a single problem that has many solutions.  It also brought out the meaning of the phrase “unity is power”. Through group focus, many solution as it creates an environment that allows many emerging ideas.  Despite the numerous solutions to the problem, it is paramount to consider the ethical part of the solution that one picks to solve a problem.

The fifth week has one of the most interesting lessons I have ever learnt. The class of the fifth lesson was presented a mental image. Everybody saw the image in a different way and gave it a different interpretation.  The challenge was how to organize the picture to provide a correct interpretation with emphasis on what the picture was communicating. The students had different perception on the picture. The lesson was based on critical thinking and how to use multiple version of the same idea in problem solving (Rezaee & Mubarak, 2018 ).

The sixth week of study introduced us to business decision making. In this lesson I learnt about the two most vital things that are given consideration when coming up with the final decisions in business.  We have the prototype and the platform. In business, before releasing a product to the market, there are ideas that one must give considerations. All the ideas that the manufacture of a product has must be tried with the prototype of the product to help in the assessment of the positive and the negative sides of the product and ideas. The main function of the prototype is to predict how the real product will perform in the market when it is launched (Ruckebusch, Hoebeke, De Poorter, & Moerman, 2018). Furthermore, it helps the manufacture collect feedback from the customers so as to optimize on the final product. Development of a plan to implement the suggestions by the clients is important as it helps the manufacture avoid introducing unexpected plan into the project in order to accomplish the desired outcome form the product.

The seventh week of learning had focus on technology. Every machine and technological product or service that has ever been produced always has one thing in common which is the aim of making human life better. As time moves, the world develops more advanced. Even though all invention is always aimed at enhancing human life, technology still fails to solve a number of human problems (Albores-Barajas, Soldatini, Ramos-Rodríguez, Alcala-Santoyo, Carmona & Dell, 2018).  For instance, the participation level society utilization is questionable.  An example is given of an architectural design that protects pedestrian crossing the road from rain. However the design is not applicable to all areas. It is my opinion that instead of construction of flyovers and pedestrian crossing points, a consideration should be made in reference to construction of subway tunnel for the pedestrians. The subway will be more efficient and costs saving as well as compared to the fly over’s and strategic pedestrian crossing points.

As people strive to solve daily problems, technology tends to play significant role.  That is why the world today gets frequent number of inventions all aimed at solving different problems in the community. However, there are still gaps that technology can not fill and therefore may require a different set of solutions (Cyphert, Wurtz, & Duclos, 2013). I believe that irrespective of the methods one uses in solving a problem, we still have to go back to the basics. Each implementation plan should be well thought out and well structures, in addition, it should be critically analyzed to ensure that it also has ethical consideration. Just like in business, several people may have a technological way for solving the problem. However, not all the views expressed deserve to be included in the technological development. It is vital to critically analyze the proposals before thinking of implementation.

The ninth week saw the class simulate the benefits of quantitative and qualitative approaches in a project.  To successfully implement an ideology in a project it s first paramount to process the methodology to ensure that it is in line with the project objectives (Ruckebusch et al 2018). It is also vital to take keen interest in the stage of the product before introduction of any ideology.  It is possible for a project to end up with multiple possibilities after it has gone through all the activities as scheduled.  The lesson was important for the students as it gave guidelines on how to go about the project. In the lesson, how ideas are developed into methodology taking into consideration the quantitative and qualitative analysis were elaborated. It put the students in a completely new level in terms of academic writing. The students finally were able complete their assignments after fruitful conversations on the project.

Week eleven was a presentation week in which different groups of student made presentations of different topics. The group that caught my attention mostly had a presentation has a proposal for acceptable solution to the pedestrians on the roads. According to the group, instead of the pedestrians using pedestrian crossing and fly avers, it was vital to come up with a more acceptable and cost effective way to allow the pedestrians go about their business without having to worry about rain or carelessly driven cars.  The group proposed that underground tunnel s could be dug to create way for pedestrians. Another group also presented an idea of the provision of mobile laundry services through which clients and service provider can communicate via a mobile phone application.

There are a number of lessons I got from the various presentations.  First, I learned that research should aid in solving problems in the society and filling the gaps in the society.  Most of the presentations aimed at solving an identified problem n the society. The presentations were the peak of the lessons at the enabled us to put into practice what we had learned from week one. As from week one, the lessons have focused on generations of ideas which further is built up to providing solutions in the society and critical thinking. It is the lessons that we have learned in the previous weeks that enabled the members of the class to come up with brilliant ideas that can solve some of the problems into society and put them in a project form.

Most of the conclusions I have made from the lessons are based on academic concept. Therefore they can easily be applied in an academic satiation. However, virtues like critical thinking that I have learned during the ten weeks may not be easily applicable in a real life satiation. Furthermore, the requirement of constrictive generation of ideas may also not be of help in a situation where ideas are needed urgently to help save a situation. At an individual capacity, if I don’t get an opportunity to practice some of the skills that I have gained during the ten weeks, then there are high chances that I will forget some of the skills. It is therefore necessary for me to get an avenue of practicing the skills. However, attributes such as critical thinking and constructive reasoning will go a long way in helping me in the social life as I am able to practice it in my daily interactions. The practical lessons played a big role in creating permanent images in the students’ mind.

Conclusion

In conclusions, the ten weeks has been rigorous and full of knowledgeable activities. The lessons have built up in a systematic manner starting from the basics in week one and slowly moving towards the complicated aspects of the lessons. It is because of the lessons that I can relate generation of ideas and presentation of ideas.  We were introduced to generation of ideas in the first week and by the tenth week, we have been able to critically think through ideas, come up with a methodology and design a methodology for the paper. There are a series of activities and lessons in-between the proved not only to be self reliant abut also the negative facts. The lessons did not exclude the business perspective and the research that one has to carry out before releasing the product to the market. the other major aspect that was covered in was the technological advancement and the need of technology.

I intend to apply the knowledge of presentation and project management to enhance my career development. Since practice makes perfect, in the next few months I will volunteer to work with a company that will help me get exposure as well as vehicles are concerned. The opportunity will enable me to practice key attribute such as critical thinking and structural generation of ideas. Furthermore, the skills I obtained in the project development is going to be vital as I may have to do some presentation of my own during the volunteer period.

References

Shenton, A. K. (2014). Towards a more multi-dimentional perspective on motivations for reading. Education Journal, (190), 16–18. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=94481878&site=ehost-live

ElKhouly, S. E., El Sedafy, H., & Yehia, I. A. (2017). The Impact of Knowledge Management on Developing Career Path Planning and Development: An Empirical Study of Echocardiologists in Egypt. Competition Forum, 15(1), 176–190. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=126001335&site=ehost-live

Ekhtiari, M., Yadegari, E., & Sadidi, G. (2016). Ranking Enterpreneurship Main Risks in Non-Profit Financial Funds by Todim Technique under Grey Conditions (A Case Study in Iran). Economic Computation & Economic Cybernetics Studies & Research, 50(3), 319–336. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=118643786&site=ehost-live

Rosenfield, S., Newell, M., Zwolski, S., Jr., & Benishek, L. E. (2018). Evaluating problem-solving teams in K–12 schools: Do they work? American Psychologist, 73(4), 407–419. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000254.supp (Supplemental)

Ruckebusch, P., Hoebeke, J., De Poorter, E., & Moerman, I. (2018). Smart container monitoring using custom-made WSN technology: from business case to prototype. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications & Networking, 2018(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13638-018-1024-6

Albores-Barajas, Y. V., Soldatini, C., Ramos-Rodríguez, A., Alcala-Santoyo, J. E., Carmona, R., & Dell, O. G. (2018). A new use of technology to solve an old problem: Estimating the population size of a burrow nesting seabird. PLoS ONE, 13(9), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202094

Ruckebusch, P., Hoebeke, J., De Poorter, E., & Moerman, I. (2018). Smart container monitoring using custom-made WSN technology: from business case to prototype. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications & Networking, 2018(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13638-018-1024-6

Cyphert, D., Wurtz, M. S., & Duclos, L. K. (2013). Curricular Implications of Virtual World Technology: A Review of Business Applications. Business Communication Quarterly, 76(3), 339–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912475208

Rezaee, A. A., & Mubarak, L. (2018). EFL learners’ proficiency level and critical thinking: The case of Iraqi university students. International Journal of Language Studies, 12(4), 91–108. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=130335660&site=ehost-live