October 3, 2016
Reflections on my experience with MSLD 500 - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
I should have better prepared for this course by managing my time better in order to complete the assignments. In the early modules, I did not even start thinking about my homework assignments until about Wednesday. I also was taking another course at the same time, so this lack of time management put me in a huge hole. After about the second week, I realized that I needed to get going earlier on the assignments in order to produce a quality product and not feel stressed all of the time. I have a stressful job at work, and doing things such as this added to the stress of life in general.
To
add to the problems, I lost my marketing textbook on a flight that left Corpus
Christi, TX on Thursday, September 1st. I lost all my notes associated with a major
paper that I was doing for that class, and lost the Internet for a period of 5
days or so. This put me far behind the
power curve. I ended up turning in (8)
assignments on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday following Labor Day Weekend. I didn’t feel as if I was actually caught up
mentally, emotionally, or academically until the end of Module 7 (week 7).
Online
courses can be tough. They are
impersonal, lack physical contact, and rely heavily on email and digital
feedback. I believe that the instructor
could have helped with the course by providing a short 5-10 minute video of his
or her self that covered the main points of the module. This visual effect would have added another
sensory input to the overall learning process and maybe would have prevented
some confusion in expectations. This is
not to blame the instructor or the university.
I blame myself for not having a positive re-entry into the world of
academia. I didn’t make it easier on
myself either by jumping in with both feet and taking two classes in my first
semester back into school. That I need
to do so based upon my professional timeline and military retirement is of no concern
to the university or the instructor. It
is what it is. I will be taking two
classes again next semester.
This
course can be relevant to the majority of students. The main relevancy for me came from reading
the assigned textbook cover to cover prior to the start of the semester. I found good, useful information and tips
that I could employ in my professional life.
For example, the SEE-I method of writing was a tool that I plan to use
for the rest of my life. SEE-I is an
acronym for writing that stands for: State it, Explain it, Exemplify it, and
Illustrate it. This course also
sharpened my research and APA skills.
Those skills had atrophied in my long absence from school. The readings were interesting. The circle of logic approach and attributes
of a critical thinker were essential. Most
of the critically thinking techniques presented in this course were already
things that I had been practicing for years.
Without knowing the terminology, I used the circle of logic technique
for problem solving in the military. The
military has a pretty logical system that they use for planning. It is called the military decision making
process (MDMP). Extensive training in
this technique probably lead to my unconsciously using the circle of logic to
solve problems.
I
understand that courses such as this cannot be designed for the full spectrum
of students. Where I was weak at, was
the APA format of writing required by the University. Having a special video module of what was
expected would have been useful.
Examples could have been given of common mistakes, problems from citing
references drawn from Internet sites and so forth.
I
was a bit frustrated with the “self-disclosure” requirements for this
course. I have a skeptical view of
information safety in the modern world. I
resisted it at the beginning and still have resistance to it now. I plan on taking more MSLD courses as
electives to my MBAA major. I will
simply utilize past supervisory experiences in order to participate and self-
disclose for the coursework. I do not
enjoy revealing things about my military background. That is a negative take-away from this
course, but again, it is not the instructor’s or the university’s fault. The fault lies with me. I should have just self-disclosed parts of my
earlier life as references to the material presented. This blog is a perfect example of what I am
referring to. Many members of the
military are cautioned about what and what not to put in a blog. They are not “censored” so to speak, but they
are expected to fall within some professional guidelines. The writings seen here are part of my
frustration. To further illustrate the
point, telling a person that values their privacy that they need to publicize
various aspects of their life can cause cognitive dissonance.
I
think my experience at ERAU will end up being a positive benefit. I really need to earn my graduate degree. I will just have to persevere through the
challenges to do so.
John
Hescott a.k.a. John H2O
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