CST 300 - Module 2

Part 1 - Review and Reflect Learning Strategy

After reading a paper on effective study skills by Dr. Bob Kizlik, I have come to realize there are more aspects of studying than I realized, and I do follow a large amount of them. However, there are also some aspects in which I struggle with that I have noticed, especially recently when it comes to reading. Although, to save your time, I will talk about the top 3 aspects I believe I am good at, and the top 3 I am bad at. One thing I am good at is taking notes. Especially in the digital age we are in, there are many ways to take notes, for me I separate my notes by module and assignment using google docs. Another is getting the main idea in a reading, also allowing me to take notes to reflect on later, instead of re-reading an entire segment of an essay or book. Finally, I feel I am also adept at surveying, to get an idea of what I'm going to study, before I actually study. However, some things I need to work on is to actually read because I often find myself at the end of a paragraph and realize I didn't really pay attention, which is why I always take notes. I am also not very good at making a schedule because I often underestimate how long an assignment can take. Finally, I'm also not good at sticking to a schedule when I do make it. I often procrastinate because of how often I underestimate the length of an assignment and it ruins my schedule.

Part 2 - Preview Tiem Management Skills

To see how I managed my time this week, I made an activity log at the end of the week, assuming Tuesday is the last day of the week for assignments. Keep in mind, assignments are posted for students to start on Wednesday, with a due date typically on Tuesday. I should also mention, Saturday was a busy day as I didn't have all the resources for the paper beforehand, so it took a large amount of time. This caused a sudden period of procrastination on Monday through fatigue. 

Part 3 - Project Management Basics

Projects are a temporary task, but they can still be daunting. So, to make them easy to complete, we begin planning. Projects have a typical set of phases. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, then closing. So, to do this in the work force, there is a project manager with a set of skills that allows for a favorable production such as leadership, communication, information technology, accounting, purchasing, and problem solving. One way for a project manager is to have a work breakdown structure, which decomposes the work to be executed for a team or groups of teams to accomplish objectives, organizes and breaks down the project into phases, as well as defines the scope of the project. To do this, one may use a Gnatt chart to illustrate this exact breakdown.

Part 4 - Previous Capstones

Mirrored Fantasy

I had an interest in this groups presentation as it is similar to what I want to do in the future. They made a video game called Mirrored Fantasy which has a focus on objective completion while the different teams are separated. I believe the project to be well done, especially considering how much time and effort goes into making a game and gives insight into how the game was created.

PetRecs

This grabbed my attention because its purpose is to provide pet owners with an easy way to track their pet's health and can be shared, which is helpful to the pet owner, as well as people you know who can take care of your pet while you are away from home. It is a website that has an excellent user interface and simple graphics allowing ease of use. The presentation is very professional and well-paced.

STEM Ranks

Once again, this is a website which solves the problem most upcoming university students have, which is to give insight as to the experience had in different universities using active students or alumni using a rating system. This can help students choose a university that fits them best. The presentation was clear and concise. I feel I understood what their objectives were and why they made it. The user interface was clean and looks easy to use.

Part 6 - Online Learning Initiative

This week's OLI lesson was based on what makes a good team. I learned about how being positive and respectful is a major part of what makes a team successful and collaborative, contrary to individual skill. Being good at working with new and different types of people. To have insight as to what you and other people could bring to the table to solve difficult problems. As well as to have trust, in which teammates will not leave you behind in your work. There are far more factors in having an excellent team than just placing individuals with exceptional talent in a team.

Part 5 - Summary of What I Learned

Overall, I learned quite a bit. More specifically, I learned a lot from writing the draft to my Industry Analysis Essay. I learned what is to be expected in writing an essay in general such as knowing what audience I'm writing to, writing in APA format, reviewing peer essays, as well as just how large the software development industry is growing. I also learned important aspects to project management as stated above.