Learning Through Reflective Writing: A Constructivist Essay.

The Gibbs Technique and its Importance in Reflective Writing

Question:

Discuss about the HIH Insurance Business System.

One of the theories that have been adopted as a theory of learning is the constructivism approach. This approach seeks to make sense of the information that is presented. One common tool that is used in reflective writing is the Gibbs technique, commonly used in nursing studies. Reflective writing is important for a student in helping to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning experience. It is also critical in the future application in their career and life generally. At times the process of learning may be more beneficial than the information gleaned while learning. This presentation is on the learning experiences that have been gained while doing assignments 1 and 2, which were on cloud computing.

The two assignments were on individual tasks which required study and research alone. The learning experience in my opinion is just as important as the actual information and knowledge that is being pursued. In the process of learning, a journey map is set with a clear starting and finishing point. In between, one can temporary digress from the objective and be drawn to a minor point of interest (Andrzej 2015).  A good example is where I digressed in order to learn more about different computing architectures. This adds value to the ultimate body of knowledge gained in learning. Several such diversions were made in the learning experience, which also acted as temporary “bus stops” in the final journey in preparing for the two tasks.

The value of this experience is the ability to multi-task and handle different sub-topics simultaneously. This calls for meticulous planning and mental coordination. The ability to break down the task into smaller tasks is critical in gaining the greater depth of the tasks I was completing. The value of the learning was the competency to undertake research which is qualitative. This involved doing literature review which was quiet wide together with a meta analysis to authenticate the data that was availed (Creswell 2014).  Another value that I gained was that of time management and self-supervision with the ability to adhere to timelines that were given.

This experience may be transferred in the future within the course and program in terms of being able to do more research that is qualitative. This will be especially important in assignments that require close examination of related topics which need to be synthesized as one presentation. The learning experience will also be important in the program where group assignments are given. Instead of undertaking the journey alone, I will be able to concentrate on my portion that has been assigned and cover it effectively. The experience will therefore be crucial for future research and assignments which are done as a group or individually.

Learning Experience in Individual Tasks on Cloud Computing

In my future career, the learning experience is important when preparing reports and presentations to the board or investors in the company where I will be employed (Kuiper & Clippinger 2012).  It will also be useful in doing research into current and cutting edge trends within the industry. Where such presentations are done in a group setting, being able to deliver my portion will be critical. It will also be critical in developing the competency to multitask several things simultaneously within an overarching goal and objective.  In life generally, the experience is important in time management and being able to supervise myself.

The learning process involved four components which included on what I did, read, saw and heard. The first step was to identify credible databases that I could research on in the internet. The databases chosen had to meet the criteria of having peer reviewed or academic journals (Rog & Bickman 2009). I then did a comprehensive research that saw me read plenty of literature on cloud computing. The exhaustive reading was necessary in order to close the gaps that I identified in the different articles. While one may have focused on cost, another article could have presented the scalability. Other material that was used as reading resources was the lecture notes and presentations such as power points, which complemented what I read.

What I saw was in relation to the visual presentations that I saw on the internet of facilities which host cloud computing. This was in the form of short documentaries on the internet (Sverdlik 2016).  What I saw was also in the visual pictures in books about cloud computing in the college library. What I heard was information that I was able to get from the course instructor, fellow students and a friend who is a software engineer. The main source of verbalized information came from the lecturer which was credible. The verbal knowledge that I received was contrasted with what I had read in order to authenticate or repudiate the same.

The business research was useful in the research learning process in different ways. It provided me with the opportunity to analyze, interpret and report information. Business research is based on the analysis, interpretation and reporting of data. The analysis section of the qualitative data involved organizing information into categories such as; suggestions, strengths and weaknesses (Strangman & Knowles 2012). I was able to identify patterns and themes in the data I researched on. The interpretation of the information was with the aim of getting proper perspectives, between what I expected and what was achieved. The methodology of reporting is diverse, depending on whom the recipient is. In this particular research, the reporting was within the parameters of academic presentation.

The Value of the Learning Experience and Competencies Gained

The business research was also useful in broadening my knowledge of terms used in qualitative studies. I realized that there is a specific and non-specific type of research. I can also be deductive or inductive. The paradigms associated with research include the ontology and epistemology, theory and hypothesis that is postulated (Adams 2007). I also learned to frame research questions and to critically look at the assumptions that I make (Adams, Raeside &Khan 2014). The process of learning is also sensitive to bias from the perspective of the person doing the study. The judgment that I was able to make was that different methodologies are required according to what is being studied. This includes the qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods.

The reason why I did the two assignments was to gain new insights into the advantages and drawbacks of cloud computing. I wanted to know what the trends are in cloud computing and the potential for future applications. I was able to make the connections with the other topics covered in the course. The different information technology topographies available to companies were one such connection. My feeling when undertaking the research was that most information is interconnected. While the topic was cloud computing, there is actually no physical infrastructure in the cloud, but is rather terrestrial in location (Srinivasan 2014).  I felt this was important in not making assumptions based on grammatical syntax.

The hypothesis that was taken is that there are gaps in studies that have been done on the advantages and drawbacks of cloud computing (Bryman & Bell 2015).  The research question that was framed attempted to answer this question. The conclusion that was reached was that cloud computing has both positive and negative outcomes when used. One drawback is the security risks of sharing a common platform of one service provider. An advantage is the ease with which a company may scale up its storage needs. In order to reduce the dangers of using this new technology, it is advisable for a company to undertake a risk assessment.

The research subject has future application in that most companies are migrating towards cloud based computing. Cloud computing is still evolving and is yet to reach the penetration where it may be considered to be mature. Having this knowledge is important as it helps me to identify the drawbacks of its use and where gaps for future studies can be done. With regards to the course, the knowledge gained will be useful in connecting theory and practical application. This will also help me connect the key components of other topics with cloud computing later on in the course. 

Application of the Learning Experience in the Future

In the future, the profession I will engage in will help me to do tasks such as data mining (Linoff & Berry 2011).  The ability to analyze, interpret and present information will find utility as a practicing IT profession in company research. In my private life, being able to analyze information that is common will help me to identify false news.  It will also be useful in developing competencies of multitasking, inductive and deductive reasoning (Salvucci & Taatgen 2011).  Being able to glean the most important information out of data that is presented will help me make better decisions out of informed positions.

Reflective writing is important in pointing out the competencies gained in the learning process. The research methodology that was used in the two assignments provided a rich experience that will find use in the future in my career. In this course, it will help me to be better prepared for future assignments in individual and group tasks. The process of learning has made to be more competent in research that is qualitative, as well as the termino0logies that are used. I have also benefited from being able to analyze, interpret and present information. This will be beneficial in the future as a general social skill. 

References

Adams, J, 2007, Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students, Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.

Adams, J, Raeside, R, & Khan, HA, 2014, Research Methods for Business and Social Science Students, Second edition, Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.

Andrzej, M 2015, 'The Process of Selection of the Main Research Methods in Foresight from Different Perspectives', Business, Management and Education , Vol 13, Iss 2, Pp 234-248 (2015), no. 2, p. 234. Available from: 10.3846/bme.2015.281. [2 October 2017].

Bryman, A., & Bell, E, 2015, Business research methods, Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press.

Creswell, J. W, 2014, Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, Thousand Oaks, California, SAGE Publications.

Kuiper, S., & Clippinger, D. A, 2012, Contemporary business report writing, Mason, Ohio, South-Western.

Linoff, G., & Berry, M. J. A, 2011, Data mining techniques: for marketing, sales, and customer relationship management, Indianapolis, IN, Wiley Pub.

Rog, DJ, & Bickman, L, 2009, The SAGE Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, 2nd ed, SAGE Publications, Inc, Los Angeles.

Salvucci, D. D., & Taatgen, N. A, 2011, The multitasking mind, New York: Oxford University Press.

Srinivasan, S, 2014, Cloud computing basics, New York, Springer. https://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1719952

Strangman, L, & Knowles, E, 2012, 'Improving the Development of Student's Research Questions and Hypotheses in an Introductory Business Research Methods Course', International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, vol. 6, no. 2.

Sverdlik, Y, 2016, Data center documentary explores places where cloud lives, viewed 2 October 2017, https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2016/01/22/data-center-documentary-explores-places-where-cloud-lives