A500.9.4.RB - Course Reflections

A500.9.4.RB - Course Reflections

I feel I have learned a lot of from this course. My only negative aspect is that I took two classes while struggling with health problems. For me, finishing my courses this summer has been very important to me, to try to show myself that I could do it. But, instead I have ended up feeling and knowing I have disappointed myself and the professor. I wish I could have shown that I can do it. 

The only thing I found difficult, was the amount of work the first few weeks while trying to get to know new programs and a new method of studying. The amount decreased throughout the course and I found it enjoyable from those weeks. For me, who ended up hanging after from the first few weeks never managed to catch up on all of it. 

I have learned a lot about critical thinking. I know a lot to do a good presentation, but I still struggle with it. What I have had to admit is that people doesn't know if I screw up or miss things during the presentation, so I should be less nervous when presenting. For my critical thinking will help me throughout my life, personally and professionally.

A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

A521.9.4.RB - Reflections on Leadership

Denning mentions five dimensions of leadership:

1. "The interactive leader works with the world rather than against it."

2. "Interactive leadership both adds and subtracts elements from the leadership palette."

3. "Interactive leadership builds on personal integrity and authenticity."

4. "Interactive leadership doesn't depend on the possession of hierarchal authority."

5. "Interactive leadership benefits from an understanding of the different  narrative patterns that can be used to get things done in the world."

I believe that being an interactive leader is the best. You don't want to manipulate and control the people you work with just to get the way you want. I believe in listen to all suggestions, look at all of the facts and then make a rational decision. I did that as the leader for an all-female group at my college. I would listen to all suggestions and there was no way I would feel comfortable as a leader manipulation og controlling the other girls in the board. We made decisions together. I believe this strengthens and gives a great group that is comfortable together, support each other and respect each other. This also says you can add and subtract elements from the leadership palette. 

When listening to your co-workers, being honest and treat them with respect, they will treat you the same way. You need this to have a functioning group. Having a functioning group is crucial to get work done. You need the help of your co-workers to finish the tasks and make it the best possible. I have done both of these as a leader. You do need your co-workers help to finish and the result will be better as you have more heads, more suggestions and you can combine suggestions in a way you may not have figured yourself. 

A500.8.3.RB - Good Presentation Design

I have been through many presentations during my years in college. For me, a great presentation include:

- A clean and minimalistic PowerPoint, if used
- A secure talker
- Someone who doesn't hide behind a desk or notes
- Someone who gets the audience involved
- If using video: using the right video
- Know what you are talking about!

Engineers have a tendency to be to caught up in presenting the facts and data, that they forget how to include the audience. You are not speaking in one way, the communication has to go both ways. Once you have the audience included, you have basically nailed the presentation. To me, that is the greatest quality of a speaker. They also have to know how to use their powerpoint and/or videos in the right time and place. So far, I know what makes a great presentation, but I still get so nervous that I cannot make it up there. But, one day I will!

A521.8.4.RB - Making Contact

I am not the kind of person that easily get in contact with strangers. I think that has a lot to do with my upbringing. In our country, you don't talk to people you meet, you don't talk to them in the elevator. Doing that means being rude many places. It varies between people, but most don't approach strangers just randomly. Being in the same setting helps, as attending a seminar, being at a bar, etc.
Being scared of being rejected

The only time I have been able to "work the room", has been this summer as a coordinator at the summer camps at school. Kids are easy to get engaged and involved, but I feel so different in rooms with people my age or older. I don't think I have the confidence to do that. There is just something about that that scares me. I know, just with talking with my dad, I always know he is the superior one. I think that is just because out of respect.

Having traveled the world, I grew up understanding that people are different. We have different upbringings, religious views and food habits. That has thought me that we are individuals. I know humans are alike, but so many things make us all different. Upbringing, environment, etc.

I think that I can learn that people might not think about me the way I think. They are strangers after all. And I am not a mindreader. I should probably think the positive way and think about all that I can offer.

A521.7.4.RB - Knowledge Sharing Story

When attending college back in Norway, I was a part of a group of three girls trying to get girls interested in engineering and technology. We went around in the country to different arrangements to talk about what we studied, how it was, and that is it possible for girls to do the same as guys. As I am also a licensed electrician, I could easily tell them stories that there still are guys out there, from the "old days" that still thought that being an electrician and engineer was just for guys. Luckily, those are a minority. I have come about sexist guys in my work, talking inappropriate to me. But, them doing that just made me more determined to do well and kick the guys' butt. And I proved I could do just as well!
I really do understand that girls are hesitant about going into a male-dominated career path, most guys are very respectful and nice. It is kinda like how we look at male nurses. It might seem weird, but it is getting more and more normal crossing into each others zone. It creates a better work environment. I always tell girls that you should follow your heart and do what you want to do, and not think about what other people might think or say. I was also scared of what people would think, but all I got was positive comments back. And they always told me to follow my heart. It was really important to us to show the girls in high school that you can achieve anything you want, as long as you follow your heart. I wish I could talk to them again today and tell them that I moved to the US to do my Master's Degree and that this is the best choice I have ever made. I followed my heart!

A500.7.3.RB - Quantitative Research Reflection

Quantitative Research Reflection

The researchers have a planning state just like most other workers. Selections of topics can be either personal, social, theoretical, or an ethical question. 

The main question researchers are trying to primally answer in quantitative research: Why.
They are trying to answer:

- What exist/happens in society?
- Why does it exist/happen?

This is usually answered by using different methods. They collect data and test the hypothesis and theory with the data. The types of data collected are numbers and statistics. When testing the data collected, they do it based on precise measurements using structured and validated instruments. Differently from Qualitative Research, the researchers do not use themselves as the participant. The researchers are not known for the participants, which differ from Qualitative Research. The participant characteristics are hidden from the researcher. They are doing what they call a double blind studies. 

Methods the researchers use to gather the data are: surveys, such as postal or e-mail questionnaire surveys, interviews- either face to face or over the phone. Others are observation, text analysis, statistical data and register data.
When studying the participants, those participants are a sample of the entire group. There might be an sampling error by the group being exceptional. This is why they do a random sampling, where they can estimate the error.

A500.6.3.RB - Qualitative Research

A500.6.3.RB- Qualitative Research


The main elements in qualitative research are: 

- using natural setting as the source
-  researcher acts as the "human instrument"
- researchers predominantly use inductive data analysis
- the reports are descriptive, have expressive language
-research has an interpretive character

- researchers pay attention to the idiosyncratic as well as the pervasive

- researchers focus on an emerging process

- research uses special criteria for trustworthiness

When it comes to qualitative research, there is more focus on the quality of what is written then how much. Using more time on this type of research, it is more difficult to generalize it. They aim to investigate why and how including what, where and when. Researchers observe, describe and interpret the findings they have. Group discussions, field notes and other materials are ways they collect the data. They categorizes this data. The researchers are the data gathering instruments. 

When writing a paper, they explain in details and use an expressive language. They are trying to find what is special with each case. 

Another important element is how trustworthy the findings and researchers are.