Sunday, 4 October 2009

VARK Questionnaire

In last week’s workshop we discussed how different people learn in different ways and took a look at the different ways people take in and process information. As part of this, we all completed the VARK Questionnaire.

For those not familiar with the VARK Questionnaire, it is a study to try and ascertain what type of learner you are. There are four main different types of learner according to the questionnaire - Visual/Aural/Read-Write/Kinaesthetic. I have ascertained from completing the exercise that I am indeed a kinaesthetic learner.

What being a kinaesthetic learning basically means is that I am a practical learner who learns best by physically doings things and experiencing things in the real world rather than sitting at a desk reading textbooks or having someone lecture things at me. I believe this to be extremely true as I have always preferred being out and about doing things and exploring how things work, taking things apart, breaking things etc.

I can remember back to when I was about 5 or 6 wiring a plug and a light switch up for the first time. I was really chuffed as I thought it was a massive achievement. I had watched my dad do it and wanted to do it myself - I got the polarity of the wires correct and everything (and even tested it without him watching). I had learnt that from watching my dad do it and then doing it myself - no text book, no guide, nothing.

My two main interests, IT and the technical side of the entertainment industry (which I am currently employed in both areas) have always been, and will always be, very hands on areas. I find myself doing a lot of practical work as that is what the job entails. There is a lot of paperwork at times, but a majority of the work I do is practical and hands on and I have found myself comfortable in this surrounding as I know I learn things far better trying them for myself and doing it rather than trying to simulate it or read it from a text book.

I'll admit, I've broken a lot of stuff in the process of learning, but you always get a bigger buzz knowing that you know the system/whatever it is far better through exploring it practically than when you first set out.

Outside of uni I have quite possibly the two best jobs I feel I can do and I'm extremely happy and comfortable with the employment I have. I work as a freelance computer engineer (in layman’s terms I'm a computer repair bloke) and I work in a theatre as a theatre technician (that boils down to mainly doing lighting/sound/fixing things/hanging lights etc...you know).

I'm a practical person - I work best and I learn best being out there using my hands and brain to explore the world around me, and not being stuck in a classroom. This was one of the reasons why I had to think long and hard about university. I'm not a uni person – although I did well at school I'm not an academic person so I know uni will be hard (writing essays etc) but I know I'm capable of doing it although I appreciate it will be a struggle.

JR

SWOT Analysis

I have created as part of my Personal Development Planning a number of different strategic exercises to measure my development and performance. One of these is my SWOT analysis.

A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis is a planning exercise designed to focus on the positive and negative factors which could support or impede the result of a given goal. A SWOT analysis is typically done at the beginning of a project. I am doing this at the beginning of my university course to try and work out the factors which could limit my performance and threaten the goal I want to achieve – in my case, a university degree.
Strengths

-Good Communicator
-Strong IT skills
-Professional IT experience
-Good team player
-Able to work alone using own initiative
-Good organisation
-Reliable
-Good at conveys ideas and “thinking outside the box”
-Fairly creative – skills acquired from working in the theatre industry

Weaknesses

-Meeting Deadlines
-Motivation
-Distraction
-Communication – I tend to stutter and mumble, particularly when under pressure
-Pressure

Opportunities

-Degree
-MCSE / CCNA / CCNP Certifications
-Industry recognition
-New friends
-The chance to learn and experience a lot more

Threats
Distance travelled – it’s an 80 mile round trip to go to university
Student Finance
Money
Family
Work commitments
Motivation / Disillusion

Thursday, 1 October 2009

Learning Line

The diagram below is my “learning line”. A learning line is used in personal development planning to illustrate the different stages that someone has taken throughout their life so far which has made a significant contribution to their learning and development. At Anglia Ruskin University we are Personal Development Planning as this equips us properly with the tools we need to further ourselves in HE and eventually work.
My learning line is fairly varied. I’ve been lucky enough to have had the chance to work with several extremely experienced professionals from the areas I’m involved in both for work purposes and university. I’ve done this through working at various different establishments and this is all illustrated below. I used to work as an assistant IT Technician at my old high school/sixth form college and worked with three experienced professionals. Through my work with them I learnt and experienced a lot of situations, scenarios and problems which I’m fairly confident I wouldn’t have experienced for several years without them.

In terms of high school, I progressed through primary school up to high school where I used to live in North London. I left in Year 9 as my family moved down to a seaside town called Walton on the Naze in Essex. I personally believe that moving to Essex and starting a new school was the best thing I’ve ever done as I made so many new friends and was given so many more opportunities which I don’t feel I would have achieved where I was living.

I did a gap year before university after leaving sixth form as I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go into higher education. I spent a majority of this time working as a freelance Computer Engineer and as a theatre technician in a local council run theatre. I still work there in my spare time outside of university which is a big bonus for me. I am also studying for MCITP certification on Windows Server 2008 outside of university.