guided tour Reflective Tasks

Task Quick Nav:
Task 1: Developing Your Approach to Masters-Level Study
Task 2: FND Portfolio Task Help
Task 3: Deciding Your Course Pathway
Task 4: Assignment Help 1: Browsing for Ideas
Task 5: Assignment Help 2: Offering Feedback & Advice
Task 6: Building on a Discussion
Task 7: Revisiting a Discussion

Introduction

Welcome to the DL Archive guided tour, a series of interactive tasks modeled on those found within each module. I designed these tasks to help guide you towards content that can support your studies in practical ways, as well as provide me with a data source for my dissertation. I'm primarily interested in learning how MSc course participants make use of this website, so your completion of one or more of these tasks will be greately appreciated.

The tasks all roughly follow the same pattern and and are meant to help you do the sorts of things you normally would be doing in the course of your studies:

Some suggestions:

Good luck on the tasks! I hope you get a lot out of them.

Jerry Talandis Jr.
Toyama, Japan
MSc course participant: 2001 - 2005

 

Task 1: Developing your study skills

Many CPs begin this program after a long time away from intensive study. At the beginning, it's always a challenge to shake off the rust and get back in the swing of studying, especially at the master's level. Finding time to complete school work on top of busy work and family obligations demands clear & organized study skills. This task is designed to help you consider and develop your approach to study.

Part 1: Reflection on current practice

Take a few moments and write down a few thoughts regarding the way you approach the following aspects of studying for a masters degree:

Assignments: When do you get around to thinking of a topic for your assignment? Do you try to come up with something quickly, or do you wait until you've made your way through all the reading? What are the advantages and disadvantages to your approach?

Study time: How do you plan and organize your study time? For example, do you prefer to study a little each day, or do you like to set aside long blocks of time every week or so? What are some difficulties you have regarding study time, and how have you tried to overcome them?

Information retreival strategies (such as note taking, keeping track of references, etc): As you read through a module, how do you go about taking notes? In addition, what's your system for keeping track of quotations and references?  

Reflection: To what degree do you do the reflective tasks within the FND? Do you keep a journal, as is recommended? How keen are you on this practice?

Motivation: What do you do to get back on track when you're feeling de-motivated?

Course completion: How long are you planning on taking to finish the MSc? What are some merits/demerits of your choice?

Required reading: What books will you buy (did you buy) for the FND, and why? How did you go about deciding which to purchase?

Part 2: Learning from your peers

Read the discussions in the "Study Skills Advice" section of the Foundation module category. As you read, make note of anything that strikes you as interesting, useful, or lacking.

Part 3: Share your impressions

Compare your notes of the readings with your previous reflections on your current study approaches. What did you learn from reading about how others on the program approach master's level study? Additionally, was there some technique, strategy, or practice that you've found successful that others could benefit from? Post your thoughts and ideas to the discussion list or share them one-on-one with Jerry.

 

Task 2: Portfolio Task help

Part 1: Reflection on current practice

Write down a few thoughts on the following questions: What is your approach toward the portfolio tasks? For example, do you take them on to completion one by one, or are you waiting to put them off until later? Which task is most challenging, and why?

Part 2: Learning from your peers

Read the discussion threads in the "FND Portfolio Tasks" section of the Foundation category page. Jot down any thoughts or anything useful, interesting, or lacking that come to mind while reading.

Part 3: Share your impressions

What did you learn, if anything, from reading the threads on portfolio tasks? Post your thoughts and ideas to the discussion list or share them one-on-one with Jerry.

 

Task 3: Deciding your course pathway

Part 1: Reflection on current practice

If you haven't yet decided your course pathway, take a few moments to write down a few thoughts about it. Which courses are you leaning toward taking, and why? If you're having trouble deciding, why?

Part 2: Learning from your peers

Read the discussions in the "Course Pathway" section of the Foundation category. Alternatively, if there is a specific course you'd like to know more about, browse through and read any interesting threads. Take notes as you read of anything you find useful, interesting, or lacking.

Part 3: Sharing your impressions

What did you get out of reading how others have approached this important task? To what extent did reading discussions about a module help you decide on taking it or not? Post your thoughts and ideas to the discussion list or share them one-on-one with Jerry.

 

Task 4: Assignment Help 1: Browsing for Ideas

This task is designed for CPs who are having trouble getting an idea for an assignment.

Part 1: In whatever module you're working in, take a few moments and write down some aspect of it you are especially interested in.  

Part 2: Browse through the archived discussions in the module you are doing. Take notes as you go of anything you find useful, interesting, or lacking.

Part 3: How did it go? How much closer are you to nailing down your assignment topic and focus? Write down a brief summary of your best idea and post it to the discussion list or share it one-on-one with Jerry.

 

Task 5: Assignment Help 2: Offering Feedback

Again, this task is designed for CPs who need help thinking of an assignment focus, but it takes a different approach. Instead of thinking about your own situation, take some time to help someone else. Hopefully the act of giving advice can shake loose some ideas regarding your own situation.

Part 1: Read the discussion entitled "MET Assignment Proposals", started by Robert Haines. In this thread, Rob asks for feedback & advice about three different ideas.

Part 2: Which of Rob's proposals do you like the best? Why? Do you agree or disagree with the feedback he got? If you had posted a reply, what would you have said?

Part 3: What did you learn from the experience of giving advice to someone else needing help? How has this helped you in your own search for an assignment topic? Post your thoughts and ideas to the discussion list or share them one-on-one with Jerry.

 

Task 6: Building on a Discussion

This task is designed to take a discussion from the past and build on it. The idea here is to use the DL as a platform upon which to deepen exploration of topics, questions, or issues relevant to your interests and situation.

Part 1: Browse through the archive and find a discussion that strikes your fancy in some way. It could be about a controversial issue, such as Pennycook & cultural imperialism, or one that asks a simple question you find interesting or that wasn't answered to your satisfaction. If you have some idea of your area of interest, try doing a word search and browsing through the results.

Part 2: Add your thoughts to this discussion. You can write your thoughts to Jerry, or start a new version of the thread on the discussion list. Be sure to post a link to the discussion you're building on.

 

Task 7: Revisiting a Discussion

The goal of this task is to bring you back to a discussion you participated in and reflect on how your thinking has evolved.

Part 1: Type your name into a word search box on any page and bring up a list of all the discussions you have participated in. Alternately, you do a search and find several discussions that you enjoyed observing at one time or another.

Part 2: Reread an especially interesting discussion and write down any impressions. What do you think now about what you said or read?

Part 3: To what degree has your thinking evolved since that discussion took place? Do you still hold the same position/reaction, or has it changed? If so, how? Post your thoughts and ideas to the discussion list or share them one-on-one with Jerry.

 


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