Course Reflection
The Leadership Foundations in Research course has been very interesting. I can’t think of an element of the course that won’t come in handy in many ways as I develop as a leader. Making well-reasoned decisions and then being able to communicate them well is critical for leaders, and this course certainly contributed to the development of these skills.
The review of fallacies in reasoning made me think of how many times I have seen these fallacies in everyday life. Following this review I had a discussion with some organization leaders concerning a decision that had been based on a “Red Herring.” I was able to explain how the investigators in a safety issue had been mislead, resulting in a poor decision. It was eye-opening to see how good reasoning had escaped them due to this deliberate misdirection.
Reviewing critical thinking and exercising the elements and intellectual standards seemed like a good amount of work at first, but I then came to realize that I had been using some of these elements and standards all along. A person who cares about the decision-making process and appreciates the value of fairness may tend to use at least some of these attributes of critical thinking without formal training, but the formal training certainly contributes to the process. I know that I will be driving my thoughts around the circle of elements, and screening them through the standards on a regular basis until they become fully internalized.
At first I found the concept of “Action Research” to be a bit confusing. This probably had more to do with the article we were assigned to read on this subject, but when I came to realize that it is simply researching and arriving at solutions to problems that we as individuals face it made more sense. While it may contribute to guide others, it is created to guide oneself. This is an exercise that requires critical thinking.
While I find “The Brain” to be an interesting concept, I don’t think I would use it for anything if I wasn’t required to do so. Maybe I will come to appreciate it more during the rest of my degree coursework, but at this point I find it to be nothing more than confusing busywork. While it attempts to simulate how the human brain works, I will say that my brain works much faster, and that I don’t need to constantly refer to a manual to operate my brain. I give this a “thumbs down.”
The idea of ePortfolios is interesting, and I can see a day in the future when these will come to replace the physical resume for job applicants. As a manager I would love to read some of the material that a person has written for coursework, so I can get a better feel for the person’s knowledge, skills, and ability. I get very little feel for a person by reviewing a typed resume, but a website with detailed information would be great. Sites such as “LinkedIn” are one step in this direction, and they are now allowing for uploading of documents for review.
The online folders are a good collection spot for submitted material, but it seems to be additional busy work to upload files there when we have already uploaded material in the submission area, and perhaps into The Brain. The time it takes to understand, and then set up and upload to these various sites, takes up time that could be better spent studying and absorbing the material in the course.
To improve learning in the course I would recommend that fewer assignments be given each week. The division of effort to complete each of the assignments diffuses my thinking to the point that I end up skimming the surface on topics rather than developing a deep understanding. I tend to put in 10-15 hours of study each week, and I would much rather put deep thought into one or two assignments than feel like I have to work fast to meet the needs of all assignments.
All of the topics were relevant to past and future courses, and other than some of the confusing instructions provided for assignments (and too many assignments), I think this course was well developed. It exposed students to a good deal of material in nine weeks and certainly kept us busy. Hopefully it will drive students to further explore and exercise their critical thinking skills as they develop as leaders.
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