Week Sixteen Blog

Write a reflection about what you learned about educational systems, systems thinking, critical theory, systems theory, and the like in class this semester. Did you learn anything else? How might you plan on applying this information in the future?

In my earlier week’s blog I have mentioned that I am a critical thinker and I know how to think and solve problem because that is what I do-problem solving in terms of technology evaluation, analysis, implementation, and discontinuation. But after I have taken this class I felt good that I would have missed lots of information that are very important for my future career to become an administrator in the field of academic technology. This course is an eye opening for me on how to think critically and analyze a system to identify the relevant inputs to process through transformation in to good outputs and make adjustments/recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of a system.

System thinking is complex and educational systems thinking is more complex as I am familiar with mainly educational system. In our class we compare the system thinking with matrix, some of our classmates called it an enigma. But the happiness thing is that we learn how to analyze an enigma bit by bit that gives charm to think about complexity. The whole class was exciting with thinking and analyzing hard and soft systems which never heard of before this class even though we have been doing it without knowing. Now, lots of things make sense with understanding. One of the notable process I have learned fro this class is depiction. It was very useful to represent thinking in a mind map was new to me. I like the strategy to put all thinking in a visual representation with different diagram is extremely useful to effectively demonstrate systems components, their relationships with environment etc.

I have learned how to critique myself when I have negative result about my own action. I think this class made me more stronger and how to think critically to analyze a system. I felt bit confused about my ability after seeing the gap between my efforts and expected output in the activities!  Then I thought my instructor is helping me to think even more by providing constructive feedback to support my thinking with other established thinker’s writing that remind’s me of Dr. Warren’s advice, “you are not a PhD and your thinking needs validation by other established thinker”. I started thinking again and rewritten the task two again and did enjoyed doing it even though it was so painful to see all those comments and a breath taking failing grade. Regardless of the final grade whatever will it be I feel confident that I have learned valuable knowledge and skills from this class that will be worth in my future life.

After I have taken this course I see any system in a different eye than I used to be. The experience of analyzing a system in various levels such micro, meso and meta level was a valuable learning even though I have been analyzing systems which was not organized based on systems thinking theory. I would use this knowledge in my career specially in the field of educational technology whenever I have the opportunity to make decision of any technology integration or of making any change in a system.

Week Thirteen Blog

How are you feeling about systems thinking at this point? How are you feeling about your Task Three/Final project for the course? What’s left for you to do? What’s challenging? What’s not? How might you use what you have learned here in the future?

I have mixed feeling about this systems thinking at this point. I thought I am able to think critically by nature and thinking and problem is my passion. I am always shown good results in terms of making good decision in right time in right place. But I learn lots of new strategies to thinking and analyzing more critical level than I used to which is an eye opening for me. I did not intend to take this course but I think it was a good decision by the department to make it mandatory for us. Although sometimes it was bit frustrating for me not be able to connect and engage some of the thinking reading but class discussions were most valuable and effective for me to fill that gap and to learning this system design and thinking.

My task three is in draft state. I am not much happy with the progress that I am making. It is taking lots of time for me to comprehend and put them in a coherent thought. I know and I understand the whole complexity but when I try to write them it floes like I am outlining my thoughts and it does not look good to read like a paper. I could do it in table but I personally prefer listing than presenting in table. There are so many inputs to consider and analyze each one of them to find the relevancy and value to the system is very complex. But I am focusing more of content than of structure and aesthetic of a paper. After spending so much time I felt I might missed several important relevant input for the system to be transformed as good outputs. I feel like it is a never ending type of task. It is hard to decide where to stop and what to keep and what not. I tried to be visualizing the broader impact but with thinking critically about each thing it is hard to eliminate some out of it. I want to make sure I am covering all the aspects of analysis of a meta-system in terms of online education and its status in the meta-system.

My future goal is to become an administrator in academic technology field. I have been in this field for more than twelve years. I am familiar with this administration, its characteristics and this system thinking and analysis is an eye opening for me which will help me grow and analyse any system and make good decision. One thing I have learned from reading so many articles and analysis exercise as confirmation of my own long term belief is relationship among components in a system, effective communication among systems, listen to different micro-systems is very effective to analyze for making good decision. Autocratic thinking and process has no good output. Even though some of this course activities did not make sense to me at the beginning but later I have enjoyed. I feel confident that the knowledge and experience of analyzing different types of systems from this course will prepare me to become a visionary and effective leader in academic technology field in future.