OUGD501 EVALUATION

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

Last year my theoretical writing was pretty poor, I was not really happy with the standard of work I was producing but this year I feel I have improved significantly than last year. I have enjoyed most aspects of the module this year, and felt the lectures and seminars helped to develop my understanding of the world and also my practice.

I feel my research skills have improved this year. I have began to make more use of the library and relied less on the internet, I found the library very useful when it came to writing my essay, I was able to find lots of information on my chosen topic which helped to explain my views on panopticism.

2. What approaches to methods of design production have you developed and how have they informed your design development process?

For my final project I decided to experiment with a different form of media than I would usually use. I planned to carry out experiments and video the results. I had never done this before so I was a bit nervous about how it would turn out. I thought it was a bit of a risk to try something that could potentially let me down, but I thought this would be the best way to visually represent what I was trying to get across. I found this was an interesting format to work in. If I had more time I would of liked to of done a mini documentary so to speak, but time restrictions influenced me to create a publication to go along side instead. After trying out filming I realized its not quite as bad as I thought, so this has opened up a new line of work I could experiment with.
 

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

I think one of the strengths in my work this year was the willingness to try something new and step out of my comfort zone. I tried out research methods which I would of never usually tried. Carrying out the experiments in a busy shopping center was something I was quite nervous about, but I conquered my nerves and everything went to plan, I think my hard work and dedication to the project is reflected in my work, I found the whole module a fun learning experience.

I think my theoretical writing skills has been one of my strengths this year. I'm still not that great at writing but I feel I have definitely improved. My essay is considerably better than last years attempt and I have learnt to triangulate and use a variety of different sources when writing an essay. I feel my research skills have improved also, I have used a variety of different methods this year rather than just the internet.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?

An area that could be improved on still is further engagement with the lectures, I definitely think I could carry out more independent research. I think time has been an issue this year for me I have found it difficult to balance all modules so I believe there is definitely room for improvement in that department. I plan to be more organized next year and allocate specific days for each module to make sure I have an even balance across the course.

5. Identify five things that you will do differently next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

Time Management 

As mentioned before time is something I need to keep an eye on. Next year I am planning on allocating specific days for each module.

Broader Research Methods

Although this year I made good use of the library and other research methods I still think there is room for a wider range techniques. This should help to inform my practice and build a strong foundation for my dissertation
 
Synthesizing Theory to Practice

This year I think my project tied in well with my essay but I still feel there is room to push it further, I think i was just touching the surface of something much bigger this year. I am sure that the mass of research next year will help to produce a publication which is well informed.

Engage more in Seminars
I think I need to take part more in class discussions I sometimes feel like what I want to say might sound ridiculous or be wrong so I tend to sit back and just observe in seminars, this should help to build my confidence discussing intellectual topics with a group of my peers.
 

Picking Briefs Carefully

I think it is important to choose briefs that challenges my skill set but also improves on it. Although it is good to try something new its not always the best idea. I will make sure I experiement with different media before I decided to just go with an idea and hope for the best.

6. How would you grade yourself in the following areas?

(5 = excellent, 4=very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor)

Attendance =4

Punctuality = 5

Motivation =4

Commitment =4

Quantity of Work Produced = 4

Quality of work produced = 4

Contribution to the group =2