Remember that our 9/29 meeting will be in the Johnson Center Library ("library instruction room" #228).
Other reminders:
-Read Booth chapter 5.
-Share (or email) draft of Project Description. There are some guidelines in the handout I gave you a couple of weeks ago with the title "Drafting a Research Proposal." Also get this to your faculty mentor somehow, and then get me the comments when he/she finishes them. Again this would all be easier in Google Docs, but email is fine if necessary.
-Create a concept map of your topic, for use in the library session. So make sure to bring a physical copy of that. As I explained tonight, a concept map could be many different things, so don't take "map" too literally. Just any way you can organize the various concepts or questions of your paper without writing in sequential complete sentences.
-As a separate exercise, or perhaps as sort of the "legend" scribbled in the corner of your concept map, I highly recommend that you try your best to complete the following template: I am investigating ___________ because ___________ , in order to ___________. ___________has/have generally approached the topic by ___________, while ___________ believe/s that ___________; I will be arguing instead that ___________.
-You may also find this helpful in light of our discussion.
Here’s a brief description of how to create a basic concept map that helped me. A graphic and more details can be found at:
ReplyDeletehttp://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v8n2/birbili.html
“Both simple and more complex concept maps consist of two things: concepts and the relationships among them. Concepts are usually represented as labeled circles or boxes, which are called “nodes.” Relationships, on the other hand, are represented as lines (or else arcs) or arrows connecting the concepts. Lines are usually labeled with verbs in order to specify the relationships between concepts, while arrows are used to show the direction of the relationship (e.g., one-way or two-way). As concepts are connected through links, they form the statements that Novak and Gowin refer to as propositions.”
Work Cited: ECRC.uiuc.edu
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteJust want to confirm one thing...what is the length of the project description for next week? One page as it says in "drafting an investigative research proposal"? Thanks,
Laura
Gail, thanks for the helpful link.
ReplyDeleteLaura, I believe only one page. See this document:
http://laughingdove.net/gmu/390-investigative.pdf
Iris White
ReplyDeleteBIS 390
Fall 2010
Professor Winter
Project Description
I believe that there is a direct connection between purposefully planned residential interior design and wellness in its inhabitants. Interior design often fails to emphasize the importance of inhabitants' well-being. I have observed that people are often confused about what it means to have a home that truly nourishes them, versus a place that that “wows” other's but leaves owners isolated and emotionally detached. And if it is not the grandeur with that lack of intimacy of the home, it might be something else that leaves the individual or family disconnected. I want to know what exactly this is because I see a strong need for change and improvement. I would like to use my proposal to find answers about how wellness in our homes can be achieved.
On my search for evidence of the connection between homes and wellness I came across numerous articles that describe and explain a relationship between office employees and their work environment and patients in hospitals for example. Scholarly articles about the relationship between the home and its occupant or occupants are not as easily available. When we look to the East, China, the matter of the importance of the home, with all of its functions, has been taken very seriously for thousands of years, when Feng Shui became a part of the Asians' style of life. Feng Shui has made its way slowly to the Western world and architects and designers are beginning to incorporate it into their work. I want to explain how certain methods of Feng Shui can help accomplish my mission.
Other matters in achieving comfort and harmony in ones dwellings is the fine tuning of the application of light and temperature. These elements have a tremendous influence on our psyche and can not be ignored. The use of color is equally important and can have serious emotional impacts on our unconscious. In my work I have witnessed how based on the change of color, furniture layout and organization (to calm the mind) peoples' lives have changed. I have used my intuition and many years of trying out everything from using different types of furniture, arrangement of these, materials, textures, colors, light sources, books, plants, flowers, candles, utensils that we use on a daily bases. My classes in psychology and art have helped me to deepen my understanding in my work as a designer and make it more intentional. With an emphasis on understanding emotions and an eye that has undergone aesthetic training, I feel confident to be able to create homes that will make a positive difference in peoples' lives. I also hope to present my new knowledge to the American Interior Design Association (ASID).
Elena Thompson "The Amazing Disappearing Research Log #2"
ReplyDeleteResearch Log #2:
I started with my ‘go to’ sources – the peer-refereed academic and research quarterly of PMI, “Project Management Journal” and the “Academy of Management Journal”. I found some good studies to start from. At first I was concerned that my topic had been covered, but I discovered while there appears to be a substantial store of data around the general question of soft skills in relation to technology project management, the research does not readily answer the questions I have regarding the appropriate level of competency needed as it relates to software development lifecycle. That is, it does not make the connections between the types or phases of technology projects and different competencies. In order to provide something useful, I see my challenge will be to identify or clearly define a basic categorization scheme for types of software development projects as well as align them with soft skill competencies.
Elena
Posting research log #2 that was emailed to Aaron earlier:
ReplyDeleteInvestigative Research Proposal - Project Description (First Revision)
The specific question that I will be investigating is whether there is a way to determine which of the two main different options – aging in place (where the elderly adult’s existing home is modified to accommodate their changing needs) and independent care/assisted care facilities (where the elderly adult is moved to a facility and assigned an apartment or room that conforms to their needs) – regarding the lifestyle transition of elderly persons once they can no longer live in the existing living situation that they have lived in for most of their adult lives. This determination must take into account the perspectives of not only the elderly adult (the consumer) but also the perspectives of several different aspects of society as well. We must look at this from not only a business perspective but also from a human one, both looking at the gerontological aspects and the ones that relate to hospitality aspects of the change (comfort issues). In order to do this, I will have to analyze the different options that are currently available to them and determine the pros and cons of each in order to determine the best features and benefits of each approach and to also determine how I can best utilize the superior features presented by each separate approach to construct a new combined system that will best serve this demographic – taking into account the fact that there will always be slight adjustments that must be made within this overarching system depending on each individual – while also addressing the concerns that relate to society at large and that place as little of a burden on the rest of society as possible.
This approach will combine the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge that I have obtained in the gerontology, hospitality and business curricula that have combined to form the foundation of my degree program. As regards the gerontology segment, I must draw upon the classes that focused on the cognitive, psychological and emotional aspects of the clients themselves. As regards the hospitality segment, I must also fully understand how noticeable changes in the health, self-care, safety, or cognitive ability of each individual client will affect the ultimate lifestyle change decision, whether it be an assisted care facility or an aging-in-place solution. Finally, as regards the business segment, the challenge is to develop affordable and efficient residential care settings that allow people (even those with severely compromised physical or cognitive functions) to end up in the ideal setting for the duration of their lives. Much of the debate and subsequent innovation involves first addressing and then continually reassessing person-environment fits, which is the crux of creating the ideal lifestyle transition situation for each elderly person.
Posting Part I of RL #2 sent to Aaron earlier:
ReplyDeleteInvestigative Research Proposal - Project Description (First Revision)
The specific question that I will be investigating is whether there is a way to determine which of the two main different options – aging in place (where the elderly adult’s existing home is modified to accommodate their changing needs) and independent care/assisted care facilities (where the elderly adult is moved to a facility and assigned an apartment or room that conforms to their needs) – regarding the lifestyle transition of elderly persons once they can no longer live in the existing living situation that they have lived in for most of their adult lives. This determination must take into account the perspectives of not only the elderly adult (the consumer) but also the perspectives of several different aspects of society as well. We must look at this from not only a business perspective but also from a human one, both looking at the gerontological aspects and the ones that relate to hospitality aspects of the change (comfort issues). In order to do this, I will have to analyze the different options that are currently available to them and determine the pros and cons of each in order to determine the best features and benefits of each approach and to also determine how I can best utilize the superior features presented by each separate approach to construct a new combined system that will best serve this demographic – taking into account the fact that there will always be slight adjustments that must be made within this overarching system depending on each individual – while also addressing the concerns that relate to society at large and that place as little of a burden on the rest of society as possible.
#2 sent to Aaron earlier:
ReplyDeleteThis approach will combine the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge that I have obtained in the gerontology, hospitality and business curricula that have combined to form the foundation of my degree program. As regards the gerontology segment, I must draw upon the classes that focused on the cognitive, psychological and emotional aspects of the clients themselves. As regards the hospitality segment, I must also fully understand how noticeable changes in the health, self-care, safety, or cognitive ability of each individual client will affect the ultimate lifestyle change decision, whether it be an assisted care facility or an aging-in-place solution. Finally, as regards the business segment, the challenge is to develop affordable and efficient residential care settings that allow people (even those with severely compromised physical or cognitive functions) to end up in the ideal setting for the duration of their lives. Much of the debate and subsequent innovation involves first addressing and then continually reassessing person-environment fits, which is the crux of creating the ideal lifestyle transition situation for each elderly person.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShareen
ReplyDeleteProject description
"The deferred American dream: How bad business practices and miscommunication led to the housing market meltdown and ways it can be improved".
I am interested in taking a close look at the mistakes that were made in what is said to be one of the worst housing crisis’s in American history. There were a lot of mistakes that were made that could have been avoided and I believe that there is a way to prevent this from happening in the future. Home ownership was once looked at as the American dream much like the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. It is the single most important and for most people the most expensive purchase they will ever make. It was long thought to believe that the value of real estate will always go up and for so many years that was the case. In 2008, the housing market became a Sellers’s and buyers worst nightmare. For many different reasons. I would like to learn more about what happened and I would also like to find ways to prevent this from happening in the future. What types of safe guards can be put in place to help first time buyers decide if buying a home is right for them? Watching a video 48 hours prior to closing, or some sort of interactive training session may very well be the answer.
I will attempt to combine the interdisciplinary knowledge from the disciplines of business and communication into finding out the answers to some of the most asked questions as it relates to this topic. I will also draw on conclusions based on several different theories from the communication aspect and look at case studies to determine the business aspect. I will then bring both aspects of this research topic together to shed light on the problem from two different perspectives. I will attempt to fully understand the perspectives of all the people that were involved in this creating this crisis and the roles each party played in it. I will then try to determine ways to make the home buying process better and attempt to put more control in the hands of the buyers by providing them with the right tools to help them make the proper buying decision.