The decision to return to education had evolved from ‘maybe one day‘ to ‘yes, definitely – but how?’.This article will discuss why I decided to study for an MA in Technical Communication and E-Learning (MATCEL) at University of Limerick (UL), how I managed studying after years of no formal training and what I have learnt so far?
Why study?
I started my career as an engineer working in the pharmaceutical industry. This experience developed a number of skills, for example, knowledge or technical skills, organisational skills and analytical skills. After a number of years at home looking after my young rogues, I was ready to return to the workforce, but my personal situation had changed and I needed to upskill my existing skillset. Taking on the challenge to complete a Master’s proves to prospective employers that I am highly motivated and disciplined with the required skills to deliver tasks assigned.
I was delighted to be accepted on to the MA programme at UL and although I couldn’t wait to start my journey back in to the workforce I was very apprehensive about relearning to learn, understanding the lessons and meeting assignment deadline.
The opportunity to learn online has facilitated my ability to do this course and it opened my eyes to a wealth of new information. At times juggling family and other commitments with studying has been overwhelming, and 18months later I am glad I chose the part-time route. The cobwebs have been well and truly knocked off and I have started to consider which artefacts will make it into my e-portfolio. With my summer development project still in its infancy, there is still a great deal to learn, and the practical application of the theories and techniques will help my understanding. With the end insight I think I am heading in the write right direction!
How will I (or can I) study?
During the first semester one of my priorities was to restructure my time so I could study and work on assignments. A great excuse not to do housework, laundry, taxiing children to their social and sporting engagements? No such luck! As a single parent of four children – it has, at times, been very challenging. Time is a precious commodity and I never seem to have enough of it.
Every module on this course has challenged my ability to understand new concepts and theories, for example:
- Examining design principles to understand why some websites are more appealing than others;
- Understanding what style is- I thought I could write before I started this course, now I can appreciate all the elements involved in a concise and well-structured sentence;
- Instructional design studying typography (thanks to this subject I take pleasure from looking at posters, signs or any content and think about the typeface used!), graphics, layout;
- Ethical issues and how they impact the technical writer;
- Learning new software, I have found particularly challenging and frustrating. I understand it is necessary to learn how to use new technologies and many are intuitive but experience is the real learning. I think this course does well to introduce different types of software and their potential applications.
I enjoyed reading the recommended reading articles, however to my horror I was shocked by how slow I was to fully understand the information and how little I retained – highlighters helped a lot!.
Having learnt how best to listen to the podcasts – print the presentations, notes and relevant readings. If possible, review the reading before listening to the podcast so that everything may not feel so foreign. Relearning word, photoshop and compiling reports initially felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. overwhelmed by the volume of information – this is all new content. I still take this systematic approach to listening to new lecture material.
So Far What Have I Learnt:
- I prefer to read print rather than on screen. An interesting article on the media we choose to read from can affect our ability for “deep reading” and this “poses a threat to the ability to think critically“. With so much information online, I had to learn how to skim and choose which articles to review in print.
- Everything will take longer than planned, and that goes for working on coding, software or writing;
- Stay focused, the learning will happen, and the assignment will be submitted …. eventually;
- I am not confident about my writing skills and this is reflected in the material I have produced. I do have issues with my style, the main reasons are incorrect editing and (lack of) proofreading. I am always trying to learn more about how to improve;
- Initially the newness of the virtual learning environment (VLE) or Sulis was foreign. I think the degree of knowledge sharing via Sulis VLE depended on whether or not we were graded. The e-tivities were a good way to test our understanding of a particular topic and engage with our peers.
- An example of when I felt the participation become more supportive was during the xml assignment . Many of the queries regarding a specific software or coding issue, often required an equally specific response. If there was trial and error required, this prompted a longer more informed discussion. Using the discussion forums to solve problems provided a valuable support network which I think is essential when working remotely and learning new material;
- In contrast, working on assignments like the research project and the Open Educational Resource I did not encounter the same depth of cohesion. This may be because I was using a different authoring tool to create my resource and the content for these particular assignments focussed on different areas of interest.
What Have I Struggled With The Most:
- Understanding the Harvard Cite-it-rite system;
- Learning where to retrieve information and how to quote it properly, the research project sent me down a number of avenues that were interesting but not relevant to my study;
- My time management, even while writing this blog article I am working on ideas for other articles, while keeping a eye on twitter can be more distracting than productive!;
- Understanding how to use the software always takes longer. I know already the e-portfolio will be a struggle because, no matter simple I want it to look, I will spend so much time trying to work out how out how to use different features.
My summer development project will be a real test of all that I have learnt on this course. There will be plenty of challenges, including negotiating with Subject Matter Expert, learning to develop new software and writing the report.
The workplace is a constantly changing environment, advancements in technology have had a massive impact on the way we learn and work. I started this journey to improve my existing skillset, so that I can seek employment that will enable a work/life balance that suits my personal circumstance.
Overall, I am happy with my progress, my head is full of ideas and fluctuates regularly between optimism and fear for the future. The e-portfolio assignment will help to strategically direct my focus, what do I want to do? where will I work? Right now, I want to take every option into consideration – the most suitable position is there, I just need to find it …
References:
Images Source:
Multitasking Image: Coles, M., https://www.timeshighereducation.com/sites/default/files/Pictures/web/m/m/j/miles-cole-illustration-061114-01.jpg, 2019.
Head Image: Oxenham, S., https://assets2.bigthink.com/system/idea_thumbnails/57418/primary/Learning-how-to-learn.jpg?1419260864, 2014.
The Comma Splicer 
