Proof Of Learning Week 4: Research Project

My final proof of learning has is geared towards my research I did for my research project.  This class has been quite interesting throughout the fast paced four weeks.  With the class winding down this last week I was really able to focus on my research.  I was glad that we were able to choose our topic.  I felt this really gave me the opportunity to tie in what we were learning to a topic that I found interesting.  I researched how twitter has effected the way we communicate about sports.  I found that twitter has drastically changed how we communicate not only about sports but about pretty much everything.  I was also a little weary about conducting observations as research.  I wasn't really sure how it would go or how informative it would be.  But looking back now I was able to observe exactly what it was I was researching.  I got first hand experience on how people used twitter to communicate about sporting events and sports stories.

This last week also gave me the opportunity to look at what others were researching and help them out if I was able too.  I found this very helpful when doing my own research.  It gave me a chance to look at how others were going about this project.  I admit for a while I was not sure how I was going to do this, because there were really no guidelines.  I used this last week to observe and fine tune everything.

Overall I really did enjoy this course.  I have taken several other online classes before, but this one was completely different.  Most online classes are just all about taking quizzes and test, and not really about learning the material.  The activities we completed in this course forced me to learn and relearn material so I would be able to discuss it on the discussion boards and in my POL's.  The only fault I have with the class are the lab notes.  Not because I do not think they are good for the learning experience, but because I had so many problems with the Sparlix website.  I never could figure it out, and I spent hours upon hours trying to.

This course was both challenging and enjoyable.  Because it was crammed into 4 weeks the work load was great.  That along with having to move in the middle of the course, and start my job really put a strain on some of the class requirements.  With all that though I still feel like I will take more away from this class than any other online class I have taken.  I was able to look at technology and how it effects society in a number of ways.  The content was interesting and will soon not be forgotten.