Reflection on my tutor meeting

I found that my tutor meeting with my personal tutor, Tom Scott, was very helpful. We talked about how I have been finding the course so far and I explained to him my difficulties with managing my group work in Design Principles. As mentioned before in my SWOT analysis, one of my weaker points is that I tend to perform less while working within a group, due to group stress. We also talked about my successes this semester, including how much I enjoyed this module and how I performed well in practical lessons in the Computer Systems module. We also talked about Coding Concepts and thehow I believe I have performed in that. It was mentioned that my coding lecturer was aware that the module needed improving for particular types of people and I explained that I found the coding easier due to my past experiences, whereas someone who probably has not done programming before would struggle slightly. It was agreed that e-tivities should be created which will help those who need the extra support.

Reflection on my Mentor

The person who I have chosen to be my Mentor during my studies is my father.

This is because he has my best interests at heart and knows how I work best. He has a neutral view on what I do and he can see issues in different view points, not just his own. This was incredibly important during the groupwork I did in other modules this semester because if there were group disagreements, my Dad would be able to help me calm down and work out the best route of action to take. He also proof read my dissertations, giving me ideas on how to improve them and gave me positive feedback.

Research Methodology

In order to find out the information required for the research paper, a mixture of primary and secondary resources were used; a journal, a newspaper extract, a book and a website on the topic of this research paper. When using a book, all of the information which it contains has to be authorised before it is published. This means that it would be sound evidence which has been proven fact, rather than opinion and is the most viable source to prove the hypothesis either right or wrong. Websites are very easy sources of information because it is readily available for use; however care must be taken to ensure that the information is factual instead of opinion-based. Although this applies to quoting from a website, it was interesting to discover the amount of media attention video game violence has received and whether it shows games in a more positive or negative light. Newspaper articles tend to be rather biased however; from time to time there are quotes from creditable professors of the topic which could be useful furthermore in proving a hypothesis. Journals are also useful because they give an insight to the topic being researched and discussed and give the points of view of other people. That way, it is possible to see whether the media has in fact made a difference to public opinions on video games and whether experts’ views which have been shown either on television or in newspapers have had an impact on the gaming industry.

Literacy Review

Video games have become more and more influential in the daily lives of today’s youth and with the introduction of High Definition and incredibly realistic graphics, it is hardly a surprise that 97% percent of children play video games; 99% of which are boys and 94% are girls. This may be all well and good however, the media has given extensive coverage of the negative impact these games have on the “easily influenced” minds of a minority, causing them to act out in various cases of violence, and in some circumstances, murder. An article in the Independent Newspaper is a fine example of this (The Independent, 08/01/2003). Another example is formed in the studies of Sherry Turkle, who is Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology. There was sufficient evidence in her research to prove that behavioural characteristics of children and adolescents who played computer games did change during the experiment and it was evident that some “have difficulty understanding the boundaries between real and artificial life” (Turkle 1995). Interestingly, Turkle also explains how the use of “virtual pets” may be the cause to blame for introducing gaming at such a young stage of life and clouding the line between reality and virtual worlds. In conclusion, it seems that Turkle’s point of view is very clear and her research backs her theory up completely.

Reflection on my Mind Map - Hypothesis/Question

Firstly, I decided to choose "Video Games and Violence" as my topic of study for this module because I felt it fitted in best with the course which I am studying and the subject path I wish to follow (Computer Games Development).

Upon the creation of my mind map, I have decided that the question which will form the title of my research paper will be:

Is There A Link Between Video Games and Violent Behaviour in Society?

I feel that, using this question, I will be able to conduct more generalised research into the behavioural effects on children, adolescents and adults, as opposed to the more specific research I would need to carry out if I was researching the effects on children only.  It will be easier to find the information I need, meaning I will have more research to support my findings. The aim of my paper will be to determine which out of the 2 hypothesises that I included on my mind map are true:

Violence in video games is responsible for antisocial behaviour

OR

Violence in video games has no impact on the player's behaviour

Mind Map of Different Ideas for my Paper

My SWOT Analysis

My Strengths

1. I am very organised. I keep a timetable and diary so I am aware of my deadlines.
2. I am very good at planning and writing reports. This was a key essential in my college course seeing as it was 90% coursework based and all practical work had to be evaluated.
3. I am a good analyst. This means I can interpret information and use it to back up my own ideas.
4. I am able to set realistic goals and stick to them. This was another key essential which I learnt throughout secondary school and college which enabled me to perform to the best of my ability.

My Weaknesses 

1. I have a low self-esteem and I am often too critical of my own work. This often has a negative effect on my performance because with a negative mentality, I tend to perform worse.
2. I tend to keep my problems to myself. Often if things are left unsaid, they build up and demotivate me.
3. I tend to end up in arguments when working in a group, especially if there are uncooperative members. This frustrates me because it affects my learning, meaning that I often do more than my share of the workload, which could give other team players a disadvantage.

Opportunities In University

1. I get the chance to meet new people from different backgrounds.
2. I get to learn more about myself and better myself as a person.
3. I get the chance to learn more about my favourite field of study.
4. I get the chance to improve my knowledge in fields of study I have only briefly covered in the past.

Threats to my Education In University

1. Illness - I tend to catch illnesses more often/worse than others.
2. Money problems - I have to budget and keep an eye on my spending, otherwise I may end up in a lot of debt which I will not be able to clear.
3. Issues with public transport - If the public transport is delayed, it could result in my becoming late for lectures and therefore not benefitting as much from them.

My Reflection On MY VARK Questionnaire Result

Upon completing my VARK questionnaire, I discovered that I am pretty rounded when it comes to my learning styles. Although I tend to be more of a visual person, I can learn by revising bulleted lists and then putting what I have learnt into practice. I am not surprised by my results because when I was in college, I studied a variety of A levels which required different learning techniques in order to perform to the best of my ability. For example; I found it easier to follow diagrams and videos to give demonstrations on how to do a particular task in ICT and then practice it, whereas for French I had to revise lists of vocabulary and information which would be useful in my exams.

The style of learning which I prefer less is aural because I find it difficult to take in massive amount of audio information. However, in order to perform to my potential, I would need to identify methods of improving these skills so that I can achieve the most from my learning. I find that taking notes while someone is talking will help because it will give me something to refer back to at a later date. It will also help more information to sink in at the time of the lecture.

My Reflection On My Learning Experiences So Far

In my opinion, I believe that the majority of life's lessons are learnt in places other than just the classroom and my learning line has reflected this. For example, I joined a dancing group from 1995 to 2005 which gave me the chance to improve on my team working skills. It also involved a fair amount of patience and responsibility because I volunteered to assist with younger members of the dancing school.

Another part of my learning line which says a lot about me is my choice to travel to a college 20 miles away from me, 5 days a week. The reason for this was because I wanted to meet new people and experience travelling, seeing as I would have to commute later in life to university and work.

During my studies in college, I took driving lessons and passed Pass Plus. This was a huge step in my learning process because it would probably have the biggest impact on my life so far, considering that my parents do not drive themselves.

My experiences have given me confidence in myself to succeed.

My Learning Line