COMM Research Methods - Final Reflection
The biggest takeaway from this semester in Communication Research Methods using my ePortfolio would definitely be my increase in understanding about the importance of sharing samples of my work. Not only did I start to see that my ePortfolio itself is a true example of my work, but also the projects that I include in my ePortfolio to showcase as well—such as my research paper and my research presentation. I like that I can present a variety of work, from writing samples to videos, and even my ability to create an online portfolio and website. Additionally, I also learned that it is critical to be aware of what kind of audience you are writing for in your ePortfolio, whether that is in your introduction, project pages, or resume. For example, you need to find a balance in your writing so that your ePortfolio is not only appropriate for your peers, but also for your professors and potential employers.
In terms of the future and moving forward following graduation, I believe my ePortfolio will be a very valuable tool to present myself to potential employers. As I already briefly touched on, the fact that I’m able to use my ePortfolio to show samples of my work is a major strength. By doing this, I’m not just able to tell employers about my abilities, I’m able to show them what I’ve done in the past and how I’d like to improve going forward. With one more semester remaining in my college career, I definitely think I’ll be able to find additional projects from other classes that I can incorporate into my samples. I’ll also want to continue updating my resume and adding in experience that I’ve gained during my internship with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I think the key to success with this ePortfolio is keeping everything up-to-date and organized.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with my main project of the semester, which I think was mainly because I liked my topic: Social Media’s Impact on Younger Users Mental & Emotional Health. Not only did it fit well into the theme of the semester, but it was a timely topic that I thought was very relevant to my generation. Looking back, I’m pretty satisfied with the work I completed and I can’t think of anything specific that I would want to change; however, it would have been interesting to actually perform part of the research—for example, attempting to get participants to fill out my survey. In the end, I found that the most valuable part of the project came when I had to present my research and ideas to my peers in our presentations. When I was putting together my presentation, I really tried to focus on my wording and choosing the right information to include so that it was clear and easy to understand for those watching. Doing that made me look at my paper in a different way that I hadn’t before, and I think it was valuable in my overall understanding of the project.