Reflections on the development practice module

What did you do well?

I was able to keep up reasonably well with the workload. The rapid ideation sessions were a challenge, with the first one being a little disappointing, but making significant improvements with the second. Knowing this, I think the lessons learned within the first session made the second one more rewarding, specifically the focus on just getting something done, instead of too much research and perfecting the design.

What did you learn?

I have learned how to learn. A re-invigorated joy for learning. Reading academic papers, journals and books help widen my scope of understanding, propelling me further down the path of proximal learning. (VYGOTSKY 1978). With ongoing and purposeful practice, I can switch my mindset from that of an entity theorist to that of an incremental theorist, knowing that I can improve. (Scott and Ghinea 2013)

What should you do differently in the next module?

Following the communities of practice research, and also reviewing some of the earlier works surrounding the application of knowledge (Collins 2018) continues to have an impact on me. I need to immerse myself more into the spark forums and webinar sessions and engage with my peers. I will aim to post at least twice weekly and attend more than 4 of the live webinars.

What still puzzles you?

Game theory, what makes good games. While I’ve been reading (Level Up) and have several other books I want to read, I still feel lacking in core game concepts. I also want to maintain a focus on ethical games, and not rely on techniques that get people addicted, considering the impact of the patterns highlighted in The Social Dilemma (Jeff Orlowski 2020).

References

  • VYGOTSKY, L. S. 1978. Mind in Society. Harvard University Press. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvjf9vz4 [accessed 18 Nov 2020].

  • SCOTT, Michael James and Gheorghita GHINEA. 2013. ‘Educating Programmers: A Reflection on Barriers to Deliberate Practice’. arXiv:1311.0390 [cs] [online]. Available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/1311.0390 [accessed 18 Nov 2020].

  • Collins, H. and Evans, R. (2018). _A sociological/philosophical perspective on expertise: The acquisition of expertise through socialization_. In K.A. Ericsson, R.R. Hoffman & A. Kozbelt (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance. 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://search-credoreference-com.ezproxy.falmouth.ac.uk/content/title/cupexpert?institutionId=4357&tab=contents [accessed 30 Sep 2020].

  • JEFF ORLOWSKI. 2020. The Social Dilemma [Film].