Personal Perspective

Personal Perspective Paper

Since receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in 1998, my job has changed tremendously; my roles and responsibilities have also evolved. I've moved to a position that requires more leadership, responsibility and accountability; now I'm a supervisor that has to motivate, set performance goals, manage conflict and report to the Director. The decision to return for my MBA has been pondered on many occasions. I finally made a commitment to myself and applied for admission.

The traditional university setting involves book purchases, individual learning, and best practices to solving problems; however, this setting provides electronic versions, teams, and problem solving techniques.

rEsource is a concept that I was unfamiliar with until I started this class; it provides accessibility, affordability & manageability. Prior to going to classes, I'm aware of the expectations for the whole semester. rEsource adds value to my learning because everything is available online, day or night; there are no book purchases and this is convenient because I don't have to worry about carrying a lot of extras. Despite the obvious value that rEsource brings, I can still see a down side. I'm aware that we are in a more technological age; however, some individuals have not caught up. Everyone may not have access to a computer or have frequent access to use the resources to their advantage. The classroom affords you the opportunity to have a one on one interaction and bounce ideas off of your classmates.

I believe there are pros and cons to having teams. The negative aspects of team learning are the dedication factor, team work factor and commitment factor; these factors are based on everyone's involvement in completing assignments in a timely and professional manner. Team learning can sometimes be a challenge because each member brings different lifestyle, views and obligations; therefore, commitment has to be mutually agreed upon. On the other hand, the same aspects that are cons can also be pros. Because of the different lifestyles, views & obligations that are brought to the team we arrive at a varied level of dedication. The fact that we come from different backgrounds brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that assists us in reaching a common goal, which is commitment. Our different career paths lead us to different problem solving techniques.

Problem-based learning gives clear understanding of the situation, helps to find key elements of the problem, establish goals, identify solutions, evaluate alternatives, assess the risks, come to a decision, implement the solutions and reevaluate. Problem-based learning is somewhat uncomfortable because it is different from the style of learning that I am accustomed;