Research Reflection In Learning Experience: Benefits And Techniques

Introduction:

Discuss about the Research Reflection in Learning Experience.

Learning experience is defined as any form of experience a student gains, by interaction through any specific academic course or professional training program or activity, in a formal academic set-up, or outside the campus, that actively contributes to the enhancement of his knowledge and expertise. I would not hesitate to state that one of the most profound learning experiences I had ever, was through the completion of the present research project. I would definitely admit that I did encounter huge academic pressure while choosing the research topic, and I was considerably stressed out, by the very thought of executing the research project. However, as I proceeded with the project, the continual support and assistance provided by my supervisor and peers, definitely helped me derive enormous knowledge about the research process. I not only learnt about the process of conducting secondary research of the topic, but also mastered the art of undertaking survey, to verify my findings of the academic review. The research experience is invaluable for me, and it is difficult to describe its worth in simple words. However, it is worth mentioning here that this experience is the first stepping stone to a more fulfilling academic career that is waiting for me to be explored. I gained the necessary knowledge about research methods and data analysis process, that will help me become a professional research in the coming days. Besides, this experience has provided me with the basic research skills, business theory knowledge, social skills and confidence which are likely to enhance my employability skills in the long run.

I believe that there are innumerable benefits which I am able to derive through this research process learning experience. First of all, the completion of a research project on my own and the conclusion and new findings contributed by the research will add much value to my Curriculum Vitae and will make a more suitable applicant if I ever wish to work in the field of research. It is important to mention here that in the process of completing this research project, I have discovered my passion to work in the field of academic research, and hence this experience will be very useful. Secondly, by undertaking the research, I have been able to develop my knowledge in the field of business outsourcing, and how the same helps an organization lower its operational cost, while enhancing its revenue. The extensive research process and the thorough investigation of the research issue, has remarkably enhanced my knowledge about the benefits as well as the potential drawbacks of outsourcing. Consequently, later in the long run, if I ever engage in an business activity management, I can use my knowledge and utilize my research findings to harness the value of outsourcing-led innovative business practices. The opportunity of scholarly publication will also add to my CV that will increase my future professional prospects. However, while enumerating the benefits of my research experience, I would not confine my discussion to my professional development, and would rather like to include how the research has contributed to m personal development as well. By undertaking and completing the research experience independently, I have become more confident and self-reliant. Besides, I used to be a very shy and withdrawn person, and yet while undertaking the research survey I had to interact with many respondents, that helped in improving my communication skills and other social skills. My basic intellectual skills such as insight and inquisitiveness also got improved that is sure to help me attain professional success if I ever wish to work as an academic researcher.

Benefits of Research Process Learning Experience

While narrating what exactly happened during the learning process, I would first of all like to mention that this research project was my first research project, and hence I failed on many occasions before learning new things. First of all, I had great difficulty in choosing the research topic, as I had so many ideas that I got overwhelmed and stressed. However, my lecturer as well as my friends explained to me that I had to select a research topic, that would be the most suitable one, given the present scenario, and it should one, where there had been so far little research in the past. Thus, I first understood that given the globalization of the world, I could conduct research on outsourcing business activities that would be most relevant in the present business scenario. The next thing that I learnt in the process, is collect necessary data required for conducting the research. First of all, in order to develop the conceptual framework of my research, I required collecting fundamental secondary data already available. However, while collecting data, I realized that although adequate information were available on the free sites of the internet, the use of peer-reviewed journals and offline journals available in the libraries is irreplaceable. Initially, I found that there is plenty of information that could be used in the research paper that made my content irrelevant to an extent. At this point, my supervisor assisted me and I learnt the importance of writing an outline of the literature review section, so that I can narrow down the specific fields of research I wish to investigate. Since I was not comfortable with the statistical analysis of data, I wished to stick to the qualitative data collection method only. However, I learnt from my lecturer that in order to check the authenticity of the qualitative data, and to make the conclusion highly case-specific and relevant, I must undertake survey on the employees of the organizations that practice outsourcing activities. Hence, in order to develop my professional skills, I got myself enrolled in a Survey and Estimation Learning Course for two weeks, that improved my survey conduction and data analyses skills. This training course also helped me get comfortable with basic statistical methods of data analysis such as Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

While explaining the importance of this business research project, I wish to explain both how it helped me develop knowledge about the basic research skills as well as how it added to enhance my knowledge about business. First of all, I would like to mention that no research project is meaningful without the researcher reflecting on his existent knowledge and critically analysing the same, to derive new findings. Earlier, I tended to study and learn only what was served to me in class, in the form of lecture notes. For the first time, I was being able to develop knowledge, by pondering and reflecting over issues that do not form an integral part of my academic curriculum. The out-of-the-classroom learning experience, helped me learn more independently, critically evaluate each piece of knowledge, and reflect on to derive a new conclusion, that can add value to the existent database. Prior to undertaking the research project, I always thought that research is about establishing one’s own viewpoints and yet I always dismissed the importance of investigation if secondary resources. I had no interest in reading, learning and inquiring into new things. However, this business research project developed my reading interest, encouraging me to inquire into new issues as well. It is this research project that helped to develop sufficient knowledge about the benefits and potential drawbacks of outsourcing business activities, and helped me understand the factors that need serious consideration during the implementation of outsourcing business activities.

First of all, under the supervision of my lecturer, I chose to select a research topic related to business outsourcing, as it appeared to me the most relevant research topic in the present globalized market. Although I decided to research the advantages and disadvantages of business outsourcing, and plenty of information was available on the internet sites, I decided to opt for peer-reviewed articles and academic journals found offline as well as online, in order to ensure the authenticity of the data used in the research. Next, I was a bit sceptical regarding my ability to accomplish the survey process in an effective way, and yet I successfully did the same, as numerical data was important to ensure that the research findings are completely reliable and valid. Although I was a little tensed while analysing the findings through SPSS system, with the help of my teacher I overcame my fear and lack of confidence. Most importantly, the research has helped in developing my knowledge, as prior to the conduction of the research, I believed that an organization is able to earn profit only by outsourcing its business activities. However, after the completion of the research, I realized that outsourcing could bring risk to the client organization as well.

Conclusion:

Last but not the least, I would like to state that this research project will be largely beneficial in future. First of all, it helped me gain insight into basic management concepts such as nature and cost advantages of the outsourcing activities, as well as the strategies to combat the risks associated with the same. As a Business Manager or an entrepreneur in future, I will be able to utilize and apply these knowledge in a real business scenario, that will help in improving the productivity and revenue earning capacity of the organization. I have also learnt the importance of reflecting and analyzing existent knowledge to draw my own conclusion, and such depth of knowledge will help me adopt and implement innovative business strategies in my organization in future. Again, if I wish to pursue my career in the field of academic research, the experience and skills attained by me in this research will help me.