This course is the ePortfolio Project for students graduating from ODU. The course focused on learning how to create and present a professional ePortfolio page. During my time in this course I have learned many valuable skills pertaining to organization, professional presentation and reflection.

Below is my course reflection on what I believe I have learned and succeeded at throughout my time here at ODU.

Introduction

My experiences during ODU have been very educational. During that time, I have taken classes that have introduced me to topics and information that I might not have gotten anywhere else. In general, the 2 years that I have been here have been filled with education, both internally at school and throughout my work experience and personal life. The skills that I have come to value have been time management and accuracy of information. All my courses here have forced me to use those skills. My interdisciplinary courses have taught me the knowledge and skills that come from being able to gain your own information and use it to disciplines that are not of my own.

ODU Program Reflection

My most valuable learning experiences from my time here at ODU have been the classes that challenge me to learn new information. I have found throughout my life that anytime I am required to learn something new, it is a challenge to gather information, quantify it and apply it. However, throughout my time here that is exactly what I have come to do, specifically in regards to classes that have not been within my own discipline. I have learned the value of interdisciplinary collaboration. All fields can find correlations between them, and through collaboration a better final product is created.

Some of the obstacles I have experienced have been balancing work, school and life. As many others also do, I work full time and have a family. Attending school full time as well can cause time management issues, as there just aren’t enough hours in a day. The biggest obstacles have all been time related. There are other areas that have been of concern, especially when it comes to the core or interdisciplinary courses. I am not a science-minded person, so learning information like biology or astronomy has been difficult as it is not within my knowledgebase. All of these obstacles have been overcome, albeit with much work and effort.

My previous work experiences have made completing my program much easier. I have been in the IT field for 6 years, starting in the military. With a background in IT, the information provided in most of my courses has not been unfamiliar. I have had a large knowledgebase in all things IT so completing the work has been made much easier.

IDS 493 Reflection

This course is an interdisciplinary course that focuses on reflection of your prior work experiences and educational experiences here at ODU. The class focuses on reviewing and quantifying these experiences, culminating in a professional ePortfolio.

The most valuable and interesting concepts this course has taught me is the way information shapes someone, and how sharing that information to others is viewed. This course has made me look introspectively at myself and how I present myself online.

I think my portfolio looks very professional. I have desired to showcase my knowledge and skills, and I think my portfolio highlights those things. If I were to point someone to only one page of my portfolio, I would tell them to look at my About Me or my resume. Both of these pages highlight my top skills and qualities.

The most challenging aspect of this course is looking introspectively at myself. The information I provided is all about me, and I prefer usually not to talk about myself. This course has helped me change that feeling, and provided me with a medium to talk about myself both professionally and educationally.

My previous coursework has helped me to become a better, more consistent writer. The same can be said about my work experiences. My work experience has given me valuable information to put into the portfolio as well.

Conclusion

The program as a whole was very educational. I have learned many good things about cybersecurity policy and management that I have not learned outside of the institution. Time management is a highly valuable skill that has been made sharpened during my time within the program.

Interdisciplinary methods and theories have been the cornerstone of my learning experience. Interacting with others in fields unrelated to my own has been so valuable to me. I have learned the value of collaboration with others, especially as it pertains to gaining an outside perspective.

It is so valuable to be an interdisciplinary thinker in the field of cybersecurity because it helps all parties involved through collaboration. Outside perspectives are usually what is needed to solve complex issues. Without the aid of outside views and opinions, complex issues are harder to solve without viewing the entire picture.

My next steps after ODU will be to continue my education. I am moving towards managerial roles in the cybersecurity and IT fields. I plan to continue education and go towards earning a Masters degree in either Cybersecurity or Business Administration. I plan to continue furthering myself both professionally and educationally.