I have created a dairy of my weekly progress so that I can monitor how well my investigation is going and have merged my weekly diary with my candidate record so that I can demonstrate exactly how I have organised my time in order to meet tasks.
Diary entry form 27th August-24th Septemer
August 27th 2009
My learning goal of the week:
I plan to read thoroughly the EPQ Specification 2007 and to create a detailed brief which I will look at to keep the content of the project relevant to the brief as possible. Also, to come up with an appropriate brief I need a project research title.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
I have looked at many psychology websites at A level stage to help me gain an understanding of the subject so that I know exactly what signs and codes to look for in case study or any relevant research which will tell me what psychological problems there are which at the current stage my investigation question is: “Analyze ways in which eczema can effect aspects of Childs development”.
Time these activities have taken:
I have set this stage to run over the next few weeks, however so far it seems like the research is in time. I plan for this stage to take four weeks and so, I have found so far, about a few psychological approaches which I can use to help support my investigation.
3rd September
This week was first week of school so I have decided too spend this week for preparation for A2 level.
10th September
My learning goal of the week:
This week I intend to start setting myself goals such as what I want to gain from this project in order to stay motivated. I am also going to design a brainstorm with all the psychological approaches I can investigate that is appropriate to the project. It will be designed to can develop ideas for my investigation.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
Firstly I have informed my supervisor of important decisions made so that my teacher can inform me of whether the project investigation topic is appropriate.
To motivate myself I often asked myself how this project will benefit me. So I would often tell myself how it would benefit me both at an academic level and at home in my own environment.
It is relevant to me as the project revolves around my personal experience as well as the population as it is common.
The skills that I will acquire from studying this is how to control my own emotions and what triggers cause these outbreaks, I hope that the knowledge that I will acquire from research will help me control scratching. I also look forward to to learn how to be an independent learner and want to rely upon myself to get work done on time without depending on teachers to remind me of deadlines. I hope to find different methods to tackle possible problems. I hope to further develop my creative thinking skills. I aim to realise and create realistic goals in order to succeed. And finally, I expect to be able by the end of my project to keep stress levels down in order to manage emotions and have realistic goals.
17th September
My learning goal of the week:
I will create a project plan this week where I will follow this set structure throughout the whole project. I will also set objectives and the outcome of the project generally.
As psychology is a broad subject I will list ways the question can be researched using points for each and then I will select the most relevant.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
I have stuck to my plan to read books and find out a bit more about eczema, research different psychological effects and select a few to find deeper analysis and to help support investigation. I have accessed and search the Internet, read text books
I have considered that research currently is very broad and can include any information closely relating to the question.
I have designed a brainstorm and come up with more detailed titles.
Create a plan with Gantt chart format and drawn out a critical path analysis diagram to see exactly how much float I have if any.
24th September
My learning goal of the week:
After participating in a workshop with Westminster University on reflecting on all sections I have learnt a method which will help me with my investigation during a peer group activity. In this activity one of the people had to tell the rest of the group of a journey in their life and the others comment of the feeling and emotions expressed. However I am going to use the same process but analyse taking a psychological approach.
Using the same method used in the workshop I will interview a child aged 14 who suffers from atopic eczema to find out about her experiences.
I had made the important decision that I will be analysing her psychologically, and so it was important for me to tell the person I was investigating of my decision as it is her right to know.
There are different forms of psychology that I can explore as seen in my brainstorm image.
I also intend to produce a production plan in a table format.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
Unfortunately, my client can’t be interviewed as she doesn’t want to be revealed and she wants to remain anonymous, and so I have decided that later I will interview her and many other people so that I don’t have to rely on one interview to create a case study to focus on. I have decided to use the method learnt in the workshop but to start making questionnaires for the case studies later on when I’m actually design the content to the magazine.
Instead this I have produced a well thought out production log so that I can organize my time so that I achieve a productive project. I have realized that maybe a week is too much time just to produce a production log, however I know that this would be changed many times as I like to think things through and understand that it is possible to achieve in the times that I set. With the spare time left over I have decided to produce a Gantt chart which is developed from production log.
Time these activities have taken:
It has taken me longer then I had first believed and so it was a wise decision to set this task for a week as now I am still on time of the schedule.
How will I know that I have been successful?
By the end of the project I will know I have been successful as my projects life cycle would follow most of the initial plan or explain changes to the plan which has made a positive impact on the investigation.
Diary entry from 1st October - 19th November
1st October
My learning goal of the week:
Using the same method used in the workshop at university of Westminster my aim is to interview children and teens aged 11-19 who suffers from atopic eczema to find out about their experiences.
I will choose the most effective interviewee (which I will find out after handing then my questionnaire) to be analysed psychologically, and so it was important for me to tell the person I was investigating of my decision as it is her right to know.
There are different forms of psychology that I can explore as seen in my brainstorm image.
I will explore further:
Stress, bodily response and source of stress, physiological psychology, behaviour approach and touch upon the social psychology area.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
I have created questionnaires in order to find out who I can use in my magazine, making sure that they realise that I want to use images and personal information. I also reassure them that some of the case studies are anonymous people stories and so if they prefer then I can put them in that category instead.
Time these activities have taken:
This has taken a lot longer than anticipated and so I have decided to keep this task open so that I can approach it when necessary in the investigation. For example I will not need to create a case study until I get a better understanding of the subject an so I cant typed up all that she has told me in the style of a case study about her experience of eczema. Following, I have taken notes in detail showing her possible feelings and emotions and I will “Describe the psychological interferences there are for the sufferers of eczema in children and adolescence”. However latter on in my project I can closely analyse my findings.
In order to succeed in this investigation it is required of me to work closely with the person willing to share their story.
How will I know that I have been successful?
I will know that I have got a successful range of candidate information in when I have formed a winning case study. I will also have deeper understanding for the investigation and create many case studies of a child eczema sufferer including me.
8th October
My learning goal of the week: interview people
Originally I planned to do the interview stage in this week where I was planning to Interview children from ages 6 (their parent’s views on their children of this age) to teens below the age 19. I will need to find out a bit about them realizing that I am asking personal questions I will leave the name of the interviewed person unanimous (unless they agree that I can share their name).
Here I will also plan to regularly update my blog so that it will help me follow what work may need to be done and also this will be like a second diary which will track my progress.
I am going to do a write up of all of the information drawn from research for eczema explained page which will include stress information.
Activities that I have done to achieve this goal:
I have asked specific people who I have now found out who have eczema and given then questions from my questionnaire. I have also considered using other perspectives such as parents/guardian authority to tell me about the younger children suffering from eczema.
I need to:
From these case studies I will investigate accordingly to form my investigation answer which will be put in the magazine. However I have decided to do this at a later stage where I will have more time to do this when I have to do this kind of research when designing the main product.
15th October
My learning goal of the week:
To put together possible information for a page on social and emotional effects eczema has and again do a write up of all the information gathered from research after interviews and from recourses.
I have decided after doing my research that this won’t have such dominating content in the magazine as most of the magazine will have aspects of this throughout and so I don’t want to make a specific page on this subject.
22nd October
My learning goal of the week:
I aim to have a written version of all the research gathered on the subject of how someone with eczema has an impact on family. This will probably include information from interview from a parent.
29th October
My learning goal of the week:
I aim to have a written version of all the research gathers on the subject of how someone with eczema has on my life, sleep and others etc.
5th November
My learning goal of the week:
I am half way through my project now and I have completed all the information that I will have in my magazine and have made final conclusions of all the research that I have gathered, I have also researched on ways to structure my magazine I have interviewed a few people around the age range in which I am investigating and I have updated my blog.
I have done all the necessary research which needed to be done and have made master templates for which I have designed to put all the content of the magazine in so that all the pages are consistent and flow to follow the house style and my magazines professionalism.
Identification of your own skills:
Currently I am on schedule looking back at my production log/planning schedule and so I believe that my project management skills are working effectively despite the changes to the timing of tasks.
