Throughout this module I have learned new ways to research, using a variety of resources which I wouldn’t of usually used beforehand but will continue to use in the future. The weekly tasks have challenged my writing skills, as I have found it difficult to write essays and to analyse images and texts. By doing these tasks i have seen my writing skills improve and I feel more confident with doing these in future. The lectures have been really interesting and i have found them enjoyable while i have learned important factors with fashion which I haven’t learnt in practical sessions or study sessions.
The first few tasks were on using online resources, primary and second sources. The first task opened my eyes on using the library resources and using articles. In the past I have never used books for researching merely used online resources such as Pinterest. This task has seen me broaden my mind and use books. I did find this task challenging as I had to relate all three resources together, as I’ve never done this in the past it wasn’t the easiest. However this has been helpful as I now think of a variety of research resource and how I can link them together.
The next task was about using Harvard referencing. I have used Harvard referencing before but not like this, although this is a long process it’s important and now I know to reference all of my work in this manor. The next task I found more challenging than the ones before, as I had to analyse an image which I find difficult, this is due to me never having to analyse anything in depth before.
The following task on reflective writing really challenge me. I enjoyed reading ‘Fashion as Communication’ text as my knowledge on fashion was expanded, I liked reading how fashion has many definitions and other peoples views on fashion were very interesting. Since the previous texts I have used library resources more and found it easy to find supporting texts. Again I liked reading the other texts as I got a better and more thorough understanding of the first text and fashion in general. I know now how further reading is useful as it can support other research. However writing up a summary was harder than expected as I didn’t know what to put without going into too much detail. I also had many ideas which got mixed up and made it harder to put my thoughts down clearly. The task I really enjoyed and found engaging was ethical issues. In the lecture I liked seeing how shocking each advert was and how many different opinions there were as well as the controversies surrounding them. This was a really interesting task as it challenged me to think in more depth and stretch my ideas about information i had never looked into.
Since doing all these task I have used more research resources in my studio work, I now use books more than i use websites which allows me to look more into the work than before. The tasks and lectures have been very useful as I’ve learnt new thinking skills as well research skills. They have tested me and made me push myself, each new task I improved from the previous one as I filtered my thoughts more and looked at them in more depth. This whole module has been very beneficial as everything I’ve learnt can be used throughout my degree and for the future.