Module 9 - Case Analysis Effectiveness (ASCI 530)

Of all the classes I have completed towards earning my Master’s degree, this by far was the most challenging. This was not due to the difficulty of the assignments, but rather the vast inexperience I have with unmanned aircraft. With that said, I have honestly learned the most from this class through the case analysis. The case analysis allowed me to dive deep and research UAS in a way I would never have (other than watching things blow up on YouTube).

Currently, I am a satellite system operator. In other words, I ensure satellites are healthy and stay in orbit. As the technology of UAS advances and evolves, it will be the use of satellites that assist along the way. However, as of right now the UAS information I learned through the case analysis does not have any utility in my line of work. But in the next year or so, I plan to transition over and become a pilot of unmanned aircraft, or as the U.S. Air Force refers to it, RPA platforms. Knowing this, I purposely steered the research of the case analysis in the direction of the military so I can expand my knowledge and understanding of the field. In this future realm, I fully expect to use all that I have gained from the case analysis (this includes writing capability) to aid in my ability to operate in this relatively new field. The next few years will see an explosion of UAS. My hope is, with the knowledge I have now, I can make a difference in the evolution of the next generations of UAS by providing key information as to why aviation human factor principles must be embedded in the design of the control station.

If given the opportunity to improve the case analysis, I would alter the multimedia project and add more peer-to-peer collaboration. The multimedia project was an interesting way for me to creatively display the case analysis project onto PowerPoint slides to the instructor. However, I feel it did not add to the learning process. As a possible solution, I suggest providing the presentation to the entire class, and perhaps let them grade it. I really appreciated the feedback from my peers on the case analysis draft. Additionally, I liked being able to read their drafts. But, it was the draft. If all students prepared a case analysis presentation for the class, we all could learn much more about the issues with UAS and possible solutions.

Bottom line: I liked the Case Analysis tool. The project allowed me to explore UAS in a way I would not have without the structure and guidance. There are two minor things I would recommend in the future: alter the multimedia project and include more peer-to-peer collaboration.