SJSU Informatics e-Portfolio

Introduction

I chose to enroll in the San Jose State University (SJSU) Informatics Graduate program to expand my knowledge of data and information in relation to technology. I have an undergraduate degree in computer science, where I basically learned software engineering skills. These are technical skills to be sure. I felt I was lacking in overall planning and management skills because computer science encourages you to find creative ways to solve problems and build applications, not necessarily following any standards or frameworks. Some things I wanted to learn were how to design for users and project management. I was also interested in the breadth of courses offered, big data and many cybersecurity and health informatics courses. These courses with a focus on data and information were what baited me to pursue this degree; I have expanded my mental models of technology and data management as a result. In the conclusion section, I will provide insight into my path forward, based on this experience. The process of creating this e-Portfolio has validated my decision to enroll and complete the Informatics program here at SJSU.

e-Portfolio Organization and Structure

• Introduction - This section explains my motivation for pursuing informatics, and the process I followed to create this e-Portfolio.
• Core Competencies - This section is where I explain each competency and show evidence of work I have done to demonstrate ability to perform each competency. Each competency has its own page.
• Conclusion - This is where I reflect on my experience pursuing this MS in Informatics and my path forward.
• Affirmation - This section is a statement or promise that the work provided here is my own; that this e-Portfolio is password protected; I will redact and remove any identifiable information of others before making this portfolio public.

Process I followed

This was an iterative process, especially the mapping of evidence and competency statement portions.

• Information Gathering - First I looked at the requirements and located all of my work throughout the program. Most of my work was in folders for each separate course; the significant larger reports were already in folders. I did have some work, such as posts, in diverse areas like Google Docs or Overleaf.
• Mapping - I informally mapped possible projects to appropriate competencies. I followed up by making an Excel spreadsheet to map projects as evidence to competencies.
• Outlining - I started by outlining each competency and brainstorming for each specific one.
• Competency Statements - As I received feedback on each competency I reworked them and updated competencies I had yet to turn in based on the feedback.
• Card Sort - After getting a few competency statement reviews and having gone through each competency a bit, I decided to perform a card sort to further refine which evidence I would place with each competency. I discarded some evidence and added other evidence.
• Web Site - I started working on the website for the e-Portfolio after getting a few competencies approved. I learned how to add a password to it.
• Introduction, Conclusion and Affirmation - After getting a basic website set up I worked on the Introduction, Conclusion, and Affirmation requirements of the e-Portfolio.

Conclusion

Reflections on MS in Informatics

I came here to learn about technology and data with end-users in mind. I did learn that and much more. I learned about data governance and many, many frameworks to aid in any data and technology project I am tasked with. I learned the difference between data and information. While I did learn what I came to learn, I am leaving with a goal I did not think I would have: The pursuit of an information security profession inspired by my positive experience here at SJSU. I enjoyed interacting with many students and professors with diverse backgrounds and goals.

Discussion of My Strengths

I came in with a technical base of knowledge. I am a computer science undergraduate and learned about databases and programming. While I learned biological and rational levels of artificial intelligence, I definitely lacked any sort of human-centered design. I was not really aware of legal compliance before this learning experience. I also lacked structured ways of solving problems, I had logical way to solve problems but not frameworks for doing so. My biggest strength is that I expanded from a technical problem solver to a methodical high level problem solver with management and governance knowledge around data and information.

Professional Growth Plan

My growth plan is to specialize in information security or cybersecurity. I have enrolled in an asynchronous, online junior college cybersecurity program to that end; online and asynchronous so as not to interfere with any job prospects. At the end of this semester I will also be looking to gain cybersecurity certificates and subscribing to cybersecurity learning or training platforms. Infosec Institute and TryHackMe to begin with, with the goal of practicing cybersecurity labs. I plan on immediately searching for jobs, even if I can't get directly in as information security, I can get in as a software engineer or an informaticist.

Final Comments and Conclusions

This experience has built upon my past experience, and has given me a direction I want to go with confidence. I have a breadth of knowledge that I acquired here at San Jose State University. I believe in digital literacy and even though I came from a computer science background I have an even wider expanded knowledge base to continue growing to both provide value from data and information and to protect it as an information security analyst. I learned a lot from other students, the faculty, and as a graduate assistant from the primary investigator.