Social Media and Learning

The most innovative aspect about IEOR 190G is that all the assignments are completed through social media platforms. These weekly blogposts and YouTube videos have definitely shaped a quite unconventional learning experience for me, as I am used to submitting work on paper to the professor alone and not publicizing my learning to rest of the world. With that said, I am very glad that I got to be apart of this unique experience because I was able to gain a lot from writing blogs, making videos and commenting on other student's works.

First of all, I think writing blogs is a great way to consolidate personal learning because it promotes reflection and story telling in one's own words. Doing the weekly blogs required that I do outside research to find articles that connected with what we learned in class. This was an excellent way for me to not only stay on top current events in technology but also apply what I have learned in a classroom setting to analyze real life situations. Though it was difficult at times trying to understand some articles that were heavy in engineering and legal jargons before I could proceed to do a blogpost on it. But overall, I think blogging is a great way to make sense of the material we discussed in class and hone our skills in analyzing new information and forming our own personal opinion on it.

Now, moving onto the YouTube clips, I must admit that I was struggling a little bit with making these videos in the beginning because I always have a hard time not stuttering or losing my train of thought when I talk in front of a camera. But with more practice, I have gotten much more comfortable with organizing my thoughts into several short speaking points that are easy to understand and presenting my blogpost verbally. I think making these videos is a great way in not only improving my speaking skills, but also educating others. Having been an avid user of social media learning sites such as Khan Academy, I know how much I personally enjoy learning about the gist of a complex topic through watching a to-the-point video rather than reading a long paper - it not only saves time but also is a much more interactive experience. With my collection of YouTube videos published online, I can probably also help someone else out there who are trying to better understand topics related to patents.

Regarding the comments, I think reading other people's blogs and watching their videos were a great way for me to expand my knowledge and improve my own work. I have definitely read some highly informative and well written blogs from my fellow classmates, and I have to say those were very productive and enjoyable learning moments for me. At the same time, when I came across writing or speaking styles that stood out to me, I would also adopt them to use in my own work and I think that is also one thing Professor Lavian wanted us to take away, as he always stressed that he wanted us to copy others. Reading other people's work was definitely a good way to form a learning community and diversify my understanding of the material covered in class.

IEOR 190G - Wrap up

As IEOR 190G comes to a close, I would like to use this post to reflect on my major take-aways from this class. First of all, I would like to point out that this is the first IEOR/technology-related course I have ever taken at Cal, and I have to say that it gave me a good glimpse into the technology space by enabling me to have a better understanding of the realms of patents and intellectual property as a whole.

The course does a thorough job going over what a patent is, different filing methods, specific terminologies used in patent applications, patentability determination along with a number of case studies. Since the first step any inventor will take on when he/she wants to patent an invention is filing an application, I found the lectures on breaking down a patent application and paraphrasing each of the claims down to the elements to be most helpful and practical. This class included a clear run down of the various components to a patent application. It also emphasized on the importance of using the proper and accurate wording describe the invention, as a misdescription can greatly hinder the value of an invention. Though I find it quite ironic how all claims are written in a very convoluted fashion that most people have a hard time understanding. The last part of the course discusses the factors that go into determining the patentability of an invention, and these eligibility-determination procedures are very important for potential inventors to keep in mind. Last but not least, the case studies and guest lectures we had were also excellent learning experiences that brought in new perspectives.

One remark Professor Lavian made that surprised me was the fact that most engineers file on average 0 patent in their life time - in fact, 99% of all patents filed within most big tech companies come from merely 1% of inventors. This is very shocking to me since patents are highly valuable assets to companies, as seen in the hefty price tags linked to the Google and Motorola transactions, and I would assume that most inventors would have developed the habit to file them in a timely manner, not only to benefit their companies but also increase their self-worth in the workplace. Yet from these patent-filing statistics, it is clear that the majority of inventors are not aware of the importance of filing a patent, and this could simply be due to the fact that they have never been informed of how to file a patent or even what makes an invention patentable. This is why I think this class is very useful because it allows us to understand the importance of protecting intellectual property and provides us with highly pragmatic and applicable knowledge. Patents are extremely important to companies, so are the patent filers. With this class, we are now equipped with essential patent knowledge and a responsive mindset that allow us to take action when patent-filing opportunities arise. I definitely recommend this class to students from all disciplines who are interested in technology or just IP in general because the knowledge you take away from this course can allow you to set yourself apart from your fellow colleagues in your career and be highly beneficial in the long run.