Conclusion

From the lessons of Suzuki (2020) on the concept of Shoshin, meaning “beginner’s mind”, it is held that “[i]f your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few” (p. 1). As I reflect on my informatics journey and highlight the milestones encountered along this journey, within the e-Portfolio, I think back to my first session, in the program, where I took INFM 200 and INFM 202 concurrently. On my first day, I remember feeling excited about a brand new opportunity to learn something entirely new to me, yet in the back of my mind I also felt unsure about what lay ahead.

 

Before starting my informatics journey, I was a student familiar to the discipline of Biology. In my undergrad, I was trained to follow the scientific method and work in a laboratory environment: I had to think about answering my questions and evaluating my hypotheses through analysis of data gained through physical experimentation. As I began studying informatics, I discovered that many insights are often derived from analyzing existing data at different angles, for example descriptive analytics via business intelligence. Additionally, I also learned that most of the data that organizations collect are unstructured, like text or video data, and requires different analysis techniques than what is needed for structured data. These discoveries that were revealed to me through the study of informatics shifted my perspective on the way I saw data: before, I held assumptions like insights taken from data were primarily gained by setting up particular types of laboratory experiments aimed at answering a specific question. Like the practice of Shoshin, I needed to embrace the act of emptying my mind of my past assumptions and biases in order to open myself up to new ideas and perspectives. With an emptied mind, I realized the myriad possibilities that awaited me as I began my informatics journey: I discovered that data is not just found in the confines of a lab, but can be found around every corner of our lives.

 

The work included in this e-Portfolio stands as evidence of what I learned along my informatics journey. Though I have been exposed to many new concepts and ideas in this program, this is just the start of my goal to lifelong learning. Though I have now embarked upon the trailhead of the journey, I know not where it goes and what bends and hills await me in the future. One of the most important lessons that I learned in this program is to approach informatics, and life in general, with a beginner’s mind.