How have you developed or demonstrated this competency this semester?
This semester I had no experience with three programming languages and throughout the last 12 weeks, it has been a continuous leaning journey. At first it was intimidating the lack of knowledge present but as time flew by, I became more comfortable.
Sourcing information
Give an example of a time you used digital tools to locate information you needed to complete an assignment. How did you determine your research question? How did you evaluate the sources you chose? How did you know this was the most trustworthy information? How did you present the source in your work?
As a computer science major, I am constantly searching the internet for answers and solutions. Whether it is for syntax or a concept that is entirely new to me tools like Stack Overflow, Python libraries and Youtube greatly help me clear my confusions. A most recent example of utilizing these tools would be for an assignment I had for my Software Engineering class. I was tasked with setting up a Node js CI in GitHub and was running into some errors. Error searching has never been easier with Stack Overflow present berceuse there is a guarantee that someone had the same error in the past. Over the years of trying to solve problems by myself via the internet, I believe I am able to maximize my efforts when it comes to understanding something. With the examples I found on the internet, I would knit pick them to confirm whether it could benefit my code or not. Stack Overflow is a great resource to find exemplary coding examples.
Awareness of issues related to privacy and security
One of the aspects of this competence is being aware of privacy and security. Last semester I enrolled in a cybersecurity computer science course. I was amazed by the things my professor was teaching about our privacy as humans. It is no surprise that our world today heavily relies on technology. However, are we aware of the dangers of something that drives our everyday lives? From password security, phishing attacks, cyber ransomware to the current epidemic of USB virus attacks, I appreciated being made aware of the dangers of people who wish others harm. For my final project in that class, my group and I focused on campus digital security and privacy. All students have a right to know how our school uses their information and how their digital devices can be beacons for outside attackers. I even included a demonstration of how a USB can install “malware” into your personal laptop. Security is something that everyone should have knowledge of and I cannot wait to present our project.
