Reflection – Learning Launch

Challenge  This unusual challenge was to choose a new topic for research project to receive European funding.  Research concerned fuel cells. I already had a good idea what part of fuel cells and in what way I can  study, but for a funded project I had to choose a particular new method of fuel cell I wanted to use.  Once the funding is granted, a researcher is bound to study this chosen method for the next two years  and at the end of the project present its results in the form of scientific publications. If the chosen  method turned out rubbish, I would struggle to publish the negative results and consequently project  would ended poorly graded. This would affect my chances to receive another one.

Selection  I have selected learning launch as a tool to help me decide which method I would like to submit as topic  for a new research project. This tools was described in Week 4 of the course and it is a fast, cheap way  to assess viability of an idea. You come up with an idea (thesis) to solve a specific problem. The goal is  for this idea to be demanded (solves an existing problem) and better than already existing solutions.   Then you prepare a reasons why this idea/thesis could be disproved. Finally you launch a quick study to  find out if the idea yields promising results or if it’s more likely to be disproved. In this case, the learning  launch can be called “preliminary studies”.

Application  In this case I have prepared two ideas from the close field that could select for a research project  application. I have designed very similar experiments for both ideas which required no more than 2  months of lab work. Amount of measurements were limited to bare minimum, simple electrical and  morphological tests – only the fastest ones. Small quantity of data, though insufficient for a full scientific  publication, required only brief analysis and the results could be shortly presented in the form of a  poster or presentation. This way I was able to perform preliminary tests, analyze and describe both  potential methods in just under 6 months. Actually I have presented both results on conferences in a  form of presentations. First of the methods yielded very promising results, which I could present on  international conference. Second was clearly a dead-end (looking at the results), still I have presented it  on a small local conference. For me, the “success” of the experiment was measured by comparing  electrical attributes to the state-of-the-art fuel cells and previous experiments performed on the same  equipment.

Insight and Approach  Using learning lunch enabled me to relatively quickly distinguish between viability of two methods and  choose the more promising one for the research project application. These initial results were already  enough to present and potentially a foundation for a better publication. However, still 3 months per  research topic (method) was a significant time and perhaps faster experimentation methodology,  specific for learning launch, should be designed. So in general, the approach to the methodology itself  could be improved. It is worth noting that, when properly presented, both experiments were positively  received during conferences, even though data clearly favored only one. This shows that setting  objective measures of success and failure is necessary to correctly assess the idea – subjective opinions  based on mere results presentation may prove wrong.


Reflection – Learning Launch Challenge This unusual challenge was to choose a new topic for research project to receive European funding . Research concerned fuel cells . I already had a good idea what part of fuel cells and in what way I can study , but for a funded project I had to choose a particular new method of fuel cell I wanted to use . Once the funding is granted , a researcher is bound to study this chosen method for the next two years and at the end of the project present its results in the form of scientific publications . If the chosen method turned out rubbish , I would struggle to publish the negative results and consequently project would ended poorly graded . This would affect my chances to receive another one . Selection I have selected learning launch as a tool to help me decide which method I would like to submit as topic for a new research project . This tools was described in Week 4 of the course and it is a fast , cheap way to assess viability of an idea . You come up with an idea ( thesis ) to solve a specific problem . The goal is for this idea to be demanded ( solves an existing problem ) and better than already existing solutions . Then you prepare a reasons why this idea / thesis could be disproved . Finally you launch a quick study to find out if the idea yields promising results or if it ’s more likely to be disproved . In this case , the learning launch can be called “ preliminary studies ” . Application In this case I have prepared two ideas from the close field that could select for a research project application . I have designed very similar experiments for both ideas which required no more than 2 months of lab work . Amount of measurements were limited to bare minimum , simple electrical and morphological tests – only the fastest ones . Small quantity of data , though insufficient for a full scientific publication , required only brief analysis and the results could be shortly presented in the form of a poster or presentation . This way I was able to perform preliminary tests , analyze and describe both potential methods in just under 6 months . Actually I have presented both results on conferences in a form of presentations . First of the methods yielded very promising results , which I could present on international conference . Second was clearly a dead - end ( looking at the results ) , still I have presented it on a small local conference . For me , the “ success ” of the experiment was measured by comparing electrical attributes to the state - of - the - art fuel cells and previous experiments performed on the same equipment . Insight and Approach Using learning lunch enabled me to relatively quickly distinguish between viability of two methods and choose the more promising one for the research project application . These initial results were already enough to present and potentially a foundation for a better publication . However , still 3 months per research topic ( method ) was a significant time and perhaps faster experimentation methodology , specific for learning launch , should be designed . So in general , the approach to the methodology itself could be improved . It is worth noting that , when properly presented , both experiments were positively received during conferences , even though data clearly favored only one . This shows that setting objective measures of success and failure is necessary to correctly assess the idea – subjective opinions based on mere results presentation may prove wrong .