Reflection- Mind Mapping     Challenge / Selection- 

 Mind mapping is a tool I often use in the field of public policy . One of the key challenges 

 faced daily when designing efficient public policy is finding a policy that positively impacts   people and where the benefits clearly outweigh the costs . One of the worst things a policymaker   can do is create policy that does not alleviate a problem or has some negative externality that   negates any positive impact of the policy . As a result of this , policymaking is extremely data   driven with many research studies , focus groups and investigations conducted to determine   potential impacts and to analyze possible solutions .     One of the best ways to extrapolate this data is with mind mapping . Mind mapping , as 

 Professor Moore stated , is essential to find patterns that can lead to creative solutions for design   challenges . In order to design efficient policy , there must be ways to synthesize data and   determine unique and creative solutions .      Application- 

 One of the key applications of mind mapping I became involved in was working with a 

 local college as they designed a new recycling program for their undergraduate students . The   university had purchased new recycling bins and placed them around campus , yet were   disappointed that the rate of frequency by students to recycle their bottles and paper had not   increased . The university had mapped out locations of the recycling containers and the amount of   recyclables collected weekly from the program . Several were placed in areas frequently traveled   by students and staff , while others were in smaller academic buildings with much less foot   traffic . I conducted some research by counting students who traveled various paths as well as   observed the bins and took note of who was recycling and who was disregarding the containers . I   also interviewed some students and staff about their knowledge and awareness of the recycling   initiative on campus . I then needed to take this information and figure out a means to improve   the recycling program on the campus .      One of the first things I did was create a mind map . At the center of the map , I placed the 

 overall goal : improving the recycling program by increasing the amount of recycled items that   were recycled each week . Following this , I made several subgroups of issues I believed could   affect the frequency of recycling . These included details such as the design of the bins , location ,   potential users , and improving the education and awareness about the recycling program . 

 Following this preliminary work , I then added sub - categories to these groups and 

 recruited some volunteers to work with me . By laying out all the information in a logical and   clear mind map , our group was able to see with clarity some problems that existed with the   university program . The bins themselves were blue , but lacked distinct lids or markers that   distinguished which container was for bottles or paper and as a result a mix of recyclables were   tossed in each bin . Purchasing clearly marked , color coded lids was a simple fix . Additionally ,   we noted that the university had purchased the bins , but had failed to conduct a well - conceived   education campaign about them , meaning that the students and staff on the campus were   unaware of the college ’s investment in recycling . Printing posters , brochures and other   educational material was an easy fix for this issue . Many students and professors took to social   media as well and highlighted the benefits of recycling through their facebook , instagram , twitter 

 and snapchat accounts . By first recognizing the flaws and then remedying the missteps quickly   and inexpensively enabled the program to improve . By implementing simple fixes , the university   was able to modify the program and the amount of weekly recycling increased . This was a   successful use of mind mapping .      Insight-        While I was aware of the existence of mind mapping as a tool , actually using it to plan 

 steps and see solutions is much more powerful when you actually utilize mind mapping to solve   a problem . I learned a lot from purposefully using mind mapping . I learned that having a   constructive and coherent means to analyze and interpret data is an incredibly effective way to   design policy . Much like in the MeYouHealth story , we looked for patterns and as a result , we   developed better and more innovative ideas . Our team was able to use the mind map to come up   with strategies and resolutions to the university ’s policy that were both cost effective and   influential .      Approach-        If I was asked to examine another university recycling program and have an opportunity 

 to design a policy for the university I would definitely use design thinking . In addition to   utilizing mind mapping , I would also use visualization this time . One of the limits of the prior   system is that I was brought in to analyze and “ fix ” the program , not design it from the   beginning . Were that opportunity to present itself , I would use the visualization activity and   design the policy to be more effective from the beginning . Having the ability to visualize an   effective policy in the design phase is a good way to create lasting social change via design   thinking . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Reflection- Mind Mapping     Challenge / Selection- 

 Mind mapping is a tool I often use in the field of public policy . One of the key challenges 

 faced daily when designing efficient public policy is finding a policy that positively impacts   people and where the benefits clearly outweigh the costs . One of the worst things a policymaker   can do is create policy that does not alleviate a problem or has some negative externality that   negates any positive impact of the policy . As a result of this , policymaking is extremely data   driven with many research studies , focus groups and investigations conducted to determine   potential impacts and to analyze possible solutions .     One of the best ways to extrapolate this data is with mind mapping . Mind mapping , as 

 Professor Moore stated , is essential to find patterns that can lead to creative solutions for design   challenges . In order to design efficient policy , there must be ways to synthesize data and   determine unique and creative solutions .      Application- 

 One of the key applications of mind mapping I became involved in was working with a 

 local college as they designed a new recycling program for their undergraduate students . The   university had purchased new recycling bins and placed them around campus , yet were   disappointed that the rate of frequency by students to recycle their bottles and paper had not   increased . The university had mapped out locations of the recycling containers and the amount of   recyclables collected weekly from the program . Several were placed in areas frequently traveled   by students and staff , while others were in smaller academic buildings with much less foot   traffic . I conducted some research by counting students who traveled various paths as well as   observed the bins and took note of who was recycling and who was disregarding the containers . I   also interviewed some students and staff about their knowledge and awareness of the recycling   initiative on campus . I then needed to take this information and figure out a means to improve   the recycling program on the campus .      One of the first things I did was create a mind map . At the center of the map , I placed the 

 overall goal : improving the recycling program by increasing the amount of recycled items that   were recycled each week . Following this , I made several subgroups of issues I believed could   affect the frequency of recycling . These included details such as the design of the bins , location ,   potential users , and improving the education and awareness about the recycling program . 

 Following this preliminary work , I then added sub - categories to these groups and 

 recruited some volunteers to work with me . By laying out all the information in a logical and   clear mind map , our group was able to see with clarity some problems that existed with the   university program . The bins themselves were blue , but lacked distinct lids or markers that   distinguished which container was for bottles or paper and as a result a mix of recyclables were   tossed in each bin . Purchasing clearly marked , color coded lids was a simple fix . Additionally ,   we noted that the university had purchased the bins , but had failed to conduct a well - conceived   education campaign about them , meaning that the students and staff on the campus were   unaware of the college ’s investment in recycling . Printing posters , brochures and other   educational material was an easy fix for this issue . Many students and professors took to social   media as well and highlighted the benefits of recycling through their facebook , instagram , twitter 

 and snapchat accounts . By first recognizing the flaws and then remedying the missteps quickly   and inexpensively enabled the program to improve . By implementing simple fixes , the university   was able to modify the program and the amount of weekly recycling increased . This was a   successful use of mind mapping .      Insight-        While I was aware of the existence of mind mapping as a tool , actually using it to plan 

 steps and see solutions is much more powerful when you actually utilize mind mapping to solve   a problem . I learned a lot from purposefully using mind mapping . I learned that having a   constructive and coherent means to analyze and interpret data is an incredibly effective way to   design policy . Much like in the MeYouHealth story , we looked for patterns and as a result , we   developed better and more innovative ideas . Our team was able to use the mind map to come up   with strategies and resolutions to the university ’s policy that were both cost effective and   influential .      Approach-        If I was asked to examine another university recycling program and have an opportunity 

 to design a policy for the university I would definitely use design thinking . In addition to   utilizing mind mapping , I would also use visualization this time . One of the limits of the prior   system is that I was brought in to analyze and “ fix ” the program , not design it from the   beginning . Were that opportunity to present itself , I would use the visualization activity and   design the policy to be more effective from the beginning . Having the ability to visualize an   effective policy in the design phase is a good way to create lasting social change via design   thinking .
### Output: 