Use of digital tools in my current job
I work as a bridge design engineer. My expertise includes the structural and repair design of bridges. Occasionally, I may also engage in general and conceptual design for bridges. The quality, level and precision of the design significantly depend on the nature of the project or assignment. In other words, it depends on what the client precisely orders and what needs define the constraints and goals for the design. The majority of the projects I design are for Finland’s national roads. It’s likely that while traveling, you have crossed at least one bridge where I have been part of the design team.
In my daily work, I constantly use various communication applications, which are perhaps the most crucial tools in bridge design, often performed as teamwork. Therefore, I believe that communication and messaging are the most essential skills in my work. Everything starts with communication, and smooth communication builds the foundation for everything. Despite the rapid advancement of society’s digitalization, one thing has remained unchanged. My colleagues are real people. The clients I serve with my work are also real people. Therefore, the importance of communication and staying connected cannot be overstated. The project progresses gradually according to the goals set together. Where is communication needed? In short, communication is needed in every situation! A new project begins with communication. A completed project ends with feedback, which is also a form of communication.
Regarding the communication applications I use, within the context of this task, I mention Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams. These are the basic digital tools I use on a daily basis. Through communication applications, I discuss projects with colleagues and participate in meetings. Nowadays, even some educational sessions are conducted using various communication applications. And I personally prefer online courses that don’t necessarily require additional travel. In my experience, organizing education sessions and other events works quite well, for example, through Teams.
For the structural analysis of bridges, I use various digital tools depending on the situation, and I would like to mention a few. Firstly, I mention a software called LUSAS (London University Structural Analysis System), which I use to model the properties and loads of structures. LUSAS is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). Using the program requires extensive knowledge of FEM theory. The machine calculates without questioning anything. Therefore, an expert is needed to interpret the reliability of the calculated results. Secondly, I mention Microsoft Excel, which is a spreadsheet program. In my experience, Excel works well for handling large amounts of data. The data I process with Excel is usually generated by LUSAS. LUSAS can produce a vast amount of data on the displacements, deflections, deformations and stresses of structures. The data to be processed is typically so extensive that efficient digital tools are needed for information processing and filtering. Manual tinkering simply does not work! As a third example, I consider Mathcad, which is software for numerical and symbolic calculations. I find Mathcad suitable for documenting technical calculations. Fourthly, I mention Microsoft Word. I use Word in my work for drafting and editing texts. Fifthly, I also consider AutoCAD, which I use for technical drawing. I estimate that with the increasing prevalence of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the use of AutoCAD will decrease in the future. However, AutoCAD is still an excellent tool for creating illustrative images for structural calculations, for example. Almost all the key tools in my work are digital.
There are many other applications in my work that I haven’t mentioned in this context. Design tools are primarily digital nowadays. I emphasize that they are ultimately just tools. An expert is the user of the tool. As society’s digitalization progresses, it is good to remember that no digital application or artificial intelligence can replace the expertise that only a human can possess. Therefore, I am reminded that making mistakes is human, but thoroughly messing things up requires a computer, artificial intelligence or any digital application. I simply aim to articulate that expertise still holds significance and value in the digital society and workplace.
Use of tools of social media at my daily work
Introduction
Social media is at the center of the digital society. It influences society and individuals on many levels. It also plays a role in the workplace. When I think about social media, primarily negative aspects come to my mind. Sorry, I wouldn’t want to cast a shadow on the mood. I associate social media with addiction, racism, hate speech, violence, the spread of conspiracy theories and fake news. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that responsible use of social media services and platforms does indeed matter. It is often thought that technology itself is neutral. However, its purpose can range from positive to negative. In the following, I will discuss five social media applications that I could use in my work. I selected the following applications: Blogger, ChatGPT, Slack, LinkedIn and WhatsApp. I chose these digital platforms primarily based on their usability and usefulness in my daily work. Below, I will elaborate a bit more on my thoughts regarding these applications.
Blogger
Blogger is a blogging platform. It provides an opportunity to share thoughts, experiences and expertise. Through the blogging platform, I could, for example, write expert articles, showcase my professional skills and share things I’ve learned. A positive aspect is that Blogger is considered an easy-to-use and intuitive blogging platform. Additionally, it integrates well with other Google applications. On the other hand, using the blogging platform solely for professional purposes can be challenging. Firstly, bridge design might be a specialized area that may not interest a broad audience. To generate and maintain interest, writing about topics and phenomena should be done in an accessible manner. My audience would likely consist mainly of professionals and perhaps also engineering students. Secondly, bridge designs are classified as sensitive information. Therefore, in maintaining the blog, careful consideration should be given to the type of content that respects the perspective of cybersecurity. Writing the blog could perhaps primarily serve the reflection of personal thoughts and experiences, with articles crafted in a suitably generalized manner without revealing classified information. Reflection would be a good way to work through one’s own thoughts, even if the blog doesn’t interest everyone. In fact, through this course, I have genuinely started to consider the possibility of someday starting a blog focused on bridge design. Perhaps Blogger could be a good platform to realize this vision.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a language model-based chat and communication platform that represents the latest advancement in artificial intelligence development. It provides the opportunity to converse with AI in a manner similar to human interaction. This can simulate the exchange of thoughts with a colleague to a certain extent. AI generates responses quickly on various topics and questions. In rapidly changing information retrieval situations, this can be quite beneficial. At the same time, it is essential to be aware of the limitations of AI in terms of deeper technical knowledge. This may restrict the usability of AI in more complex tasks. Obtaining precise and reliable technical information can be challenging. Additionally, responses may be so general that they do not significantly contribute to solving the investigated matter. ChatGPT learns and evolves, potentially becoming increasingly useful, even in bridge design engineering. I experimented with asking AI questions related to my work. Simultaneously, I kept in mind not to disclose information that could undermine my design team’s competitive advantage. The use of AI application raises concerns about security. In my opinion, security-related questions currently limit the use of ChatGPT AI in tasks involving classified data. I am actively monitoring the opportunities that AI offers in my field both now and in the future.
Slack
Slack could enhance teamwork. It is a service that allows those engaged in teamwork to communicate and share information. Project-specific channels and file sharing are beneficial in teamwork, such as in bridge design engineering. On the other hand, one risk may be associated with the ease of communication leading to information overload. Additionally, the efficiency of teamwork may suffer if discussions become fragmented into scattered messages across different channels. In such cases, communication can become confusing and finding essential information may no longer be easy. I could try using Slack in my work, but to ensure the effectiveness and clarity of teamwork, it would be essential to establish uniform practices for communication right from the start.
WhatsApp enables the sending of instant messages. The strength of WhatsApp lies in its ability to facilitate fast information exchange in urgent situations. The application allows for the sending of messages, voice messages and file sharing. On the other hand, the weakness of WhatsApp is related to its security. Therefore, it might not be advisable to use WhatsApp when dealing with confidential materials. Instead, it could be used, for example, for general information exchange and discussions within a planning team in contexts where potential leakage outside the discussion group would not cause harm or serious consequences.
LinkedIn is a platform that can be used for building and maintaining a professional network. It allows for the sharing of projects and the creation of new connections. A drawback may be the prevalence of general and superficial discussions. Relying solely on LinkedIn may not be advisable for fostering in-depth knowledge exchange or extensive collaboration, but it can serve as a tool to stay connected with professionals in the field. Therefore, I could use LinkedIn more as a means to showcase my professional expertise and make it visible to a wider audience.
Conclusions
The fundamental requirements for successful use of digital services and platforms may vary depending on the specific application. However, I would see that elements contributing to successful and secure use generally include enhancing communication and collaboration, user-friendly and intuitive application design, maintaining an adequate level of security in line with the application’s purpose, compatibility with other digital tools, operating systems and devices, and, of course, promoting progress in work tasks. In summary, a digital application should inherently address a specific need. It should improve or streamline communication and practices, offer diverse solutions and opportunities and not introduce new problems in addition to existing challenges.
Self-evaluation
As I write this post, I delved into the potential uses of various social media applications from both a general and professional perspective. I realize that digital applications and platforms offer a tremendous range of opportunities to perform work in a somewhat improved manner than before. At the same time, I acknowledge that digital services and platforms may not necessarily be a shortcut to enhancing one’s productivity and efficiency. Alongside numerous benefits, digital applications and platforms come with risks and challenges that one might prefer to overlook. I have learned to evaluate applications from an individual and my design team’s standpoint. I believe that what I have learned will help me make better choices in future work projects. I anticipate leveraging the opportunities provided by social media more in the future but also in a more responsible manner.