ipoor’s blog

To me interactivity has a few different meanings depending on the context it is being used in. When you are talking about the interactivity between a human and a piece of software, I think that it is the sense of interaction that the human user feels while trying to use the software. For example the user’s ability to modify things as they see fit in order to better suit their needs. Or the user’s ability to answer a question, or make some kind of change to interface’s current state. Now when you are talking about human to human, interactivity is talking about the human’s ability to communicate and make changes to their own and the other person’s current state (emotional, physical, etc.).

After completing a project exclusively using the web-based social networking site I have come to a couple conclusions about this new technology craze that has swept our country. At first I was very hesitant to join and participate in yet another social networking site that lets people know what you are doing at any time of the day. To me I think that people are continually giving away their right to privacy. Even though people get to choose what they put out for the world to read I just don’t get this whole outlook of putting people’s personal day to day happenings out there for everyone to read. I also find it quite pompous that people assume that others care what they do in their life.

I have talked to some people who swear by twitter saying that that is their one stop site to get news and info about what is going on in today’s world. I can see that being a good use for a site like this. It is almost like a more interactive rss feed at that point which I think is pretty cool.

As for the effectiveness of a site like this for doing a project like we did I think it would be better if you could write more than 160 characters or however many they allow. Having to break a report like that up into little segments that get lost between other people’s posts gets kind of  confusing at times. But it did teach us to be very concise with what we needed to say, which is VERY important in today’s world with everyone being so ADD. They usually want to get their info as quick and easy as possible and that is where twitter shines I think. Quick and easy, and to the point.

This week we were asked to go online to a new online education community called MERLOT. It is a website where educators and students can post information and teaching modules for everyone in the community to use. I really like the idea of bringing ideas together to form something that is bigger than the collective, because we all different strengths when it comes to knowledge and it only makes sense to share our strengths with others. Having access to all this information allows everyone to know much more than they would have on their own. I think communities like these are a great idea, and I definitely plan on using sites like this one when I get my degree and start teaching online.

The three modules that we evaluated this week were quite different from each other, both in content and in delivery methods. I found that all three would be rather effective in teaching their targeted audience group. The module that I liked least was the Mecmovies module. I think it was the quality and overall presentation of the graphics and material. I understand that it is meant to be used as a complimentary tool with a more in depth text about the subject, I just thought that it felt “cheap” and unprofessional. The content itself was good (though i know nothing about the subject) I thought, but it could have been presented better. My favorite of the three was the Neuroscience for Kids module. It was the most in depth of the three, and it provided many different ways of learning the material with the games and the visuals. We have come to the conclusion so far this semester that there are many different ways of learning and it is good to see this module acknowledges that and tries to incorporate a variety of teaching methods. I also found the DNA module to be pretty good as well. It was easy to navigate and I felt it knew it’s audience well. Supplying the user with easy to navigate buttons and an overall feel that seemed very “child” friendly.

My list of important criteria is as follows:

Pedigogical-

• Content quality, validity, relevance
  • Derived from credible, unbiased sources (references, annotated bibliography)
• Introduction to content, big picture overview
• Effective chunking of content, instructional sequencing

Learner Interface-

• Readability, viewability (font size, graphic, video, and audio quality)
• Intuitive, clear, consistent navigation
• Visually appealing (screen design, color choices, aesthetics) to support content presentation
• Accessible, clear, consistent, yet flexible learning environment
  • Allow for exploration; rich, cognitive experience
• Engaging, effective quality media integration (animation, graphics, video, audio)

Technical-

• Orientation to module (FAQs; how the module works; expectations)
• Learner demographic analysis (determine access to needed technology; generational considerations; other technical considerations)
• Reasonable load time for intended audience
• Mechanics (grammar, spelling)

So this whole online-only degree thing is a bit tricky to get used to at first but I think I am finally starting to get in the swing of things. Wikispace was especially odd to fully grasp at first. It has so much depth to each site with the ability to edit and discuss every page it is sometimes difficult to keep track of where I am supposed to be “digitally”. Which brings me to RSS readers, which it turns out is really cool and time saving. I had never really heard about what they do until now. It has really transformed how I spend time on the computer. I wish that there was a way to have a similar “home base” page that I could set up with my wikispace courses so I could see where I needed to be posting instead of having to dig through all 5 sub pages and their individual discussion boards. There probably is a way to do that, but just like with the RSS readers, I just haven’t stumbled across it yet.

I would like to know which sites other people are subscribing to. I think I need to expand my informational horizons on the web. I have a few blogs that I follow but they are mostly music related. Dealing with the latest electronic software and hardware for music production and performance. That field really interests me, and I am looking forward to seeing where the new tech trends will take collaboration between artists all across the globe.

I will be posting my journal entries here throughout the semester. Enjoy.