During the meeting on November 20, 2008, Kim shared with us some of the materials she had presented to the students in Taiwan. Afterward, we listen to Walter’s presentation on Comic, which he said that it can be an excellent educational material to get the kids to read. He quoted, comics is about “showing the obvious to the ignorant.” He showed us a program, called Pixton, that allows an individual to create his own animations.
At the end of the class, we revisited the Web 2.0 Diagram that we drew as a group. We added a sketch on the characteristics of a Web 2.0 learning environment versus a traditional classroom environment. The thing that interests me the most is how the future generation will use Web 2.0. By then, the technologies will be more powerful in its delivery of the educational contents. Thus, anyone who wants to learn about a subject will be able to receive the materials in a format of their choice.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Extra: Interface Design Critique
Q what does the author identify as some of the drawbacks of modern versions of objects, such as phones?
They have a lot of buttons but they are not organized into correct compartments or that they lack visual signals that allow the user to operate the machine effectively. Some of the modern versions of objects do not provide users with the feedback. The author gave an example of how he attempted to change the temperature of his refrigerator, but he wasn’t able to do so because there were no immediate feedback that would tell him whether he is doing it correctly. Another problem is that the mapping between what the user knows about the physical world and how the machine should operate is not done in the right manner, due to the fact that manufacturers worry that the user would not understand if they draw a correct map of the machine, hence they provide the users with a simplified but incorrect map.
Q how is the notion of causality relevant to interactive web design?
Web sites should be organized in a manner that demonstrates how one function is a direct result of another function. For instance, in Illuminate, some of the signals does not show clear cause and effect since I wasn’t sure whether clicking on the hand icon (in order to show a hand raise) would turn it on or would turn it off and so I accidentally left the icon on several times without realizing it.
Q how does design relate to the notion of schema which learners create in their heads?
Assignment: Interface Design Critique
http://www.docstoc.com/MyDocs/
Who are the users?
Everyone, including teenagers, professional adults. Anyone who needs to display either creative stuff, legal documents, educational materials, etc.
Information chunk (gestalt principle, amount information)
For the tutorial (http://www.docstoc.com/MyDocs/), the organization is quite clear. They organize the contents into chunks using visual cues such as a group of bullets, using colors to highlight similar contents. They put all of the text-based possible functions on the left side and provided all of the graphical illustrations on the right side. They divided the main content into seven short, precise paragraphs rather than combining them into one long, hard-to-follow paragraph.
Relevance (graphics, content, reading level, text)
The graphics on the right side of the features definitely help the reader grasp the wordings. The content has materials that belong in the tutorial and they are very easy to read and understand. The texts support the graphics, though some of the headlines can be more detailed.
Labeling (visual with text)
I think that every graph deserves a title (or headline or caption) that allow the user know quickly what the graph is about. There were a few graphs that did not have titles. The texts that they have are accurately described by the visuals.
Consistency (visual, text)
The texts go along with the visual cues quite well. For instance, they use hand signals and arrows to pinpoint the places on the graphs where the texts made the references.
Detail (too much on one page or one screen)
There were a lot of contents on the screen, but I think that it is fine in this case. If they separate the contents into two screens, then the reader might lose track of the chunking. Putting all of the contents into one screen allows the user to know that they all belong in the same body rather than that different points are being made.
Other comments
Their tutorial site is better design than the homepage. The homepage has way too many contents and I did not know where to start since they seem to be placed in random manner.
On Interactivity
Orientation (Can you find the path, and know your way around?)
Yes. I know that the path is linear since they branch the materials with the texts on the left and the graphics on the right. The navigation is prominently displaced at the top.
Navigation (Branching)
The navigation consists of the main tab, the sub tab, the sub sub tab, and so on. This is quite easy to understand for me.
Functionality (Does it work?)
Yes. The navigation carries us to the right destinations.
Information access (Multiple entry and exit? Logical path?)
Due to the design of the tabs, the user can know exactly where he is in respect to the other contents. Whereas other sites have an opening windows that brings the user to areas in which they might feel unfamiliar due to the variants in the designs, this site have the same navigation at the exact same place in all of the pages.
Other comments
The interactivity is logical due to the flow of the information from one tab to another. But there is too much information on one page (except the tutorial page) and so it can confuse the reader as to which material should he read first.
On Screen Design
Attractive (first impression)
My first impression is that it is glossy (due to the bright colors), a little bit showoff as to what it can do. It is acceptable in terms of its organizations.
Resolution
Some of the graphics are too small and so the resolution is a little bit not good. The text has good resolution (they are not embedded onto the graphics but for most of the time they are placed outside of them)
Color
Soft bright colors that can be distractive at times.
Lay out
Layout on the tutorial page is good, but everything else is not. I did not know where to start reading the contents.
Readability
Texts are clear, with readable fonts. Even though the resolution is good, the texts need to be larger for those with eye problems.
Other comments
They are obviously attempt to make the site attractive with their display of colors. This can be distractive at times.
Monday, November 17, 2008
November 14, 2008 Class Meeting
During our November 14, 2008 meeting, Kim provided us with information in regard to many aspects of the reading, including affordance, visibility, constraints. Kim explained to us the cultural aspects of these criteria. For instance, in terms of visibility, people from each culture are inquisitive in seeing something new, yet the response is different from one culture to another. Kim gave us an example in which a lipstick was explored by people from South African by eating them like candies since they were not familiar with it.
One of my comment is that there is a mental constraint besides a physical constraint. For instance, I have realized that the slit on the side of a MAC Computer can be constrained in various ways. A person might think of putting the disk into the slit, and that they do have a mental constraint besides a physical constraint. The mental constraint is that they would worry if the disk breaks after it is ejected from the slit. It is rather illogical for MAC computer to design a slit in which the disk can either break or damage just because it is the first time a person uses it, and that they might not know that they should put something soft under the computer.
One of my comment is that there is a mental constraint besides a physical constraint. For instance, I have realized that the slit on the side of a MAC Computer can be constrained in various ways. A person might think of putting the disk into the slit, and that they do have a mental constraint besides a physical constraint. The mental constraint is that they would worry if the disk breaks after it is ejected from the slit. It is rather illogical for MAC computer to design a slit in which the disk can either break or damage just because it is the first time a person uses it, and that they might not know that they should put something soft under the computer.
Friday, November 7, 2008
November 07, 2008 Online Class Meeting
Meaning: One of the Six Senses
Today’s class meeting is about presentations—lots of them. We started with a presentation from Amy’s group on one of Pink’s description of six senses. Their presentation is based on Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor and psychiatrist. He wrote Man’s Search for Meaning, which is about “about how he was able to find meaning and purpose in a horrific environment of the concentration camp, demonstrating that finding meaning and purpose is possible, even in extreme conditions.”
Play: One of the Six Senses
Gordon’s group explained the portion of Pink’s book that dealt with Play. He said that Pink used the military to describe how play can be a part of our everyday lives. The military has spent $10,000 dollars in gaming technology, in order to train medic, snipers, equipment technicians, etc. Devi then explained to us Joyfulness. She gave us information about the Laughter Group, and their idea that laughing is a characteristic that exists within a person, rather than being dependent on outside stimuli. We watched a video on YouTube in which everyone is laughing hysterically, uproariously… in ways that can improve health and productivity at work. Judy then explained to us the nature of Humour. Humor at work can increase productivity and heal problems that may arise. Devi warned us that there is a “dark side of humor…that can exacerbate existing problems.”
Symphony: One of the Six Senses
Brian, Erica, and Ethan presented Pink’s idea of symphony, which is the ability to gather tiny pieces of information and contextualize them as a whole. Brian used film making as a way to understanding symphony. A film director, according to Brian, is quite similar to a musical conductor. Erica explained how Pink’s attempt to learn how to draw teaches the idea of symphony. Erica said that the ability to see relationship can be quite important, and that when it comes to drawing, you can actually see more accurate pictures if you turn the picture up side down. Erica said that drawing is related to instructional design because seeing things from different perspective is very important. Ethan taught us how to see relationships between unrelated concepts. One of the ways to do it is seeing how people from the past vies idea compare to those who live today.
Story: One of the Six Senses
Melissa’s group presented to us the nature of story-making, which combines more than one element just like the other senses. Melissa read to us a story that her group collaborated on; she read it to us using that same special tone that she used to read to her kids. Personally, I have never tried writing a story with many people before. It would be fun to see the different writing styles among members of a group—like how one individual might prefer a technical writing style and yet another person might prefer to use figurative/metaphorical language.
Empathy: One of the Six Senses
This group provided to us the characteristics of empathy. They defined it as the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position and see how they feel. He gave us a quick test that ranges from situational problems to facial expressions to ethical matters (some are ambiguous). We then gave a quick vote on the quiz. They gave us a very good presentation on empathy and I especially like the ending note with a picture of a little kid trying to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Today’s class meeting is about presentations—lots of them. We started with a presentation from Amy’s group on one of Pink’s description of six senses. Their presentation is based on Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor and psychiatrist. He wrote Man’s Search for Meaning, which is about “about how he was able to find meaning and purpose in a horrific environment of the concentration camp, demonstrating that finding meaning and purpose is possible, even in extreme conditions.”
Play: One of the Six Senses
Gordon’s group explained the portion of Pink’s book that dealt with Play. He said that Pink used the military to describe how play can be a part of our everyday lives. The military has spent $10,000 dollars in gaming technology, in order to train medic, snipers, equipment technicians, etc. Devi then explained to us Joyfulness. She gave us information about the Laughter Group, and their idea that laughing is a characteristic that exists within a person, rather than being dependent on outside stimuli. We watched a video on YouTube in which everyone is laughing hysterically, uproariously… in ways that can improve health and productivity at work. Judy then explained to us the nature of Humour. Humor at work can increase productivity and heal problems that may arise. Devi warned us that there is a “dark side of humor…that can exacerbate existing problems.”
Symphony: One of the Six Senses
Brian, Erica, and Ethan presented Pink’s idea of symphony, which is the ability to gather tiny pieces of information and contextualize them as a whole. Brian used film making as a way to understanding symphony. A film director, according to Brian, is quite similar to a musical conductor. Erica explained how Pink’s attempt to learn how to draw teaches the idea of symphony. Erica said that the ability to see relationship can be quite important, and that when it comes to drawing, you can actually see more accurate pictures if you turn the picture up side down. Erica said that drawing is related to instructional design because seeing things from different perspective is very important. Ethan taught us how to see relationships between unrelated concepts. One of the ways to do it is seeing how people from the past vies idea compare to those who live today.
Story: One of the Six Senses
Melissa’s group presented to us the nature of story-making, which combines more than one element just like the other senses. Melissa read to us a story that her group collaborated on; she read it to us using that same special tone that she used to read to her kids. Personally, I have never tried writing a story with many people before. It would be fun to see the different writing styles among members of a group—like how one individual might prefer a technical writing style and yet another person might prefer to use figurative/metaphorical language.
Empathy: One of the Six Senses
This group provided to us the characteristics of empathy. They defined it as the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position and see how they feel. He gave us a quick test that ranges from situational problems to facial expressions to ethical matters (some are ambiguous). We then gave a quick vote on the quiz. They gave us a very good presentation on empathy and I especially like the ending note with a picture of a little kid trying to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Affordance of Automatic Flushers
Manufacturers wanted designers to come up with something new to entice buyers. It’s usage seems easy and it’s appearance seems simple. Even though toilets with automatic flush systems seem as if they afford us with the convenience of not having to reach for the flusher, they are designed with flaws that can frustrate the user at times.
The mapping of the system is quite simple. When you appear in front of it, it picks up your presence. If your not sitting/standing in front of it, then it would not.
Yet anyone who hasn’t ever seen an automatic toilet would first have to contemplate on the nature of their designs. A person’s conceptual model of the automatic toilet flush might be similar to the automatic hand dryer. Hence, the user might look for something to press on prior for it to activate, but this is contrary to the purpose of an automatic flushing system. So the person might create a new conceptual model, one that takes into account the relatively newly invented laser-based operating system. Most people are not used to this new technology, except that they might have seen it being used by clerks at shopping stores.
The automatic flushing toilet does not have visible parts that would allow the user to “activate” the system. How would the user know that the laser beam works correctly while they are doing their stuff? At the least, it should have some signals such as a flashing light or a beeping sound that would allow the user to know that they are using it.
The automatic toilet, of course, has constraints. The constraint is that the user has to sit at the precise spot in order for it to register; those who have some sort of back problems cannot sit straight, and so they might have to lean to the side in order to avoid the pain. Another constraint is that the user might feel the need to either stand or sit for a certain amount of time in order for the system to pick up their presence. There must be some sort of feedback that would allow the user to know that he or she has been there long enough for the system to run a flush.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
October 30, 2008 Meeting
During our October 30, 2008 meeting, we listened to Paul Kim from Stanford University. Paul doesn’t think that helping undeveloped countries in education can be done by affording them with expensive computers, but a little handheld device would be the effective solution. This gadget would allow kids from undeveloped countries to learn materials that are relevant to their education, and in turn, they would be able to give back to their own country someday as they gain the knowledge necessary to compete in this technological age.
Near the end of his presentation, my classmate asked Paul Kim whether the device is self-sufficient and whether it is appropriate for U.S. students. Paul said that although the device is self-sufficient, the content developed for the handheld device is geared toward students from undeveloped countries rather than students in the U.S. We would need to develope separate contents for U.S. students since developed countries have different educational problems.
Our group (me, Yana, Miles) did a presentation on the chapter called “Design” of Daniel Pink’s book.
Near the end of his presentation, my classmate asked Paul Kim whether the device is self-sufficient and whether it is appropriate for U.S. students. Paul said that although the device is self-sufficient, the content developed for the handheld device is geared toward students from undeveloped countries rather than students in the U.S. We would need to develope separate contents for U.S. students since developed countries have different educational problems.
Our group (me, Yana, Miles) did a presentation on the chapter called “Design” of Daniel Pink’s book.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Extraneous matters: outsourcing and creativity
OUTSOURCING VIDEOS
1.) ABC News Report On Outsourcing To India (Negative aspects)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwwgXCOEYks
2.) ABC News : 20/20 : Myth : Outsourcing Bad for America (Positive aspects with John Stossel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2IRrfcvVCg
HOW GENETICALLY PRE-DETERINED TRAITS CONTRIBUTE TO HUMAN CREATIVITY
He mumbles, so I couldn't understanding what Noam Chomsky (linguist and political activist) meant when he said that pre-determined traits contribute is what allow us to be creative. It would be great for me to understand what he meant.
3.) The Ideas of Chomsky-BBC interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EksuA4IAQIk
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Pink's Ideas: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, Meaning
Pink started out by explaining to us the importance of being creative, and how we have gotten less creative as we grew older. Kids usually describe themselves as artists, but as they grew older, they are less likely to see themselves as one.
The importance of a good design cannot be stressed enough in a world that is gaining steam in terms of heading toward the creative works of the right-brain. Design is really everywhere and we all design something. For instance, most of us can distinguish the different types of font that we use for our computer writing. Design is important to businesses since a design that does not have a significant cannot attract buyers. Finally, design can really affect our future, since a faulty design can affect the infrastructure of our sociopolitical matters, such as during the 2000 Election.
In Chapter 5, Pink explained to us the eminence of a story in its ability to connect the teller with the listener. Fact-finding is readily an easy task, but assimilating those facts in the correct context is what actually will create an emotional impact.
Pink said that business leaders are beginning to pay attention to the value of a story in gaining attention. Business leaders are paying a lot of money just to attend a seminar by a screenwriter, Robert McKee, in order to understand its underlying structures.
Critique
I think that Pink was right to say that a story is important when it comes to creating an impact on the listener. But even the most effective story teller cannot always move the audience. For instance, when comparing political leaders, most people (and news networks) would say that John Edwards has better skills in delivering a story than either Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama. He always uses emotionally charged stories, much more than the other two candidates. Even with Edward’s skills, he wasn’t able to get the democratic nomination.
In Chapter 6, Pink explained the importance of using both our left and our right brains at the same time, which he compares it to the ability to create a musical symphony. He said that the importance of “seeing the big picture” is immeasurable; for instance, it is important to understand relationships such as the ability to utilize the concept of negatives space in drawing a picture.
Pink said that many excellent workers are those who can utilize all parts of their brains; as such they are boundary crossers. They are people who can see things metaphorically and literally. They possess knowledge in the humanities and in the technical subjects.
In Chapter 7, Pink explained the idea of empathy. He said that empathy is an act of instinct rather than a deliberate act (I guess I need to learn this). A few interesting facts in regard to empathy includes (1) computers are autistic when it comes to their ability to empathize (2) autistic people are what the author described as a highly developed male brain and (3) women have more empathy than men.
In the following chapter, Pink said that play has its roots in our ancestors. As such, many people are beginning to realize the importance of play in our daily lives. There are numerous laughing clubs around the country, and companies have in the past incorporated some notion of play in a worker’s day-to-day activities. I addition, many universities, such as Carnegie Mellon, have created degrees such as a masters degree in entertainment technology.
Pink described happiness and joyfulness by saying that the latter is unconditional. As a kid, we can be carefree and just joyfully exist, and he believes that this part of our previous past cannot be neglected.
In the last chapter, Pink described the notion of meaning in life. He said that so far several universities such as MIT have taken spirituality as something that shares a relationship with science. MIT has invited the Dali Lama for a cross analysis between science and religion/spirituality. Nowadays, universities are beginning to offer courses that allow students to study some aspects of life’s meaning.
Critique
In this chapter, I have found that it is Pink’s weakest support. He relies on several researches that reaffirm what we have already known, such as meditation can reduce a person’s heart pressure. But moreover, he gave some data, such as that “72 percent of American would welcome a conversation with their physicians about faith.” But this is not so much as that the data suggest Americans are beginning to understand the value of faith in medicine, but it only tell me that Americans are interested in holding religion as part of the fabric of our society, in general. Secondly, I have found it a little bit hard to understand his writing when he tried to explain how science would explain certain intangible aspects of life, such as meaning or happiness.
The importance of a good design cannot be stressed enough in a world that is gaining steam in terms of heading toward the creative works of the right-brain. Design is really everywhere and we all design something. For instance, most of us can distinguish the different types of font that we use for our computer writing. Design is important to businesses since a design that does not have a significant cannot attract buyers. Finally, design can really affect our future, since a faulty design can affect the infrastructure of our sociopolitical matters, such as during the 2000 Election.
In Chapter 5, Pink explained to us the eminence of a story in its ability to connect the teller with the listener. Fact-finding is readily an easy task, but assimilating those facts in the correct context is what actually will create an emotional impact.
Pink said that business leaders are beginning to pay attention to the value of a story in gaining attention. Business leaders are paying a lot of money just to attend a seminar by a screenwriter, Robert McKee, in order to understand its underlying structures.
Critique
I think that Pink was right to say that a story is important when it comes to creating an impact on the listener. But even the most effective story teller cannot always move the audience. For instance, when comparing political leaders, most people (and news networks) would say that John Edwards has better skills in delivering a story than either Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama. He always uses emotionally charged stories, much more than the other two candidates. Even with Edward’s skills, he wasn’t able to get the democratic nomination.
In Chapter 6, Pink explained the importance of using both our left and our right brains at the same time, which he compares it to the ability to create a musical symphony. He said that the importance of “seeing the big picture” is immeasurable; for instance, it is important to understand relationships such as the ability to utilize the concept of negatives space in drawing a picture.
Pink said that many excellent workers are those who can utilize all parts of their brains; as such they are boundary crossers. They are people who can see things metaphorically and literally. They possess knowledge in the humanities and in the technical subjects.
In Chapter 7, Pink explained the idea of empathy. He said that empathy is an act of instinct rather than a deliberate act (I guess I need to learn this). A few interesting facts in regard to empathy includes (1) computers are autistic when it comes to their ability to empathize (2) autistic people are what the author described as a highly developed male brain and (3) women have more empathy than men.
In the following chapter, Pink said that play has its roots in our ancestors. As such, many people are beginning to realize the importance of play in our daily lives. There are numerous laughing clubs around the country, and companies have in the past incorporated some notion of play in a worker’s day-to-day activities. I addition, many universities, such as Carnegie Mellon, have created degrees such as a masters degree in entertainment technology.
Pink described happiness and joyfulness by saying that the latter is unconditional. As a kid, we can be carefree and just joyfully exist, and he believes that this part of our previous past cannot be neglected.
In the last chapter, Pink described the notion of meaning in life. He said that so far several universities such as MIT have taken spirituality as something that shares a relationship with science. MIT has invited the Dali Lama for a cross analysis between science and religion/spirituality. Nowadays, universities are beginning to offer courses that allow students to study some aspects of life’s meaning.
Critique
In this chapter, I have found that it is Pink’s weakest support. He relies on several researches that reaffirm what we have already known, such as meditation can reduce a person’s heart pressure. But moreover, he gave some data, such as that “72 percent of American would welcome a conversation with their physicians about faith.” But this is not so much as that the data suggest Americans are beginning to understand the value of faith in medicine, but it only tell me that Americans are interested in holding religion as part of the fabric of our society, in general. Secondly, I have found it a little bit hard to understand his writing when he tried to explain how science would explain certain intangible aspects of life, such as meaning or happiness.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
October 23, 2008 Meeting
During our October 23, 2008 meeting, we listened to Eugene’s speech on the usage of technology in a workplace. He started out by providing us with a description of how a regular conversation between him and another person can turn into a big business deal, due to his twitting of his day-to-day activities. I like his idea that within a circle of workers, there are only a few connectors, and it is wise to establish good relationship with them, since they will help us get what we want. He also explained to us how hard it is to pay attention since there are so many things. He suggested that we should pay attention to something that is most relevant. If we overlooked something important, then our social networks will tell us what it is.
We also listened Craig’s presentation of Mashups. He said that it is possible to incorporate information from Facebook onto a personal website, but I also wonder whether it is easy to put information from a personal website onto Facebook
We also listened Craig’s presentation of Mashups. He said that it is possible to incorporate information from Facebook onto a personal website, but I also wonder whether it is easy to put information from a personal website onto Facebook
Friday, October 24, 2008
Collaborative Learning
The importance of choosing the right technologies to fit into the pedagogy is very important when it comes to teaching adults, since they are not as adept as younger students when it comes to navigating across different mediums on the web. For instance, many adults are not familiar with bloggings, even though it is well known by younger students.
Adults tend to have different expectations when it comes to learning. A few assumptions about adult learners include:
1.) They need to know what they are learning
2.) They need to see that learning provides them with relevant knowledge that is applicable to their own personal or professional life.
3) Adults want to apply their knowledge to something practical
4.) They need motivation to learn
E-learning is pretty cost effective for companies, but it also allow adult learners to develop their skills at their own time, rather than being hassled to complete their work.
When it comes to adult learners, cooperation and collaboration are also important. Cooperation refers to people working together, usually under the direction of an instructor. Collaboration refers to interaction between students that foster the development of meta-cognition, knowledge-building, interpersonal skills, etc. The latter emphasizes on processes whereas the former emphasizes on the end products. Fostering collaborative works requires understanding of grouping (group formation tends to break up into smaller group as the size increases), community building (that is, a sense of belonging), blending, and tool/technologies applicable toward learning.
The article mentioned a story of Bonnie who participated in an online learning environment in which the primary tools were asynchronous forum and a wiki. Bonnie is a part of a group of educators that ranges from those with great experiences in using technologies to those without much experience in using technology. Their job is to create a learning module that “addresses a particular issue of New Media as well a New Media artifact.”
According to Bonnie, her group wasn’t able to determine how the work should be carried out due to the fact that there are people in the group with very strong ideas, and they refuse to yield. The less assertive members of the group did not want to challenge the opinionated individuals with strong ideas.
Yet there were successes once the group switched to synchronous WebCT’s integrated chat function. Things went on smoothly from then on. Bonnie thought that if they had defined the roles of each person at the beginning then things would have had worked out better.
Critique:
I think that the case of Bonnie is particularly interesting for an online learning situation. The reason is that this example deals with people who are already educated, who can articulate themselves. Online learning for a group of non-English speakers would be drastically different, and so I would say that the collaboration between non-English speakers would also be different. I hate to see situations in which a few students, who are more assertive, take charge of the whole group.
Adults tend to have different expectations when it comes to learning. A few assumptions about adult learners include:
1.) They need to know what they are learning
2.) They need to see that learning provides them with relevant knowledge that is applicable to their own personal or professional life.
3) Adults want to apply their knowledge to something practical
4.) They need motivation to learn
E-learning is pretty cost effective for companies, but it also allow adult learners to develop their skills at their own time, rather than being hassled to complete their work.
When it comes to adult learners, cooperation and collaboration are also important. Cooperation refers to people working together, usually under the direction of an instructor. Collaboration refers to interaction between students that foster the development of meta-cognition, knowledge-building, interpersonal skills, etc. The latter emphasizes on processes whereas the former emphasizes on the end products. Fostering collaborative works requires understanding of grouping (group formation tends to break up into smaller group as the size increases), community building (that is, a sense of belonging), blending, and tool/technologies applicable toward learning.
The article mentioned a story of Bonnie who participated in an online learning environment in which the primary tools were asynchronous forum and a wiki. Bonnie is a part of a group of educators that ranges from those with great experiences in using technologies to those without much experience in using technology. Their job is to create a learning module that “addresses a particular issue of New Media as well a New Media artifact.”
According to Bonnie, her group wasn’t able to determine how the work should be carried out due to the fact that there are people in the group with very strong ideas, and they refuse to yield. The less assertive members of the group did not want to challenge the opinionated individuals with strong ideas.
Yet there were successes once the group switched to synchronous WebCT’s integrated chat function. Things went on smoothly from then on. Bonnie thought that if they had defined the roles of each person at the beginning then things would have had worked out better.
Critique:
I think that the case of Bonnie is particularly interesting for an online learning situation. The reason is that this example deals with people who are already educated, who can articulate themselves. Online learning for a group of non-English speakers would be drastically different, and so I would say that the collaboration between non-English speakers would also be different. I hate to see situations in which a few students, who are more assertive, take charge of the whole group.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
My Mother's Shanandoah
I am applying Pink's idea of empathy in my video. Guess what it is about before reading the rest....
I have always found it hard to understand my mother's perception of rural Vietnam, since I grew up in the U.S. She has a lot of nostagia when it comes to her homeland. As I later realize, her notion is quite similar to those (not necessarily mine) who came from the rural areas of the United States, which I can grasp more readily.
I have always found it hard to understand my mother's perception of rural Vietnam, since I grew up in the U.S. She has a lot of nostagia when it comes to her homeland. As I later realize, her notion is quite similar to those (not necessarily mine) who came from the rural areas of the United States, which I can grasp more readily.
Friday, October 17, 2008
October 17, 2008 class meeting
On our October 17, 2008 class meeting, we discussed Daniel Pink’s idea of outsourcing. One of the critiques of Pink’s ideas includes his assumption that only left-brain knowledge can be outsourced, as right-brain knowledge (once we begin to value it) remains in the U.S. According to one classmate, this assumption is base on the fact that left-brain knowledge is easier to outsource than right-brain knowledge since the latter is harder to transport; right-brain skills, such as creativity, can only be developed in a person rather than through automation. I might be wrong, but I think that the author might have some validity to the notion that right-brain knowledge would stay in the U.S. quite some time due to the reason mentioned above, and that it takes quite awhile for a society to transition from one type of economy to another type.
One of the criticisms from my classmates was that the book placed high emphasis on the author’s values rather than providing us with a more practical understanding on the importance of our left-brain, and equanimously, the right-brain. This culture has only begun to value the right-brain because of our excess in commodities.
Near the end of the class, a few students discussed the ways in which schools have begun to incorporate right brain activities into the teaching, and the social/economic/political factors associated with this development.
At the end, we listened to several presentations, including Podcasting/iTunes, Second Life, Mobile Technology.
One of the criticisms from my classmates was that the book placed high emphasis on the author’s values rather than providing us with a more practical understanding on the importance of our left-brain, and equanimously, the right-brain. This culture has only begun to value the right-brain because of our excess in commodities.
Near the end of the class, a few students discussed the ways in which schools have begun to incorporate right brain activities into the teaching, and the social/economic/political factors associated with this development.
At the end, we listened to several presentations, including Podcasting/iTunes, Second Life, Mobile Technology.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Is the right brain better than the left brain?
Summary:
In Chapter 1-3 of A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink explained the complexities of our brain and how our brain response to fMRI scans. He then went over the misconceptions that has pervaded over the years, and revealed the truth, mainly: (1) each side of our brain controls the opposite part of our body (2) the left hemisphere operates sequentially (3) the right hemisphere operates through context (4) the right hemisphere works holistically, whereas the left hemisphere pay attention to detail.
According to Pink, our society has a tradition of valuing left-brain thinkers, but the current trend is favoring those who can synthesize information with their right brain. He said that as our society evolves economically (from agricultural, to manufacturing, to industrial, and finally to informational), we have also created more abundance in resources. As a result, emphasis on material need becomes less important as people are seeking for spiritual, emotional, and artistic beauty, hence diminishing the values of left-brain activities. In addition to abundance, Pink said that automation and outsourcing of technical/engineering jobs devalued the need for left-brain thinkers.
Moreover, as we undergo a transformation from a society that relies on knowledge-based working sector and into a society that relies on creators and empathizers, our values also undergo changes. This change is toward people who can be creative, who have large emotional quotient over intellectual quotient, and those who have MFA rather than MBA.
Critique:
As I was reading Pink’s book, I have noticed that he simplified the brain by saying that they are literally two separate things. However, even if they are separate, they still have to function together in order for us to make any sense of our world. Perhaps, it might be more proper to say that each person has a mind that functions differently – which allow them to excel in their career choices– rather than that they are either left-brain thinkers or right-brain thinkers.
Summary:
In an audio of Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight, Jill started out by providing a personal account of how her brother’s schizophrenia led her to a career as a cognitive scientist, and then how a massive stroke shut down her own brain functions.
An interesting idea that she presented was that the left brain hemisphere is only about the past and about the future, and it thinks in language. But when she entountered a personal tragedy in which her left brain shuts off, she get to experience what it feels like for her left brain to shut off as she went in a journey to "lala land."
In the end she said that we have a choice of choosing whether to live in a world created by the left hemisphere or one created by the right hemisphere. For her, she would choose a world controlled by the right hemisphere since it is a more peaceful one. People would realize that they are not just individuals, but part of a collection of atoms wandering about the universe.
Critique:
I think that it is biased to say that the right half of the brain is more conducive to a peaceful world because it allows us to “experience” nervana. I am sure that there are those whose vision of the world through the right brain is as potent as it can be. On the other hand, I think that there are also left brain thinkers whose vision is that of a utopian world made up of logical, duty-orieted set of behaviors. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, for instance, is based on logic.
In Chapter 1-3 of A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink explained the complexities of our brain and how our brain response to fMRI scans. He then went over the misconceptions that has pervaded over the years, and revealed the truth, mainly: (1) each side of our brain controls the opposite part of our body (2) the left hemisphere operates sequentially (3) the right hemisphere operates through context (4) the right hemisphere works holistically, whereas the left hemisphere pay attention to detail.
According to Pink, our society has a tradition of valuing left-brain thinkers, but the current trend is favoring those who can synthesize information with their right brain. He said that as our society evolves economically (from agricultural, to manufacturing, to industrial, and finally to informational), we have also created more abundance in resources. As a result, emphasis on material need becomes less important as people are seeking for spiritual, emotional, and artistic beauty, hence diminishing the values of left-brain activities. In addition to abundance, Pink said that automation and outsourcing of technical/engineering jobs devalued the need for left-brain thinkers.
Moreover, as we undergo a transformation from a society that relies on knowledge-based working sector and into a society that relies on creators and empathizers, our values also undergo changes. This change is toward people who can be creative, who have large emotional quotient over intellectual quotient, and those who have MFA rather than MBA.
Critique:
As I was reading Pink’s book, I have noticed that he simplified the brain by saying that they are literally two separate things. However, even if they are separate, they still have to function together in order for us to make any sense of our world. Perhaps, it might be more proper to say that each person has a mind that functions differently – which allow them to excel in their career choices– rather than that they are either left-brain thinkers or right-brain thinkers.
Summary:
In an audio of Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight, Jill started out by providing a personal account of how her brother’s schizophrenia led her to a career as a cognitive scientist, and then how a massive stroke shut down her own brain functions.
An interesting idea that she presented was that the left brain hemisphere is only about the past and about the future, and it thinks in language. But when she entountered a personal tragedy in which her left brain shuts off, she get to experience what it feels like for her left brain to shut off as she went in a journey to "lala land."
In the end she said that we have a choice of choosing whether to live in a world created by the left hemisphere or one created by the right hemisphere. For her, she would choose a world controlled by the right hemisphere since it is a more peaceful one. People would realize that they are not just individuals, but part of a collection of atoms wandering about the universe.
Critique:
I think that it is biased to say that the right half of the brain is more conducive to a peaceful world because it allows us to “experience” nervana. I am sure that there are those whose vision of the world through the right brain is as potent as it can be. On the other hand, I think that there are also left brain thinkers whose vision is that of a utopian world made up of logical, duty-orieted set of behaviors. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, for instance, is based on logic.
October 09, 2008 class meeting
During the October 09, 2008 class meeting, we listened to Leslie Rule from KQED. She explained how mobile technologies has changed the way we live by asking how many people in the room has a cell phone.
She also explained to us that digital storytelling started out with a mission to heal an individual from abnormal psychological experiences. The stories heal the individual who created the project, but can also help the audience with similar problems. There were concerns, of course, with the usage of digital storytelling, such as when the teller lies about certain things.
One of the issues that my classmate raised is whether the next generation of technologies, especially locomotive media, will change the way we create digital stories. Wouldn’t digital storytelling be less personal and less effective, he asked? Leslie said that digital storytelling will provide many people with the ability to participate in the process. Instead of one person providing information at a very deep level, we have many people providing a broad range of information that are also very deep. Storytelling has changed from a personal to a participatory activity. But the idea that a group of people can produce materials that are therapeutic and truly personally meaningful is a little bit unconvincing to me.
One of the things that intrigued me was Leslie’s description of authentic learning. According to her, authentic learning only happens when we can apply what we learn to create change within our society. Though I wish she had given us her scientific description of authentic learning, it was nevertheless a good vision for developers of educationally related materials.
At the end, we listened to a presentation on the new Chrome browser.
She also explained to us that digital storytelling started out with a mission to heal an individual from abnormal psychological experiences. The stories heal the individual who created the project, but can also help the audience with similar problems. There were concerns, of course, with the usage of digital storytelling, such as when the teller lies about certain things.
One of the issues that my classmate raised is whether the next generation of technologies, especially locomotive media, will change the way we create digital stories. Wouldn’t digital storytelling be less personal and less effective, he asked? Leslie said that digital storytelling will provide many people with the ability to participate in the process. Instead of one person providing information at a very deep level, we have many people providing a broad range of information that are also very deep. Storytelling has changed from a personal to a participatory activity. But the idea that a group of people can produce materials that are therapeutic and truly personally meaningful is a little bit unconvincing to me.
One of the things that intrigued me was Leslie’s description of authentic learning. According to her, authentic learning only happens when we can apply what we learn to create change within our society. Though I wish she had given us her scientific description of authentic learning, it was nevertheless a good vision for developers of educationally related materials.
At the end, we listened to a presentation on the new Chrome browser.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Location-based technology and their relevancy
Summary
In the article “Mobile, wireless, connected information clouds and learning,” Mark van’t Hooft explained the need to make our technologies more mobile and connected. He said that today’s learners want flexible learning opportunities—no bells, little schedule, etc.
Mobility, according to Hooft, is the “physical movement from location to location.” Today’s learners want to be able to put their projects on the web so that they can access it at anytime they want; hence, web-based programs such as Google Earth, provides them with the storage space of their creations.
Users also want a rich experience. They want to be able to have personal control over the technology they use. They want to create new information, to customize their contents, to share what they’ve created.
One of the outcomes of this development is the ability to create our own educational/entertainment videos. Soon, the main developer of these educational/entertainment videos will not be the traditional media but it will be our friends and neighbors.
Through cloud computing, the user will be able to place his data onto a storage space available on the internet, yet still be able to access a “cloud” of computers that can hold massive amount of information, rather than simply put data onto a personal computer which has limited storage space.
Critique
Although I believe that many people are into new gadgets, I doubt that “the physical and digital worlds” are getting as blurry as the author suggested. Perhaps it is because I live with people who tend to be more traditional, more theoretical—rather than people who are into the latest gadgets. From my experience, those whom I’ve known don’t really rely on instant message or go onto Second Life to meet other people. The idea that everyone is absorbed into the digital world is a little bit exaggerated.
Summary
Revised 10/21/2008
In the article “Location-based and context-aware education: prospects and perils,” Adam Greenfield provided an account for the increasing usage of location-based and context-aware technologies. He started out by providing a background information for the roots of "ubiquitous technologies" by applying Moore's law (which says that the power of microprocessors double every 18 months) to the every increasing capabilities of our computing systems.
Ubiquitous technology might someday track every step that we make in our daily lives, besides having the capability of locating itself in space and time. However, the idea that a context-based technology can function reasonably as well as humans is far from the truth.
Although context-aware technologies can be promising, especially when it comes to application of it toward educationally-related uses, it brings up ethical and cultural concerns. For instance, the Japanese-designed program, JAPELAS, can do some context-based programming, but it uses information that take into account a person's age, social status, profession, etc. This might seem normal for a Japanese person, but gathering information about a person’s age is not an appropriate thing to do within the U.S. culture.
Critique
Near the end of the article, the author provided an application of location-based technologies toward education. He said that the application of technologies toward real events in space is a good possibility for learning, but I think that it is not as practical as it seems. Location-based technologies might allow a person with the convenience to do day-to-day activities, but one can rarely learn enough of the basics by relying on them. As one person have said, if you don't understand Heidegger, then you will not understand Heidegger no matter where you read his works, even with the help of location-based technologies that presumably help us contextualize the ideas. Location-based technologies might provide a good aid to learning, but it only allows you to "apply what you have learned" rather than “learning something new."
October 02, 2008 Meeting
During the October 2, 2008 online meeting, we looked at the knowledge students that the University of California, Berkeley gained from developing a website such as the 2007-08 Digital Media and Learning Competition. Some said that they will be able to organize their ideas well.
We discussed the core subjects that should be required to be taken by students before they finish school. We also looked at how we should structured standardized tests so that they would measure student performance in an unbiased manner. Most of the students whom I’ve chatted online believe that standardized tests cannot measure what they believe to be important skills that everyone should know. I thought that among the students in our class who teach in San Francisco, there would be some that actually support standardized testing, but then I realized that most are against it. They don’t think that it measures important 21 century skills such as the ability to communicate one another.
We discussed the core subjects that should be required to be taken by students before they finish school. We also looked at how we should structured standardized tests so that they would measure student performance in an unbiased manner. Most of the students whom I’ve chatted online believe that standardized tests cannot measure what they believe to be important skills that everyone should know. I thought that among the students in our class who teach in San Francisco, there would be some that actually support standardized testing, but then I realized that most are against it. They don’t think that it measures important 21 century skills such as the ability to communicate one another.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
21 Century Learning Concept Map
Wowww...this concept mapping tool is so powerful, much better than the one in Microsoft Word. I should have discovered it along time ago.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The net generation and new ways of learning
Summary
According to Diana Oblinger, the author of “Growing up with Google,” the NET GENERATION, who grew up with Second Life and “mashups,” sees education with a different lens than those before them. Diana Oblinger said that the Net Generation thinks of education as if it should be run like a business. Learning has taken a new form due to the increasing capabilities of today’s technologies.
According to Oblinger, many students use the internet as a way in which they communicate with each other. Through the internet, they collaborate with each other on developing scholarly works (such as “The Flat World Project”). No longer are the students individually learning the materials by reading textbooks, but instead they work as a team in designing a product or solving a real life problem. Through mingling with the virtual worlds such as Second Life, students are able to interact with their peers around the world and become more educated.
Moreover, Oblinger warned of the misconceptions that we may have about the Net Generation. Not all of them know how to find trust worthy information on the web, even though they may prefer online research more than library-based research. And that not all of them have the maturity to act responsibly in regard to information they obtained over the internet.
Critique
I think that Oblinger has made a few invalid ideas in regard to the maturity of the students of the Net Generation. She said that they are less likely to reflect due to the high emphasis on experience-based learning. The problem might get worse if they are put into a learning environment (such as Second Life) where they are allowed to explore ideas without any guidance from a teacher.
To some degree, I actually think that students will reflect more in an online learning environment rather than in a classroom environment. Since the information provided through online learning programs will not be time-dependent, students can contemplate on a particular problem/situation without being distracted by extraneous noise (or their classroom friends).
Oblinger also said that students are less likely to think critically/logically. Yet I actually think that the Net Generation will be more logical thinkers than we do. The reason is that students are not required to response to questions posed by their instructors in a classroom full of people, in a short period of time. Instead, the students learn through well-organized, pre-developed instructions in which they can visualize and analyze without much distractions (and they can also press the “playback” if they later need).
According to Diana Oblinger, the author of “Growing up with Google,” the NET GENERATION, who grew up with Second Life and “mashups,” sees education with a different lens than those before them. Diana Oblinger said that the Net Generation thinks of education as if it should be run like a business. Learning has taken a new form due to the increasing capabilities of today’s technologies.
According to Oblinger, many students use the internet as a way in which they communicate with each other. Through the internet, they collaborate with each other on developing scholarly works (such as “The Flat World Project”). No longer are the students individually learning the materials by reading textbooks, but instead they work as a team in designing a product or solving a real life problem. Through mingling with the virtual worlds such as Second Life, students are able to interact with their peers around the world and become more educated.
Moreover, Oblinger warned of the misconceptions that we may have about the Net Generation. Not all of them know how to find trust worthy information on the web, even though they may prefer online research more than library-based research. And that not all of them have the maturity to act responsibly in regard to information they obtained over the internet.
Critique
I think that Oblinger has made a few invalid ideas in regard to the maturity of the students of the Net Generation. She said that they are less likely to reflect due to the high emphasis on experience-based learning. The problem might get worse if they are put into a learning environment (such as Second Life) where they are allowed to explore ideas without any guidance from a teacher.
To some degree, I actually think that students will reflect more in an online learning environment rather than in a classroom environment. Since the information provided through online learning programs will not be time-dependent, students can contemplate on a particular problem/situation without being distracted by extraneous noise (or their classroom friends).
Oblinger also said that students are less likely to think critically/logically. Yet I actually think that the Net Generation will be more logical thinkers than we do. The reason is that students are not required to response to questions posed by their instructors in a classroom full of people, in a short period of time. Instead, the students learn through well-organized, pre-developed instructions in which they can visualize and analyze without much distractions (and they can also press the “playback” if they later need).
Monday, September 29, 2008
How I like Mr. Bonk's ideas
At the meeting on September 25, 2008, we listened to the lecture by Mr. Bonk from Indiana State University who explained to us the nature of open source in education. He struck me when he said that the second university to have open source was Vietnam National University due to its desire to keep experts within the country.
Mr. Bonk provided us with different visions of education. The most intriguing idea he raised was that my current fellow classmates will be those whom I will rely for information in the distant future. So far I have not yet seen any sign that I will rely on my future classmates for knowledge (not that it’s a bad thing); perhaps his idea is more plausible if we all plan to enter academia, as oppose to working in an applied field.
What I like the most about his idea is that someday people will get the choice to pick their classmates in any country they want. Personally, I would love to be able to pick classmates who have similar interest and personality as I do.
Addendum: After listening to Mr. Bonk's idea, I realized that it is possible that open source will have a positive affect on education. However, I would like to know what are the negative affects of open source in education (besides the minute problem of scholarship for those who already wanted to share their knowledge)? In addition, I would like to know if environment concerns will soon lead us to embrace distance learning, and henceforth the idea that we can pick our own classmates?
Mr. Bonk provided us with different visions of education. The most intriguing idea he raised was that my current fellow classmates will be those whom I will rely for information in the distant future. So far I have not yet seen any sign that I will rely on my future classmates for knowledge (not that it’s a bad thing); perhaps his idea is more plausible if we all plan to enter academia, as oppose to working in an applied field.
What I like the most about his idea is that someday people will get the choice to pick their classmates in any country they want. Personally, I would love to be able to pick classmates who have similar interest and personality as I do.
Addendum: After listening to Mr. Bonk's idea, I realized that it is possible that open source will have a positive affect on education. However, I would like to know what are the negative affects of open source in education (besides the minute problem of scholarship for those who already wanted to share their knowledge)? In addition, I would like to know if environment concerns will soon lead us to embrace distance learning, and henceforth the idea that we can pick our own classmates?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Flat World Project
Overall, I like the organization of the work and how they weave information from different sources together so well.
What are the instructional objectives
Learn the content of the “World is Flat”, learn how to collaborate with students of different backgrounds, learn how to write coherently and following technical standards, learn how to use technology to disburse information for the public.
How technologies are used by students
Technologies are being used by the student as a collaborating tool; they use technology to develop an online community. They use technology to share their ideas with one another, and disseminate those ideas to the public as well. They use technology in order to help them visualize the information, which help students who are either visual or tactile learners.
Put yourself in the students place, and assess what they may learn from the learning experience
I can see that they would learn how to organize ideas (with the help of their peers) into coherent, easily understood information. At the same time, they will learn how to collaborate with learners of different background in developing presentations of their work. They learn how to use gadgets/technology in their presentatation and they learn how to present their work to their fellow students.
There seems to be a slight emphasis of developing creative skills through the usage of art work. They also learn how to develop the ability to express themselves through digital story telling.
List technologies they are using in order to create their digital stories, write research on background, news, impact on education, etc in their wiki site.
YouTube, video cameras, internet, Microsoft Suite, Adobe PDF
What are the instructional objectives
Learn the content of the “World is Flat”, learn how to collaborate with students of different backgrounds, learn how to write coherently and following technical standards, learn how to use technology to disburse information for the public.
How technologies are used by students
Technologies are being used by the student as a collaborating tool; they use technology to develop an online community. They use technology to share their ideas with one another, and disseminate those ideas to the public as well. They use technology in order to help them visualize the information, which help students who are either visual or tactile learners.
Put yourself in the students place, and assess what they may learn from the learning experience
I can see that they would learn how to organize ideas (with the help of their peers) into coherent, easily understood information. At the same time, they will learn how to collaborate with learners of different background in developing presentations of their work. They learn how to use gadgets/technology in their presentatation and they learn how to present their work to their fellow students.
There seems to be a slight emphasis of developing creative skills through the usage of art work. They also learn how to develop the ability to express themselves through digital story telling.
List technologies they are using in order to create their digital stories, write research on background, news, impact on education, etc in their wiki site.
YouTube, video cameras, internet, Microsoft Suite, Adobe PDF
The Emering Technologies and the New Problems
In the reading of “Emerging Technologies in E-Learning,” the author explained how emerging technologies can turn the learner from a receiver of information (learning through Web 1.0) to a creator of information (learning through Web 2.0). He provided a few of the emerging technologies in education such as digital storytelling, online meetings, personal podcasting, extended learning, and social computing. Afterward, he explained how those technologies can facilitate learning communities, and the challenges that instructors face as their roles change in this new learning environment. Lastly, he presented a perspective on the possibilities that technology can do for learners (with a mention of those with different learning needs) and the myriad of challenges (including ethical concerns) that those technologies can bring to the new classroom environment.
As I was reading his article, I have had this idea that technology changes the learning environment in which the learner no longer simply absorbs in the information presented to them, but they are now the creator of information. The author seemed to say that this new philosophy is driven by the need to fill in the gap due to learning differenses and social inequality. For instance, not all schools can afford expensive laboratories so that their students can perform scientific experiments. However, the reliance on this new emerging technology can help those schools fill up the gap. Students, for instance, can learn how to “conduct” a laboratory activity through virtual learning.
On the other hand, I think that the new learning philosophy is driven by the fact that society needs the people to know how to survive in this technological age. That is, they need to know how to use the computer, how to communicate with other people through either podcasting or webphones. Most educators recognize that learners need to be able to incorporate new technologies in their learning of the subject matter, since the ability to operate gadgets is valuable in this technological age.
“In Plain English”
The “In Plain English” instructional videos (and to some extent, the reading “Emerging Technologies in E-learning”) made me see the relevancy of adopting new technologies to our learning. Technologies are changing the things that we are doing in our daily life, and that learning how to use them to make our lives more efficient makes a lot of sense.
As I was reading his article, I have had this idea that technology changes the learning environment in which the learner no longer simply absorbs in the information presented to them, but they are now the creator of information. The author seemed to say that this new philosophy is driven by the need to fill in the gap due to learning differenses and social inequality. For instance, not all schools can afford expensive laboratories so that their students can perform scientific experiments. However, the reliance on this new emerging technology can help those schools fill up the gap. Students, for instance, can learn how to “conduct” a laboratory activity through virtual learning.
On the other hand, I think that the new learning philosophy is driven by the fact that society needs the people to know how to survive in this technological age. That is, they need to know how to use the computer, how to communicate with other people through either podcasting or webphones. Most educators recognize that learners need to be able to incorporate new technologies in their learning of the subject matter, since the ability to operate gadgets is valuable in this technological age.
“In Plain English”
The “In Plain English” instructional videos (and to some extent, the reading “Emerging Technologies in E-learning”) made me see the relevancy of adopting new technologies to our learning. Technologies are changing the things that we are doing in our daily life, and that learning how to use them to make our lives more efficient makes a lot of sense.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Blogs versus Wiki
At our meeting on September 18, 2008, we compared the nature of blogs versus wiki as they are being used in educational settings. Most said that blogs can be useful if there is a need for a linear way of disseminating information, such as when an instructor of an e-learning course needs to inform the class of upcoming activities. Some said that blogs can facilitate a discussion that is more cohesive and that students can concentrate on a particular situation or problem better than wiki. Yet some think that blogs do not facilitate discussions as well as wiki since the latter provides a forum in which open participation among students is encouraged (blogs do not allow more than one person to add ideas or make changes).
In general, we agreed that blogs changed the nature of classroom participation. We agreed that blogs can be used as a tool which allows students in an e-learning course to elucidate ideas in writing after an initial face-to-face discussion in a classroom setting. One of my classmates said that blogs can bring out the personality of a student; a generally shy student can be quite aggressive in their blogging.
I would add that blogs can also be used as a tool for students with limited English skills to share their ideas with the rest. For instance, even though I am not an ESL student, I do have problems with expressing my ideas in a classroom situation at times. As much as I hate it, I have to structuralize my ideas prior to expressing them through words, and this process requires time (I might sound strange if I don't do it). It is rather a cumbersome process to keep up with who's saying what and what their ideas are in a regular classroom setting. However, blogging can remedy the problem because it allows me extra time to figure out a way to say something prior to posting my ideas.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Learning advanced courses in the digital age
One philosopher once said that “learning is more than the accumulation of facts” and I believe that this is quite true. Learning is how we make sense of the knowledge that we are provided with. Hence, to some extent, I agree with John Brown that the traditional way of learning, which compasses listening to the lectures provided by the instructor and take assessments of the supposedly learned materials, is rather impractical. What we learn in class has little bearing on really life, since the materials we absorb in all academic subjects are only models of real life situations. It is not naïve, as John mentioned, that we are trying to make learning less of an elitist activity and more compatible with the learners. Our ways of learning has shifted from abstract to more concrete; part of this is driven by technological advances which require a person to be able to apply his knowledge to situations that has fuzziness. As a result, the emphasis on learning has taken a new dimension. And to some extent, the new ways of learning make more sense than the traditional way.
What I don’t agree with John Brown is this. We are not yet at a stage in which we can create a new learning environment that utilizes technology to serve a student's need for advanced level courses. He gave a few examples that involves universities (such as Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology) modifying the teaching of science and mathematics courses. The idea of learning science and mathematics through the way he described seems quite attractive, but it is more of a concept than a reality. Many science and mathematics courses are quite abstract, especially at the advance levels. Educational technology would not do much when it comes to learning the mathematical equations that provides a model for quantum mechanics. The idea of learning through hands on experience probably is more suited in certain areas (such as engineering) and at the introductory level only.
What I don’t agree with John Brown is this. We are not yet at a stage in which we can create a new learning environment that utilizes technology to serve a student's need for advanced level courses. He gave a few examples that involves universities (such as Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology) modifying the teaching of science and mathematics courses. The idea of learning science and mathematics through the way he described seems quite attractive, but it is more of a concept than a reality. Many science and mathematics courses are quite abstract, especially at the advance levels. Educational technology would not do much when it comes to learning the mathematical equations that provides a model for quantum mechanics. The idea of learning through hands on experience probably is more suited in certain areas (such as engineering) and at the introductory level only.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Biased Ideas
At our September 11, 2008 class meeting, we discussed how learning can be facilitated using technology so that people from different geographic regions can participate, and the problems associated with this form of learning. One of the comments that intrigued me was that such learning can be quite confusing since we cannot absorb everyone’s opinion at the same time and that some will get filtered out. As a result, we might become more biased in our ways of thinking.
As of currently, I do not think that our education curriculums at the secondary level are designed to counteract one-sided learning. I think that there should be more courses at the high school level that train students to think critically, in particular, the ability to assess the creditability of the information.
By the way, great job with the presentations today. I like the visual aspects in your presentations.
As of currently, I do not think that our education curriculums at the secondary level are designed to counteract one-sided learning. I think that there should be more courses at the high school level that train students to think critically, in particular, the ability to assess the creditability of the information.
By the way, great job with the presentations today. I like the visual aspects in your presentations.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
George Siemans Ideas
As I was reading the article by George Siemens, I thought of what my high school science teacher told me, which is that “50% of your intelligence comes from your ability to find information.” At the time, I did not understand what he was saying. His idea makes it seem as if intelligence can reside outside of a person’s mind.
After I read the article, I realized that knowledge can actually be in the technology we use or in the social learning networks. This idea, which was developed through Connectivism, was quite profound for me. Still, the idea that we might one day design a learning environment that is heavily depended on the “material” knowledge outside of us worries me, so this prompts the question of how much should we develop our knowledge database by weaving them to the new technologies and social learning networks. Will reliance on learning cues outside of us be as effective as those that we develop internally? What happens when we as humans can no longer think for ourselves, but that our overall knowledge is a mere product of the social infrastructure?
After I read the article, I realized that knowledge can actually be in the technology we use or in the social learning networks. This idea, which was developed through Connectivism, was quite profound for me. Still, the idea that we might one day design a learning environment that is heavily depended on the “material” knowledge outside of us worries me, so this prompts the question of how much should we develop our knowledge database by weaving them to the new technologies and social learning networks. Will reliance on learning cues outside of us be as effective as those that we develop internally? What happens when we as humans can no longer think for ourselves, but that our overall knowledge is a mere product of the social infrastructure?
The New Learning Environment
At our gathering on September 4, 2008, I listened to Kim’s review of the key theories from ITEC 800: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Connectivism. What fascinated me the most is the lecture on how Connectivism explains our current information boom and that a single person would find it difficult in acquiring a large amount of information without the help of his or her peers.
As I was listening to the lecture, I couldn’t help but question whether Connectivists (and the idea of a social learning network) believe that formal learning environments (such as a classroom) would become obsolete one day, and that they would be replaced by e-learning. Perhaps, once technology advances to a higher level, learners would prefer teleconferences and virtual learning over regular classroom environments; there is no need for a classroom environment when learners can interact with their classmates and other people around the world on their own time and at their own place.
As I was listening to the lecture, I couldn’t help but question whether Connectivists (and the idea of a social learning network) believe that formal learning environments (such as a classroom) would become obsolete one day, and that they would be replaced by e-learning. Perhaps, once technology advances to a higher level, learners would prefer teleconferences and virtual learning over regular classroom environments; there is no need for a classroom environment when learners can interact with their classmates and other people around the world on their own time and at their own place.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Fuzzy Web
What is Fuzzy Web?
It was my first day in the class and I found the concept of Web 2.0 quite difficult to understand. Even though we have went through all of the possibility for the meaning of it, I still don't know if I have fully grasped it yet. I wonder if the idea of Web 2.0 is a conceptual model that organizes the new way of learning, or more likely, an actual definition for the different ways of learning that can be found over the web.
Moreover, I am excited to be able to read the textbook for the course because I want to learn how to think in the new age. The name of the book relishes on the idea of creativity that I have heard from another author, Richard Florida, who wrote the Rising of the Creative Class. Richard Florida emphasizes that we are in a transition into an age where people rely on creativity, a mostly right-brain activity, more than ever.
Hung To
It was my first day in the class and I found the concept of Web 2.0 quite difficult to understand. Even though we have went through all of the possibility for the meaning of it, I still don't know if I have fully grasped it yet. I wonder if the idea of Web 2.0 is a conceptual model that organizes the new way of learning, or more likely, an actual definition for the different ways of learning that can be found over the web.
Moreover, I am excited to be able to read the textbook for the course because I want to learn how to think in the new age. The name of the book relishes on the idea of creativity that I have heard from another author, Richard Florida, who wrote the Rising of the Creative Class. Richard Florida emphasizes that we are in a transition into an age where people rely on creativity, a mostly right-brain activity, more than ever.
Hung To
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