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Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Why Students Use Wikipedia
Monday, March 29th, 2010
[Sometimes, I really wish we had a lake nearby where I could sit, dip my feet in, and ponder life’s mysteries.
Alas, the closest thing to a “lake” we have here in Santa Clarita is Bridgeport which is 1) too far away from where I am, and 2) too toxic-looking at the moment to ever consider dipping one’s feet in.
But, in a few days, I shall dip my toes into the cold ocean. I shall relish it.]
A few months ago, I discovered a rather useful tool called InstaPaper. It’s free and ridiculously easy to use. It also has a free, downloadable app for my Android phone which makes reading articles so much more convenient on the run. This article is one of those I saved awhile back.
Did you see the research paper on First Monday entitled, How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course-related research? Written by Alison J. Head and Michael B. Eisenberg of the Information School at the University of Washington, the paper focuses on how students really use Wikipedia. I agree with how they start off their introduction – “Want to stir up a room full of college faculty and librarians? Mention Wikipedia.”
I mentioned Wikipedia as part of my presentation at the CA-AAFCS State & Western Region conference a few weeks back, and I saw some smirks in the audience. My point wasn’t Wikipedia itself but the wiki software; it didn’t matter for a few of the attendees. Wikipedia was Wikipedia, bastion of misinformation that it is.
I believe Wikipedia has its good points, but many faculty members and teachers cling to their distrust of the site and its contents. They encourage students to stay away from it during their research lest a student “quote” misinformation from it, but are students really using Wikipedia for their research?
According to Head and Eisenberg, maybe not. “A majority of respondents frequently used Wikipedia for background information, but less often than they used other common resources, such as course readings and Google.” Their initial findings suggest that those in the “hard sciences” tend to use Wikipedia more, and those that do use Wikipedia use it “in combination with other information resources.”
A couple of interesting points from their research (my comments in parentheses):
- More females participated than males (and yet more of the sciences traditionally ascribed as being male-dominated fields used Wikipedia the most – does this mean there are more females in those fields than people give them credit for?)
- Reasons given for using Wikipedia included:
- summaries of a topic
- finding the meaning of terms
- launch pad to get research started
- “usable interface” (research databases, do you see this? If you were more user-friendly, maybe the students would flock to you first!)
- Students use Wikipedia even if instructors advised against it (I already knew this deep down in my heart, but as educators, I think we need to teach our students how to process and think through the information presented in sources like Wikipedia instead of merely advising them to stay away)
- “[Students] did not think that they could approach an instructor about an assignment, until they knew more about their topic”. Thus, they’d go to Wikipedia first. (That just broke my heart. I hope I am the kind of professor that my students can run to first for clarification on an assignment. That’s what I’m here for! Maybe I can add a Wikipedia entry with my picture and contact info. Just kidding)
- Students may have started their research projects on Wikipedia, but they don’t end with it.
So what’s Wikipedia’s true appeal? According to the authors, “Wikipedia’s information utility is tied to four C’s it delivers – currency, coverage, comprehensibility, and convenience.” (emphasis added) I think we can learn from that.
I would encourage you to read the article for yourself and not be overwhelmed by the technical nature of the writing.
And check out InstaPaper.com while you’re at it.
Tags: Education, Journals, research, Technology, wikipedia, wikis
Posted in Education, Journals, Technology | No Comments »
XBOX Live Update Preview
Monday, October 26th, 2009
So, today was apparently the day the XBOX Live Update Preview went, well, live. Huzzah!
Since I was the only one in our household willing to actually click through the screens on the XBOX to find our serial number, I was able to sign up to be part of the preview. Once I signed up, I promptly forgot about it thanks to real life and Netflix. Oh, that and a fun mini-vacation down to San Clemente.
Anyways, I am now one of the proud members of the XBOX Live community who can use Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm (what’s that?), and Zune-thing on my (ahem, “our”) XBOX. Fun stuff so far, but I don’t think I’ll be migrating over to the XBOX completely anytime soon for the following reasons:
- I’m just not on the XBOX as much as I used to be, and I really don’t want to leave a game just to tweet or update my status.
- I had to dig out my keypad and re-attach it to my controller.
- If I am on the XBOX, I’m using Netflix or playing DDR. I dare anyone to try typing a status update from a DDR dance pad…dare…
Here’s a breakdown of my opinions on each item so far:
Very pretty UI. Very pretty! Scrolling through the different options is fun and truly makes stalking…erm…keeping up with friends easier. Plus, quickly scrolling through status updates on a large-screen TV is rather satisfying in a lazy way. I have a feeling people will enjoy this integration.
If your friends are also on XBOX Live, I think you can share game info, compare stats, etc. Isn’t that what logging in to xbox.com is for? Well, I guess you can do this through Facebook now, too.
I won’t be using this one often. I try to avoid the masses on Facebook as it is. I am weak, however, I confess…
Twitter
Now this is the most fun addition for me. I love Twitter! I think it’s one of the best social networking-ish tools out there today. And I love the UI design for the XBOX! Look at that cute Twitter birdy! *le sigh*
As much as I love Twitter, I won’t be using it as much on the XBOX, even though there are some things I like about the XBOX version, such as:
- Twitter’s “Remember Me” option actually works on the XBOX.
- Tweets are easy to read and scroll through.
- My avatar is pretty entertaining.
- I like the Twitter bird…and the moving clouds.
Why I wouldn’t use it:
- I have to type with the controller or a keypad. Why would I do that when my laptop is usually right next to me?
- I’d have to leave a game/movie to tweet. I might as well pick up my cell phone and tweet while playing…or utilize the aforementioned laptop.
- I can’t click on URLs and see the cool sites, photos, videos, etc. my contacts are sharing.
So, fun stuff, but not quite enough to keep me glued to my console. I mean, “our” console…
Last.fm
I have no idea what last.fm is, but if you use it, you can now use it on the XBOX. Yay for you!
And finally…
Zune (Video)
Alas, I thought this was going to be a full-out Zune integration. I have a Zune and an amazing Zune Pass subscription, and I was hoping this would usher in the marriage of my Zune Pass and my XBOX. It was not to be.
The XBOX now integrates with Zune Video, as in…you can now purchase full movies, rent movies, etc. that can then play on your Zune HD, your computer, or your XBOX. As fun as that is, I won’t be using this feature because of…
Netflix
Netflix integrates seamlessly with the XBOX. I can stream movies from my Instant Queue and browse new additions at no extra cost to my monthly Netflix subscription. So, Zune Video? You’re not for me. Sorry.
All in all, the additions seem pretty fun. It’ll be interesting to see what else is rolled out.
In the meantime, I better get back to grading, studying, and longing for the release of Mass Effect 2.
P.S. – I was just enlightened as to what Last.fm is. I’ll still be using my Zune Pass and/or Pandora.
Posted in Fun Stuff, Technology | 2 Comments »
ECI831 – Introduction to Learning Networks
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
(Side note: I find it absolutely ironic that the week I learn the OSI Model in grad school, I learn about Learning Networks in an open course – so many networks!)
Well, that YouTube video never came to fruition. Life got more hectic than planned, drama happened, and the cool recording snippets I made were lost or deleted off my camera. For someone who is so invested in technology, I sure do fail a lot at it sometimes.
On a happier note, I was able to attend my first synchronous session ever with the class through Elluminate last Tuesday, and it was pretty interesting. So many students were logged in to participate in both listening to a lecturer and discussing different points on the side. While I have attended webinars and board meetings via Elluminate, I have never attended a class. Some of the students were complaining that the side chat function was too confusing. Others were having side conversations that didn’t seem to have much to do with what was being talked about. Others of us “lurked” and contributed every once in awhile. I even managed to embarrass myself by cracking a joke at an inopportune time on what I was about to find out was a terribly sad topic. *slaps self* As I mentioned before, I really need to read more Canadian news if I am to participate effectively in this class…
Anyways, the question of the week is:
So we know that social learning matters. We know that people form communities in formal and informal environments. How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning? How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems? Where do we fit into this? Or in summary, the key question to consider is “what is our role in non-formal learning?”
To be quite honest, if you were not paying even a bit of attention during the amazing lecture or if you were not there at all, the above questions may make no sense. I was moderately paying attention, and I’m still a bit confused. I think I may ignore the side conversations next time…
To break it down:
How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning?
- Non-formal learning was defined to happened in a “prescribed but unfettered learning environment” where the “learner” is in “control” and “personal intentions outweigh externally defined intentions”. I think it was described as the middle ground between formal and informal learning.
- Informal learning is…well…I think as informal as it gets.
- How far should we go to support both? I would say that depends on the students you are dealing with. There are pros and cons to all three learning environments.
How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems?
- Well, I think we should better ourselves as teachers so a heck of a lot of learning happens in the formal environment as well! Whether that be utilizing the tech tools out there or ensuring we pursue some sort of personal development, I think we owe it to the students to be the best teachers we can be in any environment.
“What is our role in non-formal learning?”
- There was a saying on one of the slides that read, “Engagement matters more than interaction”. Maybe that’s it – to engage. Not to watch from the sidelines, not to put down, and not to become a fanatic, but to engage others and be a teacher/participant that fosters that engagement. Wrestle with new ideas. Try new means of communication. Learn to be discerning. Work on trust.
It is interesting to me to be considering what my role is in non-formal learning considering I’m a “not-for-credit” student in this open course, and I got a sense that some of the for-credit students resented our presence in the class. I do tend to be a bystander because I have no binding responsibility to the course. I can watch, I can listen, I can process, but I am not required to complete assignments, participate, etc. I have to motivate myself to move beyond the bystander role and into one of engagement.
But, I’ll admit, that seems hard when nothing tangible is at stake (unlike my grad school classes or the classes I teach).
Well, next week again. We’ll see how it goes…
Suggested Readings from the class wiki:
- Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age (by George Siemens, the next guest presenter)
- (on teenagers who are) Living and Learning with Social Media (video by danah boyd)
Tags: eci831
Posted in Observations on Life, Technology | 1 Comment »
From consumption to contribution (maybe)
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Despite my amazingly hectic schedule, I decided to attempt to “attend” an open course on Social Media and Open Education through the University of Regina in Canada. Really, it was the trailer that roped me in – how can any resist such creativity? (Apparently, I can’t) While I’m at it, I’m going to insert a shameless plug for Free Technology for Teachers, the blog through which I found the class in the first place.
Non-Credit students got to meet with the class for the first time this evening, and since I’m a dork (and generally lazy to boot) and apparently cannot convert Saskatchewan Time into California Time (even though the prof gave us a handy-dandy converter), I missed the Elluminate session. (Dang it!) Thankfully, the materials are available for viewing/contemplation through the class’ wiki.
One of the optional (“but highly recommended”) assignments is to create an introductory video of oneself and post it to YouTube. It’s not that long – only 2-3 minutes (shorter than what I require my Spoken COM students to complete with their podcasts), and I have all the tools needed to make the video. Still, I hesitate…
…and I ask myself why…
…and I realized why it was.
- It’s not that I’m shy (heavens, no!). I’m a proven extrovert by nature. (Albeit, I have become a bit more withdrawn over time)
- It’s not that I don’t have the “skillz” to make such a video.
- It’s not that I lack the tools to make said video.
- It’s that I have never viewed myself as a contributor to any online community in this way.
I’m a online consumer by nature. I read others’ posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc. that I find interesting. I subscribe to blogs that educate or entertain me. I subscribe to newsfeeds, cooking blogs, tech reports, photo blogs, and so much more, but the common feature they have is generally a one-way communication. I read them, and they never know who I am (unless I actually talk/tweet/post back).
I take, I read, and I rarely give back.
I think that is why this class is challenging for me. Not only are the different tools of the Internet discussed; we are encouraged to use them to contribute something to the Internet that is actually meaningful.
Now that is a true challenge, and I will attempt to meet the task…
I now have a YouTube account. Oh, dear. I can promise you I won’t be posting videos of me dancing in tights or drooling as someone shaves my eyebrows off. Hopefully, I’ll be posting something more substantial.
Like that intro video. Now to get to work…
Tags: eci831
Posted in Observations on Life, Technology | No Comments »
Farewell, Encarta | Hello, Critical Thinking
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
The Interwebz have been buzzing with the news for a month now – Microsoft is going to discontinue their Encarta Encyclopedia. I, personally, do not use the software/web interface, but I did way back in the olden days of 2000. While living in Eastern Europe, some kind person from the United States donated a laptop to my mother for my education, and along with that laptop came 6 beautiful, colorful discs with Encarta scrolled across them. I spent many hours hunched over the small screen, scrolling through articles, reading about different countries I had lived in (just so I could see the pictures and not feel homesick), and absorbing information in general. My favorite feature was their 360 degree “virtual tours” of various places. Alcatraz became my favorite; I would spent hours freaking myself out by making up different stories to go with my “wanderings” around Alcatraz. Ah, to be a kid again.
Microsoft had this to say about Encarta’s demise:
Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business.
Indeed, we do “seek and consume information in considerably different ways”. Take Wikipedia, for example. Even The Wall Street Journal announced Encarta’s demise with the headline, “Microsoft to Shut Encarta as Free Sites Alter Market”. That’s one of the draws of Wikipedia – it is free, and it has tons of articles on topics ranging from extremely academic to mind-blowingly unimportant (but are important to some, of course). Encarta, as far as I could tell, was like the traditional encyclopedia. I would not be able to find higher math help in it, nor…on a completely different plane, the latest news on Flight of the Conchords.
But, is access to so much information really that great? I think so, but I also think that critical thinking and discernment are needed when filtering through the oodles of information presented. Christopher Dawson of ZDNet apparently agrees, as seen from this quote from The Wired Campus:
The demise of the encyclopedia, he argues, should simply galvanize educators into teaching the research skills students need to wade through “brutally powerful knowledge sources” like Wikipedia and Google. “The encyclopedia is dead,” Mr. Dawson writes. “Long live critical thinking.”
Long live critical thinking, indeed. If any of my students read this, now you know why I assign you those research projects and try to get you to articulate your thoughts in class.
Articles of Interest on this topic and/or critical thinking:
- Microsoft’s Encarta, Rendered Obsolete by Wikipedia, Will Shut Down
- Victim of Wikipedia: Microsoft to shut down Encarta
- What to Do with Wikipedia
- Rethinking Thinking (from 2003)
- The Death of Print and What it Means for Christians
Tags: critical thinking, encarta, microsoft, wikipedia
Posted in In the News, Technology | No Comments »
E-mail, Gmail
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Remember when you were first introduced to e-mail? I thought it was the most amazing thing ever! I think I had a hotmail account first; then, I had a CompuServe (remember them?) account while in Europe (not cheap!), a Yahoo! account, and finally, an sbcglobal account when I moved back to the United States. I even remember the crazy usernames I came up with (one actually stuck – onechzngirl….that’s oneCHOZENgirl, thank you). Now, at the ripe old age of ____ (you didn’t think I was actually going to tell you, did you?), I am an avid Gmail user for 3 reasons:
- Google Apps for Domains
- Ease of use
- Google Labs
If you have ever e-mailed me, you know my address is through my domain (cgthomas.com). Their Apps for Domains allows me to add new accounts, manage accounts, great groups, set and customize start pages, run a calendar, use Google Docs, etc. – basically everything a normal Gmail user can do except on my own domain. It’s beautiful…and convenient.
It is also amazingly easy to use. You could go into Google Apps and figure out what’s going on pretty quickly. I’ve seen my (un)fair share of control panels and user interfaces over the years, and Google has given me something I actually don’t mind staring at for hours on end if I have to. As amazing as their Apps are and as easy as they are to use, I would still say that Google Labs has revolutionized my e-mail world. When I discovered them, I think I actually cried…just a little bit…but there were tears of happiness somewhere in there.
Google Labs is sort of like a toy box where you can pick as many fun toys as you want (or deem useful). If you use Gmail, there’s a little green beaker-looking icon in the top, right-hand corner. Click it and be ready to have your world made just a little bit brighter.
Some Lab features I have seriously appreciated:
- Pictures in Chat – yes, this may seem a bit silly to you, but I like being able to see the picture of the person I am chatting with. Granted, that sometimes means chatting with Tacky the Penguin or the Anonymous Green Person icon, but at least I can see a visual representation of the person on the other end.
- Custom Label Colors– I love color. I am a visual person. Colors=good. And now, Gmail gives me a lot of fun colors to choose from to make my labels absolutely stunning!
- Multiple Inboxes – Oh, my, word. If you do not use Gmail, get someone to give you an account just so you can use this amazing feature. Imagine this – your main inbox on one side…and a bunch of other inboxes within your inbox on the other! And you select them! It has really helped me keep track of e-mails from grad school, professional organizations, and other business endeavors I’m involved in.
- Undo Send – I can think of several academic institutions who wished they had this tool on their e-mail. I wished I had this tool a couple years ago to save me from situations others have had. Well, I have the tool now. What it basically does is hold an e-mail message you just “sent” for 5 seconds before sending it on to your intended recipient, allowing you to decide within those 5 seconds whether or not that e-mail should really be on its way. While, like this author, I wish I had more like 5-10 minutes to think about an e-mail I just “sent”…or maybe a double confirmation button…this is still a good feature to pause e-mails that might not have the attachment you thought you put there (Gmail has a lab feature for that, too!) or add another thought, etc.
Yes, I like Google. No, I do not think they are the devil. We can discuss that at a later time because right now, I’m going to go check my e-mail…
Posted in Fun Stuff, Technology | No Comments »
Good Morning, Mrs. President
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
I used to have aspirations of becoming a president of the United States. I was crushed in 8th grade when I found out that foreign-born American citizens need not apply. Then my hopes were raised when I was told that foreign-born American citizens could become president…as long as both parents were citizens of the US at time of birth. Awww, drat!
Congrats to Barack Obama and all, but I think I have finally reached the end of my presidential aspirations (or delusions, at least). After reading this article in the New York Times, I will never again want to become president…ever. I cringe when I think of what Obama is going to have to go through once he’s sworn in.
I know you’re all about change, Mr. President-to-Be. But I think this is definitely one rule you should get changed ASAP, for your sake and for those of us techies who dream (or used to dream) of holding the highest office in the nation.
Maybe I should txt him…
Posted in In the News, Observations on Life, Technology | No Comments »
This is a test of Windows Live Writer (Beta)
Saturday, October 11th, 2008
My husband told me to try this out, and so far, it’s alright…
Let’s try a picture:
It resized my picture to something more manageable. That’s pretty cool.
Now let’s see if it can handle video:
And now…to post!
Posted in Technology | No Comments »
Friday, June 13th, 2008
A few months ago, my husband introduced me to Twitter. To my immense amusement, I signed up for an account and began “tweeting”. I must confess – anything that has birds or is bird-themed will catch my attention, and it didn’t help that Twitter’s website has the same bird as my blog. Yeah, I was hooked.
It was fun for a few weeks, and then the honeymoon phase was over. Twitter is down a lot! Features will stop working, the site will be over capacity, etc. In their defense, however, I must say that they have the best “site is down go away” page ever – absolutely adorable, in my humble opinion.
Now how could anyone get mad at a whale being transported by little birdies? How?!
Needless to say, I have gained a few more friends since joining, mainly in the categories of techies, future internet billionaires, and random stalkers. The random stalkers aren’t so bad. Their “friend” count goes up by automatically adding me. If it makes them feel a little better about their life, that’s fine with me. It’s those future internet billionaires you’ve got to watch out for… (just kidding).
A classmate in my grad class recommended using Twitter as a means of notifying students and parents of homework that was due. Sounded like an interesting idea, but with how much Twitter is down, it might not work out too well. Hmmm…
Do you use Twitter? How do you like it?
-CT
P.S. – Not to be superstitious or anything, but I find it ironic that I post about Twitter’s woes on Friday the 13th. No correlation whatsoever…ever…
Tags: IM, networking, short notes, Twitter
Posted in Technology | No Comments »