2nd semester eCommunications

We’ve just begun second semester of eCommunication at USYD. The online environment of Adobe Connect is quite user friendly. I’ve been lucky enough to work with it last semester. It has many features and accessibilities. Collaboration is multifaceted in this virtual learning environment VLE. By incorporating different media tools, one can manage the flow of continuous learning through presentation, collaboration, and feedback. There is a slight time lag and frames occasionally freeze for a moment, but this is probably due to bandwidth matters. Otherwise, the interactive features of Connect allow for free management of individual learning. The student can comment or ask questions without disrupting the class or the flow of the lesson. The teacher may then address the query within the flow of the lesson. Communication between members within the VLE is more faceted than in regular classrooms. In other words, one can communicate by means of speech and text at the same time.

Traditionally, teachers would have to talk to the classroom mostly with their back turned to the students as they wrote text on a blackboard. Now, the teachers and students have their own blackboards and all participate in a more equal plain.

Produsage and the produser

Due to the ever expanding field of digital technology, new terminology is sometimes required to describe emergent phenomena. Another term that has been proposed to better define the new age Internet user is ‘Produser’. A Produser is basically a ‘user’ who can contribute to the production of content. ‘Produsage’ describes a new mode of user- led content development, distribution, and consumption. In contrast to the traditional industrial- age model of producer- distributor- consumer, the term ‘Produser’ refers to the individual, a.k.a. the user, who now has control of the means of production and distribution. It is a hybrid process that allows the individual to act as producer, distributor, and also the user.

Wikipedia is probably the best example of Produsage, as the user is also the producer of the content. Most web2.0 interfaces are becoming platforms for Produsage, as collaborative content production, distribution, and consumption of information in particular, is becoming more widespread in public domains. The means of production and the control of content are directly passed on to the consumer. This innovative development of ‘Produsage’ sheds new light on the traditional industrial- age models or the Marxist view that industries are predominantly driven by those who own the means of production.

The advent of Produsage therefore demands a new perspective on the modes of production, distribution, and consumption. Collaborative development and interactive production is the foundation of many emergent technologies on the Internet. Some domains such as Wikipedia, Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, and many more are purely reliant on user-led practices. The production of content, distribution, and the consumption is dependent on the individual users, and in most cases, completely manageable by the individual. It is due to the onset of new phenomena arising mainly from web2.0 interfaces that, the role of producer, distributor, and consumer are rolled up into a hybrid concept termed ‘Produsage’, in which all users are called ‘Produsers’.

Articles by Prensky, Lohnes & Kinzer

Prensky (2001 & 2005) clearly asserts that current education systems have become outdated. He calls for urgent reforms to teaching methodology in order to meet the educational requirements for new generations, which he refers to as ‘digital natives’. Digital natives according to Prensky, are simply those who are born into a world predominantly mediated by digital technology; they are “fluent in the language of computers, video games, and the internet”. (Prensky, 2005: 1). Oblinger and Oblinger’s description of Net Gen students as cited in Lohnes & Kinzer is very similar to Prensky’s description of digital natives.

Prenksy appears to advocate the assumption that students have changed radically, and that they cannot be taught by traditional teaching methods. Hence, it appears that he assumes that students will inevitably demand a more digitally mediated education. This assumption may appear to have been proven wrong in Lohnes’ & Kinzer’s article. However, Lohnes & Kinzer indicate that there is still much research to be done to fully understand the implications and that their results may be biased by contextual or other factors.

Overall, Lohnes’ & Kinzer’s article does not contradict the views of Prensky. Although it depicts that technology is culturally embedded in Net Gen students’ lives, it merely shows that there is no current demand from students to incorporate digital media into their classrooms.

I agree with Caruso and Kvavik’s argument that, “these young people can make technology work but cannot place these technologies in the service of academic works”. (cited in Lohnes & Kinzer, ). I strongly agree with Prensky that teaching methodologies should be reformed to meet the requirements of new generations. If new generations are now thinking differently as Prensky suggests, it is common sense that we reform teaching methods to address this. Younger people do tend to multitask quite naturally, and with less effort than someone who has merely learnt the skills of multitasking.

Due to the nature of my current studies, I expect to use as much new media tools as possible. I am involved with digital media in general and would feel inadequate if I were taught these practices in a traditional manner, that is, in a classroom-lecturer-student setting.

Project report for the 'Social Research Companion'

You can view the presentation by clicking on the following link...YouTube Presentation...Please note that the quality of this video is quite low

Part A: Justification:

The Social Research Companion is an eLearning module that has been specifically designed for postgraduate sociology students to improve their review writing skills. It is intended that this exercise be implemented as a co-requisite or ‘companion’ to curriculum involving sociological research. The module design is based on Biggs’ (1999) theory of Constructive Alignment. The intended learning outcomes (ILOs) for the student are determined at the inception of the exercise, hence, the pursuing activities are designed to gradually take the student through the educational processes deemed necessary to achieve the learning outcome.

The exercise is constructively aligned to engage students in actively applying their learning to practical applications, which then result in an assessable exercise. By taking a single component from a wider program, that is, review writing skills required for sociological research, the module attempts to define the learning outcomes and select learning and teaching activities that are likely to enable the students to achieve the outcomes. In completion of the exercise, the teacher is able to assess the students' resulting outcome and grade the students learning. “The key to success is a balance between applying useful older concepts about learning and the implementation of innovations using the best of networked technologies.” (Salmon, 2002: 1).

Although this eLearning module is academically assessable, it does not consist of tests or exams, so it cannot be accomplished by any means of memorisation. Instead, it offers students the opportunity to identify, explore, and apply their learned skills in useful applications such as in this case, researching and reviewing literature. This helps the student to develop and improve their sociological writing techniques. The student consequently becomes engaged in physical research in order to adequately review the disciplinary subject.

Both formative and summative assessments are employed to ensure a comprehensive learning outcome. It involves constructivist and formative activities that propose to highlight the student’s strengths and weaknesses and to help improve on their deficiencies. “Diagnostic tests, delivered early in the learning process, determine which content and level is needed by which student. Assessment of students’ learning is based on reproduction, comprehension and critique.” (Salmon, 2002: 2). Students are involved in practical applications in which they share a collective authorship and also learn to pool resources. There is a discussion board where the group can integrate ideas and share thoughts and notes with other students and the tutor. The comment panel for tutor’s feedback on reviews is an ongoing process throughout the course, that is, adjustments and revisions are made by the student and the tutor adds new comments to assist the student to focus on their weak points. The tutor constantly observes the progress of students and provides personalised feedback to the students regarding their involvement, contribution, and participation. Formative activities such as those mentioned above enable the tutor to identify the strengths and weaknesses of students through a progressional module.

The summative activities are intended to ultimately grade their final contributions. The results are determined by grading certain elements such as quality and extent of research, analysis and level of understanding, written expression, academic style and technique. These activities are intended as a technological complement for the physical classroom. In other words, the online medium is used simply to engage students in the activities required whilst maintaining a physical relationship between the tutor and students. This is done by establishing a unit of study in which classroom activities are minimised, yet not discarded altogether. As Salmon (2002: 2) points out, “online learners do not wish to do without their human supporters”.

The intended learning outcome for the exercise is stipulated as follows: Upon completion of the module, students will be able to refine their research techniques, critically evaluate sociological material, improve their academic writing skills, learn to collaborate with other researchers, reflect on compiled works for future reference or research.

The learning resources are taken from web2.0 applications. LibraryThing, which is a collecting and cataloguing application, can be found on the ‘sacred cow dung’ site, which is available at the following address: http://www.sacredcowdung.com/archives/2006/03/allthingsweb.html. LibraryThing searches the Library of Congress, all five national Amazon sites, and more than 60 world libraries. It incorporates its own Wiki feature which is utilised in the collaborative review process. A blog will also be set up for student reflection and journaling purposes

Part B: Reflection:

The scope of teaching and learning practices is clearly one that is changing along with the developments in technology. While some teaching programs are incorporating learning and teaching technologies into their curriculum as an additional or complementary feature, some units of study are being completely turned over to its technological counterpart. In other words, traditional teaching and learning methods are rapidly being configured to suit the requirements of learners in the 21^st century. According to Salmon (2002: 2), “Flexibility and instantaneousness are the keywords.”

To better prepare for the possibilities, Salmon (2002) considers the elements of teaching and learning technologies. She introduces some examples of envisioned scenarios that clearly depict a range of implications for the future of education. The various scenarios Salmon presents appear to describe a space beyond the physical planet in which we live. This space ultimately refers to the virtual realm in which new teaching and learning technologies are utilised. For example, “On Planet Cafélattia, learning is built around learning communities & interaction, extending access beyond the bounds of time and space, but offering the promise of efficiency and widening access…The medium of communication- human language- has become even more important than on Earth.” The Nomadict Planet on the other hand, provides learning to a mobilised society. There are few physical classrooms left; terrestrial universities and corporate training facilities have disappeared and new e-universities are now the customary means of education. Salmon’s scenarios, of which only two have been introduced above, are a descriptive forecast for future possibilities to learning and teaching. They display the various implications that learning and teaching technologies may present in the progressive world of online education.

With this eLearning module, I have tried to implement a complementary training program that is intended to engage students in practical applications that are related to the physical unit of study, which in this case, is sociological research and review techniques. The reason for this particular feature being presented as an eLearning exercise is to ensure a collaborative process that is not easily attainable in a physical classroom setting. This eLearning environment is built on the foundation of learning communities & interaction in which collaboration and communication are imperative, similar to the scenario of Salmon’s Planet Cafelattia.

The module enables instant commentary and feedback from the tutor on style, technique, structure, and form. The student is then able to improve on their shortcomings without having to rewrite the entire review and resubmit it. The wiki feature in the editable panels is thus used to add, retract, and reorganise as necessary. This also helps the students to reflect on their previous attempts and identify their weak points even more clearly, for alterations are not discarded, but rather, included in the viewing area. In other words, this feature makes it easier for the students to see exactly where they have been making errors and then to consciously correct them. The student’s end result thus becomes a reorganised and revised version of their original work.

The concept of LibraryThing was deemed suitable for this project due to the efficiency of cataloguing and reviewing features that were available on the site. As mentioned in the onset of the module, ‘Sociology is a discipline that requires a lot of reading and thought’. What better way to incorporate both reading and thought? The module assigns the students readings, which the students find in the library and then they are asked to review the books. LibraryThing offered the convenience of collecting and cataloguing as well as publishing a written review. The editable regions on the LibraryThing interface allowed for instantaneous feedback from teachers and students. They also help create a collaborative learning environment. Comments from the tutor on reviews are intended to expose the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Students then alter or rewrite their reviews that consequently enable them to identify and compare their own styles and techniques, which are intended to result in improved academic review writing skills.

The eLearning module presentation can be accessed by clicking on the following link: The Social Research Companion PowerPoint presentation on YouTube.

References:

Biggs, J. (1999). Teaching for Quality Learning at University: Assessing for learning quality: II.practice (pp. 165-203). Buckingham, UK: SRHE and Open University Press.

Salmon, G. (2002). Future learning encounters, Keynote presentation, Eurocall 2002. Centre for Innovation, Knowledge & Enterprise. Open University Business School. http://oubs.open.ac.uk/gilly, Accessed June, 2.

Use of web2.0

The proposed learning module will utilise web2.0 collaboration tools such as blogs and wikis. The blog is intended as a place of reflection for the student. The wiki feature is enable on a collaborative online library called 'LibraryThing'. Here, students will compile their own library of relevant literature, share with others and write reviews on particular readings. The aim is to familiarise students with the necessary material for sociology.

Project proposal for an e-Learning module

Learning module topic

The learning module topic will be Sociological Writing Techniques. The title of my proposed module will be ‘Sociological Theories and Essay writing skills in Sociology’.

Learning Context

The learning context will be designed to provide students with an introduction to major Sociological theories and to improve their writing skills in this particular field. Academic papers usually require students to adhere to certain guidelines and disciplinary criteria. These criteria may include document formats, structures, referencing, and so on. This module proposes to instruct the student to adhere to general guidelines of Sociological writing. This is done in conjunction with an introduction to major Sociological theories. The module will teach the student how to structure an essay; how to submit and support an argument; how to introduce evidence; and how to compare and analyse data.

This module is not restricted to, but, most suitable for students at University undergraduate levels who have an interest in Sociology and wish to write presentable essays in this field. Ideal for those contemplating or undertaking a course or degree in Sociology! The learning module will be conducted through an e-learning environment such as Moodle or AdobeConnect. It will contain a series of written and visual information with external links to references, examples, and support sites together with intermittent quizzes. The module may be used with minimal to basic computer and internet skills.

Learning objective

Upon completion of the learning module, the student should be familiar with major Sociological theories and possess a sound knowledge and understanding of the disciplinary writing techniques used in the field of Sociology.

Learning theory

The learning theory will be based on Constructive Alignment as described by John Biggs, (1999). The foundation of Constructive Alignment theory is appropriate for this module because the student will be expanding their knowledge in a subject area through various activities and practically applying their learned knowledge by means of quizzes which must be completed satisfactorily in order to advance through the course. In order to constructively align the learning process, I will be utilising the five-step approach of SOLO Taxonomy in the following sequence:

1) General introduction to Sociological concepts and basic essay writing procedures at the pre-structural level

2) Introduction to Sociological theories and various aspects of the writing process at the uni-structural level

3) Introduction of general writing techniques related to the discipline of Sociology and description of various Sociological theories at the multi-structural level

4) Connections, relationships, associations of the task at the relational stage

5) Generalisations, and comprehensive understanding of the task at the extended abstract level

Hybridisation of the internet

By observing the trends within Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), one realises that it was inevitable that the internet was going to be mashed up, integrated, correlated, and connected on different levels as digital technology progresses. Web2.0 has made it possible to move the internet towards a new level of integration. Mashups are merely one aspect of this integrative process. Hip-Hop music lovers may be familiar with the term ‘mashup’ as it meant remixing two or more songs to make a hybrid song. Mashing up the internet works on the same principle. Web services are now allowing for the use of their own databases, content and applications on other sites by providing an application programming interface (API) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API . This means that now, you can use for example, a Google map database or a film clip from Youtube on your own site and integrate or configure your own concept onto the application.

Mashups are no doubt born out of interest in marketing strategies to reach a wider audience. By mashing up the internet though APIs, a web service is able to promote its source, content and applications through other web services that mash their databases and applications. APIs can be provided by web services on a contractual agreement. However, currently there are free APIs on the internet that are mostly bound by the General Public License (GNU), http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html . So, Web2.0 provides a platform on which user compatibility between web interfaces becomes freely accessible to everyone.

New Media

New Media artist Eduardo Kac states, “The closer technology gets to the body the more it tends to permeate it”. (http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html). In this light, it appears that we have entered into a domain that has become an integrated and coexistent part of human life. Casting aside the categorisations of new media, it is clear that it is fundamentally dominating ever increasing aspects of human life ranging from medical technology to artwork. It appears that we are partaking in a Baudrillardian ecstasy of communication in which spatial distances and time does not exist. However, is society developing too rapidly, and are we really competent to control the full capacity of new media? “Henceforth it is no longer the human that conceives the world; it is the un-human that conceives us”. (Baudrillard, 2005).

With the inspirational creations of the artist’s imagination, current conceptualizations of space, distance, and time is becoming outmoded. We move into an age where new media, digital communication, light-speed, laser technology, and cybernetics are rapidly becoming a part of social organization and human existence.

Run for the hills!

A Marxist view of technological and scientific development

It is common knowledge that scientific and technological developments have brought many changes to human civilization; with the way that we do things, interact with one another, and ultimately live our lives. The sociological aspects of science and technology and its impact on individuals and societies is a crucial focal point in order to demystify the underlying causes. Only then may we become capable of monitoring and regulating the application or implementation of scientific and technological developments and its supposed advantages for people, rather than allowing for the continuance of sordid manipulation used in capitalist politics. Large businesses are the ones funding most research and development activities, and therefore, they are in a position to control the course of modernization and the impact of innovations on society. For example, large business owners funded the developments in the computing field and consequently, individuals are no longer able to fully function without the use of a computer. As an offspring of the market orientated political system it is only natural for science and technology to create opportunities for the emergence of new commodities. These commodities however, may take the shape or form of many different things that may or may not be ethical, morally acceptable, or even legal.

In the field of medical science for example, technological advancement has crossed so many boundaries and, are leaping further into a realm in which they can almost build an entire human being from scratch. For now, it seems they can be awarded for having perfected many surgical procedures and discovered numerous cures. The subject I wish to address here regards some of the social implications of a certain medical procedure know as organ transplants. As a side effect of advanced technology and medical sciences combined, human organs are rapidly becoming a commercial property. A Marxist approach on this issue reveals many similar trends of his critique on capitalism. In this tradition, I argue that human organs are rapidly being transformed into simple commodities that can be exchanged on the market with a similar sort of ‘use value’ and ‘exchange value’ as any other product that is of any interest to human kind. However, the exchange value may prove to be phenomenally disproportioned to the use value in the case of human organs. Furthermore, it is possible to speculate that the use and exchange values of human organs may be severely compromised in a world with such variant socio-economic patterns. Who, or which powers, or what circumstances will ultimately determine the economic value of our bodies? The seriousness of this matter becomes clear as we find that people from poorer economic conditions are being compelled to sell their organs for a little extra money, while other profitable outlets are being furnished for network of criminal activity in which human organs are proving to be a fast and easy means to wealth. I also argue that labour in the Marxist context has now taken on new meaning in the sense that labour was considered to be the result of effort, time and work put in by an individual in order to earn money; this may be seen as an indirect part of oneself. Now, it is more so that labour can be a direct part of oneself that an individual can give in order to make money. It appears that ‘good health’ is something that can now be bought in the market place. The ever increasing use of medical technologies is not necessarily a result of technically safer products or more efficacious techniques, but a direct outcome of the commodification process of capitalism.

The ‘Inter-Skin’ Project (1994) by Stahl Stenslie.

Norwegian born media artist, Stahl Stenslie is recognised for his work on VR environments, different interface technologies, and tools used in digital cultures. He is considered to be a pioneer in the field of Cybersex. He firstly gained recognition in this field with his tele-tactile communication system called CyberSM, in 1993. Stenslies’ fascination with cyber-erotica led to a more physically interactive method of sensual stimuli as displayed in the current work, The Inter-Skin Project.

The inter-skin project is specifically designed to incorporate the physical body as the mediator for communication. It is a method that enables a tangible, physical communication between two or more parties by means of a sensory outfit that is worn by users. Stenslie describes the project as “a sensual communication system design constituted by the transmission of touch and movement”. (Stenslie.net). In this particular display, two participants wear a specially designed tactile outfit that is capable of transmitting and receiving various multi sensory stimuli. The suits are linked via a computer network connection which allows the ‘inter-skin’ to transmit, exchange, and receive information. In other words, the wearer of one suit is able to feel the physical stimulus of the other wearer’s touch, and visa versa.

Stenslie suggests that the inter-skin project instigates a couple of interesting phenomena that is, autoerotic stimulation and the conception of a shared virtual body. The autoerotic stimulation in simple terms means that ones own sensual experience with their own skin becomes a simultaneous interface for the tactile communication with other users. Both voice and touch are utilised in the project. The shared virtual body, as Stenslie puts it, is created by the autoerotic stimulation. Its existence is constituted through the sensual experience of the participants. (Stenslie.net). Stenslie proposes that this transforms ones body into “a self referential object for the communication…by taking the concentration away from the object oriented (screen) towards the subject oriented (body)”. (Stenslie.net). This is clearly a major step towards immersive VR environments and tactile communication systems.

From here onwards, it would seem, the human perception of reality is that matters. According to Baudrillard, we accept reality via the hallucinatory resemblance of the real to itself. (Baudrillard, 1976). The virtual and the real are obviously melding together hence, the difference between interaction online and offline become ambiguous. Therefore, in this sense, a virtual reality may then become sufficient to satisfy the human perception of reality. “Reality will spontaneously destroy itself once it has reached a critical mass, allowing the ‘virtual’ to replace the world”. (Baudrillard, 1998).

Many people in the field of cyborg technology or ‘cyborgology’ such as Thad Starner, Chris Hables Gray, and Steve Mann are consciously working to expand the possibilities for human- machine integration. Artists such as Stenslie on the other hand, are shedding light on further possibilities of new media through their imaginative talents. McLuhan had asserted that new media innovations are an extension of some human faculty. Stenslie’s innovations have somewhat expounded on this statement dramatically in that, human faculties can now be transformed into its digital counterpart which then remains interactive with one’s own body.

A Blurb on line on Online Communities

Computer networks now facilitate innovative forms of communication in new types of social environments in which people can meet, work, learn, and play without ever seeing each other in the physical world. These types of interactions have provided a platform on which forms of virtual communities are being established. Computer-Mediated-Communications (CMCs) are clearly changing the way we live our lives, but the direction of change is still uncertain.

Online communities are a by-product of technology that is influencing the way people socialize. This concept has created a realm in which everybody can gather and meet in a specified domain, no matter what their identity or geographical position may be. It provides an easily accessible option for those who wish to interact with others who share similar interests, but are located very far from them.

The subsequent anonymity which is applied to internet communications appears to provide a non discriminatory, non biased atmosphere in which people may freely communicate with one another without any preconceived notions which may not easily be suppressed during interactions in the physical world.

Spatial distances in virtuality

Due to high speed internet connections and vast communication
networks, geographical boundaries of the world including time,
distance, and space have been eradicated in the virtual realm.
The spatial distances in the physical world which we had
traditionally recognized as the real world are now accessible,
manipulatable, and even obliterated in the virtual. We now have
the ability to conduct business, operate procedures, and communicate
with any region on earth in real-time. Not only can the user immediately
obtain information and images of various locations, he can also be
virtually present at these locations by the use of what Virilio calls
‘telepresence’. Thus distance, time, and space are automatically
miniaturized into a virtual configuration through the use of technology.