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.