Lecture
In the lecture for week 12, we were told of how we could protect not only our computers on the World Wide Web, but ourselves as well. It was made clear that when you are on the Web, you have to remember you are in an electronic version of the world. There are a lot of smart people and there are a lot of dumb people. We also have to remember that we have to respect copyright law. To avoid plagiarism, we must always remember to acknowledge the intellectual property of other people whether they are direct quotes or simply ideas. Our computers are under threat as well. They can be subjected to prove attacks which may lead to stolen passwords and content theft. Virus’s can also be a problem when opening an email attachment or downloading software. To protect your computer from these things, it is important to install a firewall and antivirus software. It is also a good idea to familiarise yourself with the latest viruses and what attachments often carry those viruses. It is also important to never give out personal information and to never reply to SPAM mail (as it confirms your email address exists).
Workshop
In the first part of the workshop for week 12, students were required to take note of all the Australian Copyright Council’s information sheets we thought might be relevant to university students. I believe some of these include ‘Databases, compilations, tables and forms’, ‘Educational institutions: introduction to copyright’, ‘Internet: Copying & downloading material’, ‘Quotes and extracts: copyright obligations’, ‘Maps and charts’ as well as ‘Journalists and copyright’.
In the second part of the workshop, students were asked to review a case in the United States. In this case, 16 people had been convicted with copyright offenses and 13 of those people had been sentenced to up to 46 months in jail. These people had downloaded computer software, games, movies and music through ‘warez’.
For the final part of the workshop, students were asked to look at three websites and use them to understand how we can protect our computers and the information held on them. Firstly, to ensure your information is safe you should choose a password that only you know. There are many books you can familiarise yourself with to gain a better understanding of how to protect yourself from hackers. People who write viruses get the same thrill out of it as they would in breaking a car window or watching something blow up. There are also bragging rights that can appeal to these people.
(note: the third link provided on blackboard retrieved a 404 error and so I could not use it. See the screenshot below).
Readings
The first reading for this week informed us of ways to protect ourselves from viruses and such. We should not reveal personal information to people we do not really know. We should turn on our cookie notices and use a pseudo name when emailing people we don’t know. Information should not be revealed to people we have just met and keep personal issues away from workplace emails as they may be monitored. We should also watch out for sites that award some sort of ‘prize’ for our personal details. SPAM mail should not be replied to for any reason and we should make ourselves aware of web and computer security. It is a good idea to exam private policies as well. Lastly, people should use encryption.
The second reading for this week included articles on electronic monitoring. The topics available included types of monitoring, privacy issues, suggested policies, and privacy recourses.
The third reading was an article about the history of computer viruses and how it is closely related to the history of the WWW.
The fourth reading was about how you can protect your intellectual property through patents, trademarks, copyrights, computer software and registering domain names.
The fifth reading was on music copyrights. It also included information on why it is illegal to download music from file sharing programs and how you could be punished if caught.
The sixth and final reading was information on why you shouldn’t open attachments in emails. Also included was what types of files are more likely to have a virus.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Lecture
The lecture for week 11 informed students of data, information and knowledge. Data is statistics and such which is factual but on its own, is next to meaningless. It is when that data is collected and compared that patterns emerge and become information. From that information, we learn different things which we call knowledge. We must remember that information must always relate to the data from which it has been collected. Some examples of data can be prices, shares and exchange rates. Information can be anything from tables of census to minutes of a meeting. Knowledge comes in the form of things like press releases and marketing strategies.
Workshop
In the first part of the workshop for this week, students were asked to find dictionaries that described data, information and knowledge.
The first dictionary I found was www.onelook.com
(data) noun: a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
(information) noun: knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction (knowledge) noun: the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
The second dictionary I found was www.m-w.com
Data : factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation
Information 2 a (1): knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction (2): intelligence, news (3): facts, data
Knowledge 2 a (1): the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
The third dictionary I found was www.yourdictionary.com
data (dāt′ə, dat′ə; Brit also dä′tə) facts or figures to be processed; evidence, records, statistics, etc. from which conclusions can be inferred; information
in•for•ma•tion (in′fər mā′ən) noun knowledge acquired in any manner; facts; data; learning; lore
knowl•edge (näl′ij) noun acquaintance with facts; range of information, awareness, or understanding
For the second activity, students were asked to create a visual representation of the transition from data to information to knowledge in MS Word. I chose to make a tree with the data being the roots, the information being the trunk and the leaves being the knowledge. To view a screenshot of my drawing, see below.
Understand the transition from data to information to knowledge is very helpful for a university student. From this, we can see that we must gather a vast amount of data and facts before we can see patterns emerge. From this, we can build information from the trends we see and eventually gain knowledge which we can use to strongly back up a point of view.
For the final task for this week’s workshop, students were asked to think of 5 organisations which collect information from its clients and why.
1. Phone companies (e.g. Telstra)
• So as they know when people are making more calls. This will assist pricing and special deals.
2. Police
• To find out where to place speed cameras and at what times they will be most effective.
3. Venues
• Understanding how many people will turn up when a show is being held. This way, enough money is charged per person so that a profit is made.
4. Online Games
• These often have polls so as they can find out who their target audience is and how to better the game for that audience.
5. Television
• News and current affair programs often hold polls which the public can phone in and vote on. This could assist in knowing what kind of news viewers want to see.
Readings
The first readings for this week included information on data information and knowledge. There were, however, two extra stages placed in the process which were referred to as ‘understanding’ and ‘wisdom’. Understanding being the ‘appreciation of "why"’ and wisdom being ‘evaluated understanding’.
The second reading indicated different organisations that may collect data. Most of these organisations were said to be linked to the government (in the United States). I was also made aware of why exactly certain journals are known as ‘scholarly’.
The third reading informed the reader of specific reasons data is collected and how powerful it is. A lot can be learned about a person by collecting data on a chosen topic. If you apply that to a community, you see just how powerful the knowledge you eventually gain can be.
The lecture for week 11 informed students of data, information and knowledge. Data is statistics and such which is factual but on its own, is next to meaningless. It is when that data is collected and compared that patterns emerge and become information. From that information, we learn different things which we call knowledge. We must remember that information must always relate to the data from which it has been collected. Some examples of data can be prices, shares and exchange rates. Information can be anything from tables of census to minutes of a meeting. Knowledge comes in the form of things like press releases and marketing strategies.
Workshop
In the first part of the workshop for this week, students were asked to find dictionaries that described data, information and knowledge.
The first dictionary I found was www.onelook.com
(data) noun: a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
(information) noun: knowledge acquired through study or experience or instruction (knowledge) noun: the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
The second dictionary I found was www.m-w.com
Data : factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation
Information 2 a (1): knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction (2): intelligence, news (3): facts, data
Knowledge 2 a (1): the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
The third dictionary I found was www.yourdictionary.com
data (dāt′ə, dat′ə; Brit also dä′tə) facts or figures to be processed; evidence, records, statistics, etc. from which conclusions can be inferred; information
in•for•ma•tion (in′fər mā′ən) noun knowledge acquired in any manner; facts; data; learning; lore
knowl•edge (näl′ij) noun acquaintance with facts; range of information, awareness, or understanding
For the second activity, students were asked to create a visual representation of the transition from data to information to knowledge in MS Word. I chose to make a tree with the data being the roots, the information being the trunk and the leaves being the knowledge. To view a screenshot of my drawing, see below.
Understand the transition from data to information to knowledge is very helpful for a university student. From this, we can see that we must gather a vast amount of data and facts before we can see patterns emerge. From this, we can build information from the trends we see and eventually gain knowledge which we can use to strongly back up a point of view.
For the final task for this week’s workshop, students were asked to think of 5 organisations which collect information from its clients and why.
1. Phone companies (e.g. Telstra)
• So as they know when people are making more calls. This will assist pricing and special deals.
2. Police
• To find out where to place speed cameras and at what times they will be most effective.
3. Venues
• Understanding how many people will turn up when a show is being held. This way, enough money is charged per person so that a profit is made.
4. Online Games
• These often have polls so as they can find out who their target audience is and how to better the game for that audience.
5. Television
• News and current affair programs often hold polls which the public can phone in and vote on. This could assist in knowing what kind of news viewers want to see.
Readings
The first readings for this week included information on data information and knowledge. There were, however, two extra stages placed in the process which were referred to as ‘understanding’ and ‘wisdom’. Understanding being the ‘appreciation of "why"’ and wisdom being ‘evaluated understanding’.
The second reading indicated different organisations that may collect data. Most of these organisations were said to be linked to the government (in the United States). I was also made aware of why exactly certain journals are known as ‘scholarly’.
The third reading informed the reader of specific reasons data is collected and how powerful it is. A lot can be learned about a person by collecting data on a chosen topic. If you apply that to a community, you see just how powerful the knowledge you eventually gain can be.
Lecture
In the lecture for week 10, students were informed about online libraries. They contain so much information in the forms of online text repositories, online journals, electronic books, art and music. Examples of online archives were given for all of those information types. Sometimes, however, that information is only available through subscription. Referencing is very important because there are a lot of copyright issues surrounding online information. Students were then informed of online databases. These can be people searches, e-mail directories, genealogy recourses, maps and atlases, government information and statistics, news and media as well as portals. Again, much of this information is only available through subscription.
Workshop
For the first workshop activity, students were asked to visit the ECU library website and record 10 useful features.
1 – Journal Articles
There is a huge amount of electronic journal articles. Searching for an article is much the same as searching on a search engine such as Google. The searches can also be refined so that the articles returned are from a certain time/place etc. This is a database.
2 – Books, CDs
Books can be looked up by using a topic or a specific author. This is referred to as a catalogue.
3 – Websites
There is a list of websites which you can access by selecting the appropriate topic they fall under.
4 – Quick Catalogue Search
Searches by automatically using a keyword search and in all of the ECU campuses.
5 – Subject or Title
You can search for articles by using either their subject or title. Searching by title allows you to select a database to search in while searching by subject means you must pick a specific subject first.
6 – Database Range
There is a very large of databases which the user may search in.
7 – Searching Help
There is a section where a student may refer to if they are unsure of what to do or how to search.
8 – Podcasts
There is a range of podcasts a student may download. These subjects range from annotated bibliographies to maps of campuses.
9 – Trial Databases
There are two databases available that include media information
10 – Reserve Readings
A student can find information on their course or from their lecturer/tutor by searching for the correct information.
The second part of our workshop required students to visit a medical website and use the built-in search engine to find out about a certain disease or treatment we were interested in. I chose to search information on cervical cancer. To see the screenshot for this activity, see below.
We were then required to watch an interactive tutorial on another subject. To see my interactive tutorial, see the screenshot below.
I believe that everybody can benefit from a website like this. It includes information that anybody who is curious about a medical subject will find useful and interesting. It will also educate people who may not know about ways to make sure they are healthy (feeling for lumps etc).
Readings
There were no readings posted on Blackboard for week 10.
In the lecture for week 10, students were informed about online libraries. They contain so much information in the forms of online text repositories, online journals, electronic books, art and music. Examples of online archives were given for all of those information types. Sometimes, however, that information is only available through subscription. Referencing is very important because there are a lot of copyright issues surrounding online information. Students were then informed of online databases. These can be people searches, e-mail directories, genealogy recourses, maps and atlases, government information and statistics, news and media as well as portals. Again, much of this information is only available through subscription.
Workshop
For the first workshop activity, students were asked to visit the ECU library website and record 10 useful features.
1 – Journal Articles
There is a huge amount of electronic journal articles. Searching for an article is much the same as searching on a search engine such as Google. The searches can also be refined so that the articles returned are from a certain time/place etc. This is a database.
2 – Books, CDs
Books can be looked up by using a topic or a specific author. This is referred to as a catalogue.
3 – Websites
There is a list of websites which you can access by selecting the appropriate topic they fall under.
4 – Quick Catalogue Search
Searches by automatically using a keyword search and in all of the ECU campuses.
5 – Subject or Title
You can search for articles by using either their subject or title. Searching by title allows you to select a database to search in while searching by subject means you must pick a specific subject first.
6 – Database Range
There is a very large of databases which the user may search in.
7 – Searching Help
There is a section where a student may refer to if they are unsure of what to do or how to search.
8 – Podcasts
There is a range of podcasts a student may download. These subjects range from annotated bibliographies to maps of campuses.
9 – Trial Databases
There are two databases available that include media information
10 – Reserve Readings
A student can find information on their course or from their lecturer/tutor by searching for the correct information.
The second part of our workshop required students to visit a medical website and use the built-in search engine to find out about a certain disease or treatment we were interested in. I chose to search information on cervical cancer. To see the screenshot for this activity, see below.
We were then required to watch an interactive tutorial on another subject. To see my interactive tutorial, see the screenshot below.
I believe that everybody can benefit from a website like this. It includes information that anybody who is curious about a medical subject will find useful and interesting. It will also educate people who may not know about ways to make sure they are healthy (feeling for lumps etc).
Readings
There were no readings posted on Blackboard for week 10.
Lecture
In this week’s lecture (week 9) covered search engines. Students were informed that a search engine is a program that crawls the Internet and retrieves websites depending on what text is included in them. There are, however, problems with search engines in that they can return so many search results, it is practically impossible for somebody to preview them all. Those searches can also be quite irrelevant to what you are looking for. There are many different search engines that can be used and they all have different features. There are different types of searches that can be done and some may benefit your search. These search types include keyword, phrase, Boolean and advanced. We were then advised on certain things that may improve our searching skills (using search tools, several keywords etc).
Workshop
In the workshop for this week, students were to firstly asked to list four strategies that would help us in using search engines according to this website: http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
First of all, I believe the student should know whether they should search directories or a search engine. If the student has a very clear query, a directory will probably return pages that are more relevant to the search. There will be considerably less pages than if the student searched the same query in a search engine which offers a more broad result.
Secondly, students should understand the search engine’s capabilities. Many do not understand symbols and numbers in the way that humans do. The same goes for short and common words such as ‘be’, ‘and’, ‘to’ and ‘or’. While our technology advances, this problem is not as bad as it used to be. However, it is still something to be wary of.
Thirdly, in the interest of retrieving more relevant hits the student should understand what kind of search will work best for what they are looking for. Keyword searches often return very broad results and so it is best to use several words in the query. If your query has more than one meaning (e.g. Jaguar being a cat and a car), you can use a Boolean search to exclude pages that contain information relevant to the meaning you are not looking for.
Finally, the student should understand that he or she is supplying the information to the search engine. If the results being provided by the search engine are not relevant to what the student really wants, then they have to change what is being searched or how they are doing it.
The second task set for students in the workshop for week 9 was a quiz. To complete this quiz, students were to use the searching skills they had gained from the week.
Q1 : What civilisation is associated with the once great city of Machu Picchu the spectacular ruins of which were rediscovered in 1911 ?
A1 : Inca
What I searched : Machu Picchu ruins
Q2 : A saintpaulia is more commonly known as an African _____?
A2 : Violet
What I searched : saintpaulia African
Q3 : Rutherford B. Hayes became President of the USA in 1877 by a margin of only one electoral vote, but what did the initial B stand for ?
A3 : Birchard
What I searched : Rutherford Hayes
Q4 : What was the name of the author who wrote the famous poem the Lady of Shalott ?
A4 : Tennyson (note: I think this question was poorly worded as the only accepted answer was ‘Tennyson’ and not ‘Alfred Tennyson’. It should have been noted that only the surname was required.)
What I searched : Lady of Shalott poem
Q5: What would a conchologist study ?
A5 : Shells
What I searched : def : conchologist
Q6 : What was Gerardus Mercator (AD 1512-1594) famous for making in the 16th century ?
A6 : Maps
What I searched : Gerardus Mercator 16th century
Q7 : Who wrote, but never finished, the opera Turandot ?
A7 : Giacomo Puccini
What I searched : Turandot unfinished
Q8 : Popocatepetl is a famous _______?
A8 : Volcano
What I searched : Popocatepetl
Q9: What is the name of the breed of non barking dog ?
A9 : Basenji
What I searched : “non barking” dog
Q10 : What was the name of the Dutch painter of "Garden of earthly paradise" ?
A10 : Bosch
What I searched : Dutch+Painter+Garden of Earthly Paradise
Q11 : What was the name of the critical European battle that took place in 1815?
A11 : Waterloo
What I searched : European battle 1815
Q12 : What creatures live in a formicary ?
A12 : Ants
What I searched : animals formicary
Q13 : What was the name of the movie company, MGM's, lion ?
A13 : Leo
What I searched : MGM lion name
Q14 : What was the country called Thailand formally known as ?
A14 : Siam
What I searched : Thailand former name
Q15 : What vegetable will a chasseur add to your food ?
A15 : Mushroom
What I searched : Vegetable chasseur
Q16 : Which ape has a name which means "forest man" ?
A16 : Orangutan
What I searched : "forest man"+ape
Q17 : What is the coldest planet in our solar system ?
A17 : Pluto
What I searched : coldest planet
Q18 ; What was Mussolini's first name ?
A18 : Benito
What I searched : Mussolini
Q19 : What type of creature is a skink ?
A19 : Lizard
What I searched : Skink
Q20: What famous leader died in 1821 of arsenic poisoning ?
A20 : Napoleon
What I searched : 1821 arsenic poisoning
For a screenshot of my certificate, see below.
Upon completing this exercise, I have learned that there are many different things to consider when using a search engine. There is a lot of information on the Internet and if you know how to find it through search engines, they are very accessible.
Readings
The first reading for week 9 was about what information is on the Web. This includes the free visible Web, the free invisible Web and paid databases over the Web. It also included information about search engines and how to use them.
The second reading was a guide to using search engines effectively. This included different searching methods and what search engines are best for certain queries.
The third reading included different sites that contain helpful hints and guides to using search engines.
The fourth reading included a guide to how you can find information on the Web as well as a brief history on information on the Internet.
In this week’s lecture (week 9) covered search engines. Students were informed that a search engine is a program that crawls the Internet and retrieves websites depending on what text is included in them. There are, however, problems with search engines in that they can return so many search results, it is practically impossible for somebody to preview them all. Those searches can also be quite irrelevant to what you are looking for. There are many different search engines that can be used and they all have different features. There are different types of searches that can be done and some may benefit your search. These search types include keyword, phrase, Boolean and advanced. We were then advised on certain things that may improve our searching skills (using search tools, several keywords etc).
Workshop
In the workshop for this week, students were to firstly asked to list four strategies that would help us in using search engines according to this website: http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
First of all, I believe the student should know whether they should search directories or a search engine. If the student has a very clear query, a directory will probably return pages that are more relevant to the search. There will be considerably less pages than if the student searched the same query in a search engine which offers a more broad result.
Secondly, students should understand the search engine’s capabilities. Many do not understand symbols and numbers in the way that humans do. The same goes for short and common words such as ‘be’, ‘and’, ‘to’ and ‘or’. While our technology advances, this problem is not as bad as it used to be. However, it is still something to be wary of.
Thirdly, in the interest of retrieving more relevant hits the student should understand what kind of search will work best for what they are looking for. Keyword searches often return very broad results and so it is best to use several words in the query. If your query has more than one meaning (e.g. Jaguar being a cat and a car), you can use a Boolean search to exclude pages that contain information relevant to the meaning you are not looking for.
Finally, the student should understand that he or she is supplying the information to the search engine. If the results being provided by the search engine are not relevant to what the student really wants, then they have to change what is being searched or how they are doing it.
The second task set for students in the workshop for week 9 was a quiz. To complete this quiz, students were to use the searching skills they had gained from the week.
Q1 : What civilisation is associated with the once great city of Machu Picchu the spectacular ruins of which were rediscovered in 1911 ?
A1 : Inca
What I searched : Machu Picchu ruins
Q2 : A saintpaulia is more commonly known as an African _____?
A2 : Violet
What I searched : saintpaulia African
Q3 : Rutherford B. Hayes became President of the USA in 1877 by a margin of only one electoral vote, but what did the initial B stand for ?
A3 : Birchard
What I searched : Rutherford Hayes
Q4 : What was the name of the author who wrote the famous poem the Lady of Shalott ?
A4 : Tennyson (note: I think this question was poorly worded as the only accepted answer was ‘Tennyson’ and not ‘Alfred Tennyson’. It should have been noted that only the surname was required.)
What I searched : Lady of Shalott poem
Q5: What would a conchologist study ?
A5 : Shells
What I searched : def : conchologist
Q6 : What was Gerardus Mercator (AD 1512-1594) famous for making in the 16th century ?
A6 : Maps
What I searched : Gerardus Mercator 16th century
Q7 : Who wrote, but never finished, the opera Turandot ?
A7 : Giacomo Puccini
What I searched : Turandot unfinished
Q8 : Popocatepetl is a famous _______?
A8 : Volcano
What I searched : Popocatepetl
Q9: What is the name of the breed of non barking dog ?
A9 : Basenji
What I searched : “non barking” dog
Q10 : What was the name of the Dutch painter of "Garden of earthly paradise" ?
A10 : Bosch
What I searched : Dutch+Painter+Garden of Earthly Paradise
Q11 : What was the name of the critical European battle that took place in 1815?
A11 : Waterloo
What I searched : European battle 1815
Q12 : What creatures live in a formicary ?
A12 : Ants
What I searched : animals formicary
Q13 : What was the name of the movie company, MGM's, lion ?
A13 : Leo
What I searched : MGM lion name
Q14 : What was the country called Thailand formally known as ?
A14 : Siam
What I searched : Thailand former name
Q15 : What vegetable will a chasseur add to your food ?
A15 : Mushroom
What I searched : Vegetable chasseur
Q16 : Which ape has a name which means "forest man" ?
A16 : Orangutan
What I searched : "forest man"+ape
Q17 : What is the coldest planet in our solar system ?
A17 : Pluto
What I searched : coldest planet
Q18 ; What was Mussolini's first name ?
A18 : Benito
What I searched : Mussolini
Q19 : What type of creature is a skink ?
A19 : Lizard
What I searched : Skink
Q20: What famous leader died in 1821 of arsenic poisoning ?
A20 : Napoleon
What I searched : 1821 arsenic poisoning
For a screenshot of my certificate, see below.
Upon completing this exercise, I have learned that there are many different things to consider when using a search engine. There is a lot of information on the Internet and if you know how to find it through search engines, they are very accessible.
Readings
The first reading for week 9 was about what information is on the Web. This includes the free visible Web, the free invisible Web and paid databases over the Web. It also included information about search engines and how to use them.
The second reading was a guide to using search engines effectively. This included different searching methods and what search engines are best for certain queries.
The third reading included different sites that contain helpful hints and guides to using search engines.
The fourth reading included a guide to how you can find information on the Web as well as a brief history on information on the Internet.
Lecture
The lecture for week eight included knowledge students could use to decide whether or not information on websites is factual or more or less people’s opinions. Using information on the web is quite risky as anybody can obtain a web page and publish information that may or may not be credible. As there are no web standards in place, there is no telling how authentic the knowledge you are gaining is. It is always a good idea to ask yourself questions about the website you are visiting. What is its purpose? Who is the author? Can you contact the author to ask them questions? Also look to see if the information given seems to show any level of bias. Looking for the domain type will also give you some clues behind the purpose of the website.
Workshop
In the workshop for week eight, students were asked to visit http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html and rewrite in our own words the strategies the site lists for evaluating information on the internet.
Firstly, you must understand whether or not the Web is the right source for what you are looking for. Some information (for different reasons) is not listed on the Web and while you could spend hours on end looking for it there, you might find considerably quicker by looking through a journal or book.
You must also question every piece of information you find. Look for the resources used and/or research that back it up. Don’t just take the authors word for it.
It is a good idea to have knowledge of who the author is and if they have any credentials that might suggest they are very knowledgeable in whatever subject they include on their site. You can even try Googling the authors name for more information on them. The domain can also give you clues to the nature of the website (.gov usually being more reliable than .com sites).
If possible, find out who is the sponsor behind the site. Figure out who the target audience is for the site through use of language on the site.
Sometimes it is very easy to tell how credible a site is if you take a step back and look at the website as a whole. Are there spelling mistakes? Is there advertising and if so, for what? Are there distracting images and/or icons? All of these things can suggest the purpose of the site.
There are different types of pages on the WWW that differ from the common web page. These can be accessed through web pages but serve a different purpose. These pages can include articles and books.
For the second part of the workshop, students were asked to evaluate sites from the Web Site Evaluation Assignment.
The first site I chose to evaluate is located at http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade60.html
Accuracy – I believe this site is fairly accurate because the information appears to be supported by dates and links to other websites with further information about the subject matter. For an example, view the screenshot below.
Authorship – In the signature down the bottom of the website, there is a list of the site authors. While they do not appear to have any credentials, they do seem to be affiliated with Kingwood College. There is also a link to contact one of the authors if the reader wishes to do so. To see this, view the screenshot below.
Purpose – I believe the purpose of this site is to review what was accomplished during the 1960s.
Detail and Design – The detail in the website seems to be of a good quality and nothing stands out as being nonsense. There is a wide coverage on what happened in the 1960s. While the site becomes a little hard to navigate at times with the menu being at the top of the text, the design of the page isn’t bad. With the aid of pictures, the reader knows what the purpose of the paragraph is.
Overall Worth – I believe this page was worth visiting as it included a vast amount of information and statistics surrounding the 1960s. Nothing seemed to be particularly unique about the site however, save for the fact that the authors stayed on topic throughout the entire text. The site also appears to be free of any spelling or grammar mistakes.
The second site I chose to evaluate is located at
http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/
Accuracy – I believe the information on this site is reliable because the website includes articles from what seems to be a scholarly journal.
Authorship – The person responsible for the site does not appear to have any credentials, nor do they seem to be linked with any reputable sponsors. There are, however, clear contact details listed on the first page. View the screenshot below.
Purpose – While I am unsure of the exact purpose of this site, I believe it is to collect information and literature either from or about the 1960s.
Detail and Design – The information on this site seems to be of worth, but for it to be useful to a student, I believe that student must search thoroughly through the site to find information relevant to what he or she needs. This is because there is a vast amount of information and not all of it seems to flow in a logical order. The design of the page, while a little busy and hard on the eyes, is easy to follow.
Overall Worth – I believe this page would be worth visiting for somebody researching the 1960s. What is unique about the site is that it offers such a large amount of poetry about the 1960s. There also does not appear to be any mistakes where grammar or spelling is concerned.
Readings
There was a notice on blackboard that informed students that the readings for week 8 were not compulsory. Because of this, I chose not to do them so as to pay more attention to my group assignment.
The lecture for week eight included knowledge students could use to decide whether or not information on websites is factual or more or less people’s opinions. Using information on the web is quite risky as anybody can obtain a web page and publish information that may or may not be credible. As there are no web standards in place, there is no telling how authentic the knowledge you are gaining is. It is always a good idea to ask yourself questions about the website you are visiting. What is its purpose? Who is the author? Can you contact the author to ask them questions? Also look to see if the information given seems to show any level of bias. Looking for the domain type will also give you some clues behind the purpose of the website.
Workshop
In the workshop for week eight, students were asked to visit http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html and rewrite in our own words the strategies the site lists for evaluating information on the internet.
Firstly, you must understand whether or not the Web is the right source for what you are looking for. Some information (for different reasons) is not listed on the Web and while you could spend hours on end looking for it there, you might find considerably quicker by looking through a journal or book.
You must also question every piece of information you find. Look for the resources used and/or research that back it up. Don’t just take the authors word for it.
It is a good idea to have knowledge of who the author is and if they have any credentials that might suggest they are very knowledgeable in whatever subject they include on their site. You can even try Googling the authors name for more information on them. The domain can also give you clues to the nature of the website (.gov usually being more reliable than .com sites).
If possible, find out who is the sponsor behind the site. Figure out who the target audience is for the site through use of language on the site.
Sometimes it is very easy to tell how credible a site is if you take a step back and look at the website as a whole. Are there spelling mistakes? Is there advertising and if so, for what? Are there distracting images and/or icons? All of these things can suggest the purpose of the site.
There are different types of pages on the WWW that differ from the common web page. These can be accessed through web pages but serve a different purpose. These pages can include articles and books.
For the second part of the workshop, students were asked to evaluate sites from the Web Site Evaluation Assignment.
The first site I chose to evaluate is located at http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade60.html
Accuracy – I believe this site is fairly accurate because the information appears to be supported by dates and links to other websites with further information about the subject matter. For an example, view the screenshot below.
Authorship – In the signature down the bottom of the website, there is a list of the site authors. While they do not appear to have any credentials, they do seem to be affiliated with Kingwood College. There is also a link to contact one of the authors if the reader wishes to do so. To see this, view the screenshot below.
Purpose – I believe the purpose of this site is to review what was accomplished during the 1960s.
Detail and Design – The detail in the website seems to be of a good quality and nothing stands out as being nonsense. There is a wide coverage on what happened in the 1960s. While the site becomes a little hard to navigate at times with the menu being at the top of the text, the design of the page isn’t bad. With the aid of pictures, the reader knows what the purpose of the paragraph is.
Overall Worth – I believe this page was worth visiting as it included a vast amount of information and statistics surrounding the 1960s. Nothing seemed to be particularly unique about the site however, save for the fact that the authors stayed on topic throughout the entire text. The site also appears to be free of any spelling or grammar mistakes.
The second site I chose to evaluate is located at
http://www3.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/
Accuracy – I believe the information on this site is reliable because the website includes articles from what seems to be a scholarly journal.
Authorship – The person responsible for the site does not appear to have any credentials, nor do they seem to be linked with any reputable sponsors. There are, however, clear contact details listed on the first page. View the screenshot below.
Purpose – While I am unsure of the exact purpose of this site, I believe it is to collect information and literature either from or about the 1960s.
Detail and Design – The information on this site seems to be of worth, but for it to be useful to a student, I believe that student must search thoroughly through the site to find information relevant to what he or she needs. This is because there is a vast amount of information and not all of it seems to flow in a logical order. The design of the page, while a little busy and hard on the eyes, is easy to follow.
Overall Worth – I believe this page would be worth visiting for somebody researching the 1960s. What is unique about the site is that it offers such a large amount of poetry about the 1960s. There also does not appear to be any mistakes where grammar or spelling is concerned.
Readings
There was a notice on blackboard that informed students that the readings for week 8 were not compulsory. Because of this, I chose not to do them so as to pay more attention to my group assignment.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Lecture
In the lecture for week 7, students were informed about the World Wide Web. One of the things that I found intriguing was the very fact that there was a difference between the World Wide Web and the internet (the internet being a large network of computers and the WWW being almost like a ‘catalogue’ in that network). I really had no idea there was any difference between the two until now. We were also told that it was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 to assist in sharing research information. The lecture also included the domain name system and what you might expect from certain domain names (.com for commercial, .org for non-profit etc). We were also given some alternatives to Internet Explorer as well as some short-cuts we can use on the keyboard.
Workshop
In the workshop for week 7, students were asked to look at three sites and record information about them that might prove them to be ‘spoof’ sites.
The first site was www.haggishunt.scotsman.com and is a site dedicated to hunting a mythical creature called a ‘haggis’. To try and make the creature seem real, the authors of the site have included a ‘haggisclopedia’ which includes everything from history of the animal to zoology. They have also included cameras in ten ‘haggis hotspots’ and prizes for people who spot a haggis on these cameras. It is obvious that the site is a spoof for the following reasons:
• It is common knowledge that haggis is a traditional Scottish meal (made with a sheep’s stomach, meat and oatmeal) and is not an actual animal.
• The haggii displayed on the site are clearly fakes. They display a platypus head on the body of something similar to a hedgehog or beaver.
• The unprofessional sentences in parts of the site which, if the site were not a spoof, would be expected to be the most professional pages on the site. For example, on the zoology page, under the ‘Natural Enemies’ section, midges are listed. The author then goes on to say that they are ‘the natural enemy of every living thing’. To view the page with this information included, view the screenshot below.
• There are no pictures of people with a caught haggis. As the site is dedicated to hunting haggii, I have to wonder why there are no pictures of a dead haggii as on other hunting sites (http://www.ausafari.com.au/wild_boar_hunting_north_queensland.htm for example).
The second site we were told to analyse is www.molossia.org. It is a site for the Republic of Molossia and includes pages of information on the republic’s history and culture. The site has many clues to suggest that it is a spoof site. Some of these include:
• The ‘Ark Molossia’ page is quite unusual considering the site is of a republic. I just find myself doubting that a republic would have pictures and information on cats and dogs. To see the Molossia Ark page, view the screenshot below.
• There is no world map on the site that identifies where the Republic of Molossia is. For a site to promote a republic, I would expect for it to show me where in the world it is situated.
• The navy for the Republic of Molossia includes an inflatable lifeboat, two inflatable kayaks and a boy who looks no more than 12 years old.
• The author states that the name ‘Molossia’ comes from the Spanish word ‘morro’, meaning a small rock or hill. The author then goes on to say that ‘ssia’ is added ‘because it sounds good’. I find it hard to believe that a republic would admit that they created the name because they liked the way it sounded.
The third website that students were asked to visit was www.martinlutherking.org.
Before Entering the Site
I believe that this site will include achievements that Martin Luther King Jr. made throughout his life. As the site is probably based more or less on him alone, it will probably include where he was bought up and at what schools he studied. I believe his death will also be included and the killers (if known (my knowledge on Martin Luther King is quite limited)) will be named.
After Entering the Site
My first impression of the site is that it is a spoof site. I believe this because there is a link titled ‘Rap lyrics’ while King obviously had nothing to do with rap music. The bit of information on the top left hand side of the page suggests King behaved in an unruly way, not unlike many rap artists today. While I think this site may be offensive to some, it is just in the name of fun. Upon closer inspection, I was very surprised at the information included on this web site. The site suggests that Martin Luther King plagerised his works to the point where less than half of some of his works included sentences that contained five or more words that were his own. The site also suggests that King was a violent man. To view the page with that information included on it, view the screenshot below.
After I have viewed this site, I believe it was made maliciously to persuade people that Martin Luther King Jr. was a bad person.
Readings
The first reading for this week included information on different search engines. This is useful to me as a university student as I don’t have to limit myself to Google. If there is information that I cannot find on Google, I can either better my search by making it more specific to the information I am looking for or change search engines altogether.
The second reading for this week was a timeline from 1945-1995 on the history of the World Wide Web. I find it difficult to understand most of the information on this site and it does seem rather trivial in relation to the World Wide Web in my eyes, but I know it’s not and I expect to understand and appreciate it more as my knowledge on the topic grows.
The third reading for this week included history of the internet. It gives information about the development of computers, how ARPANET was transformed into the internet and finally into the WWW, the history of email (electronic mail), the development of search engines and basic net information (number of people who the internet and what countries they are from etc.)
In the lecture for week 7, students were informed about the World Wide Web. One of the things that I found intriguing was the very fact that there was a difference between the World Wide Web and the internet (the internet being a large network of computers and the WWW being almost like a ‘catalogue’ in that network). I really had no idea there was any difference between the two until now. We were also told that it was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 to assist in sharing research information. The lecture also included the domain name system and what you might expect from certain domain names (.com for commercial, .org for non-profit etc). We were also given some alternatives to Internet Explorer as well as some short-cuts we can use on the keyboard.
Workshop
In the workshop for week 7, students were asked to look at three sites and record information about them that might prove them to be ‘spoof’ sites.
The first site was www.haggishunt.scotsman.com and is a site dedicated to hunting a mythical creature called a ‘haggis’. To try and make the creature seem real, the authors of the site have included a ‘haggisclopedia’ which includes everything from history of the animal to zoology. They have also included cameras in ten ‘haggis hotspots’ and prizes for people who spot a haggis on these cameras. It is obvious that the site is a spoof for the following reasons:
• It is common knowledge that haggis is a traditional Scottish meal (made with a sheep’s stomach, meat and oatmeal) and is not an actual animal.
• The haggii displayed on the site are clearly fakes. They display a platypus head on the body of something similar to a hedgehog or beaver.
• The unprofessional sentences in parts of the site which, if the site were not a spoof, would be expected to be the most professional pages on the site. For example, on the zoology page, under the ‘Natural Enemies’ section, midges are listed. The author then goes on to say that they are ‘the natural enemy of every living thing’. To view the page with this information included, view the screenshot below.
• There are no pictures of people with a caught haggis. As the site is dedicated to hunting haggii, I have to wonder why there are no pictures of a dead haggii as on other hunting sites (http://www.ausafari.com.au/wild_boar_hunting_north_queensland.htm for example).
The second site we were told to analyse is www.molossia.org. It is a site for the Republic of Molossia and includes pages of information on the republic’s history and culture. The site has many clues to suggest that it is a spoof site. Some of these include:
• The ‘Ark Molossia’ page is quite unusual considering the site is of a republic. I just find myself doubting that a republic would have pictures and information on cats and dogs. To see the Molossia Ark page, view the screenshot below.
• There is no world map on the site that identifies where the Republic of Molossia is. For a site to promote a republic, I would expect for it to show me where in the world it is situated.
• The navy for the Republic of Molossia includes an inflatable lifeboat, two inflatable kayaks and a boy who looks no more than 12 years old.
• The author states that the name ‘Molossia’ comes from the Spanish word ‘morro’, meaning a small rock or hill. The author then goes on to say that ‘ssia’ is added ‘because it sounds good’. I find it hard to believe that a republic would admit that they created the name because they liked the way it sounded.
The third website that students were asked to visit was www.martinlutherking.org.
Before Entering the Site
I believe that this site will include achievements that Martin Luther King Jr. made throughout his life. As the site is probably based more or less on him alone, it will probably include where he was bought up and at what schools he studied. I believe his death will also be included and the killers (if known (my knowledge on Martin Luther King is quite limited)) will be named.
After Entering the Site
My first impression of the site is that it is a spoof site. I believe this because there is a link titled ‘Rap lyrics’ while King obviously had nothing to do with rap music. The bit of information on the top left hand side of the page suggests King behaved in an unruly way, not unlike many rap artists today. While I think this site may be offensive to some, it is just in the name of fun. Upon closer inspection, I was very surprised at the information included on this web site. The site suggests that Martin Luther King plagerised his works to the point where less than half of some of his works included sentences that contained five or more words that were his own. The site also suggests that King was a violent man. To view the page with that information included on it, view the screenshot below.
After I have viewed this site, I believe it was made maliciously to persuade people that Martin Luther King Jr. was a bad person.
Readings
The first reading for this week included information on different search engines. This is useful to me as a university student as I don’t have to limit myself to Google. If there is information that I cannot find on Google, I can either better my search by making it more specific to the information I am looking for or change search engines altogether.
The second reading for this week was a timeline from 1945-1995 on the history of the World Wide Web. I find it difficult to understand most of the information on this site and it does seem rather trivial in relation to the World Wide Web in my eyes, but I know it’s not and I expect to understand and appreciate it more as my knowledge on the topic grows.
The third reading for this week included history of the internet. It gives information about the development of computers, how ARPANET was transformed into the internet and finally into the WWW, the history of email (electronic mail), the development of search engines and basic net information (number of people who the internet and what countries they are from etc.)
Monday, September 10, 2007
This week’s lecture firstly included tips on how to improve our blogs in the form of the marking key. It was suggested that students focus more on the aspects of the blog that were worth 5 marks as appose to parts that were worth 1 or 2. Secondly, the program EndNote was formally introduced to students. EndNote is a program that allows people to organise their references correctly and with ease. Different ‘libraries’ can be created for each set of references (generally a new one per assignment) and once a person builds their skills with the program, they can use EndNote with MS Word. Just as in any program in which you are saving data, it is a governing principle that you must back up your work.
In week six’s workshop, students were asked to properly reference information given on Blackboard using EndNote. To do this, we were to create a new library, choose where on the computer to save the document and remember to select APA 5th as the reference style, fist of all. Secondly, to create a new reference, students were then to right click and select ‘new reference’. Once the new window opened, the appropriate reference type was to be selected (journal, book etc) and the fields were to be filled in where possible. Once all of the information was filled in, that window was to be closed and the reference would be automatically saved to the library. The information in the library is also saved when the main window is closed. I personally found this activity to be the hardest so far. It wasn’t so much using EndNote that was difficult, but rather deciding what information would be appropriate for what reference type. For the more complicated information, I have to admit I did Google search titles to see what they were. If it were not for Google, I don’t feel I would have been able to complete the activity correctly. I definitely have to work on recognising reference types for the future. For a screenshot of my EndNote activity completed, view the picture below (click for full image):
The readings for this week included a basic overview of the various benefits of using EndNote. It began with letting the reader know about what EndNote is (a reference storing program) and how to start up a library. It was also known that you can set up a default library to open every time you start EndNote. The readings then went on to inform the reader about how to add a reference to your library and how to change the reference type. When entering reference authors, it was suggested that the user does not use periods after an initial, but rather a single space. Sorting options for references was also shown (by author, year, title etc) as well as how to search for a reference. It was also shown how to select different Output styles (in our case, we use APA 5th). The readings then included information about incorporating MS Word to EndNote to be able to ‘cite while you write’. It is also possible to import information from online databases (ProQuest) directly to your library, which I believe would be extremely handy.
In week six’s workshop, students were asked to properly reference information given on Blackboard using EndNote. To do this, we were to create a new library, choose where on the computer to save the document and remember to select APA 5th as the reference style, fist of all. Secondly, to create a new reference, students were then to right click and select ‘new reference’. Once the new window opened, the appropriate reference type was to be selected (journal, book etc) and the fields were to be filled in where possible. Once all of the information was filled in, that window was to be closed and the reference would be automatically saved to the library. The information in the library is also saved when the main window is closed. I personally found this activity to be the hardest so far. It wasn’t so much using EndNote that was difficult, but rather deciding what information would be appropriate for what reference type. For the more complicated information, I have to admit I did Google search titles to see what they were. If it were not for Google, I don’t feel I would have been able to complete the activity correctly. I definitely have to work on recognising reference types for the future. For a screenshot of my EndNote activity completed, view the picture below (click for full image):
The readings for this week included a basic overview of the various benefits of using EndNote. It began with letting the reader know about what EndNote is (a reference storing program) and how to start up a library. It was also known that you can set up a default library to open every time you start EndNote. The readings then went on to inform the reader about how to add a reference to your library and how to change the reference type. When entering reference authors, it was suggested that the user does not use periods after an initial, but rather a single space. Sorting options for references was also shown (by author, year, title etc) as well as how to search for a reference. It was also shown how to select different Output styles (in our case, we use APA 5th). The readings then included information about incorporating MS Word to EndNote to be able to ‘cite while you write’. It is also possible to import information from online databases (ProQuest) directly to your library, which I believe would be extremely handy.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Week five’s lecture was about atom and bit-based information. Atom-based information is something you can hold in your hand (like a book or paper for example). It is good because it is difficult to replicate or change and it’s easy to hide. On the other hand, it is often bulky, costly and difficult to distribute. Bit-based information is digital reproductions of atom-based information and if flexible, cheap and easy to distribute. However, it is easy to edit, steal and fake information.
The lecture was also about learning some principles of organising our bit-based information. This included a list of some of the different types of files that a student may come across and what programs are needed to use them. A handy hint that was given out was that if you use the ‘properties’ tool to create metadata about your document, it will make finding it in the future much easier. For example, if you have written an essay on Makybe Diva, you may put ‘horse racing’ or ‘Thoroughbreds’ in your metadata. It is also a good idea to use the ‘search’ tool when trying to locate files.
In week five’s workshop, students were to learn how to effectively use their ‘favourites’ tool in Internet Explorer. For a student to be using this tool to his or her full advantage, they should know how to bookmark a page and then organise that page into appropriate folders. To prove that we knew how to do this, we were to make three folders with at least two pages saved in them. For a screenshot of my completed exercise, view the picture below (click for full image):
For this week’s workshop, students were also required to read ‘Being Digital’ by Nicholas Negroponte. This archive was all about new technologies (bit-based information) and how they are influencing old ones (atom-based information). An example of this is ‘Video on Demand’ instead of regular movie renting. Bit-based information seems to be welcomed by people with open arms because it is far more convenient than atom-based. It can be moved around much easier. A situation this could be relevant in would be if you had bought back atom-based information from an overseas holiday, there is a good chance it may be held in customs. When you are using bit-based information, on the other hand, you would not need to clear it the way you would the atom-based and you would be able to use and enjoy it much sooner. Bit-based information also has a better chance of lasting longer in that a certain text may go out of print on paper, but you would still probably be able to access it through bit-based documents. Civilisation, almost without realising it, has moved from an industrial age (in which atoms were very popular and bit-based virtually non-existent) to a post industrial age and then onto an information age (where bit-based information is everywhere). We have now started to move into a post information age. Everything is ‘made to order’ according to who we are and what our habits might be. This is all in the name of convenience because this way, we don’t have to remember if our boss’ prefer red or white wine.
For week five’s reading, students were required to read Information Management and Electronic Environments by Dr Jim Mullaney. This text firstly informed the reader of the program EndNote and how useful it can be to students when they are referencing. Bookmarks and folders labeled appropriately will also be a very useful thing. A general idea of what was okay to do and what was not okay to do as far as referencing goes was also stated. Copying and pasting for notes is more than acceptable (and keeping the web addressed you obtained the information from is handy as well), whereas trying to say that the work is entirely your own is very offensive.
The lecture was also about learning some principles of organising our bit-based information. This included a list of some of the different types of files that a student may come across and what programs are needed to use them. A handy hint that was given out was that if you use the ‘properties’ tool to create metadata about your document, it will make finding it in the future much easier. For example, if you have written an essay on Makybe Diva, you may put ‘horse racing’ or ‘Thoroughbreds’ in your metadata. It is also a good idea to use the ‘search’ tool when trying to locate files.
In week five’s workshop, students were to learn how to effectively use their ‘favourites’ tool in Internet Explorer. For a student to be using this tool to his or her full advantage, they should know how to bookmark a page and then organise that page into appropriate folders. To prove that we knew how to do this, we were to make three folders with at least two pages saved in them. For a screenshot of my completed exercise, view the picture below (click for full image):
For this week’s workshop, students were also required to read ‘Being Digital’ by Nicholas Negroponte. This archive was all about new technologies (bit-based information) and how they are influencing old ones (atom-based information). An example of this is ‘Video on Demand’ instead of regular movie renting. Bit-based information seems to be welcomed by people with open arms because it is far more convenient than atom-based. It can be moved around much easier. A situation this could be relevant in would be if you had bought back atom-based information from an overseas holiday, there is a good chance it may be held in customs. When you are using bit-based information, on the other hand, you would not need to clear it the way you would the atom-based and you would be able to use and enjoy it much sooner. Bit-based information also has a better chance of lasting longer in that a certain text may go out of print on paper, but you would still probably be able to access it through bit-based documents. Civilisation, almost without realising it, has moved from an industrial age (in which atoms were very popular and bit-based virtually non-existent) to a post industrial age and then onto an information age (where bit-based information is everywhere). We have now started to move into a post information age. Everything is ‘made to order’ according to who we are and what our habits might be. This is all in the name of convenience because this way, we don’t have to remember if our boss’ prefer red or white wine.
For week five’s reading, students were required to read Information Management and Electronic Environments by Dr Jim Mullaney. This text firstly informed the reader of the program EndNote and how useful it can be to students when they are referencing. Bookmarks and folders labeled appropriately will also be a very useful thing. A general idea of what was okay to do and what was not okay to do as far as referencing goes was also stated. Copying and pasting for notes is more than acceptable (and keeping the web addressed you obtained the information from is handy as well), whereas trying to say that the work is entirely your own is very offensive.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
This week’s lecture was basically about the different types of communication used on the internet/computer. The examples included in the lecture are email, instant messenger, forums, blogs, wikiwebs and social networking. While these six were included in the lecture, there are probably more types out there. Students were informed about what types of communication there are and why exactly a particular form of communication falls under a certain type. For example, a chat room is place dependant and synchronous because you must be in the same place on the internet at the same time to be able to chat to people. A bulletin board, however, is place dependant but asynchronous because while you must be in the same place on the internet, you don’t have to be there at the same time as somebody else to communicate with them. Examples of alternative emails and instant messengers were given. Also included in week four’s lecture was ‘netiquette’ which was basically giving students a general idea about how to behave when using email and such. For instance, BCC generally means ‘blind copy’ and it will not show emails entered into that field when sent.
For week four’s workshop, students were firstly asked to organise their ECU emails a little as well as get to know how to use it. To do this, four folders were to be created (one for each unit, e.g. UPC0004). Then, we were to send an email to somebody sitting next to us. Because I did this activity at home, I sent an email to myself. That email was to be sent to the UPC0004 folder. To see a screenshot of this activity complete, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
The second part of our workshop required students to search a topic under the ‘Groups’ section of Google. I chose to search Arabian horses. I found that the majority of the messages posted were simply sales or owners of Arabian horses posting behavior problems. There was the odd question about the history of the horse breed and such, but no topic in particular struck me as terribly interesting. There was, however, a message posted about an elderly woman who had become sick and wanted to sell her 50 Arabian horses to loving homes. I was interested enough in this post to read the entire thing. To view the screenshot, see below (click for full image).
Students were also to visit a podcast website (http://podcasts.yahoo.com for example) and search something. I chose to search for my favourite show Metalocalypse. I was really happy with the search results returned. Some of the things that I was able to see were promos, episodes and some audio including their songs. To view a screenshot, see below (click for full image):
I believe podcasts could be particularly beneficial to students in that lectures and such could be recorded and posted if students were to miss out on a day. This would assure they would have the best opportunities to learn.
The first reading for week four was information on the different things you should remember when sending emails to people in your workplace. It included information for both senders and recipients. The second reading included knowledge on internet relay chats. This was helpful in that it included many of the dos and don’ts. For example, you should avoid typing in all capitals because people regard it as shouting. The third reading was on SPAM. It was filled with information on what is bad about SPAM, why it is such a big problem and a possible way to stop it.
For week four’s workshop, students were firstly asked to organise their ECU emails a little as well as get to know how to use it. To do this, four folders were to be created (one for each unit, e.g. UPC0004). Then, we were to send an email to somebody sitting next to us. Because I did this activity at home, I sent an email to myself. That email was to be sent to the UPC0004 folder. To see a screenshot of this activity complete, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
The second part of our workshop required students to search a topic under the ‘Groups’ section of Google. I chose to search Arabian horses. I found that the majority of the messages posted were simply sales or owners of Arabian horses posting behavior problems. There was the odd question about the history of the horse breed and such, but no topic in particular struck me as terribly interesting. There was, however, a message posted about an elderly woman who had become sick and wanted to sell her 50 Arabian horses to loving homes. I was interested enough in this post to read the entire thing. To view the screenshot, see below (click for full image).
Students were also to visit a podcast website (http://podcasts.yahoo.com for example) and search something. I chose to search for my favourite show Metalocalypse. I was really happy with the search results returned. Some of the things that I was able to see were promos, episodes and some audio including their songs. To view a screenshot, see below (click for full image):
I believe podcasts could be particularly beneficial to students in that lectures and such could be recorded and posted if students were to miss out on a day. This would assure they would have the best opportunities to learn.
The first reading for week four was information on the different things you should remember when sending emails to people in your workplace. It included information for both senders and recipients. The second reading included knowledge on internet relay chats. This was helpful in that it included many of the dos and don’ts. For example, you should avoid typing in all capitals because people regard it as shouting. The third reading was on SPAM. It was filled with information on what is bad about SPAM, why it is such a big problem and a possible way to stop it.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
In week 3’s lecture, students were informed of different ways to give an effective oral presentation. It was made clear that it was very important to try and seem as confident as possible so as to let the audience think you are an expert in what your presentation is about. Students were also given an idea of what to include in slides and in what order to deliver them to the audience. A useful tip that was given is to remember who your audience is. They are not children, but they will lose interest in your presentation if you let them. To prevent them from losing interest, it was indicated that you must be resourceful. For example, if you have a sense of humor and are naturally funny, use it. If you aren’t, however, it’s best to try not to include humor as you may end up looking quite the fool.
In the workshop this week, students were firstly to create a Top Five list of strategies to give a good oral presentation. To do this, we were to refer to the lecture slides/notes for this week as well as the web site http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.html (found on Blackboard).
Below is my Top Five list:
1. Make sure your audience understands what you are talking about. Don’t dumb it down too much, but remember that if your audience gets confused, they will lose concentration and will not go away from your presentation with anything useful.
2. Be interesting yourself rather than show it on your PowerPoint. Speak clearly and try not to speed through your talk. Allow time for you audience to process what you are saying as people are often interested most when they feel they get something. Remember to make eye contact. Don’t distract them with too many bright colours or animations on your PowerPoint presentation. Only include graphics and such if they support your presentation.
3. Try to use your PowerPoint presentation as an aid rather than the whole presentation. Only include the key points of what you are talking about. Do not include everything you are saying to the audience on the slides.
4. Make sure you practice your presentation so that it is within the time limit given. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel and appear as you will know you have a good understanding of what you are talking to your audience about. Try to practice in front of people (friends or family members) so when you get up in front of people in your final presentation, you don’t get too overwhelmed.
5. Make sure everything is in working order before hand. If you are going to include sound in your presentation for example, make sure it is going to work on the computer you are using. Be prepared in case something goes wrong (make back up hard copies of everything preferably on overheads).
In the second part of our workshop for week 3, students were required to create a PowerPoint of a biographical nature. We could make the subject on pretty much anything we wanted and could make it as showy as we wanted (to show we had an understanding of how to use the program). I chose to make my presentation on how much I dislike my cat. As required, I gave it 1 animation and some graphics. Although you cannot see them in the screenshots provided, I added animation to each object. My favourite animation would have to be the colour typewriter. To see the slides for my PowerPoint presentation, view the screenshots below (click for full view):
The readings covered this week (the site http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.html on Blackboard) were pretty much reinforcing the main points of the lecture. I found the last part (How to Give a Bad Talk by David A. Patterson) really quite funny as well as informative on some things that hadn’t been touched on much in either the lecture or the first part of the reading. Information I found useful was to remember to use appropriate sized font. I also got the idea that preparation time is just as important as research time.
In the workshop this week, students were firstly to create a Top Five list of strategies to give a good oral presentation. To do this, we were to refer to the lecture slides/notes for this week as well as the web site http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.html (found on Blackboard).
Below is my Top Five list:
1. Make sure your audience understands what you are talking about. Don’t dumb it down too much, but remember that if your audience gets confused, they will lose concentration and will not go away from your presentation with anything useful.
2. Be interesting yourself rather than show it on your PowerPoint. Speak clearly and try not to speed through your talk. Allow time for you audience to process what you are saying as people are often interested most when they feel they get something. Remember to make eye contact. Don’t distract them with too many bright colours or animations on your PowerPoint presentation. Only include graphics and such if they support your presentation.
3. Try to use your PowerPoint presentation as an aid rather than the whole presentation. Only include the key points of what you are talking about. Do not include everything you are saying to the audience on the slides.
4. Make sure you practice your presentation so that it is within the time limit given. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel and appear as you will know you have a good understanding of what you are talking to your audience about. Try to practice in front of people (friends or family members) so when you get up in front of people in your final presentation, you don’t get too overwhelmed.
5. Make sure everything is in working order before hand. If you are going to include sound in your presentation for example, make sure it is going to work on the computer you are using. Be prepared in case something goes wrong (make back up hard copies of everything preferably on overheads).
In the second part of our workshop for week 3, students were required to create a PowerPoint of a biographical nature. We could make the subject on pretty much anything we wanted and could make it as showy as we wanted (to show we had an understanding of how to use the program). I chose to make my presentation on how much I dislike my cat. As required, I gave it 1 animation and some graphics. Although you cannot see them in the screenshots provided, I added animation to each object. My favourite animation would have to be the colour typewriter. To see the slides for my PowerPoint presentation, view the screenshots below (click for full view):
The readings covered this week (the site http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~markhill/conference-talk.html on Blackboard) were pretty much reinforcing the main points of the lecture. I found the last part (How to Give a Bad Talk by David A. Patterson) really quite funny as well as informative on some things that hadn’t been touched on much in either the lecture or the first part of the reading. Information I found useful was to remember to use appropriate sized font. I also got the idea that preparation time is just as important as research time.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Week two’s lecture included different things you might do on a computer. Incorporated were Windows Explorer, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express and Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Windows Explorer is (to my understanding) is basically something that helps you with file management. Among other things, you can easily rename files, copy and past them and move them.
MS Word is a program in which you can create documents for assignments (or anything else that needs to be written up). By simply clicked your mouse, you can make the document look very professional by using headers and footers, titles and sub titles and many more things.
MS Excel helps you create spreadsheets and charts rather easily. While my knowledge of it is very limited, I understand that you enter data, to which you can find out the sum, average etc. Using that data, you can also create a range of charts including (and not limited to) pie charts, scatter charts and bar charts.
MS PowerPoint allows you to create presentations that you can present to people. The use of animation and sound is allowed, but it has been made clear that you should only really use them to support your notes rather than decorate them. You don’t want the focus to be taken away from the point of the presentation.
Internet Explorer is but one of the browsers available to access the World Wide Web. Hyperlinks included in the browser (home, back page, refresh etc) make it simple to navigate your way.
Outlook Express is also but one of the programs you can use to send and receive emails. An alternative would be Thunderbird (through www.mozilla.org).
Adobe Acrobat Reader allows you to view PDF documents from the internet and such. You can either view these documents online through Acrobat or download them to your PC and view them from there.
Other common PC programs include audio and video players and photo editing programs.
In this week’s workshop, students were to complete tasks in both MS Word and MS Excel.
In the MS Word exercise, students had to copy and paste a section of text into a new document. That document was then to be altered by changing the typeface, margin and alignment, line spacing, creating headings (and keeping those headings with the text) and creating headers and footers. To complete these tasks, instructions were given on Blackboard in the document reading_Mod01-2-5.pdf. To see a screenshot of this part of the exercise completed, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
Students were then to copy and paste a small group of references into the same document and alphabetize them. A list of titles was then to be copied and pasted into the document and made into a table of contents by creating dot leaders for them. An image was then to be inserted underneath the table of contents. Again, instructions on how to complete these tasks were listed in the document on Blackboard. To see a screenshot of this part of the exercise completed, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
In the MS Excel exercise, students were to firstly complete a table according to the requirements in the document Excel Exercises.doc.pdf found on Blackboard. Students were to adjust column widths and row heights, the table border, alignment of the cells, and some of the cell’s colours. Along the top of the table, cells B1 – H1 were to be labeled with week days (Monday – Sunday). Cell I1 was to be labeled Total and J1 Average. Cells A1 – A11 were to be labeled Activity, Traveling, Lectures, Tutorials, Lib/Study, Eating, Social, Sleeping, Other, Exercise and Total. Students were then to fill in how much time per day they spent doing each activity. Once that was finished, they were to use a Formula that calculated the Sum for each activity in the column following the cell titled Total (cell A11) to make sure each day included the full 24 hours. The summing rule was then to be applied to the row following the cell titled Total (cell I1). Once students had completed that, there was to be a Formula that calculated the Average for each activity in the row following the cell titled Average. For a screenshot of this completed activity, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
Using the information gathered in this table (the total for each activity), students were to create two charts to present the findings: a pie chart and a column chart. To see a screenshot of these two charts, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
I should take this time to say that having never used MS Excel properly until this workshop, I found the site http://www.baycongroup.com/excel.htm (provided on Blackboard) very helpful.
The first reading on Blackboard was titled Using MS Word for APA Tasks. This document covered all the different things you can do to a document to make it look professional. This included the steps we took to alter the text in our MS Word workshop as well as other varied things (hyperlinks, grammar check etc.) you can use.
The second reading on Blackboard was titled Graphic File Formats. Upon reading this, students were educated on what file format was the best one to use for certain graphics. Also included was what certain file formats would do (e.g. .gif’s could be a still image or an animation).
Windows Explorer is (to my understanding) is basically something that helps you with file management. Among other things, you can easily rename files, copy and past them and move them.
MS Word is a program in which you can create documents for assignments (or anything else that needs to be written up). By simply clicked your mouse, you can make the document look very professional by using headers and footers, titles and sub titles and many more things.
MS Excel helps you create spreadsheets and charts rather easily. While my knowledge of it is very limited, I understand that you enter data, to which you can find out the sum, average etc. Using that data, you can also create a range of charts including (and not limited to) pie charts, scatter charts and bar charts.
MS PowerPoint allows you to create presentations that you can present to people. The use of animation and sound is allowed, but it has been made clear that you should only really use them to support your notes rather than decorate them. You don’t want the focus to be taken away from the point of the presentation.
Internet Explorer is but one of the browsers available to access the World Wide Web. Hyperlinks included in the browser (home, back page, refresh etc) make it simple to navigate your way.
Outlook Express is also but one of the programs you can use to send and receive emails. An alternative would be Thunderbird (through www.mozilla.org).
Adobe Acrobat Reader allows you to view PDF documents from the internet and such. You can either view these documents online through Acrobat or download them to your PC and view them from there.
Other common PC programs include audio and video players and photo editing programs.
In this week’s workshop, students were to complete tasks in both MS Word and MS Excel.
In the MS Word exercise, students had to copy and paste a section of text into a new document. That document was then to be altered by changing the typeface, margin and alignment, line spacing, creating headings (and keeping those headings with the text) and creating headers and footers. To complete these tasks, instructions were given on Blackboard in the document reading_Mod01-2-5.pdf. To see a screenshot of this part of the exercise completed, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
Students were then to copy and paste a small group of references into the same document and alphabetize them. A list of titles was then to be copied and pasted into the document and made into a table of contents by creating dot leaders for them. An image was then to be inserted underneath the table of contents. Again, instructions on how to complete these tasks were listed in the document on Blackboard. To see a screenshot of this part of the exercise completed, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
In the MS Excel exercise, students were to firstly complete a table according to the requirements in the document Excel Exercises.doc.pdf found on Blackboard. Students were to adjust column widths and row heights, the table border, alignment of the cells, and some of the cell’s colours. Along the top of the table, cells B1 – H1 were to be labeled with week days (Monday – Sunday). Cell I1 was to be labeled Total and J1 Average. Cells A1 – A11 were to be labeled Activity, Traveling, Lectures, Tutorials, Lib/Study, Eating, Social, Sleeping, Other, Exercise and Total. Students were then to fill in how much time per day they spent doing each activity. Once that was finished, they were to use a Formula that calculated the Sum for each activity in the column following the cell titled Total (cell A11) to make sure each day included the full 24 hours. The summing rule was then to be applied to the row following the cell titled Total (cell I1). Once students had completed that, there was to be a Formula that calculated the Average for each activity in the row following the cell titled Average. For a screenshot of this completed activity, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
Using the information gathered in this table (the total for each activity), students were to create two charts to present the findings: a pie chart and a column chart. To see a screenshot of these two charts, view the screenshot below (click to see full image):
I should take this time to say that having never used MS Excel properly until this workshop, I found the site http://www.baycongroup.com/excel.htm (provided on Blackboard) very helpful.
The first reading on Blackboard was titled Using MS Word for APA Tasks. This document covered all the different things you can do to a document to make it look professional. This included the steps we took to alter the text in our MS Word workshop as well as other varied things (hyperlinks, grammar check etc.) you can use.
The second reading on Blackboard was titled Graphic File Formats. Upon reading this, students were educated on what file format was the best one to use for certain graphics. Also included was what certain file formats would do (e.g. .gif’s could be a still image or an animation).
Monday, July 30, 2007
In this weeks lecture, the UPC students were given an introduction to UPC0004. The course structure was given to us first up and this included the titles of the modules and how long it would take to complete them. We were then told of our three assessment tasks. An idea of when they were due and how they would contribute to our marks was given, as well.
As in all of the other lectures so far, we were informed of when to (and when not to) ask for extensions for our assignments and how our marks were affected if they were in fact late. Emails for the lecturers and tutors were also available during the lecture as well as the correct way to address them while using the emails (i.e. no ‘Hey Patryk’). Something I found comforting was the encouragement to ask questions.
In the tutorial this week, our first task was to check that we knew how to log into Blackboard (MyECU), SIMO and our ECU emails and just get that little bit more comfortable with each of them.
First, you visit the main page at the ECU website. On the navigation bar located on the left hand side of the page, there was a link named ‘Current Students’ which you had to click on. From there, you could access your email account, SIMO and MyECU by clicking on the appropriate link on the left hand side navigation bar.
First, I logged into my ECU email account. When I logged in, I tried to send my friend a test email. We waited for about 5 minutes and when she still hadn’t received the email, we decided to double check I had the address correct. Upon checking my Sent Items folder, I realised that instead of sending it to nselwood@student.ecu.edu.au, I had sent it to nselwood@ecu.edu.au. I wouldn’t have known unless I had looked in the ‘From’ field that included my ECU email address. For a better understanding of what I mean, take a look at a screen shot of the sent email below (click for full image):
To log into SIMO, I clicked the ‘SIMO’ link on the left hand side navigation bar to start off with. On the page that loads, I clicked the ‘Login’ link. In SIMO, students can check their timetable, maps for where their classes are, the bookshop and a few different things.
For Blackboard, I clicked the ‘MyECU’ link and then the ‘Login To MyECU’ link (both on the left hand side navigation bar, of course). Once inside Blackboard, students can access their units by clicking on the ‘MyECU Sites’ tab located on the top navigation bar. Then, on the right hand side the units are listed. By clicking on the ‘Unit Resources’ link, lecture slides and other helpful things for the unit can be found. By clicking on the ‘Assessment’ link, students will find information about their assessments and a marking grid.
To make a blog at www.blogger.com, I went to the site and clicked the orange arrow that says ‘Create Your Blog Now’. I filled in what was required (including my ECU email address) and clicked the ‘Continue’ arrow. On the next page, I named my blog and gave it an address and once again clicked the ‘Continue’ arrow. Once I chose a template for my blog, I was finished. To see the dashboard for my blog, see the screenshot below (click for full image):
To host my screenshots, I chose to use www.photobucket.com over www.imageshack.us because I already have an account with Photobucket. To see a screenshot of my Photobucket account, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
The reading this week was a basic introduction to what is inside a computer on the website http://www.howstuffworks.com/pc.htm. By finding out this regular knowledge, the reader gets a better understanding of their computer. This knowledge is beneficial to the reader because, for example, they will have an idea of what part of the computer might not be working if something goes wrong (e.g. the sound card might not be working properly if the computer isn’t playing audio).
This week, I plan to revamp my blog by adding GIF image titles and such. I feel it will make the blog look nicer and it will have more of an edge to it.
As in all of the other lectures so far, we were informed of when to (and when not to) ask for extensions for our assignments and how our marks were affected if they were in fact late. Emails for the lecturers and tutors were also available during the lecture as well as the correct way to address them while using the emails (i.e. no ‘Hey Patryk’). Something I found comforting was the encouragement to ask questions.
In the tutorial this week, our first task was to check that we knew how to log into Blackboard (MyECU), SIMO and our ECU emails and just get that little bit more comfortable with each of them.
First, you visit the main page at the ECU website. On the navigation bar located on the left hand side of the page, there was a link named ‘Current Students’ which you had to click on. From there, you could access your email account, SIMO and MyECU by clicking on the appropriate link on the left hand side navigation bar.
First, I logged into my ECU email account. When I logged in, I tried to send my friend a test email. We waited for about 5 minutes and when she still hadn’t received the email, we decided to double check I had the address correct. Upon checking my Sent Items folder, I realised that instead of sending it to nselwood@student.ecu.edu.au, I had sent it to nselwood@ecu.edu.au. I wouldn’t have known unless I had looked in the ‘From’ field that included my ECU email address. For a better understanding of what I mean, take a look at a screen shot of the sent email below (click for full image):
To log into SIMO, I clicked the ‘SIMO’ link on the left hand side navigation bar to start off with. On the page that loads, I clicked the ‘Login’ link. In SIMO, students can check their timetable, maps for where their classes are, the bookshop and a few different things.
For Blackboard, I clicked the ‘MyECU’ link and then the ‘Login To MyECU’ link (both on the left hand side navigation bar, of course). Once inside Blackboard, students can access their units by clicking on the ‘MyECU Sites’ tab located on the top navigation bar. Then, on the right hand side the units are listed. By clicking on the ‘Unit Resources’ link, lecture slides and other helpful things for the unit can be found. By clicking on the ‘Assessment’ link, students will find information about their assessments and a marking grid.
To make a blog at www.blogger.com, I went to the site and clicked the orange arrow that says ‘Create Your Blog Now’. I filled in what was required (including my ECU email address) and clicked the ‘Continue’ arrow. On the next page, I named my blog and gave it an address and once again clicked the ‘Continue’ arrow. Once I chose a template for my blog, I was finished. To see the dashboard for my blog, see the screenshot below (click for full image):
To host my screenshots, I chose to use www.photobucket.com over www.imageshack.us because I already have an account with Photobucket. To see a screenshot of my Photobucket account, view the screenshot below (click for full image):
The reading this week was a basic introduction to what is inside a computer on the website http://www.howstuffworks.com/pc.htm. By finding out this regular knowledge, the reader gets a better understanding of their computer. This knowledge is beneficial to the reader because, for example, they will have an idea of what part of the computer might not be working if something goes wrong (e.g. the sound card might not be working properly if the computer isn’t playing audio).
This week, I plan to revamp my blog by adding GIF image titles and such. I feel it will make the blog look nicer and it will have more of an edge to it.
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