Journal #6 - Internet and Information Access

While at this point in my college journey, I have learned to cite everything, but I will go out on a limb and say the Internet has in essence changed everything about information and information access.  The YouTube clip above does well to showcase many different aspects of change brought upon Internet access, and in turn how we are using it change the world around us.

The presenter in this video starts by simply stating that access to information is easier, and hence people are more willing to find out more on a topic.  To date myself, research-based homework assignments when I was in high school meant hoping the information was to be found in our home set of encyclopedias or a trip to the library.  This of course, depending on my schedule, car availability, etc. was always a hassle and required logistical planning.  The trip to the library itself was usually a tense, stressful time when I had only a set amount of time to find my information.  I did not have time to “surf the web”, or be drawn into tangential searches on topics that interested me.  Today, with the Internet and my Smartphone in my pocket at all times, if I hear a word, concept, or phrase that interests me then I will quickly go on dictionary.com or Wikipedia to learn more.  With that in mind, I think the Internet has allowed for people to further investigate topics which interest them.  The speaker in the video continues to say that the model, flow of information in the classroom, has also changed because of Internet usage outside of school.  Schools used to be a place for students to come in and be given information from the teacher, as well as often being exposed to better technology than they could get at home.  When I was younger, schools were where I really got to use my first computer and watch movies on the VCR.  Now, with the Internet, You Tube, and even television stations like the History Channel and Discovery, often classes start with students telling teachers about information they learned themselves.  Using this model, now classrooms are becoming more student-centered, as they become less reliant on the school teacher as their sole access to experts on topics.  Adding the development of MOOC’s and institutions like the Kahn Academy, the whole world is gaining access to the brightest minds on topics and information can now be learned through intrinsic motivators versus just for credit.  Soon, whole schools, districts, etc. can be taught by perhaps one teacher, and the “classroom” teacher might become no more than a proctor and one who just needs to just concentrate on creating and monitoring work rather than being an expert in the subject matter.

In addition to creating more access to “everything”, in my opinion the Internet has also increased access to higher quality research and literature as well.  Just within mainstream America, and in context of the growing eReader market, it seems that people can quickly and often cheaply obtain some of the greatest literature ever written.  I myself have downloaded many “classics”, often for free or less than a dollar, as companies want to get me used to using the tool with the hope the usage will lead to my further downloads of newer, more expensive books.  Related to research and quality academic text, I do think the mass amount of information online can create situations where it is becoming more difficult to decide what is credible, or not.  Many students of mine seemed to have the mindset that if something was online, then it was true, so a curriculum which also highlights teaching students how to properly find and access acceptable research is needed.  The information itself, credible peer-reviewed material, is more available than ever and can often be found through simple search engines.  Again back to my “old days”, there were frustrating times using the card catalog, finding what seemed to be the perfect article, to only be told after a ten minute wait while the librarian was “in the back” that the resource was missing, not returned, or they did not carry that subscription anymore.  As a student at the University of Florida I have great access to quality text, and my options are not limited to a few searches, but often exponentially large due to many searches and databases working together to post and find information.  Basic search engines have also worked to develop their searches to differentiate between everything on the web, and quality text, as Google Scholar is a great tool for everyone to access.  Unfortunately, I find that many people do not know about this search, but are very excited once they do and have tested it for a project or assignment. 

From the perspective of students, and those researching a project or topic, all of the new avenues to find quality text is helpful, but I wonder how researchers feel towards all of the access to their work.  I am sure that when people publish their work, having more people being able to read it can open more doors and lead to more opportunities.  Furthermore, they can network more, collaborate with others, and be pushed in directions to further their research.  Unfortunately, I am sure the level of criticism increases as well.  For many who research, their work can be very personal and criticism of work used to be only be a very formal and open process.  Years ago, if one wanted to challenge the content of a published work, often they would have to publish a response back to the original author.  Today, criticism and commentary can happen much quicker, potentially harsher, maybe anonymously through websites, chat rooms, and social media.  It will be interesting to see how researchers respond to our inter-connectedness as well as the evolving world of instant feedback.  Publishing, and the newer self-publishing field, are changing and how that impacts people’s desire to write and share their work remains to be seen. 

Journal #5 - The Smartphone

           I was a later entrant into the world of Smartphones than many of my friends and colleagues.  A few years ago I purchased the Droid (the tank version) and more recently I have integrated everything Apple and currently have an iPhone 4.  I am not one of those people who waits in line for the latest device to be released, but usually when my contract is up I get a new phone (every two years).  The incorporation of my phone into my life, however, has been drastic.  I do have a long reprieve everyday as I rarely use my phone at work, but am still plugged “in” through my desktop.  Once I leave work, I usually am within a few feet of my phone at all times, and this certainly has me conflicted on this dependence.  To start, and simply put, I like my phone and I like using it.  I enjoy reading new things and I enjoy staying on top of things as they develop.  My constant refreshing of things, probably results in a new waste of time as things do not happen as quickly as I update, but I do enjoy visiting my cycle of frequently visited sites throughout the day.  Furthermore, I enjoy checking my email, staying on top of my work from home, and using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep up with my friends and peers.

                Many of these uses of my Smartphone, as well as where and when I use them, lead to my internal strife and feelings of addiction.  To start, catching up with friends and keeping up-to-date with the world and my job seem like good things for me to be spending my time monitoring.  I also refrain from using this device while I am driving and I try to keep the phone away from time where I can be focusing on my children.  If I go out front and play catch with my kids I do not use it, nor at the dinner table.  There are of course times, where I walk the line, like last evening while at my son’s soccer game.  When my son was on the field, I had the phone away and watched every second, but when he went to the bench for a break I got it out.  To say I am a parent who looks at his phone during his son’s soccer game is somewhat bothersome for me, but generally I enjoy the flexibility to use my phone when I want.  Another time of the day that I find difficult to judge is at the end of the day, when the kids are in bed, and my wife and I usually watch a TV show or two before going to bed.  This used to feel more like a shared event, but now seems more like we are both multi-tasking through the show and our phones.  In general I do not feel bad that I am missing some “TV watching time” as that is in itself not a worthy endeavor, but the inclusion of the phone has changed the dynamic between my wife and I doing “something” together. 

                The look of using a Smartphone, in the realm of an average American, offers one perspective.  My using a Smartphone, however, is only one piece of the puzzle and even if it were removed I own two other computers, a laptop and have a computer at work.  The incorporation of Smartphone usage in places like Africa, however, has much greater impact.  The following video shows many of the current logistical issues in implementing Smartphones in places within Africa.  For example, some of the positives of Smartphone adoption, over computers, etc. are the cost factor.  Most 1^st and 2^nd world countries have seen the infrastructure build and change over time to accommodate technology.  We have many old computers in the garage, along with wires running into our house, and empty business locations selling parts, doing repairs, or once housing Internet cafes.  To tap into the African population, much of this can be by-passed and people and cities and nations can go directly to Smartphones and wifi.  When using this technology, many other pieces of equipment and infrastructure can also perhaps be eliminated, such as televisions, libraries, etc.  For many Africans, though, this speed of technology can be very overwhelming and they soon will be inundated with foreign cultures and advertisement to earn their future potential money.  Fast food restaurants, clothing corporations, tobacco companies, and sport leagues will soon see Africa as an untapped resource to hook new viewers and costumers.

Journal #4 - MUVE

MUVE (Multi-User Virtual Environments)

I found this video which was a nice short explanation of multi-user virtual environments (MUVE): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hirc4E73fg0

I think this video does well to introduce the concept, as well as explain some of the positive and potentially negative aspects for students and instructors.  To start, a MUVE, like Second Life, allows for students who are in different locations to interact within a virtual environment.  This environment, complete with avatar representation of users allows for another dimension in online synchronous communication.  Certainly this concept and software can contribute to learning as a motivator.  Most anyone who sees a program, like Second Life in action, is drawn to it and wants to play around themselves.  This program, like many other online synchronous tools, can allow people in different locations, time zones, etc. to come together for discussion.  Perhaps, with the avatars, people feel like this can be a more intimate environment than just posting on a discussion board.

When considering whether I would ever want to use a MUVE in one of my classrooms, I would start by asking what role it would play in my course and what tools it would replace.  The time to train everyone to use this software, while not extreme, can be longer than many other tools.  To invest so much of my time, and my students time, to learn a tool I would need to feel that the net learning gains would need to justify the inclusion of the MUVE.  When considering whether this is a good learning tool to incorporate, I think it depends on the instructor’s perceived needs for a class or set of students.  If an asynchronous or synchronous course was demonstrating a desire to me more intimate and interact more, than perhaps this could be a good next step.  If a course of asynchronous students were enjoying their freedom to participate whenever they wanted, or if a synchronous course was happy with the tools already in use, I would not see a reason to force a program like Second Life because “it looks cool”.  To just discuss a topic in a government course I am teaching, through a MUVE does not seem at this like a worthy investment of my time and resources.  Concentrating on getting the most out of the tools I currently use, as well as the curriculum, would probably yield similar or better results.  Perhaps MUVE’s have a better purpose in helping corporate training and company teams.  Considering the time needed to train students on a MUVE, for the purpose of participating in one class, the time away from the content might not be made up with the tool.  An environment, however, of adult learners working for the same company who will be working together for potentially years in different locations might be a better application of the tool. 

When considering the inclusion of a MUVE within your curriculum, it is also important to consider how it will affect your students.  In my opinion, tools should be adopted when it will have a positive impact on students, not where it will force students to act differently or be uncomfortable to keep up with the tool.  Personally, I feel that MUVE’s can cause students to act differently than other environments, so it is up to the instructor to know their students.  Some students will act similar to a face-to-face environment, while other students might be liberated and act differently with the one step barrier.  Compared to other online tools, some students who enjoy the time to think before posting in an asynchronous environment might feel pressured by the MUVE, as they might be in a face-to-face course.  In the end, like most technology tools, there needs to be a reason for the tool and the right matching by instructors with their student environment.

Journal #3: How Do We Know What is Reliable Online?

·         How do we shape our ability to critically evaluate the credibility of information available online?

Using the Internet, and surfing the web, seems like it has been part of my whole life, as I often have a hard time remembering how I acquired information pre-Internet.  At this point, whether it is buying a product, getting political information, or doing research for school, I feel comfortable knowing where to go online to get credible products and information.  Taking a step back, however, one should reconsider what makes them choose certain websites and organizations for their time online.  In many ways, choices on the Internet are similar to ones made in more traditional venues, in other ways the Internet provides for more information to sort through to make informed decisions.

Much like the world away from the Internet, people feel comfortable interacting with businesses and resources which are big, have been around for a long time, and have been used by people with similar interests.  When shopping online, I feel comfortable buying products from businesses like Amazon, because I know their size means many people use this company and repeat their business.  Seeing all of the company’s infrastructure makes me feel comfortable knowing they will be able to complete the task of fulfilling my transaction.  I also feel comfortable using websites linked to companies which have traditionally been prevalent retailers for many years, like Sears or Ford.  Finally, like shopping, picking a restaurant, or even doing professional work or research, we often lend credibility to sites which were recommended by friends or people we trust in our chosen field.  If someone, knowing what I do for a living, told me I needed to look at a new site, I would be willing to and would do so with a positive preconceived notion on what I would be examining.

Prior to the Internet, I felt comfortable using academic journals, peer-reviewed publications, as well as information from encyclopedias for my work.  In shaping my ability to evaluate research material online, I primarily try to find the same sources online, or their equivalents.  To start, many academic journals have moved from the back of the libraries to an online format.  The review which occurs to publish is the same, or often now has more peer-review as it is easy to disseminate work electronically for people to examine.  Teaching myself, and students, where to find academic journals and peer-reviewed work online is something which can be done quickly through search engines, and often collections are often already put together by disciplines making future research potentially easier.  Beyond formal, peer-review work found online, finding reputable and accurate research other places on the Internet can be more difficult.  There are, of course, online versions of newspapers and magazines which are near as reliable online as the print version.  What is different, however, is the need to be able and put part of an article in context if someone just copies you sections or quotes.  Furthermore, many magazines and newspapers online have chats and comments section, which need to often be considered equivalent to the editorial section of print editions. 

The section of the Internet which seems to be most debated, relating to credibility of reporting is blogs.  According to Gunter (2009) the emergence of blogs is significant and their influence and growth should be taken seriously.  Furthermore, blogs are fast becoming a starting point for people to find out about news worthy events (Gunter, 2009).  Much like all other forms of media, however, the “brand” and source of the blog is what pushes public trust (Gunter, 2009).  Often blogs, like the Drudge Report and Huffington Post point users towards reliable information, but perhaps only information from one perspective.  Another area online with debatable reliability, similar to blogs, is wiki sites, Wikipedia specifically.  For years, many teachers gave students blanket instructions to avoid Wikipedia, instructions often ignored by students as their usage of the site was often counted correct on assignments.  Over time, it appears that more people are noticing the small army of people who take the reliability of Wikipedia very seriously, and that studies have shown factual errors on the site are often equivalent in frequency as printed encyclopedias. 

In the end, when considering what parts of the Internet to use for research, professional, and academic work, people need to understand the needs and resources of their field.  One site might be acceptable for one usage and not for another.  People should often also follow the acceptable resources outside of the Internet and work to find their online counterpart.  Trying to find formal writings, peer-reviewed work, or using resources accepted by the leaders and peers in your field are always best choices.  People should also work to examine new resources that come available online as well, but in the beginning work to verify the information with other known sites.

Gunter, B., Campbell, V., Touri, M., & Gibson, R.  (2009).  Blogs, news and credibility.  Aslib Proceedings, 61 (2), 185 – 204.