I've had a great time studying NET11 this semester.
I've learned a lot, from how to organise and evaluate information I found online, to
researching for critical articles using
Gecko and
Google Scholar. By completing the tasks in this unit, I gained a further knowledge of the Internet history, Internet law, and copyrights, as well as enhancing my skills in emailing, chatting, blogging and communication online.
It has been wonderful having this learning log to keep chart of my progress throughout the 13 weeks - It was so helpful I actually started a similar log for the other unit of study I was doing.
Thank you to my tutor, Cynthia, who helped with her in-depth posts on the discussion boards clarifying assignment requirements. :)
Thank you to all my fellow students for their help, advice and ideas on this unit through out discussion board and chat sessions. :)
Can't wait to start further studies on campus at Curtin for next semester!
- Mary
Labels: Internet Studies
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
I got my results from my first assignment in NET11 yesterday, and to my complete shock I got marked as 30/30! I did not have a clue how good or bad my assignment was, and would have been completely satisfied with a B or B+.
Thinking back to when I was working on that assignment, I do remember enjoying it - as I love searching, categorizing and even referencing (I never could have guessed I would love that!) plus the assignment taught me some useful skills, such as how to evaluate information, and how to annotate it so it will be of further use to myself and others.
Getting a mark like that was a good surprise, and made me more confident that I am on the right track with my studies. :)
Labels: Assignment 1
Saturday, May 19, 2007
I got a letter from Curtin containing an offer to study for the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Information). I accepted the offer, so from next semester I'll be an on-campus, full time student!
Yay! :)
I'm very excited and can't wait to begin! and, hopefully, I'll meet some of my online tutors when I am studying there.
- Mary
Labels: Internet Studies
Friday, May 11, 2007
My essay for assignment 2 is progressing nicely.
It's kind of funny to think that this time last week I was feeling fairly lost with not much idea of how it was all going to come together. But reading, thinking, writing down any ideas as they came to me, and constantly going over the concepts document have meant that I've finally got a good grasp on what I am writing about and how I am going to write about it.
I find this essay is very reflective, almost a case in point for Concept 4,
Reflective Communicative Practice, because at every step of the way, I am looking back on how I've improved throughout this unit. And in other ways this essay is making me realise how much conceptual knowledge I already had, (and just didn't realise!). Just in little things like
thinking before I do anything online.
Well back to the essay, this semester is winding up quickly! :)
-Mary
Labels: Assignment 2
Saturday, May 5, 2007
I've just read some articles about transmission models of communication from the
media studies infobase (which was recommended in the assessment details for this assignment)
The articles I've read so far are:
*The Shannon-Weaver model.
*Transmission models -criticism.
*The Lasswell formula.
*Berlo's S-M-C-R Model.
These were all very interesting, and certainly got me thinking, but I'm unsure about how I could use them in relation to my assignment. I guess I'll keep on reading.
Yesterday after listening to Helen Merrick's entertaining lecture on
Information Ecologies (she really got me enthusiastic about this essay!) I did make a ~450 word start on my essay - just by going through the concepts documents and thinking about which concepts related to any module tasks I completed.
This was good, as it at least got me started on my essay, even if I won't use any of what I wrote yesterday.
I also reflected on some questions posed in Module 5:
How might the metaphor of an ‘ecology’ impact on the way you think about, understand or use the Internet?
It changes my thoughts about the Internet because you realise how everything is dependant on everything else. That the internet is the 'house' within which all these technologies work.
How are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology’?
Information is what is sent, communication is when what is sent makes sense between (at least) two people.
Why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology’?
Because communication is not the implied result of swapping information.
- Mary
Labels: Assignment 2, Module 5
Friday, May 4, 2007
Well the assignment that will be the hardest is now upon me, yes you guessed it - an essay!
After wondering how I should start to approach the question
"How can our 'Net skill and knowledge be enhanced by a conceptual understanding
of the Internet?" (Allen, n.d.)
I decided to start by asking myself some questions;
What is meant by 'conceptual understanding?'
What skills and knowledge is enhanced?
Why is our knowledge and skills enhanced by a conceptual understanding?
To what extent are they enhanced?
Time to get studying!
- Mary
References
Allen, M. n.d. Internet communications concepts document. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from webCT through Curtin University of Technology.
Labels: Assignment 2
