Mary's NET11 Blog

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

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

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