Blogs, good or bad for make learning well?

How did I find the blog?

Overall I found the blog both fun and interesting, as well as a time consuming, frustrating and an ultimately redundant learning tool. It was fun as I’d never blogged before so having part of my unit being assessed in this manner meant I had to learn how to use this software, no biggie, because I enjoy learning new things. Interesting in that discussions had in tutes could flow over into this arena and continue, regardless of room time constraints and class clashes.

The time consuming part of doing this blog comes in where the internet is having difficulties, so it takes ages to load, or I’m not near a computer and have to wait until I’m near one to do my work. Or in the case of putting a post up or responding to a post, continuously checking it for responses, and being disappointed in the apparent lack of interest in some topics, and heated debates in others. In the case of the latter, not checking it for a day or two can mean whole conversations happen and conclusions reached without the chance to have input.

The blog was redundant in my mind how ever, since we already have discussion boards that can be utilised in the same manner on WebCT. Perhaps the funky colour backgrounds engender further discussion in a way that WebCT doesn’t. Or is that we are encouraged to use the blog since it is a part of our assessment process? Forced participation sounds a bit harsh, but the more people interacting gives a richer experience in the blogosphere so may be a good way to go.

I didn’t find it easier to say something in the blog than in a tutorial, the only differences really being that I don’t have to wait for someone to finish talking before I can have my turn with the blog. On the same note though in a tute there is instant response to my utterances whereas the learning environment of the Blog can either happened really fast or really slowly. A plus for the blog is that I can Hyperlink, a tool which I’d not known how to use up until now, and which I’m having great fun using, to prove my points, or add illustration to an argument. These are things which I can say in a tute but I believe visual images help people to understand a topic so much more.

Either way I have found that units where discussions are continued on outside of the class room give greater understanding of subject matter, than those who have cobwebs in the halls of their discussion boards. Surely though, more information can be exchanged so much quicker and easier than on a blog, when done with a face to face conversation. I’m curious to know about the experiences of people who use blogs on a regular basis and how they found this blog. I personally don’t blog, and don’t follow blogs, mostly because I find the constant checking to see if any new posts are up really frustrating. I have better things to do with my time. Plus I get bored quickly if I don’t see any progress. I liken it to being chained to technology, always needing to be with it, even if it doesn’t need you.

Am I a Cyborg?

I don’t consider myself a cyborg, although we are greatly advanced from our ancestors technologically speaking, the same can be said of most generations of man, in comparison to the ones that came before. It’s just that now we’re getting to the stage of creating things on a smaller level with finer detail. If however in our lifetime they do come up with a viable option for cybernetic limbs, I would certainly consider them and become fused with technology permanently. I'm keeping a close eye on developments in the field.

Likes/dislikes about the unit in general

I really enjoyed this unit in every way. It was taught on a subject about which I am fond, and gave me new ideas and perceptions of things that I interacted with on a daily basis, but didn’t give a second thought about. I’m still reeling over the idea of ethics in cyberspace. The first 3 movie snippets that were shown in workshops were from movies that I’d really enjoyed, and helped me to understand the ideas discussed in the lecture on a whole new level, and to help others in my group to understand the background of the scenes shown and apply new points of view on things of which I really enjoy.

Sometimes the tutorial didn’t seem to have enough time, other times the tute didn’t seem to be moving at all. This second one may have been due to the topic, or perhaps no one read the readings that week, or perhaps the questions being asked just weren’t engendering responses from the students. I’d had times where I enjoyed the readings and had one or two things I wanted to say, but the questions being asked weren’t relevant. So it’s either a case of putting it down in the Blog, or steering the tute away from the presenter to talk about that interesting point. Politeness would generally stay my hand from the second option, unless boredom won out and I’d say it anyway.

Donna Haraway- She still confuses me. So much of what she says comes across as techno-babble to me. I can see that she’s had some really interesting ideas, but I think I need a translator to help me understand most of them. I suppose that's where this unit comes in, branching out from her ideas and expanding on them through out the semester.

This unit was awesome, and I don't know of any changes that will improve it, other than perhaps more class time. Thanks everyone for your input and making this unit such a rich experience.