Week 12 Reflection & Evaluation

Use of blogs for learning purposes: Evaluation

I found the the use of blogs helpful and it has greatly enhanced the learning process.

What I liked about it was it was easy to refer to ideas talked about in class. In addition, the blog is a platform that allowed for the sharing of relevant scholarly material that enabled me to understand the readings better.

What I did not like about it was the quality of the discussions. Responses to posts fluctuate, some posts garnered many comments while there were zero responses for certain posts. Moreover, the adequacy of resources found on the blog is completely dependent on the users, therefore it is crucial that the users respond and post relevant articles.

Overall, the blog is only as useful as its users make it but it is still an important aspect of the learning process. The objective of using the blog for educational purposes has been met and it allows for easy reference to discussions brought up in class.

I feel that the blog system can be further improved. To prevent a deluge of comments for one post and zilch for another, what can be done is a designated number of people can be assigned to give feedback each week. This would ensure a steady flow of comments rather than the current fluctuation. EG The two presenters from the previous week must comment on the posts in the upcoming week.

Am I a Cyborg now?

I would consider myself a cyborg because I now see the integration of technology into human lives in a new light. The idea that humans are more cyborg now than our ancestors were is a prevalent theme throughout the course of this subject. Thanks to the evolution of technology and the pervasiveness of its use in our everyday lives, we have evolved into the posthuman stage where we can actually categorize ourselves as cyborgs. A quote from Haraway's Manifesto best describes this "We are all chimeras, theorized and fabricated hybrids of machine and organism; in short, we are cyborgs."

Studying theories by Haraway, Stelarc and Moravec has allowed me to see the omnipresence of technology in our everyday lives and realise that it has and now become second nature to me. Therefore, yes, I consider myself a cyborg now.

What I most liked/disliked about the unit?

What I liked about the unit is the way it was taught. For the workshop, I liked the idea of giving scenarios of how we could apply the concepts to real life and breaking up into different groups to discuss the execution of the concepts further. For the lecture, I liked the method of explanation. During lectures, the more difficult concepts were linked to visuals or interactive material which allowed for easier comprehension of the concepts.

What I did not like about the unit would be the distribution of the marks. I find that 50% for the major essay is a little too high for one assignment. I think if more percentage was awarded to the weblog, it would enhance the function of the weblog greatly. This is because an added percentage would serve as motivation for a more steady stream of discussions and comments.