Does Facebook serve as an efficient and useful CMS, based on student perspectives?
Can the use of Facebook as a CMS increase student completion of other online assignments (QUIA workbook and lab manual)?
22.2.08
Proyecto Final
The inspiration for my final project came to me as I was rinsing out the last bubbles of this tea tree shampoo I picked up at Wards (locally made in Gainesville)...
For those who follow my blog, you'll remember that I gave up Facebook not too long ago. Well, that experiment lasted a week and now I'm back on. I recognized that I was on that site very often - multiple times a day. Looking at the web habits of others in this class, I noticed the same.
I believe that to make technology an efficient part of the classroom, it has to integrate into the lives of students. We are no longer dealing with students who view the computer as a novelty. They live connected to the internet - I evidence this in my classroom on a daily basis as two of my students download the daily powerpoints onto their Smart phones.
I have read about the history of CALL and the different steps we have taken as teachers. I think with the advent of Web 2.0 and the changing nature of the internet (from encyclopedia to conversation) requires a change in CALL research. CALL must reflect the change that has been documented in web browsing itself. We visit a few sites a day - a lot - and have them tabbed or within easy access. Having students remember a specific site that falls outside their daily, robotic browsing habits is a disturbance.
Case in point: QUIA. Students often don't remember the website or are unfamiliar with the interface as it's alien to their routine.
My suggestion: let's use something that has become ubiquitous online - Facebook
Note: I am going with this site as opposed to its competition for various reasons. First, it is more popular than others; second, it has security settings limiting who can access material; and finally, it has an easy-to-use interface.
The last factor is especially important. My last boss (at the insurance software company I worked for) asked me once if I knew why Google had come to dominate the search engine business. I replied that it was due to their logarithm and its advanced search capabilities. He took a swig of cola and a bite from his Big Mac, leaving ketchup on his face and onion in the air, and gave me a smug reply: Google, no matter how good its search engine is, is the site of choice due to its simplicity of use and aesthetic cleanliness. We cannot discount the look and feel of a site.
So I decided to use Facebook in two ways: first as a course management system (CMS, see TIFLE book for the Dook article) {that's Duke University - but I prefer their actual name}; and second, as a means of ACMC.
I have currently created the Facebook group for my students and have started posting links, grades, assignments, etc.
I've also started a few threads for out-of-class discussion.
We'll see how this goes...
PS:
I am adopting an information science theory here. As discussed in class, FL doesn't do well sharing with other disciplines. I hope to change this by including IS theory here, specifically the TAM system (technology acceptance model) which builds upon previous research. The gist of this schematic is that the perceived ease of use, and the extant use of a technology system correlates directly with the actual usage of said system.
More on this in future posts.....Please comment if this interests you or if you think TAM and other IS theory may help in your own research.
PPS:
The main guy doing research in TAM shares my first initial and last name. We are not the same person.
For those who follow my blog, you'll remember that I gave up Facebook not too long ago. Well, that experiment lasted a week and now I'm back on. I recognized that I was on that site very often - multiple times a day. Looking at the web habits of others in this class, I noticed the same.
I believe that to make technology an efficient part of the classroom, it has to integrate into the lives of students. We are no longer dealing with students who view the computer as a novelty. They live connected to the internet - I evidence this in my classroom on a daily basis as two of my students download the daily powerpoints onto their Smart phones.
I have read about the history of CALL and the different steps we have taken as teachers. I think with the advent of Web 2.0 and the changing nature of the internet (from encyclopedia to conversation) requires a change in CALL research. CALL must reflect the change that has been documented in web browsing itself. We visit a few sites a day - a lot - and have them tabbed or within easy access. Having students remember a specific site that falls outside their daily, robotic browsing habits is a disturbance.
Case in point: QUIA. Students often don't remember the website or are unfamiliar with the interface as it's alien to their routine.
My suggestion: let's use something that has become ubiquitous online - Facebook
Note: I am going with this site as opposed to its competition for various reasons. First, it is more popular than others; second, it has security settings limiting who can access material; and finally, it has an easy-to-use interface.
The last factor is especially important. My last boss (at the insurance software company I worked for) asked me once if I knew why Google had come to dominate the search engine business. I replied that it was due to their logarithm and its advanced search capabilities. He took a swig of cola and a bite from his Big Mac, leaving ketchup on his face and onion in the air, and gave me a smug reply: Google, no matter how good its search engine is, is the site of choice due to its simplicity of use and aesthetic cleanliness. We cannot discount the look and feel of a site.
So I decided to use Facebook in two ways: first as a course management system (CMS, see TIFLE book for the Dook article) {that's Duke University - but I prefer their actual name}; and second, as a means of ACMC.
I have currently created the Facebook group for my students and have started posting links, grades, assignments, etc.
I've also started a few threads for out-of-class discussion.
We'll see how this goes...
PS:
I am adopting an information science theory here. As discussed in class, FL doesn't do well sharing with other disciplines. I hope to change this by including IS theory here, specifically the TAM system (technology acceptance model) which builds upon previous research. The gist of this schematic is that the perceived ease of use, and the extant use of a technology system correlates directly with the actual usage of said system.
More on this in future posts.....Please comment if this interests you or if you think TAM and other IS theory may help in your own research.
PPS:
The main guy doing research in TAM shares my first initial and last name. We are not the same person.
14.2.08
Widgets?
This weeks post is on the use of widgets in a blog. What are widgets? Well there are a handful on this very blog. First, the poll right above this text (go ahead and vote, you know you want to) is an example. The Google Ads on top (which are going to make me rich!) are another example. The Youtube bar and the News bar on the left too are widgets. Widgets are nifty little devices that add some sparkle to a page. They are embedded in the code and do not require a separate browser window, though they read their source code from a third party website. What does that mean? The text you are reading right now is sourced from the Blogspot servers. The Youtube bar on the other hand is a frame for information sourced from a third party website, which in this case is Youtube.com. Therefore, while you think you're simply visiting TifleLikeRifle, you're also actively accessing youtube and google ads as well. The poll on the blog however is sourced straight from Blogspot, but is still a widget as it adds a certain interactivity/utility to the site.
Widgets are more popularly seen in operating systems. Mac OS has widgets built in, such as clock, weather, iCal, Youtube, Gmail, etc.
Other sites like Yahoo allow you to download a widgets engine that gives Windows users the option of running widgets on the desktop. I believe Vista has this built-in but I haven't really played around with that system since adopting OSX.
Widgets are handy and fun. My favourite has to be the 'sticky note' widget for OSX. I can jot down reminders and to-do lists and place them in a visible corner of my desktop. Very handy. They definitely liven up a blog as well.
Problem: do widgets slow down blogs and websites? Yes, to an extent, as the extra step of sourcing code from third party sites and then displaying it on the primary site takes more processing. Should you stop using all widgets? I don't think so. This is not to say that you should drown your page with innane gadgets and tools, but to keep things informative and useful to the user. If you start noticing a widget paralyzing your page, then maybe you should evaluate its actual use on the site.
The widgets here are going to stay for the moment, though I think I might get rid of the News bar.
Google Ads is definitely staying put.
Widgets are more popularly seen in operating systems. Mac OS has widgets built in, such as clock, weather, iCal, Youtube, Gmail, etc.
Other sites like Yahoo allow you to download a widgets engine that gives Windows users the option of running widgets on the desktop. I believe Vista has this built-in but I haven't really played around with that system since adopting OSX.
Widgets are handy and fun. My favourite has to be the 'sticky note' widget for OSX. I can jot down reminders and to-do lists and place them in a visible corner of my desktop. Very handy. They definitely liven up a blog as well.
Problem: do widgets slow down blogs and websites? Yes, to an extent, as the extra step of sourcing code from third party sites and then displaying it on the primary site takes more processing. Should you stop using all widgets? I don't think so. This is not to say that you should drown your page with innane gadgets and tools, but to keep things informative and useful to the user. If you start noticing a widget paralyzing your page, then maybe you should evaluate its actual use on the site.
The widgets here are going to stay for the moment, though I think I might get rid of the News bar.
Google Ads is definitely staying put.
9.2.08
To Hell with Powerpoint
The topic of my post regards the monopoly Microsoft now holds on productivity software. Why is word processing now synonymous with Word? Spreadsheets with Excel? And presentations with Powerpoint?
We need to wean ourselves off the EVIL that is Microsoft.
For PC users, switch to OpenOffice. Search for it in Google. It is free and easy to use. Also, you never have to pay for upgrades or worry about compatibility issues. It also tends to run quicker on the OS you use.
For MAC users, download NeoOffice. Same thing as OpenOffice, but runs natively on MAC OSX.
Good luck.
PS: OpenOffice suites never 'spy' on you like Microsoft does. Word, and everything else in Office 'checks with home' every time you open the program, sending Microsoft information about your computer.
We need to wean ourselves off the EVIL that is Microsoft.
For PC users, switch to OpenOffice. Search for it in Google. It is free and easy to use. Also, you never have to pay for upgrades or worry about compatibility issues. It also tends to run quicker on the OS you use.
For MAC users, download NeoOffice. Same thing as OpenOffice, but runs natively on MAC OSX.
Good luck.
PS: OpenOffice suites never 'spy' on you like Microsoft does. Word, and everything else in Office 'checks with home' every time you open the program, sending Microsoft information about your computer.
5.2.08
Punto de Poder (Podaaaahr if you're Argentine)
I'm pleased with the powerpoint i put together in class today. I played around with graphics and animations. I've never been a big fan of the latter because I believe it to be overkill at times. It worked appropriately in this presentation though. I chose to upload it on google docs and embed it instead of simply posting a link. I LOVE embedded content! It makes information seamless.
I use powerpoint pretty often in class. I used to have incredibly detailed and complete presentations, which effectively became a transcript of the textbook - bad idea. I realized my mistake when students resorted to the powerpoints I posted on my website as opposed to coming to class.
Since then, I've streamlined my presentations to only include examples and very brief points on the topic of the day. I like to keep powerpoint as an option in the classroom but not as my sole method of imparting information.
I find powerpoint useful to illustrate points or to present examples to the class. It shouldn't replace the instructor or the textbook. It is best used as an auxiliary device in the classroom. The computer here must work as slave and not master. Students become apathetic when all they have to look forward to is a series of slides (God knows I've done that in the accounting and economics classes I took).
I think the sociocultural perspective on CALL is interesting in this discussion. We cannot evaluate simply what powerpoint can bring to the class, but what the instructor can do with powerpoint.
On another note, I tried embedding a youtube video onto my presentation, with the 'live' method that requires you to set up an ActiveX object on the slide. This method hasn't worked. I might try the other method in the future, which requires you to download a player that essentially rips the file from youtube and saves it under a .flv extension. From there, you use a simple encoder to save the file as an mpeg or any of the other extensions powerpoint recognizes. It annoys me a bit that Microsoft has such control over what we can and cannot do - they intentionally force us to use formats compliant with their systems and standards in our work (re: the use of wma and wmv files).
I like using powerpoint in the classroom.
I do wish however that a third party program with comparable if not better capabilities were available to the general public (Open Office is a possibility, but I've had some problems showing Open Office presentations on Powerpoint PCs, even if the file is saved as a .ppt format).
Love, Hugs, Kisses, and a nice firm Handshake.
I use powerpoint pretty often in class. I used to have incredibly detailed and complete presentations, which effectively became a transcript of the textbook - bad idea. I realized my mistake when students resorted to the powerpoints I posted on my website as opposed to coming to class.
Since then, I've streamlined my presentations to only include examples and very brief points on the topic of the day. I like to keep powerpoint as an option in the classroom but not as my sole method of imparting information.
I find powerpoint useful to illustrate points or to present examples to the class. It shouldn't replace the instructor or the textbook. It is best used as an auxiliary device in the classroom. The computer here must work as slave and not master. Students become apathetic when all they have to look forward to is a series of slides (God knows I've done that in the accounting and economics classes I took).
I think the sociocultural perspective on CALL is interesting in this discussion. We cannot evaluate simply what powerpoint can bring to the class, but what the instructor can do with powerpoint.
On another note, I tried embedding a youtube video onto my presentation, with the 'live' method that requires you to set up an ActiveX object on the slide. This method hasn't worked. I might try the other method in the future, which requires you to download a player that essentially rips the file from youtube and saves it under a .flv extension. From there, you use a simple encoder to save the file as an mpeg or any of the other extensions powerpoint recognizes. It annoys me a bit that Microsoft has such control over what we can and cannot do - they intentionally force us to use formats compliant with their systems and standards in our work (re: the use of wma and wmv files).
I like using powerpoint in the classroom.
I do wish however that a third party program with comparable if not better capabilities were available to the general public (Open Office is a possibility, but I've had some problems showing Open Office presentations on Powerpoint PCs, even if the file is saved as a .ppt format).
Love, Hugs, Kisses, and a nice firm Handshake.
4.2.08
TIFLE Powerpoint
This is a presentation I made today in TIFLE. I based it on a talk I give my class every semester. You can watch the embedded presentation here or go to this link.
3.2.08
Internet Usage
How much do I really use the internet? When first asked this question, I snickered and wondered how I would ever quantify such an area of my life. I use the internet daily - to read the news, check email, chat, skype, play games, download music and movies, check editorials, and network socially.
I email daily, with students and teachers. I chat about three times a week with friends (I supposed synchronicity is important here), using both AIM and MSN (and now with Skype). A new chat feature I have now discovered is Gmail Talk (uniting my email and chat ability). I use this almost exclusively to chat with my brother in Malaysia and a couple of friends who don't have AIM/MSN.
I have also reverted to using Skype now to call my parents, after enduring days of a horrible connection from the phone card I bought over the internet (I'm impatient. Also, I'd rather buy something like that online instead of at Publix).
In my email, I have just started using Gmail as my MSN account is spam-clogged. This works well as I'm relying entirely on Google Pages to organize my study notes for the comprehensive exams. Coming to think of it, I've been spending more and more times on that, uploading and downloading files to share with my study group. I'm on Google Pages at least once a day.
As per frequency, I've been accused of being OCD about checking my email. Sometimes I click on my inbox every 10 seconds - just to see if someone wrote. I wonder if I'm addicted to email, or if my mother didn't love me enough, leading me to seek validation from electronic messages. Who knows, right?
I also use Google daily to search for anything and everything - directions, past friends, words I don't know the definition of, restaurant reviews, phone numbers, etc.
I would also like to mention my involvement with social networking sites such as Facebook. I recently read a study discussing the possibility of addiction to the site, and shrugged it off as a researcher looking for tenure. Then I started looking at my own use of the site and realized that I have a problem. I check Facebook religiously, almost every time I use the internet. It's to check to see if I have new messages or to browse my friends' pages to see what's new in their lives.
Taking this into account, I have as of this moment deactivated my Facebook account. I survived before it, and damn it I'll survive after it.
So that's an experiment in progress.
I apologize for posting this a little late as I was away from the internet most of the weekend (surprisingly). I will report back next week and let you guys know if I'm still Facebook-free, or if I've fallen off the wagon.
Peace, Love, Hugs.
I email daily, with students and teachers. I chat about three times a week with friends (I supposed synchronicity is important here), using both AIM and MSN (and now with Skype). A new chat feature I have now discovered is Gmail Talk (uniting my email and chat ability). I use this almost exclusively to chat with my brother in Malaysia and a couple of friends who don't have AIM/MSN.
I have also reverted to using Skype now to call my parents, after enduring days of a horrible connection from the phone card I bought over the internet (I'm impatient. Also, I'd rather buy something like that online instead of at Publix).
In my email, I have just started using Gmail as my MSN account is spam-clogged. This works well as I'm relying entirely on Google Pages to organize my study notes for the comprehensive exams. Coming to think of it, I've been spending more and more times on that, uploading and downloading files to share with my study group. I'm on Google Pages at least once a day.
As per frequency, I've been accused of being OCD about checking my email. Sometimes I click on my inbox every 10 seconds - just to see if someone wrote. I wonder if I'm addicted to email, or if my mother didn't love me enough, leading me to seek validation from electronic messages. Who knows, right?
I also use Google daily to search for anything and everything - directions, past friends, words I don't know the definition of, restaurant reviews, phone numbers, etc.
I would also like to mention my involvement with social networking sites such as Facebook. I recently read a study discussing the possibility of addiction to the site, and shrugged it off as a researcher looking for tenure. Then I started looking at my own use of the site and realized that I have a problem. I check Facebook religiously, almost every time I use the internet. It's to check to see if I have new messages or to browse my friends' pages to see what's new in their lives.
Taking this into account, I have as of this moment deactivated my Facebook account. I survived before it, and damn it I'll survive after it.
So that's an experiment in progress.
I apologize for posting this a little late as I was away from the internet most of the weekend (surprisingly). I will report back next week and let you guys know if I'm still Facebook-free, or if I've fallen off the wagon.
Peace, Love, Hugs.
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