Michelle's ETEC 565 Blog

Still Images

In the past, I usually upload photos to my computer and send them to people. I never changed the way the photo looked by using programs like Picassa. Because of the toolkit, I now know how easy it is to upload a photo and crop or resize it. I followed the steps in the toolkit and I was able to easily alter the photo the way I wanted. The process was not labour intensive, but instead it was a lot of fun! I was surprised that I was able to change the photo so easily and see the results that I wanted instantly. Picassa was easy to use for new users and the interface was simple and easy to understand. The only part that I thought was challenging was finding where everything was on Picassa, but I think with more use, I would have no trouble at all in the future.

Video

I recently made an optional video for another MET course (ETEC 531). The process had all the components of this Video Toolkit. I enjoyed being able to use editing software that was easy to use, especially for beginners; in this case, I used Mac’s iMovie Maker to edit and to film the video. The ease of being able to film, edit, and distribute with one piece of technology still amazes me! Before creating the video, I had to develop purpose. In this case, the video was meant to show whether “I am/am not an Artist”. After choosing my purpose, I wrote a shooting script to guide me. This was an important initial step. Afterwards, I was able to begin filming. In the end, I had various clips that needed editing, cropping, splitting, and transitioning. I was surprised how long this labour intensive process took, especially since it was meant to be a 5-minute video. However, at the end, I was able to upload my video on to Vimeo and be happy with the end product: I am an artist. A second video I created uses a similar process, but this time instead of using film, I used photos to present a slideshow. Here, I was able to play with titles, subtitles, and transitioning. This video addressed the topic: The Problems of Accepting Behaviour Emulation as Indicative of Intelligence”. I found this process to be more rewarding as the end result is cleaner and more professional-looking. It was difficult to get the music to fit into the transitions and make it effective. As well, creating short subtitles while creating meaning was also a challenge. I am happy with the end result of this and I feel that my video will get better with more practice. Here is my second video: Problems of Behaviour Emulation.

DVD

I have burned DVDs in the past. At the beginning, I was worried that I would waste DVDs by burning incorrectly; this would also be bad for the environment. However, the process was usually not labour intensive and only required some steps. The challenge was usually waiting for the DVD to burn, since it usually took around 10-15 minutes per DVD. At times, I would be worried that the computer may freeze and I would lose information; fortunately, that did not happen. Many teachers still like to burn DVDs as it creates a permanent collection. However, there seems to be a shift for teachers to save information on their hard drives or external hard drives. After, they can transfer the files to other computers or to other people. DVD burning creates an option that I think can benefit the school system. I always wondered why the information on textbooks could not be burned on a DVD instead. Perhaps, it will in the future, especially since the process is not too challenging or labour intensive.

After creating a site on Moodle, I was able to compare my experiences while designing on WebCT/VISTA. Similar to Moodle, I had to take some time to get used to the layout of the site. Because I have been using WebCT/VISTA for the MET courses, I could visualize the site better than when I first came across Moodle for the first time in ETEC 565. One thing I had to remember was to toggle between the different tabs: Build, Teach, and Student View. These features were similar to Moodle when I had to “Turn Editing On” or use the site as a “Student”.

When I used Moodle, it felt like I was creating my own site and deciding my own layout. On the other hand, when I used WebCT/VISTA, it felt like I was just adding modules, quizzes, or any other elements to a standard layout. Therefore, WebCT/VISTA does not seem as personal as Moodle for a designer. I did like how WebCT/VISTA was fairly easy to use because it helped the designer throughout the whole process by defining what each item did. For example, when choosing a Type of Gradebook, it would tell difference between each type. As well, the language used was also easy to understand from a new designer perspective. At times, I had difficulty finding certain tabs or functions because there were a lot of words on a given page. However, after looking over the site, I find that you do become familiar with it quite quickly.

I liked how I was able to start working right away from the instructions in the toolkit, but if I did not have these instructions I probably would have struggled for a while right at the beginning. At times, when I had trouble, I found myself using the “Help” section, which was very helpful. I found this section more helpful than the “Help” section on Moodle, where I generally had to search elsewhere on the Internet for assistance.

Overall, the process was not too labour intensive, but I think it is partly because I have gained experience with using Moodle. Without Moodle experience, I think I would have found my experience with WebCT/VISTA more labour intensive. I like how the outcome of the site I created was automatically the same as WebCT/VISTA courses that I have used. As a designer, I could come up with modules and assignments, which would visually replicate those of a designer with a lot more experience. In comparison, I feel that it is more difficult for a designer to make a Moodle site more visually complex and professional. Therefore, WebCT/VISTA may be better for new designers without any experience and perhaps more time constraints. In the end, I was surprised that each step I completed with WebCT/VISTA led to a successful completion (for the most part). Despite the few struggles I had, I thought my experience was positive and I could see myself designing with WebCT/VISTA more.

Is my Moodle site accessible? At the beginning of the course, I never considered this idea before. However, there is great importance in doing so. I would want to create a site that anyone could access regardless of ability or disability. Although there are many adaptive technologies like screen reading software, braille printers, screen magnifiers, and single click mice, I know that I cannot depend on all people having access to them. Therefore, I found it extremely helpful to read the WCAG 2 list of guidelines to follow when creating accessible sites. In the future, I would want to make the site more perceivable by creating videos with the lesson instructions on them. This would allow for text alternatives, especially since my site is largely text based. A lot of video resources in the media may not have captions, so I may need to somehow incorporate captions or provide a transcript.

Also, to make the site more operable, it is important that I make all functionality available on the keyboard, while giving users enough time to read and use content. This may include increasing time limits or not having time limits at all for tests or assignments. When I put a time limit on my Moodle quiz, I was thinking this idea was best for assessment purposes. However, because it is a review quiz to prepare students for an actual test, it may be a better idea to not have such a strict time limit. Therefore, I increased the time limit. Students are able to try this quiz as many times as they want. By keeping some sort of time limit allows them to pace themselves and see if they need to work faster in order to be successful during the actual test. Also, it is important to help users find content by creating an easy-to-use layout. This helps to make the site understandable for the user. For my moodle site, I used the same format for my modules and for the graphic user interface to make it predictable for the users. I feel that this helps increase the ease of use of my Moodle site.

In terms of the site being robust, I know my Moodle site is compatible on mobile devices, like a smartphone, and it works with multiple browsers. However, it is only when I am designing on Moodle that it seems to work best on the Firefox browser.

I checked my site at the Markup Validation site and the response I received was: “The document located at was successfully checked as XHTML 1.0 Strict. This means that the resource in question identified itself as “XHTML 1.0 Strict” and that we successfully performed a formal validation of it.” I think this is a good site to use to make sure your site passes the standard.

Overall, I think one of the main challenges would be to not lose the original meaning of the site when using assistive technologies. Despite presenting content in different ways, the user should still be able to have the same meaningful experience as any other user. To make a site more accessibility, it may be more labour intensive. However, it could create a richer learning experience for more people which would make it all worth it in the end.

MLearning is a topic I have been interested in because many students carry around cellphones, particularly smartphones. Recently, I have been able to use mLearning during my own learning experiences in the MET program. As an end user, I was able to participate in the discussion forums using my phone. I was able to use the Safari website to access VISTA. The format was the same as if I accessed it on a computer. The main difference was the screen size and the need to continually zoom into the page. This made the process a bit frustrating, along with having to type each letter into a long discussion post. If we compare it to using a computer, the process is not as efficient. However, the smartphone serves its purpose and mLearning is still achieved. The benefit is that I can access VISTA and the discussion boards wherever I go, which is one characteristic that sets the phone apart from the computer. Overall, I would continue to access end learning activities with the phone, but only if a computer was not available.

As a course designer, I found that I was still able to use mobile devices to design pages. While I was working on the Moodle Quiz assignment, I lost Internet connection and could not access my Moodle site. Fortunately, I was able to use my phone and the 3G Network to access the site to design my quiz. I had no trouble with using the site, and it was just like designing on my computer. The only difficulty was the same difficulty I experienced as an end user and having to navigate with a small screen. A neat application I found is called mTouch which creates the Moodle experience for mLearners. The cost of it is $2.99, but I can see these applications gain in popularity. This could mean a raise in price in the future, but also a rise in Open Software developments.

The ease-of-use and availability are the strengths of mLearning. Especially with the growing trend of mobile devices, like smartphones and technologies like iPads, mLearning has become even more convenient than the laptop. Learning has now become available everywhere and anywhere. According to Cochrane & Bateman (2010), mLearning explores innovative teaching and learning practices, enables authentic and student-centred learning, engages students with the affordances of Web 2.0 (e.g. connectivity, mobility, social networking, and vodcasting), and bridges the “digital divide” by using tools and contexts that are affordable and increasingly owned by students. Here, any space becomes a potential learning space for students.

Cochrane, T., and Bateman, R. (2010) Smartphones give you wings: Pedagogical affordances of mobile Web 2.0. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26 (1), 1-14.

I started using MSN Messenger in high school and I continued to use it throughout university. The great thing about MSN is the instant contact you could make with classmates. If you needed help with school or wanted to confirm plans, you could just log on MSN and there would always be someone available to talk to. This program is what made me appreciate synchronous communication tools. The ease-of-use and the community that was built while using the tool were the highlights. This tool is also a cultural tool; users do not need to read a manual to use it. Instead, being a part of the community teaches you how to talk or use “MSN chat” language. I wondered if other synchronous communication tools had similar cultures that you learned as you used them.

A synchronous communication tool that I came across during this course was Skype. I had known about Skype for a long time, but I had never downloaded it. Because of the group project we had for this course, my group needed me to download the program. I thought it would take a long time to set up, but it took a matter of minutes. The layout of the site was not complicated and I was able to get a sense of how the site worked quite easily. I did feel anxious about using the program because I was worried that I would have connection problems or I would not know how to work Skype while it went “live”. During the group meeting, I connected easily with one group member, but we had trouble connecting with the others. After a couple of tries of accepting and dropping calls, we finally got everyone together on the same line. Therefore, although it may not work right away, I would still say that Skype is a dependable program to use. A challenge with Skype, or any other communication tool like Wimba, is that it may require that users have a working microphone. I had difficulty connecting with a user because he had some issues with his microphone. Therefore, some of these tools require extra hardware that may limit a person.

Overall, I had my apprehensions with these tools, as the voice feature was something new to me. These communication tools are low-cost, dependable, and easy to use. In past MET courses, I had never connected with other classmates using live “voice” features and I feel like it can be more effective than texting at times. Although, sometimes you may be in a conversation with three other members which makes it difficult to voice your opinions. All in all, I would recommend these tools to other teachers to use with their classes or for their own personal use. I also think it would be something my students would enjoy using if they haven’t already.

I decided to download Amaya to try web designing on my own. I was looking for a web design site that would be open source or have a trial option. I have heard a lot about Dreamweaver, but Amaya seemed to have fewer restrictions in terms of cost. What I liked about Amaya was that it was easy-to-use, especially since it uses WYSIWYG. I was able to download the template within minutes and get started immediately.

I had never thought so much about a website’s design. Sometimes my experiences with websites are effortless. At times, I have had minor struggles that made my experience frustrating. As well, there have been times when a website is so difficult to maneuver around that I give up on it and try to find another site that would serve the same purpose. After reading the “Web Pages That Suck”, I began to understand what I had been seeing on websites that made them so efficient or inefficient. The advice that I learned from the exercise helped me consider many variables that I did not think of previously.

I think it is important to develop a storyboard of a website design before starting. It helped me focus on the purpose of my site and how I would maintain the focus throughout. Afterwards, I began to turn my storyboard into a website. The process was quite labour intensive, especially since there was a lot on the site to include. It definitely made me appreciate all the websites that I browse on. I tried to keep two things in mind: consistency and ease of navigation. In terms of consistency, I decided to keep the format and design simple and identical. It allowed for clarity on the site. Because people want their sites to be informative, I think it would be very easy to create a cluttered website. Therefore, it was important to step back during the design process and assess if the site still held the same purpose, was consistent, and was easy to navigate. Swanson and Green (2011) stated, “The more items that are added to the site the less findable each item becomes. Our library site provides access to more than research tools. It provides an avenue to information about our cultural events, podcasts, blogs, faculty help pages, online videos, information literacy resources and many other forms of content. The purpose of our homepage is to add value to all of our resources by making them findable.” Therefore, although we try to include as many resources and links on our site, the website becomes less valuable when items are lost in the design. This was the main challenge that I came across when developing my site. I can see this as challenge that I would have for all the websites that I create in the future.

Despite web design being a labour intensive process, I was surprised how fun it was. Perhaps it was because I was able to manipulate the design how I wanted it. Whenever I get the chance to personalize something, it creates a meaningful experience. At the same time, I was surprised how helpful and abundant in options my web design template was. I was able to create so many textures in my website which made it look professional. This aspect makes web design a lot easier, and more welcoming, for new designers.

Swanson, T., & Green, J. Why We Are Not Google: Lessons from a Library Web site Usability Study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 37(3), 222-229.

The tool that I chose is called Kerpoof. I chose this particular tool because it said that this site is now owned by Disney.  This caught my eye so I clicked on the site to take a look.  I thought the site was easy-to-use and would tell my story properly and efficiently.  Although, the tool impacted how much detail I could use in the story.  The space the user is given to work with is not too big, so I had to keep my ideas concise.  It had the same format as a children’s book, which made me feel like too many words or pictures would make it seem too messy and confusing.  If this tool had a voice option, I may have chosen to elaborate on the story.  However, I liked how the story is concise; it makes the message more effective.

I would use this tool as a way to introduce students to new content.  It is effective in showing key information in an interesting and unconventional way, especially in high school.  This tool would also be a great educational tool for students to use themselves.  I could imagine students creating short digital stories to “Hamlet” or “To Kill a Mockingbird”.  This tool can help students conceptualize main ideas and themes found in stories, and it is great way to get them engaged too.  Because this is a free program to use, students can just create a quick site identification using their email address and start using the site right away.

Even though the digital story uses images and formats that look like a children’s book, I think students of all ages can benefit from this authoring tool.  It helps with organizing information and creating original content.  I felt motivated to play around with the tools to create the story that I wanted.  It allowed me to be creative.  However, a negative aspect is that the images provided are limited, but users are able to draw their own images if necessary.  Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and I liked the finished product.  It looks professional, and I can share it with others too.

For a closer look at my experience with Kerpoof, visit my Digital Story section. There is a specific link to the digital story that I created.

The Wiki activity felt very different to the collaboration on the LMS site.  In particular, I did enjoy reading other people’s posts and seeing how that discussion grew through time.  The Wiki made the discussion more fluid and it was easy for any user to see where in the discussion they could share their comments.  It also allowed the user to know exactly what the discussion was talking about at any given point.  The information (on the page and discussion) is laid out clearly.  This ease of use creates many advantages to using Wikis for group collaboration.

There are some challenges to using Wikis for group collaboration.  The LMS discussions seem to present a more personal and comfortable medium for a user to speak what is on his or her mind.  The posts on the LMS discussions also seem to be directed more towards individuals, whereas posts on Wikis seem more directed towards the entire group.  This presents a challenge when collaborating with a big group (over 15 people) because it is difficult to find your voice among all the comments.  Sometimes I would want to clarify what I wanted to say to an individual user, but the discussion does not seem to concern others so I leave it alone.  Therefore, for Wikis to be successful, it may need to have a smaller group of users or have a large group of anonymous users (who do not post their names after each comment).  It is difficult to edit the Wiki page when there are names attached to each comment.  It is better to make it seem more like a public page that can be edited by anyone.

Facebook

Who “owns” materials posted by members? Under the section, Sharing your Content and Information, it states that: You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.  For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (“IP content”), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (“IP License”). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

For what purposes can these materials be used? Facebook allows users to upload information, including photos and videos.  Members can use applications and games to interact with one another.  These materials creates a community of users and allows members to share with one another.

Would using Facebook be appropriate with your students? I think Facebook is one social software that should not be used with students in an educational setting.  The Facebook program contains personal information about students that may not be appropriate for the classroom.  Instead, it may be better to use other social software with a more “educational” tone, since certain boundaries should be kept off limits.

In your opinion, how well are the privacy interests of members represented? I do not think privacy interest of members are represented well as the site as it does give you “ownership” of content but once it is uploaded, it can be there forever (especially if someone tags your photo, then you do not have control over what the person does with the photo).  Therefore, I always tell students to use caution when using this site as they lose their privacy when using it.

Myspace

Who “owns” materials posted by members? Under the section, Proprietary Rights in Content on Myspace, it states: You represent and warrant that: (i) you own the Content posted by you on, through or in connection with the MySpace Services, or otherwise have the right to grant the license set forth in this Section 6, and (ii) the posting of your Content on, through or in connection with the MySpace Services and/or Linked Services does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person or entity. You agree to pay for all royalties, fees, and any other monies owing any person or entity by reason of the use of any Content posted by you on or through the MySpace Services and/or Linked Services.  Therefore, the user “owns” the content and is responsible for it.

For what purposes can these materials be used? The services offered by MySpace include any MySpace-branded URL (the “MySpace Website”), MySpace messaging services (including, without limitation, instant messaging, private messaging, and email services), MySpace music and video services, MySpace developer services, MySpace mobile services, and any other features, content, or applications offered from time to time by MySpace in connection with MySpace’s business (collectively, the “MySpace Services”).

Would using Myspace be appropriate with your students? Myspace may be a good educational tool as it acts as a resource.  I would still use caution as it is a social software tool and the users are responsible for their own uploading.

In your opinion, how well are the privacy interests of members represented? The privacy interests looks to be in the hands of the users.  As with most social software, the user is in control of the privacy he or she chooses to use.  Myspace does not take responsible for the content.

Reflection

Whenever I join social software sites, I find myself skimming over the Terms of Use.  However, through this exercise, I have learned that many social software sites use the same language.  They also hold the users responsible for their interactions with the site.  These sites have prepared themselves to not be accountable for what is on the site and how it is used.  The user loses many of his or her rights, including privacy rights.  Therefore, when using social software sites, I would use caution.  I think this software can be educational, but parents and students need to be warned about potential risks.

UBC Blogs is the first blog site that I designed and maintained. In the past, I have created blogs, but I never continued to use them. In order to have an effective blog, one must maintain it. UBC Blog has a great community of users that upload and connect on a daily basis. I like that we all have similar goals and use a similar medium to help document how we will get there.

It was quite easy to set up a blog site. The whole layout of the site is organized for you, so all you have to do is personalize it. This makes it easy for the beginner user. In terms of uploading posts and creating pages, I did not find it labour intensive. I found publishing a reflection or a piece of writing was quite straightforward.

In my opinion, what worked well was that after I published a new post, the final product looked polished and professional. When I used wiki sites in the past, it did not have the easy-to-read format. My wikis always looked unfinished. I also like the option to use HTML codes or WYSIWYG format. With HTML codes, I am able to modify the page easily (although I still need to look up what the codes are). However, if I am unsure whether my link works, I can always save my draft and preview the site before publishing. This is great because I like to experiment with the way the page looks before finalizing it.

In the beginning, like with many new technologies, it took some time to familiarize myself with the site. Because UBC Blog connects to a community and has variety of functions for one to use, it can be a little overwhelming. As well, knowing how to write in HTML codes can be a challenge at times, so continual practice is necessary.

I was surprised how much I would like using UBC Blogs. I like seeing my published pages and it surprises how professional it looks. Out of all the technologies I have tried so far, I like blogs the best. In the future, I would want to use them with my classes and for personal use.