Click on the image below to access Erin’s blog.

While being very serious about my studies, I also really appreciate the coursemates (and instructors) who are not afraid to share their human side online. Such seemingly small actions as sharing a smile or a positive comment, turning on the camera, posting a picture of oneself on the blog – can reduce the transactional distance and increase the feeling of immediacy and belonging.

Erin was one of such positive people during the evening video meetings, which immediately drew me to her blog. Of course, the picture was there, accompanied by a warm informal greeting.

Authoring Tool

Like me, Erin chose to host her work on UBC Blogs. Some of Erin’s literacies that stand out are:

• Logo design, Website design, Remixing

Some implicit skills that her webspace conveys are:

• Attention to detail, Creativity, Imagination

Erin’s textual architecture deserves a special mention. Erin is very advanced at using hypertext – all of her posts are multilinear and interactive, giving the reader the freedom to explore a variety of pathways (Bolter, 2001). She really owns the course materials, interlinking the new information with her rich intellectual word.

Twine Task

Erin’s Twine game is a virtual gallery, which is not surprising, taking into account her background in print and book media, as we learn in her Task 4 post. Unlike my Twine, which is a story with a few possible scenarios, Erin is inviting her visitor to a virtual exhibition, which feels very spatial, due to her narrative style, the skillful use of hyperlinks, and the accompanying visuals created by Erin. I personally went back and explored each of the places in her imaginary world and only wished there were more places to go to.

It’s at times like this that I feel sad that we study online, without a chance to see one another in person, chat together over a cup of coffee, and get a closer look at each other’s story.

References:

Bolter, J. D. (2001). Hypertext and the Remediation of Print. In Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. Routledge.