week 4 - Digital Learning

Let's look at the pros and cons of digital learning..

well, i think it has plenty of benefits, like if you're sick and your class is available as live feed online. that would be perfect! cause sometimes learning from the notes, or copying other's notes is not the same as listening to the lecturer cause what you pick up, or the way you can remember is different than others summarizing it. so yes, but unfortunately, none of my schools have that technology or availability so far. i think its good also when language learning can be done online. like my sisters when they were studying in Nanyang Poly, and they took up French. it was pretty funny and a lil annoying when they were practising and learning their "oui"s and "bonjours" in front of the computer while listening to the correct pronunciation. but i thought it was quite a good way to teach - online, instead of wasting valuable time and effort on the teacher to repeat himself or herself 2000 times over.

E-learning however done during E-learning break I think is totally useless. Especially in poly or some Uni.. unless its a research paper or experiment like our NTRs.. but other than that. eg. in poly during E learning week, we will have some online quizzes, some papers to hand in, some short answer questions online as well.. the best thing is that the questions are limited.. so we wait for a few people to do it, ask for the questions, and viola! a perfect score. the best quizzes (or i would say the worst since we dont learn much) is those that we can take as many times as we like. so we just keep trying for fun til we score full marks... ah. those were the days mann.

I just searched on the future on E-learning and i came across this research paper (http://www.gse.uci.edu/person/warschauer_m/docs/paradox.pdf). what's interesting is that it checks out some of the paradoxes of digital learning, and one of it was about how these learning are quite autonomous, anyone can really learn from anywhere (in a broad online sense) and that these out of school learning may lead to the downfall in formal education.. but i quote "The paradox here is that, at the same time that new opportunities increase for powerful out-of-school learning, formal education is actually rising rather than falling in its impact on people’s lives"and they went on with examples and support and all that. but yeah, that's pretty cool. that maybe digital learning is actually PUSHING people to want to study further or get further formal education.

I think in the future, we would probably be able to get a degree/masters/doctorate from a well known overseas Uni.. (lets say oxford just for the fun of it) while still in hot sunny sweaty singapore, in the comfort of my own aircon room (although i dont have aircon) and all done online! maybe everyday there's a 2-3 hours lecture.. or for the week the lecture is put up and you can enter it virtually.. maybe all the students are IMing online, and the lecturer is also online with us at a certain time so we can discuss any questions we have! that'd be pretty cool in terms of social networking as well! i know some degrees ARE available online now, but i dont believe those are really educational. i think that's just for those who want the cert. but yes. this online way of going to the school might allow those that cannot afford to enrol or fly over there to enter. (maybe they can cap a certain amount of seats for them etc..)

fun ah! maybe few years down the road with web 3.0 i'll get my doctorate this way. FWAHHAHA.

week 3 - E Commerce

E commerce is the boom these days mann. okay the past years.. some of my friends are into it, and some enjoy spamming my mail to advertise their blogshops, trying to get me to advertise them... life has been much easier since i've blocked those. seriously, i dont think mass emailing or spam messaging helps in advertising one's business site. i think what matters most is credibility and word of mouth. and of course, most imptly, an idiot proof, easy to use, no frills site that anyone can use!

as written by this guy from this blog

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/17-new-rules-for-successful-ecommerce-websites

he listed 17 'must-have' in an e-commerce site. and it's not anything dramatic or special of out of the world. but instead very simple, and allows skeptical anti-online-shopping people like me to feel comfortable and want to try! (actually the only reason i dont is not having a credit card... but yes..)

what i agree most is pictures. for e-commerce, the item on sale is not in reality. its just an image on the net. the less i can see of the product, the less i can decide whether i want it. of course a 3d thingy would be cool.. but! prob expensive if i can do it myself as the business person. so the more pictures the merrier.

i guess the reason ecommerce can succeed if it has credibility. whether the website is super cool, or there are many products or whatever. if it doesn't meet the IMMEDIATE needs of the people... that's byebye to the site. in the near future, it would be great also if the site could narrow down my 'likes' and 'dislikes' and actually promote through emails or such if there's a new product that i might like.

the reason ecommerce can fail is basically the survival of the fittest. with the millions of sites around, there's DEFINITELY a site that is already selling what you're selling or something of the same 'family' anyways. so yes. there's always that competition. which means if you're a new business person, you'll need to have a pretty attractive site to draw customers! however, for a site to be attractive enough, you must either be a web designer yourself, or hire one. and then comes the problem of spending before you start earning.. and from the site my lecturer Abel Choy sent us, i thought it was hilarious how this company started expanding and growing across several states (U.S.) before it even started earning much! that's like... straight road to bankruptcy please. but yes. i also thought it was funny when the pet shop offered delivery service for their cat litter and took a while to send it.. the poor cat must have pooped all over the house.

i think what's worse though is the security of an online shop. not just for the seller, but the consumer! a classmate from this class was telling me how her friend got cheated after transfering her money already.. and it got me thinking.. yeah.. for an e-business to launch. that's the hard part. because before you have your ratings, before you have credibility under your belt, there needs to be a start. but who's gonna give you the start if there are sites cheating them? hmmmm.

that's my thoughts on e-business. if i did have a credit card, i would def buy stuff online. but only from sites that are established.. (APPLE.) ahhaha. but yes. i dont think i'll have a small blogshop thing because i think its a drag.. getting the stock, trying to sell it, trying to attract customers. but when i do have my own business when i'm older, i'll def push my services/products online. nothing reaches out better than the internet.

75% youth cannot survive without the internet.

this is just an article i came upon in the Lancaster University alumni mag. how did i get it i have no idea. but anyways..taken from 994 youths aged 16-24, the stats are:

75% couldnt live without the net

45% feels happiest when online

32% believes they can access all info online and that there's no need to speak to a real person about their problems

82% turn to the net to look for advice/info for themselves and 60% for others

37% would use the info online to give advice to others.

76% believed the internet is a safe place "as long as you know what you're doing" and believe that they have the skills to sense and know if there is misrepresentation of any info.

the article however makes it sound like the internet is fantastic the way it plays a vital role in the young generations lives and how the online population have become the confidant for those who are struggling.

its odd however that they don't bring up the fact that their are still so many young people falling prey cheaters online. just that day a classmate told me about how her friend got cheated by a blogshop.. (ok that's next chapt but yes..) furthermore, the advices/infos on the internet can be put up by practically anyone, unless its an established website, but knowing the younger generation, wiki suffices for all info. in what way can these 'advices' help any of the troubled teens? no way. the fact that the internet has become their 'confidant' is really saying how they are isolating themselves and going into recluse as they reinforce the brick wall surrounding them. because on the net, i can pour out my troubles to... nobody actually. but psychologically i feel better. the problem however doesnt go away and when i go offline, it all comes back in a reality punch. what happened to human touch? what happened to humanity? what happened to listening? what happened to loving? nothing. everything is now virtual for them... i think it's quite a waste and feel quite sad for them.

social media, www, internet. all these are REALLY useful tools/technologies. but if overused/abused. say byebye to your personality and humanity.

week 2 - social media

“Social media is a bad idea – the rise of

social media has caused more and

more problems like Internet addiction,

social isolation, and invasion of privacy -

especially with the young generation!”

this is the question that our lecturer posted to us last week.. and before i answer it, i shall give a lil overview on what social media is exactly.. the following clip is a really cute and simple version of what social media is..

basically, social media is the boom of web 2.0.. with the technology on the internet for anyone and everyone to give or share their input, information, or even entertainment.

i of course agree that Social Media is a very useful and helpful thing.. the benefits are really uncountable. with Skype, i can talk and even see my friends in australia easily! FREE!!! haha. that really amazes me all the time. Instant messaging isnt that fantastic to me, cause skype kinda just blows them all away. unfortunately, not everyone has skype, and a lot of people are not comfortable talking face to face now.. (i'll get to that later)

then we have blogs, where we can jabber on about what goes on in our lives, bore other people or entertain them, have a place to rant about our problems etc.. but what's great about the blog to me, is that it's an avenue for me to post my experiences (about my faith) to share with others. cause i believe that it's only when we share that we can grow spiritually.

next we have podcasts. which i think is a very good source of music/videos that can be downloaded, created, and definitely shared. however i dont use this because no $$$. hahaha. it's cheap really, just that you need a credit card to have a itunes account to dwld these podcasts. so yes.

i would think that the social networking sites are considered social media as well since they do allow posting of thoughts/insights, media, songs etc. everything really, and can post your blog's posts as it updates. i'm not exactly a fan of networking sites like Facebook and all. because i dont see why there's a need to have 'friends' that i really don't care for, and whom i would never speak to if i see them. but of course a friend of mine decided i needed one and set it up for me. and now i only log in once in a while to get photos and that's it. so i guess it's good cause if not the photos that are taken by others will always be lost and i would never receive them. there are other bonuses of course, eg. to keep in touch with new acquaintances that i made in Philippines when i there.. to really net work and ask for help if needed.

so these are all the benefits that social media has created and given to us nicely. however.. the thought of the increasing social media and the extend of its use giving more problems does make sense. in fact, i do believe strongly that social media can be used in a degratory way for mankind. its like a double edged sword.

1stly, there is a WHOLE LOT of people now addicted to FB. always needing (let me emphasize the NEEDING) to log on just to plant their farms, feed their animals, cook their food whatever. and really, if these games are educational, or they just wanna waste 10 mins of their time while resting or waiting that's fine. but these people are really addicted to this! wanting to play every moment they can, rushing home to play and playing for hours in a row! even playing at work. of course they say it's not an addiction and that it's fun... but really. bejewelled has been around for ages, only now that it's on FB and they can compete with their friends in terms of points every adult wants to play it. it just doesn't make sense.

and remember when i talked about how people are uncomfortable talking on skype cause its face to face and voice to voice and real time and everything. i work with a lot of youth. and i think its so odd how a lot of them cannot open up to me (or any of my friends) face to face but they can if its online. they don't know how to explain their feelings, they are not even in touch with their feelings because everyone posts their thoughts and nobody really cares about the other person online. not really anyways because if there's real care, it wouldn't be on a public network like FB or blog comments. so yes, in this way social media is promoting the self centeredness that we already have and are just encouraging everyone to try to outshine the other with the highest ratings, or most friends or whatever.

i dont think that social media is an invasion in privacy because those who delve into it or use it, knows that it is opening up some part of their lives. so yeah.. its the users who are giving up their privacy.. not the cause of the technology. however, i strongly believe that social media is degrading the human brain and just making the younger generation more and more stupid. because now they dont know how to express themselves OUTSIDE a blog. now they have a free 'world' where noone (ie their parents) can touch them, and the can cuss the F-word every other sentence or so. and now they have a channel that not only invites but promotes gossip. it's really sad to see the younger generation stumbling over words as they come out of their mouth and not being able to think of a witty comeback in a word battle because online, you can wait and think (or check online) for a good comeback! its really quite sad.

in conclusion. i'm not a fan of social media. the only thing i like is skype but nobody skypes as much. and of course im' okay with blogs if its for a good use/cause. other than that, i think IM is a total waste of time because you don't even vaguely care about any person that you can only speak to online and not face to face.

week 1 - Introduction to internet

well, one of the things i learnt this week is about the beginnings of the internet..

1stly, the internet originated from some defense thing for the americans! so it basically started as a tool to keep them safe.. used by the army i think. but yes, thought it was classic that america invented the internet because it's all about freedom.. on the internet, you can do plenty of things that you may be restricted from in reality. eg. vent your frustrations via a blog.. or make new friends from across the world thru social net working sites.

another thing i learnt is that there are different 'versions' or 'types' of internet. there's web 1.0 which is basically a webpage that is a read-only, very passive type. in other words something that is one way, no interaction or communication except for maybe a simple feedback form. very HTML and javascript based.. like an informational web site! eg, my church website..

then there's web 2.0, 2nd generation of the internet, which uses syntax.. which is a programming thing that is actually a combination of symbols, and characters that creates the site. ( a little lost in the understanding here.. even though i researched more into it..) but yes. a lot of internet programming Jargon here. no worries. its simply a site where you can upload and maybe download stuff. whole lot of interaction, information sharing, collaborations, and really a more active and less limited platform where you can actually change the face of the site.

eg. this blog! hahahaa. or let me show you my personal reflection blog..

then last of all there's web 3.0 which is obviously the 3rd and predicted generation for the internet..known also as a semantic web.. where the computer itself can analyze, compute and compare data.. where it will become a world where machines and communicate with machines without human intervention (except maybe to fix the machines in times of breakdown...) but yes. sounds like a vision into the new vision but yet, not a very promising future.. (think iRobot...)

My views on these different generations are rather contradicting.. there is of course the numerous advantages of these different platforms and the advancements.. with web 3.0, it would be a lot less tedious to search for things that have been searched by other people before.. it would be a whole lot easier to search for information and to share videos and interact with people. it might be in fact so easy that it would evolve til our lives can be fully lived just by logging on to the net!

but then again, it's during the long and tedious searching of something that hone my skills and scanning, understanding, summarizing, and filtering a long article. it is when i slowly find for the video i want or music i want that i stumble across music (that may not be in the same category) that i happen to like!

i guess though there are plenty of perks with the web 2.0, and i love that we can interact and network and the global communication system isnt so 'global' anymore.. really, my friend in europe can be in the unit next to me, from the speed and way we communicate.... sometimes, the slow way filled with obstacles help mould and challenge (in a good way) the growth in me mentally.

NEW DIRECTION

okay, the next few posts shall move from communication to the INTERNET.

for the course Introduction to the Internet that i'm taking now, i'm suppose to post weekly reflections on what i've learnt. so here goes! ((:

technology - good or bad?

dont worry, im not gonna practise my comparison and contrast essay here.
we were discussing the new communication techonologies that day in class, and a lot of the views/inputs from people were good ones. i mean, yeah of course technology has aided us mere humans in a huge tremendous way. for some of us, without the tiny little device called a handphone in our pockets 24/7, we will feel cut off from the world and at such a loss. of course then we have those who are online every second of the day just chatting with people.. CHATTING?!?! is there not any other better ways to do with your time? but ok! maybe they enjoy chatting with random people they hardly know and will never say hi to in life... then there are plenty of people around who has their blogs- online journals and such. and its a good idea i think. i have one.. okay counting this 2. but yes i have a personal one, and i use it to jot down my thoughts and feelings as i used to in a physical journal. but as my handwriting evolved and i started writing faster (for no apparant reason) my wrist started to hurt a lot. basically, typing is faster, easier to edit, and a nicer feel. (yeah i like punching these key pads. quite fun) so yes. technology is good. without it, it would take a million years to communicate with my friend in australia. without it, i would not be able to see my sister's pictures while she was in europe. with out it, i would not be able to see my cousin all the way in UK.

but not all forms of new technology is good now. they have what. um, some play online thing.. and people (like my elder sister and SOME CLASSMATES) are so hooked on to it!! its like a form of addiction where every night they have to log on and play (bridge!!! and others..) and once they start. they'll say "ok ill play one game" and that ONE game will ALWAYS almost DEFNITELY evolve into 5 6 games that lasts til about 3am in the wee hours.

i have no idea what form of benefit this games online thing has, but i'm sure entertainment is one.. but the same entertainment night after night that does not develop your brain in any way whatsoever. ok fine, maybe it helps you strategize a bit better, but i'm pretty sure the cons of it taking away your eyesight and dulling your sense due to lack of sleep is way more than that bit of improved strategization. (is there such a word?)

PLUS! all these xbox and ps.. i always wished i had one. its TOTALLY MAJOR fun. but ill never let my kids grow up with one.. thats a whole different story. kids these days learn so much rubbish from these games, they pick up violence as easily as i learnt to burp. and they use 4 letter words in almost every sentence! (ok exaggeration here...... but i was shocked when a kid friend of mine (p1) was already spewing out the F-word behind his parents back..) i'm certain i only heard of that in like. um. secondary school? im so innocent. but yes. technology these days are really helpful and good, they help in our communication form and allow us a more efficient way. but what does techonlogy itself communicate with us? they tell us that we are a lazy, inefficient, unintelligent spieces without them. and hey, what can i say. they are right. if we dont be careful, one day us humans will all be triple chin and double elbows. and we'd probably need technology to help us get around as well. HAHA.

ps. i have NOTHING against technology. i actually like it. ((: i just think its amusing how we're so dependent on it.