One final post

I have built this learning log on a post by post basis, today was the first time I have viewed all the posts combined as one document and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the growth that is shown over the last few months via this log. I thought the learning log was a place to demonstrate and reflect on individual models, however I now think that the point of this log is so we can see how our learning has developed over the course as a result of reading, participate and completing modules. How very clever!

A note on discussion boards

Prior to sumbitting this "Learning log" I thought it would be worth reflecting on the WebCT discussion board. The discussion board has been a hugh part of my sense of involvement in this unit. As a newbie to online learning I found it fascinating and essential.

When people hear that I am studing online, they ask if it is like corespondance? To which I point out that with the intraction between students and availablity of iLectures and tutor, online learning is more comparible to "real" learning than to learning by correspondance.

Much of this sense of belonging can be attributed to the discussion board, which has dynamics all of its own. As part of our assessment we are to participate in the discussion boards, but it was not detailed on how much we participate. Some students have participated enoumously, others not at all. I must admit too taking more from the discussion boards than giving, however it is only due to lack of confidence and knowledge that I have been more a lurker than contributor.

Glenys, a fellow Net11 student noted on her Learning log that the discussion board can shake ones confidence. I agree with Glenys and during this unit have had have a great deal of belief in my own ability to learn especially when reading some of the discussion board posts ; )

Bad timing...

Unfortunately I am heading away until the 19 February so, with Assignment 2 due on the 23 Feb, I needed to spend every weeknight last week and Saturday just gone, on Assignment 2 - Essay., so I can get it handed in on time when I get back.

Its funny, when I first read the Module 5 notes I found there was so much to take in that my brain was buzzing yet taking in nothing. At some point during the constuction of my essay things fell into place. I re-read the complete module five document today (kinda know a lot of if by heart now!) and my comprehension is so much clearer, and its funny to me that the task and essay question appeared so hard to grasp just a few weeks ago.

Module 5

I just listened to the iLecture by Helen Merrick on Information Ecologies. It was really helpful for Assignment two (essay). It thought it was excellent.

Concepts document
I would not have thought a few weeks ago about the Internet the way I do now. Whilst some of the concepts seem to have elements of commonsense, the document has encouraged me to think of the Internet not so much as an object to aid in ones communication but in a more wholistic approach, seeing it with 360 degree view.

Resource assignment

Happily, I am almost done with my Resource project so my attention now moves to the essay. I found Module 5 heavy reading and will have to go through it again to reinforce learning.

I wanted to enter the Chat that was on Saturday, however when I logged on at 10am and found no-one there I realised it would been 12EST. Unfortunately, I was not around at that time so it was not possible to participate.

Resource Project

With the Resource Project due in next week I have am focussing my attentions on getting it pulled together. I am unsure if I have referenced correctly, I have read and downloaded the information from WebCT and read the discussion boards but am still not sure. It seems the more I read the more I am confused.

Module 4 evaluating the Web

In your own words, write an annotation for the source which could communicate to a reader both your 'judgement' of the site (http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/les1/index.html) according to what you have learnt from the tutorial. Also include the reliability and authority of the site / source / article
the main ideas or subjects discussed in the article the purpose for which the site was written (this might include any apparent external interest, intellectual motivation or contextual information).

->The tutorial outlining simple ways to evaluate a website, provided by The Ohio State University Libraries offers and easy to follow guide to empower internet uses to evaluate and challenge material from the website they view. The site provides live examples and pop quizes to reinforce the learning.

Referring back to the previous task and looking how we displayed information about the websites we viewed, I would prefer the annotated explanation. It provides an opinion rather than just facts and as the tutorial states there is no hard and fast rules when it comes to assessing a website so a review following some basic guidelines would be useful to me.

Module 4 - Organising Search information

I have selected three sources for the previous task saving their URL and attaching notes on how they were located in BookBuddy. Having problems already with BookBuddy in moving URLs to different categories. Program doesn't seem to work as it should - but the ability to add notes is handy.

1.

URL: http://www.learnthenet.com/english/index.html
Author (s) have not been specifically mentioned
Institution: Privately- held company based in San Francisco, CA (as published on their site About us)

Blurb/ summary: The company focuses on delivering high quality educational products and services in print, CD-ROM and to the desktop, via the Internet and intranets.
Learn the Net's website went online in April, 1996. Since its launch, thousands of businesses, Internet service providers, schools, libraries, and community organizations from around the world have linked to the site as a way of providing comprehensive, user-friendly internet training.

2.
URL:http://www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/instructions.html
The Author (s) have not been specifically mentioned
Institution: Stevens Institute of Technology, Centre for Improved Engineering and science education.

Blurb: This self-guided tutorial is intended to be used by those who have an expertise in the basic web browsing features. During the hands-on training that covers Basic Internet Features, it is expected that those advanced users take that time to review more complex technical features of their web browser. Those currently engaged in Basic Training are encouraged to re-visit this web site to further their knowledge about internet browsing.

3.
URL: http://library.stkate.edu/internet/enghelp.html

Author : Not included

Institution: The College of St. Catherine Libraries

Blurb: This site is from the University of California at Berkeley and is designed for beginning and more advanced Internet users. Especially helpful are the tips . (description supplied by Google.com, 10.1.07)

Module 4 - Boolean

Using the same key workds of your last search , think about how you would best search for the following:

• Biggest number of hits relating to advanced internet users:

Using the Google search engine which treats blanks as an implied AND, either query: advanced internet users or advanced + interenet + users delivers 80,800,000 results.

Dewa points out on her blog that using the Boolean OR would result in the largest number of hits - which it does 282,000,000. However the information is sourced from the individual words: advanced internet users, thus the number of hits is very high but in relation to a search for information usefullness is low.

• Sources relating to skills-based information on advanced internet users

Initially I thought I would try my luck with the full string phrase, using google so blank is implied AND no Boolean. I retrieved 162,000 results, the first result being Dewa's Blog.

To narrow the results I keyed this phrase into the google search box: "skills based information" "advanced internet users". 9 results were delivered to me with the top result from Nicholas Zupan (also a NET 11 student). As google reads blank and implied AND I assume "skills based information" AND "advanced internet users" will deliver me the exact same results.....interesting... whilst I still received only 9 results, the ranking changed and now Dewa's is at the top. Using the + symbol between the phrases as provides the same results.

Maybe I should get out more.....as I use Google frequently I decided to tried this exercise on a different search engine. I used MSN Live search and key the phrase in as "Skills based information" AND "advanced internet users". MSN didn't like the search and requested I review, which I did changing the AND to a +, results delivered 2 pages of information, both from Mike Owens blog (Previous NET 11 Student).

• Information on "advanced internet users" coming only from university sources.

A phrase search for "advanced internet users" ".edu.au" delievers 33 results, many of which as current and past Net11 Student blogs.

It has also been suggested that you can use: "advanced internet users" site:.edu.au, where site: is indicating a website with a .edu.au suffix, a test on this resulted in a 48 results returned and none of them are blogs. Using only .edu results in 13,700 results. So whilst a larger number of results were returned, the quality for finding educational resources related to advanced internet users is greater.

Module 4 - Downloading tools /plug-ins task

I am always a bit skeptical when downloading unknown programs, I have never experienced any "bad" coming from a download, but without much knowledge of who you are downloading from it can be cause for concern. I generally try download from the same site www.twocows.com, they are well known and I have had no trouble with their supplied downloads.

Tools for using the web
As I have used PDF, media players and flash often, I downloaded bookmark buddy for Windows (from Twocows - as the bookmark buddy site look at little home grown). I also downloaded the search manager Copernic Meta for PC and Pagesucker for windows (great name!!)

It surprises me that when you download many programs it expects you to know how to use them, some come with no notes or help options. Generally they are not too difficult to understand, but I sometimes wonder if I am using downloaded programs effectively. For example, I accidently downloaded Copernic Desktop Search 2.0, I tried to play around with it but it was never able to locate any files, even when I knew they were there. Instead of spending a while trying to figure it out - I simply uninstalled it.

Bookmark buddy
I use both IE and firefox browsers some things are better displayed in one or the other. The has lead to favourites being stored in one but not the other and when I search for a bookmarked site, only to find it is bookmarked in the other browser, it is frustrating. The bookmark buddy can aid in avoid that. As you can schedule a visit it also means those sites that I save to my bookmarks with the intention of looking at them later, may actually get visited!

Pagesucker
I began "sucking" a site that I often frequent, when I opened some of the sucked files using firefox, I was presented with pages of gobleygook, however when opening in IE the pages presented, however everything was aligned to the left and layout stripped.

On sucking a different smaller site I acheive a successful result.

Whilst I didn't read the full 73 page PDF instruction manual, I was happy it was there, in case I ever need to use this technology. (not sure I will to be honest!).

Copernic Meta for PC
For search I generally jump on my favourite search engine without a second thought, so I was happy to learn of this little program that allows search across multiple engines. I was bugged that I couldn't select google as an engine.

Search Engine Task
1. Choose your most commonly used internet search engine and do a search for the words: advanced internet users. - record the first hit and number of hits in your learning log.

Search engine : Google.com.au

First hit: Advanced Internet users tutuorial.....www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/
Number of hits : about 80,800,000

2. Using copernic or similar set it up to search at least three search engines (including one that will search the 'deep web') and repeat exactly the same search. - record the number of hits in your learning log, and compare to your first seach. What differences did you notice? Why? Which search, on first glance gave you the most promising results?

Using Copernic including search engines such as AOL, all the web, MSN, Netscape and Yahoo, strangely enough delievery the same first result as Google has. Advanced Internet users tutuorial.....www.k12science.org/tutorials/advanced/

The Copernic search only retrieved 33 matches. At first glance the Google search delivers a greater number of results however only the top 3 are relavant to our search query. The Copernic search deliverly less total results however the description of the top 5 displays sites that would qualify for delivering a successful result to our search query.

Save at least the first 5 hits of both searches: (sorry for the quality of the screen grabs)

Google

Copernic