Borges,+Ian

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A little about me...
[Edit: July 2008] I am now a Digital Enterprise Management graduate. Yay me.

Click [|here] to hear some of my solo tunes. Feel free to leave a comment. Click [|here] to view some of my images. Again, feel free to leave a comment.

Contributions

 * Main Contribution: Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs)
 * Contributed a user story example and performed spelling and grammar editing for Scenarios page (Dec 7).
 * Minor formatting of Concerns of Interactive System Design page (Dec 7).
 * Minor formatting of Google Founders page (Dec 7).
 * Added graphic to Google page (Dec 7).
 * Created and added title graphic to: Final Test Feedback (Dec 7).
 * Maintained formatting on Final Test Feedback page (Dec 8).

Analysis and Reflection
1.) Initially, I felt that as a collaborative environment the wiki would allow for common questions to be answered in a more efficient or understanding way (students answering students). Not only this, but valuable discussion would be present for information that would help spark ideas for assignments for this class and others. I have never actually participated actively in a wiki before and as such am doubtful that I will be able to contribute as well as others might. I find that while this is indeed a useful pool of information for this course, its mandatory nature makes for second-hand contributions and makes the experience a little tedious.

2.) Continued from my above feelings, I have yet to make significant contributions to the Wiki. I plan to within the next little while as time is indeed running out. However, I have had experience with the wikis in the group assignments and in other classes as a means to organize group work. I find that giving others the ability to adjust your work is a little offensive at first. You post your own material in a manner which you feel is suitable and then come back later to find that it was changed or altered in some way. Perhaps the person who altered the article missed your original view point or perspective and twisted it to create their own. It is very much a challenge to work with such a medium, but in becoming part of the community it is something that you must deal with in a respectful manner.

3.) My views on the Wiki experience have not changed. I still feel the mandatory nature of contributing to this medium to be a debunk the experience for myself. While collaborative learning is indeed a useful practice, as many ideas are exchanged, evolved, and created, forcing individuals to participate ruins the learning experience. Collaborative learning should be optional, not forced. Otherwise, individuals will not actually learn anything.

My only suggestion would be to leave the Wikispace as part of the course, however not in the manner it is currently. Make it an optional endeavor and award bonus marks to those who contribute and participate actively. This will eliminate the tedious feeling for students like myself, who **must** participate to receive any grade whatsoever and make the experience more enjoyable. In essence, it would produce a positive collaborative learning environment. The only thing I found particularly productive about the use of Wikis in the class, was the ability to organize and conduct a project online (through the group wikis). It drastically reduced the hassles of having to exchange documents by invariably eliminating them. The omnipresent nature of the text really helps with projects as the group can edit anywhere, as long as there's a computer available. No need to carry around a USB key.