fernieje_analysis

=Jeremy Fernie: Analysis and Reflection= thoughts on this wiki-based project

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>> **//(Contains links to both created and edited pages are provided within, as well)//**
 * **Click here to return to the Wiki profile page of Jeremy Fernie.**

Analysis and Reflection 1: Regarding first use of Wikispaces
>> Wikispaces provides a realm of information and communication wherein the community is the voice, not just a select few persons. This fact alone makes Wikispaces an environment wherein the outcome (with respect to both the information and style) are completely unpredictable and everchanging. >> The expectations which I hold for myself are plain and simple: to contribute to our Wiki by both creating new pages as well as adding to ongoing Wikis. As I add content, I will also focus on maintaining order in the style, such that the Wiki's are able to communicate their respective facts and media with ease and clarity. >> I have never used Wikispaces in another course, which adds even more excitement to this project as I am learning the "tricks of the trade" and so-on. >> As I gain experience in this medium of communication, I can help my peers with little tips on the tools as well as general formatting and linking of Wikis.
 * What do you think/feel about this collaborative learning environment?
 * What are your expectations for yourself?
 * If you have previously used wiki in another course, then describe what you have previously learned and how you want expand your understanding.
 * What can you contribute as an experienced participant?

Analysis and Reflection 2: Regarding the continued use of Wikispaces
>> As I browse through our Wikispace, I often choose to add or modify the content of certain pages. When doing this, the decision behind the act is most often based on one of the following reasons: lacking information depth or breadth, needing examples from external resources (via hyperlinks), needing to be stylized to allow for an enhanced quality in communication, or I find that there is a topic that should be discussed and therefore make a new page to do just that. >> When it comes to adding, editing and re-arranging other people's work, I feel that this is very much part of the essense of a Wiki database. Wikis are a public forum for information, wherein that very information is scribed by the public themselves. Therefore, the information is key, not the author(s). The purpose of a Wiki is the communication of information by the masses, rather than single author's resource with a strong sense of who wrote it. Furthermore, by retaining this quality, a Wiki is not a belonging in any sense whatsoever. >> I frequent all pages at an even rhythm, as I acknowledge the lack of ownership that is part of a Wiki database and therefore care about the Wiki as a whole, rather than any particular page containing a lot of my own input. People have changed my work everywhere, and this makes me pleasant because it means that people are finding my input and the very topic of it to be worth their time and effort.
 * How do you choose which postings to contribute or change?
 * What are your thoughts on adding, editing or re-arranging other people's work?
 * Do you regularly check your own postings for alterations? Has anyone changed your work and how have you felt about it?

Analysis and Reflection 2.5: Thoughts Regarding Wiki Technology
>> As if [|Google] or [[|Google-Video]]] don't prove that point, the folks at Google are at it again... >>> [|Google Acquires JotSpot] - October 31, 2006
 * When Google buys it, you know it's big

Analysis and Reflection 3: Final Reflection on your experience with the CCT333 wiki
>> My view on the nature of learning in a collaborative environment has evolved through my experiences with this wiki. As this has been my first time being an active member of a wiki, this change of view was inevitable, as a wiki database symbolizes true collaboration with absolutely no boundaries. From external linking to internal linking, embedded images to embedded video, and more, being part of a wiki means that you are entering a resource which can throw any form of digital multimedia at the viewer. Furthermore, the nature of editing pages creates a realm of content where the information is important, not the author. This serves as a positive contradiction to knowledge resources in print, as it encourages a release of individuality, and the assumption of the title "team member". >> The issue of plagiarism is a profound one no matter where you are. A wiki space is no inclusion. During the final evaluation, an announcement was posted, warning students of this fact. I believe that students entered this project with a loose sense of what content was allowed, and assumed that the activity was more about //collecting// information in a literal sense. Clarification from the first day would help not only those who wound up outsourcing external text (without citation), but those who unknowingly contributed to pages which already contained plagiarized content, as they would not have to be concerned about misdirected points of the evaluator's finger. Aside from that, leaving the students to learn the "ways of wiki" is quite appropriate, as that furthers the engagement of one as a member in a team setting. >> The wiki wound up being an incredible tool for CCT333. While a wiki database is a wildly flexible digital environment in which you can build an endless database in both depth and breadth, that is not exactly what ultimately made it the perfect tool for this class. Instead, it was the manner in which it was utilized. By creating a full-on interface which is rooted in the wiki as an alternative to the problematic "WebCT," the wiki is thereby transformed into more than a database of knowledge and information - it is also a tool for communication and course work. Furthermore, having this wiki as the center for the course makes for a rather fitting choice, as the course title includes the term "audience" - wikis are only as they are by way of having an audience: an actively contributing array of members. Finally, as CCIT is about "Information Technologies," what better way to teach a course in the study than with a tool with that very foundation.
 * Have your views changed in regards to collaborative learning while participating in this wiki?
 * Are there any ideas, suggestions or comments you could share for possible improvements?
 * Things you thought were most productive or helpful about using wiki?