Five Substantive Questions for Ben Mezrich

Author Ben Mezrich, in his works, chronicles various phenomena that shape pop culture, and in some cases American society. His 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires, is quite possibly the quintessance of his work: Mezrich aptly depicts a cultural event that has revolutionized the ways in which we interact with our friends, acquaintances, and yes, our family. Eventually, this book was adapted into a movie that shed light on the production of Facebook, and the friends and enemies that resulted from it. If I had the opportunity to share dialogue with Mezrich, there are five key questions that I feel would address the substantiality of his work, and the nature of the topic he writes on. They are as follows:

1. The ways that Facebook has changed online interaction are indeed evident and axiomatic, but how has Facebook changed the ways we communicate offline; that is, how has Facebook changed, regressed, or facilitated the nature of communication in the offline sphere?

2. The reason Facebook is so popular is because it filled a need in a way that no one attempted to satisfy before. When do you see Facebook no longer filling the void it does, and what will emerge that will render it obsolete?

3. What type of mindset must one possess to approach Facebook? Is there a way that users should enter Facebook's forum that will optimize its purposes?

4. Who do you see as the biggest adversary to Facebook's continuation of development now, if there's anyone?

5. What facets of Facebook made it so successful? What about their nature made them popular with users? Are there any features of Facebook that hinder its development?

My Blog Posts

Looking back through my old posts, they certainly range in style of representation of myself as a student. Some were very straightforward and did not have a personal touch, such as when we had to talk about a film that we found about the Information Society. I was pretty to the point, and was trying my best to resemble ideas about the information society. Others were personalized and presented good ideas about what I have learned from this class, such as the post from when we had to refrain from technology. However, I have realized that in these blog spots, I have represented myself in my best form as student. I went way more into detail in these posts than I would in discussion, and provided a lot more perspective than I usually do, which was actually kind of surprising for me to realize. In my writing assignments and exams, I was very formal, while in the blog posts, I had an opportunity to be a little more informal, and provide a personal perspective while still relaying ideas.

Finding My Digital Puppet

While searching for myself, I found many basic things that would allow outsider users to learn a small part about me. My first task was to search info about my number and zip code. This gave accurate information. Through entering my number, it identified my cell phone service provider and my location. So anyone can figure out that I am from the Chicago, however this is a very vague way to define me. In entering my zip code, I figured out that the median age was 37, and that 90% of people from my area are white. So through this, one would be able to infer that I was white, however I am pretty far off from being 37.

Due to the fact that I have many of my social media profiles on pretty restricted views, one would not be able to figure out a lot about me from it. The information that I was able to figure out on Facebook is that I was from Chicago, IL, I attended Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, and viewers are only able to see a small thumbnail of my pictures. Since I do not have my last name on my twitter, there is actually no way to access it unless you were to know my specific username, although it is on public. 

Googling my name, you are able to come across some profiles that are me, while others are not. One of the first results is a twitter account of a girl with whom I share a name. However, another one of the first results is my Facebook profile. The most frequents results, however, were news articles I was mentioned in. I have been featured on many news stories in Chicago news networks, and some nationwide, about how my brother was KIA in Afghanistan. I had to do many interviews for it, and they are all on the internet now. Through this, outside sources would figure this out about me, as well as get a better look at my appearance. Looking back, I wish this personal information was not out there. What revealed a lot of statistics about me was actually my Google Plus profile. It revealed my past jobs, my high school, as well as a lot of interests I have, such as TV shows, music, and more.

Overall, one would actually get a pretty good look into what I'm like. They are able to find out my basic demographics, and they also got a look into my family life, since it was on the news. So, if you were to search for Grace Lavin, you would discover I'm a young college student, who went to Mother McAuley, worked at La Papa's, I like Coldplay, I am from Chicago, and that I am the sister of Cpl. Conner Lowry. Nothing too exciting to see. 

My Interpretation of "The Information Society"

My picture is of the world with three images within the world. The first is two people having a conversation, then the next is two books, and the last image is of the computer and the Internet. My view of "The Information Society" is how it has changed throughout history, but it has always been there, just in different forms. From face to face conversations to the Internet, information has always been spread throughout the world and through various forms. Technology has also allowed for this spread to increase at an extraordinary rate, which is shown through the computer with the words "The Internet" on it that I drew.

The quote at the bottom of the world that I included in my picture was from the author James Gleick. I thought this quote really fit my interpretation of "The Information Society" because of how information is becoming aware of itself now with technology and the Internet. Before technology, information was spread via communication and books. Society knew that there was information being spread, but no way to really track it. Now with computers and the Internet, we could record and archive every piece of information that we have, and the Internet really allows us to step back and see it from a distance. Our history is shown through this information because of how we are seeing all of this information from the past all in one spot. This really allows us to see our history and allows it to become aware of itself, which is what James Gleick wanted to get across.

Overall, my interpretation of the term "The Information Society" is that information has always been present in our society, and it has been spread throughout society in various forms. Technology has allowed us to see information in a new way, and as we move forward into a digital future, the way we spread information across the globe will continue to change.

The Information Society Picture

The Picture:

Explanation: 

To me, the ideas of this class have all focused around one thing: People change technology; technology changes people.   Society is affected by technology in almost every facet of life.  From work, to politics, to play, technology is involved.  And the same goes for technology on society.

In my picture, I wanted to illustrate that everything we have talked about revolves around this idea.  For example, in the bottom right corner, I illustrated the Arab Spring.  Twitter did not only change the politics, but also the news.  Twitter was a tool to change politics and news formats.

Another example is the assembly line on the left side.  The assembly line helped create “more faster,” which makes it not only an efficient tool for business, but also how society wants the world.  We have become a right here, right now society, which might be attributed to tools such as the assembly line.

I also depicted the library’s top choices.   Although the best sellers list was made to influence society, society influenced the best sellers list.  It took society’s push for fiction novels over the years to put more fiction books into libraries.

When I drew this, I also wanted to create a connection between the people and technologies visually.  I used red on almost every person and technology.   This red is supposed to visualize everything on the paper that has been affected by people and technology, which should be all.  I highlighted “people” and “technology” in red to show this connection.

"The Information Society"

Sorry for the colorless picture, I have absolutely no markers, or color pencils, or crayons, but I really wanted to draw this. Also I am no artist but tried my best.

My picture has a drawing of a computer connected to the world with a USB cord. The world is revolving and I have stick people doing different things, some are running into the computer, and some are running away from the computer into the world. I even have one stick person on the USB cord trying to pull it out of the world. In addition, I have a light bulb inside the computer to signify all the innovations and ideas the information society creates, and the technologies it has inspired. I have the stick figures doing different things because, as people, we are adapting to things in the information society in more than one way. We are all different, some people want the world’s connection to technology and information to go away, while others embrace it or run away from it in fear of a world to come. In addition to that, the USB cord connected to the world signifies how the information society is connected to the world.

So overall the underlying message that my drawing has is that the information society, with its innovations and technologies not only connects us with technology, but its success depends on society and its adoptions in the world. Not everyone is embracing the information society as it is. Many want to tamper with it or make it go away, while some accepts its innovations with open arms. Nevertheless, it is a part of our society, and at this point, it will be there whether we like it or not.

Hybrid Courses

I feel that this class overall is a very challenging course because it covers a topic that is very broad and includes alot of things. So I do not believe any class can compare to our LIS 201 class. However, in searching through other classes I cannot say that I am that surprised that so many classes are choosing to be Hybrid Courses. I say this because in many ways our other FIG classes are similar to being Hybrid Courses and with this being my first year I have just come to think that this might just be the way that most classes in college are structured. I do know now that, that is not the case. But because of the way I came into this FIG and having everything provided online I did not really notice that this course had a special name to it, I just figured that is how things are done.

So if I compared this class to our other FIG courses, they are similar in a lot of ways because everything is focused on the internet so most of our content is on the internet and we spend alot of time doing things on the internet. This is actually causing me to be tired of the internet and I am actually using it alot less now that I use it so much for college. I miss the high school days I had were things weren't hybrid and every class was focused on a textbook and not the internet. Although that textbook was so restricting, I kinda miss its restrictions because the internet has so much to search through in order to find exactly what it is one might be looking for, when in a textbook you just have to flip a couple pages untill you see something you like. When it comes to learning more about students I would say that I learned alot about them online because the assignments were interesting and let their personalities shine. But I also learned more about the people they were, the values they have, and the opinions they form more in a personal setting. I think that is so because I am more of an oral learning, reading things online doesn't really do anything for me.

Overall however, my online experience did bring together my lecture experience in most cases. Everything seems to connect and be put in place for a purpose. I still do not completely understand what exactly the information society is however because the concept really just seems to big to even put a definition to but the only way I would understand it is if it had a clear definition. If this course wasn't in the world of information I honestly feel like I would've got a little more out of it because I learn more when people talk to me or talk me through things. Going on the internet and reading doesn't really help me put the pecies together as easy as it should be.

"The Information Society" Drawing

My picture shows a computer, resembling technology, in the center of a globe, with a group of people surrounding the computer. They are all holding hands to symbolize their connection and unity. The image is meant to resemble how technology can connect individuals from around the world, thus creating a new society known as “the information society.” Through the use of cellphones, computers and other technologies it has made it easier for people throughout the world to communicate without meeting in real life. This allows individuals to express their opinions and brings together people with specific interests or ideas. While these people are now united, the most important feature of forming these relationships is the introduction of the computer or other technology, which explains why the computer is the center of the picture.

While technology helps to develop a new society, not everyone has the ability to join this community. This is depicted trough the people dispersed around the image that are not connected to the others. The reason for being separated can be a variety of reasons including, economic reasons, personal choices, or even poor Internet connection near their home. No matter the reason, it is important to acknowledge that not everyone is part of the new information society. Although many people think of the Internet as a way to bring together the entire world, this is not possible unless everyone has equal access and training. Thus, the information society is a distinct group of individuals brought together with the aid of new technologies.

My Hybrid Course Experience

To compare our course to another one that uses the hybrid approach, I have decided to compare it to another course I'm taking this semester, Math 112, or just Algebra. I attend a 'lecture' twice a week, which is just a section with about 40 students where the instructors go over practice problems from our homework. But mostly, I have learned the material from this course has actually been from our online interphase. We use Pearson Online Labs to access our textbook, our homework, practice homework, quizzes, and even our exams. I feel like, in comparison, in my math class that I actually rely more on the information I learn online, whereas in this class, LIS 201, I have relied more on what I have learned in lecture and section, which brings me to my next point.

While I feel like our online activities have connected with what we read and what we learn in-person, it has not necessarily reinforced the material. I feel as though it did not affect my role as a student in either the physical or virtual world. I never have used a wiki outside of this class, and I feel like the blog has not changed my past blogging experiences at all, therefore I am not much more comfortable with either of those things. Because of that, I feel like professors should 'proceed with caution' when it comes to using online components.

Overall, I feel like I am definitely leaving this class with a much greater amount of information about information in society than I did entering it. I now better understand the impact that technology has on me as I use the internet, therefore changing my perspective. Because of what we learn in this class, using online components is necessary in some ways, however I feel like it can be altered so that we can learn more from it.

Hybrid Courses

In my search for hybrid courses I discovered that UW Madison is not alone in offering these classes. With just a simple Google search I discovered that many other institutes for higher education also offer this type of class. Some of these schools include: UW Milwaukee, NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College), University of Maryland University College, and Southern New Hampshire University. According to Southern New Hampshire University, “’Hybrid’ is the common term for courses that combine face-to-face classroom instruction with computer-based learning”. This description, along with the descriptions from the other schools appear fairly similar to the structure of LIS201 at UW Madison.

With my experience in LIS 201, I feel that the online portions did help with connecting material we covered in-person. The weekend assignments not only allowed me to engage more so into the material we discussed, but also improved my researching skills. While the online portion helped to reinforce material learned, I was able to learn more about my fellow students’ offline in the actual discussion section. Before this class I had no experience with blogs or wikis, but now I am much more comfortable using this resources. I find that for writing assignments, these resources can be very helpful in terms of sharing content and they should be utilized by UW instructors. If instructors utilize these tools, it allows for students to not only share information they have learned, but it also allows for students to gain the collective knowledge of the group.

The lectures and readings definitely opened my eyes to the information society we live in. Before this course I had never heard the term. To be honest, I pretty much lived in my own little bubble and had no concern for how society has been shaped by technologies. Now because of LIS 201, I am more aware of how I interact online and what information I share on the web. In addition, I am now going to be conscious about what I consume, especially after learning about Foxconn. Academic wise, I have learned to become a more efficient researcher online while I sought information for this class, such as for these weekend assignments and papers.

As for implementing the online course components for different subjects, I think this is doable with a few minor changes. For subjects such as history or biology I believe that the blog and wiki assignment would benefit students learning. Allowing the students to delve deeper into research in particular topics, instead of just reading provided material. Although I do not think this hybrid course would be effective for a math class, where it relies on memorization and practice, rather than additional research.

Hybrid Courses and Such!

Not very surprisingly enough, my search results for hybrid courses ended up looking extremely similar to my fig-mates. Originally I searched for "hybrid courses UW Madison" and I was astounded but the first couple results being linked to UW-Milwaukee. Regardless, the UWM page gave a straight-forward definition of a hybrid course. "In 'hybrid' courses," the page reads,"a significant amount of the course material has moved online, making it possible to reduce the amount of time spent in the classroom." They then mention three keys points that make up a hybrid course at UW-Milwaukee. The three points they make it their courses can be seen in UW-Madison's LIS 201.

Number one; "Web-based learning activities are introduced to complement face-to-face work." In 201, all of the blog posts we write make sense in the context of the class and the material that is being discussed at the moment. For example, at the time when the reading about IT careers was assigned, we were asked to research and write about Manpower, Inc. This linking of online work and in-class concepts creates a system that enhances itself.

Number two; "'seat time' is reduced, though not eliminated altogether." Compared to other classes, the in-class time for LIS 201 is not that much. My other classes, such as Political Science 106, have less work, but still meet more times a week than 201. Using the blogging system, more work can be done outside of class.

Number three; "the Web-based and face-to-face components of the course are designed to interact pedagogically to take advantage of the best features of each." This points reminds me the Ignite presentations. The presentations were created individually and with a computer, but good feedback was given in an offline group setting.

Now, I would agree that these points make hybrid courses seem like a great idea. However, I would argue that if colleges were to advance these blended classes, that they should move with caution. After writing blog posts all semester, I have found that the language and style used is often informal and sometimes non-academic. Online activities, as I also found, seem to foster distraction. I would sometimes find myself taking longer on these online assignments than I should due to the nature of procrastination on the Internet. If these blog posts were completed offline, I feel like they would have been written more formally and oddly enough, quicker.

I have been participating in hybrid courses since high school in courses such as Introduction to Journalism. For journalism and "The Information Society", I feel like hybrid courses are easily creditable and adaptable. For other classes, such as mathematics and science, I feel like more class time is more helpful than a blended course structure. In my eyes, it does not make sense to have online components for a class like Chemistry. It makes sense for us to be writing about information technologies while using an information technology because that's what the class is about. Math and science, however, I find to work better being taught and discussed in a traditional face-to-face format.

Part Offline, Part Online, All Education

The second result in my initial search on hybrid courses was for a series of them being offered at UW-Milwaukee. While this likely has more to do with Google's knowledge that I live in Wisconsin than the actual prominence of the curriculum (stupid filter bubble), it did give some immediate insight into the subject. The description given on how the courses work indicates that the focus is much more on the online aspects of the course, while not eliminating face-to-face time altogether. It presents what I see as the main differentiation from LIS 201, in that the online aspects seem to be more prominent. While there is a fair amount of online work and activities in this class, it is still primarily grounded in the traditional class model.

Looking back, I can't help but feel that the online assignments and work we were often given was disconnected from the main path of the class. The relation between the two often felt tangential, not essential. Furthermore, the work and discussion in the physical world almost always felt more practical and useful. Many of the online aspects felt like simple assignments, not ways of connecting with other students. This isn't to frown upon the use of these online resources in coursework, rather, they should be integrated more deeply, intertwining them with the rest of the class.

Finally, much of the work in this class did me the benefit of enlightening me to subjects I was not previously aware of. However, I struggled to find an application for some of it. The learning and knowledge was clearly there, it just boiled down to wondering what to use it for. It really had nothing to do with the online assignments, I just went back to question of what to do with the information I was taking in. It's not a new question, but I found it pooping up again, which was a bit disappointing.

Hybrid courses

When searching for other hybrid courses similar to The Information Society course, I found that at the University of Colorado—Denver, they offer a good amount of “hybrid” courses that are both a mixture of in-class and online assignments. I chose a specific one, Global Energy Issues-Realities, and looked at what the course covers. The only major difference between the LIS 201 class here at UW-Madison and this class at Denver, is the hybrid classes at Denver only really offer in-class, meaning lecture, and online assignments. They do not offer a discussion section as well. I believe that the discussion section we have here furthers the hybrid system and works extremely well.

My experience throughout this class was ever changing. Going into it, I had no idea what to expect from any college class, let alone this “hybrid” class. The more we started to do online assignments, the more I began to enjoy it. I believe that doing online assignments not only contribute to more literacies in online spaces, but also offer a completely separate, but effective approach to learning. Working online allows for a more personal level of engagement because it is just between you and your screen. People may feel tentative to share during lecture or discussion, and the online portion allows for other people to communicate to the class. I feel much, much, much more comfortable in the online setting now especially towards blogs and wikis. This class has really taught me a great amount about working online and sharing with others online.  

I do believe that online course components work differently in a course that wasn't all about the online world of information because it makes sense to have an online component to a class about the online world of information. However, I think an online course component for every class is essential and useful. It can give more people opportunities to learn without having to go to the lecture or discussion, or in addition to. Overall, I have enjoyed my new learning experience in LIS 201, and hopefully I have more hybrid classes to come. 

Hybrid Courses

Since the Internet has grown to be a tool for education, many schools and universities are looking to create hybrid classes.  Since there is more than one form of the hybrid class, I looked at this course and UW Milwaukee's hybrid courses to compare hybrid styles.

For UW Milwaukee, hybrid courses have one of the following formats:

1. There are in person lectures and discussions with online assignments.

2. There are online lectures and assignments with in person discussions.

3. Students prepare a presentation online and present it in person.

LIS201 is the same format as UW Milwaukee's first format.  I think Milwaukee is smart to experiment with different formats.  Over time, they will find which format works better.  However, I feel, with some bias, that the LIS201 format is the best.  I feel that it is easier to communicate ideas in  person.  Discussing in person is essential because people communicate ideas not only in words, but in body language and tone.  Without these signs, people may not be able to understand the ideas or opinions people are presenting.

Also, students must participate in live lectures.  By being asked questions and receiving feedback, students know whether or not they understand the content.  This also helps the professor understand what points need to be articulated and what points are understood.

Online assignments force students to complete their work in a timely manor.  Since there is a time stamp on any online assignment, students are forced to have there work completed before coming to class.  This ensures that students understand, or at least have some knowledge, on the topic before coming to class.

I personally, prefer classes with less online features.  I like knowing that my deadline is the start of class.  That way I remember when the work must be completed by.  However, I understand that online assignments makes the process easier in that papers are not lost and turn in time is clearly stated.  Therefore, I would prefer fewer hybrids, but I would still take them if the course was interesting.  I feel that UW Madison will add more hybrid courses in the years to come.

I feel LIS201 has changed the way I see technology and the information society.  It wasn't until this course that I realized that many technologies are similar by aiding communication.  I feel that knowing this has allowed me to compare many technologies in my life and understand them better.  I feel that the activities we have done have strengthened this feeling.  Using the Internet to discuss these topics put into practice what we where discussing.  For this reason, I understand and support LIS201 being a hybrid course.

Hybrid Courses

In my search for hybrid courses at other higher education institutes, I found that the University of Wisconsin-Madison does not stand alone. In searching only for "hybrid courses", I came across a multitude of schools that offer these course packages, including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Washington-Bothell, and even a variety of community colleges, such as Northern Virginia Community College, and Ozarks Technical Community College. For the most part, it seems that the use of hybrid courses in the other schools are for the most part on par with the one that we've experienced in LIS201 at UW-Madison. NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) describes the hybrid theory as a combination of in-person/face-to-face communication with online instruction taking place within one single course.
In my own experience with the hybrid theory of education, I think that the intention may be better than the actual outcome, at least for now. While I definitely understand the importance of an online presence, I think that it can sometimes be a bit unnecessary or at least ineffective. I think that as a student I get much more out of the activity itself, what I'm learning, and less out of the fact that it takes place online. I think that I may learn a bit more out of the physical space than the virtual one - a virtual space contains too much potential for distraction. I think that the more the Internet is used as a place for education (especially once it becomes the exclusive place for education with online-only courses, for example), the more of a risk is in place for distraction.
The question on whether an online course taking place for a class that doesn't revolve around the importance of the Internet and technology is an interesting one, and I'm honestly not quite sure what the answer is. I think that until I experience it, I wouldn't be able to say for sure. The use of the Internet in an Internet-based course means that I pay particular attention to not only what the assignment is, but how the Internet is helpful in achieving it. In a course that doesn't discuss the Internet's weight, I'm not sure that the latter would be as present in my research.

Hybrid courses

While doing my search on hybrid courses I had a lot of similar findings to my classmates. When I first started my search I mostly found information about the idea of hybrid/ blended courses. A lot of it was how to manage them so they were effective, and other such research. Later on though, I started to find more links that continued to take me to Harper College's course selection guide. After doing some search into this, I found that they actually have a quite large selection of hybrid courses. These were in different areas too, so a chemist and a journalist both had an opportunity to experience this. What I did not find though was the description of how these blended courses would work. All of them had the general course description then at the bottom it would say "Blended:Online AND oncampus Instructional Method," so it is not very specific as to what one can expect out of these courses in terms of them being blended.
LIS 201 though was, I think, was different from Harper College's in that Proffessor Downey did a very good job explaining what a blended course was and what we could expect both online, through the blog, and in class. Another thing I liked about the course were the Wiki's and blogs. Since we already spend so much time on the computer I think having assignments and means of communication online made it a lot easier for us to do the tasks assigned. This also made us helped us to use our computer time more effectively and in a more interesting way, such as spending 30 minutes researching and writing about the Memex than being on Facebook.
One of the things I did not like about this course being blended though is that a lot of the teaching that went on was not really teaching. I felt it was more us finding the answers by ourselves, but this may also be a good thing as well. A topic such as The Information Society is not really something one can really learn about, but has to really think about and observe in the real world around us.
For the reason mentioned, I think that the fact this course is blended is really helpful, because the internet and online communication and publishing tools really help add to the meaning of the content. In other courses, such as math, though I don't really think they would be as effective, because face-to-face communication and teaching is more important in helping students understand.

The Hybrid Course

After doing a search for specific "Hybrid" courses, I was unable to find any specific courses that were considered "hybrid". I was only able to find Universities that had descriptions to "hybrid" courses and how that they offered some classes that fit this criteria, but no specific classes. These descriptions that I found fit our hybrid class and they have the same approach. This shows that "hybrid" courses are becoming more popular because they are utilizing today's technology and are taking part of the course online.

I think that these "hybrid" and "blended" course approaches are good approaches and help the educational process. While traditional in-person learning works, I think that taking part of the course online takes the learning experience to the next level. While in-person learning allows for learning, I think that the online portion allows the student to take these skills they learned and apply them in a more modern and different approach. I think that this approach is going to become more popular and will be seen more frequently in universities and schools as time goes on and technology advances.

From my own experience, I felt that the online portions connected with the in-person portions. However, I felt that I was a more effective student in physical space. I felt that with the online assignments and the online portion of this class, I was not able to fully express myself and get my voice across, but I felt I was able to in-person and in our discussions. I think that I was able to learn more from the in-person portion of our class because I felt that even though the online assignments allowed us to explore what we learned, it was more just answering the questions and being done with it. I was always an in-person and old school learning student, as I still take notes with a notebook and a pencil. However, I think that the online portion was very interesting and gave the course a different perspective that allowed us to use the skills and knowledge we learned and apply it to technology and what our generation is used to.

I think that the course material was able to go well with the hybrid idea because of how the course material was about the information society. Information has always been spread, and it is spreading at an even faster rate with new technology. Because of this, I think that incorporating technology into our learning and our class was a great idea. I felt that I was able to have hands-on experience and apply what we learned to these online portions. I think that this hybrid course would not work very well with a course like mathematics, because it would just make things complicated. If the course material deals with technology, I think a hybrid course would work for that specific course.

Overall, I think that the online portion of our LIS 201 class was very interesting and gave the class and my learning experience a different perspective. I liked how our class was a "hybrid" class and would like to have more classes like this in the future.

Hybrid Courses

In today's information society, it is becoming increasingly common for schools to offer hybrid courses for their students. Instead of consisting solely of a lecture and discussion or existing only online, this new type of course makes use of both online and offline aspects to enhance the learning experience. After some brief searching online, I found that this is not an uncommon practice among universities. Many pages came up in my results from websites of various universities explaining exactly what a hybrid course is. These schools involved names such as UW-Milwaukee, Northern Virginia Community College, the University of Washington-Bothell, and others. Though these schools may have explained the concept slightly differently, they all followed the same general pattern: all of them said that hybrid courses make use of both online and offline components to create a new learning environment for students.

As for our own hybrid course, LIS 201, I found that the online components helped a lot in showing concepts that were discussed in the classroom in a more traditional manner. Whenever we talked about a concept in class, it was followed up with a relevant activity to do online that further displayed that concept and helped me to better understand the course material. While I did find the online component of the course to be helpful and effective, I also felt that the face-to-face interaction with other students is what was most helpful to my learning. It allowed me to discuss a concept more in-depth with a person and then supplement that discussion with an online activity. Overall, though, I learned a lot from the online part of this course. In addition to elaborating on concepts discussed in class, it also taught me how to effectively use a variety of different online resources like blogs. I would say that in the future, the UW should definitely make use of online components in more classes, but also take care to make sure that the online aspects of the courses do not eclipse the in-person ones. While online parts of a hybrid course can greatly supplement class discussions, it is difficult for them to completely replace those discussions, especially since there are so many different learning styles among people.

In the overall course of LIS 201, I feel that course lectures and readings have helped me to see more and better perspectives of my own online experiences. This didn't just happen while I was doing our weekly online activities, either. The class materials and discussions made me more conscious of exactly what I was doing online and what that meant for the information society. They made me consider what possible strengths and weaknesses accompany our new information technologies in our ever-changing world. I do think, however, that this would be different in a class that isn't focused completely on the vast world of information that exists online. Instead, the online components of the course would make students conscious of other things in their lives and how that course's material affects everything they do, both online and offline, in their everyday lives.

Hybrid Courses in an Information (Internet) Society

When I searched for hybrid courses I had a hard time finding specific classes, but I found various schools that offered them throughout the country. Most of the information was very general, explaining the concept of a "hybrid" or "blended" class, and some gave their opinion on why these classes were beneficial.

The hybrid classes at UW-Milwaukee seemed to be most similar to the format of LIS 201. Some of the other colleges like Oklahoma and Northeastern University seemed to describe online courses that were supplemented with the occasional face-to-face classroom time. They often met a lot less often, maybe once a month or a few times in a semester. UW-Milwaukee's page about hybrid classes says, "A hybrid course is designed to integrate face-to-face and online activities so that they reinforce, complement, and elaborate one another, instead of treating the online component as an add-on or duplicate of what is taught in the classroom."

Even after learning so much about the Internet in our FIG, I feel that I benefit more from face-to-face interaction in the classroom. I think that it is really important to be able to talk concepts through to fully understand them. On the blog and wiki we can try to explain concepts, and sometimes we can have discussion through the comments. But we do not feed off each others' online activities in the same way that we do in the classroom.  However, I think the blog posts made up for some of the things that didn't get said in discussion. Sometimes we don't have enough time to fully discuss everything or people are quiet because they either can't think of anything to say on the spot or don't want to share. So the blog is a way for people to share their ideas more cohesively. I was already familiar and comfortable with blogger before this class, but I definitely feel more comfortable with wikis now. I think that we could have even used the wiki more, and I think that there are different courses that would benefit from using the wiki to post assignments. UW-Madison professors should really consider incorporating blogs into their instruction, because it is extremely helpful to have resources that we can use and the assignments explicity explained in one place. I didn't have to question what I was supposed to do, because everything was laid out on the blog. There are other classes that I forget exactly what the instructor wanted us to do, and that makes it difficult to complete the assignment.

The blog really connected with all of the classes in our FIG. It made me think about the reading about blogs and hyperlinks in LIS 201, and we had several readings on the same topic in CA 346. We also talked about Web 2.0 in both LIS 301 and CA 346, and bloggers are part of the user-generated content frenzy associated with Web 2.0. I feel like a blog on subjects other than the Internet could still function in similar terms, the posts would just be a lot less about the process of collecting information and researching, and more about the content of the class.

Overall, I really enjoyed the "hybrid" aspect of this class. I can't imagine a class about the Internet and the Information Society without some incorporation of online activities.