Hybrid Theory

(Don't make fun of me for making a Linkin Park reference...)
From a few Google searches, I wasn't able to find any specific descriptions of hybrid courses being offered elsewhere, but I did find a lot of general descriptions of the concept on other universities' websites. For the most part, they appeared to be the same. Like our class, they are described as courses that have a reduced amount of in-class time in favor of more online-based activities. One even specified that there may be some content for students to look into even before the first lecture, much like there was for us. I also found a New York Times article covering a specific hybrid course being offered at MIT, which was a little different in that it involved online assessments. The idea was pretty much the same though.

In our course, I feel that the online portions were well-connected to the physical portions of the course. The online activities we engaged in related to lectures and discussions very well. However, for me, the majority of the learning in this course seemed to come from the readings, which were kind of ignored by the lectures and online assignments. I actually felt that I didn't need to pay any attention to the lectures to succeed as long as I was doing the readings and paying attention in discussion sections. So, while all aspects of the course were obviously connected and important, the "hybrid" part didn't really do much for me as far as my success on class assessments.

I'm not really sure which part of the course was more informative for me about my fellow classmates. I didn't spend a whole lot of time reading everyone's blog, but I think there is something to be said for inferring a lot about a person based on the way they express themselves in assignments like this. However, I think I was still a lot more informed by the offline interactions I had with my classmates, such as presentations and class discussions. I don't feel a lot better about my use of blogs and wikis because of this class, because in my opinion this isn't anything like actual blogging or wiki use. We rarely edited or had any use for the wiki, and our blogs were done for assignments. If anyone actually read these blogs outside of those involved in the class, I would recommend they find something better to do with their lives, because it's my impression that most of us put minimal effort into this part of the class. Following that, I think that online components should be used with caution going forward for UW professors. I liked learning from the online resources we were directed to, and having the LIS 201 blog as a reference point was very useful, but acting like what we do in blogs and wikis for class will apply to the outside world seems like a reach. I use the same skills for writing online as I do for writing any other assignment. Maybe I'm alone here, but I think there's very little value (besides convenience) of putting these types of assignments online. I'm glad they're here, but we shouldn't act like they're more than homework assignments.

With all that criticism out of the way, I do think that a lot of what we learned in this class gave me a better perspective on my own online experiences. I was even able to see how the historical topics we covered in the beginning of the course related to the technology we use in today's "information society." I especially thought the online blog assignments were good reflections on things I do outside of class, such as using online avatars and using social media. The challenge of not using technology for a weekend even inspired me to try to live without using some social networks, and I think I've become a better person for it. There were some duds in the set of articles we read, but overall I was able to appreciate the relevance of what we learned to the world we live in today, and I think the substantive part of the course was very good.

Hybrid Courses

While looking for other examples of hybrid classes, I didn’t find many specific courses, but did see other schools acknowledging the use and benefits from these courses. Hybrid courses are not simply at UW but also can be found at a variety of schools, ranging from high schools, to business or medical schools. One high school, in Byron, Minnesota has hybrid courses available in math, English, FACS and social studies that are designed to both teach the students the course material and help them become more resourceful on the Internet. Although the school recognizes how this is beneficial for some courses, it notes how often in the math class students would rather learn in school than online to be able to communicate easily with students and the teachers on topics that they are not fully able to grasp.

Overall I think that the use of technology, and especially the Internet was beneficial for the course and should be incorporated into more classes. By being able to use the Internet to do some of the classwork, it not only allowed me to have a more flexible schedule by giving me more control of when to complete assignments or projects, but also allowed me to have a more hands on experience with the concepts discussed in lecture. The use of both the blog and wiki formats, and PowerPoint or other media sources throughout the FIG has taught me to be more resourceful throughout my research or simply just when surfing the web for myself. Although I do think that it was beneficial for this course, like the students of Byron High School, I think that for some courses it is hard to fully understand these concepts on my own and think that it is important to stick to mainly old fashioned teaching methods.

The use of the Internet for classwork is also a beneficial way to acknowledge students’ participation in the class that may not be recognized in a large lecture. Through the blog posts it has allowed both my TA to see what I have been grasping through the lectures and also allow me to compare what I have been getting out of the lessons to other students. Without the participation online I would not have learned about the experiences my fellow students have encountered or simply be able to learn more about them. Even by only reading the titles of posts, or a few sentences I was able to make more connections to others ideas from what I personally am thinking about through the posts.

As the Internet is becoming more influential in daily life it is important for students to be gaining knowledge about different uses and methods throughout their courses in school. By incorporating the Internet and other programs into a class, as done in LIS201 it will allow students to better grasps concepts by having personal learning experiences and be able to continue to use these products both in and out of school.

The "Hybrid" Course Approach

When looking up other examples of hybrid blended courses withing the University, I thought of our other Fig courses. In a way, they also combine a "hybrid" or "blended" approach. For example, our LIS 301 course allows us to create online games and YouTube videos to learn from while allowing us to learn from other peers. LIS 301's approach isn't distantly different from LIS 201 approach. They both so very similar activities. However, without com arts class, we don't incorporate as much virtual activities as we do in LIS 301 and LIS 201.

For this class, I felt that it really depended on what the assignment or topic was. I think that the best results would be a combination of them together. Neither of them was more effective over the other. The reason why is because in person, I can learn visually and understand as well as communicate more effectively. But the virtual world helps because if I were to forget something that was said in a discussion or in lecture, I could always refer back to a blog or Wiki. I think that through the virtual world, I was able to learn more about my peers because on the online blogs, they put themselves into what they write and it shows their personality more.

After this course, I would have to say that I definitely feel a lot better with blogs and wikis because I never did anything with them before I came to the university. I wasn't too interested in them but after this course, it made me realize that it was actually kind of fun. Overall, I think that UW instructors should use online components depending on the type or kind of course. For example, incorporating online activities to courses like the FIG is a great idea. For classes like Math or Sciences, online components would be harder to put into the course.

My Cumulative Blog Posts

After reviewing all of my blog posts this semester (some of them being late, as is this one), I can confidently say my writing abilities within this space have improved quite a bit. I initially tried to sound casual and laid back, which I realized soon after is a poor way of approaching academic research and discussion. I eventually started to employ a more pedantic, succinct tone, doing the best I could to convey points lucidly and with a purpose.

I also noticed I tend to get to the point right away, and offer possibilities as to why these points be. I often examined different perspectives, offering various answers or solutions to the topic or issue at hand. That said, if I wasn't that interested in the talking points, I wouldn't exert a whole lot of effort to dissect the material; rather, I would approach the material with some general examination, but nothing that would turn it upside down. More interesting articles, on the other hand, allowed me to dig deeper into our content, which, obviously, I enjoyed more.

In LIS 201 I feel as though I best expressed myself through the papers and the discussions in section. When I'm forced to offer my thoughts and evidence in a formal, cohesive way, I do best. When it was the blog posts I felt like I couldn't go too in-depth, but at the same time I felt like we had to give some explanation to back up our thoughts and opinions. When presenting yourself to others, either on paper or in real time, you have the autonomy to say what you like, and what makes the most sense to you. I managed this in the blog posts, but not to the extend to which I did in the more formal, lofty settings of the course.

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich

(This one's late too!)

I chose this book because I thought it contained relevant, interesting information in regards to one of the most revolutionary entities of our time: Facebook. There is a lot to be said for its inception and spread of popularity among the world's Internet users, and Mezrich is well-known for his work on other social transformations, so it makes sense to report on this particular book.

I thought about doing a few other books, like The Shallows, but ultimately they didn't interest me enough to analyze them in-depth and examine their application and relevance to what we're studying in LIS 201. I also think that material on Facebook especially holds significance in the digital world; we use it for so much that we often forget it's our go-to source for information sharing and communicating.

I plan to discuss the various conflicts and obstacles in producing Facebook, and what that meant for its creators and us, its users. I will try to make sure everything comes into play, including the melodrama between Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, not leaving out any pertinent details that would heighten my case. I'm hoping my presentation reflects all of these ideas and offers sufficient evidence to its importance.

My digital puppet

(Excuse the awful lateness with this post)

After searching for myself on various platforms on the Internet, I can say that I have made my digital presence somewhat private, if not hard to find myself. A search on White Pages found both the carrier and the location of my cell phone service, which was surprising, given how I merely typed in my cell number to detect the details of my cellular presence. White Pages gave me the option to purchase more details about the number, such as the name on the account; I'm wondering what else it would disclose, and for how much. Searching my Zip code gave fewer details, only the population of the country I'm from and other vague, mundane details.

What was more interesting were the results when I simply Googled myself. On the first page of search results, there were links to my Twitter and Instagram accounts, and a page showing all of my produced Vine videos. I was not detectable on Facebook to the generic Internet searcher, which I believe stems from my privacy settings. Other search results produced a link to a story from a local news network covering an execution I reported on for my student newspaper with my friend. Besides these results, nothing significant, relevant, or connected to me.

I think that one could surmise from searching for me that I like to generate social media content that satirizes the mundane, and centers on what I'm doing at that moment. Fortunately, there wasn't any suggestive or inappropriate material that would lower my online reputation; I try to keep everything I produce clean and, as many would say is recommended, "things my grandma could see." I think this also speaks well to my job prospects. It is often suspected potential employers search for applicants to ensure they are clean, responsible, and trustworthy. I would hope I fit the bill on this one.

Overall, I'm not disappointed with the things I found. If anything, I think what came up attests to who I am, if not in a professional sense but in a context I would approve that chronicles my personal life. It will be intriguing to see what changes with search results on my name as I continue my education and enter the work force.

My grandma and her iPhone

My grandma made the decision to get an iPhone earlier this year, on the recommendation of many people in her life, including myself, who claimed having one would make her day-to-day life easier. As I discussed it with her on Thanksgiving, it is quite clear she uses it for a plethora of different functions and purposes.

First and foremost, my grandma suffers from Macular Degeneration, a debilitating ocular condition that causes her to be nearly completely blind in her right eye. Her other eye's vision, while nearly perfect (how ironic), is not enough to get her through the day without corrective lenses and products that make seeing easier. The dynamic aesthetic features of Apple technology make the phone itself quite easy to use; the numbers are big, she can zoom in and zoom out to read texts/iMessages and news articles, and she can FaceTime her family members, like me, that she doesn't see that often. For her, it's extremely practical.

Before she bought her iPhone 4S, my grandma had a series of Motorola flip phones for most of 10 years. She found no need to use her cell phone for more than calling and the occasional received text message from a loved one or friend; she was not willing to obtain the literacy to send her own at that point. Then, with the spread and the technological evolution of the iPhone, and her deteriorating vision, she decided that it would only make sense to have a smartphone. She has praised its dynamic features ever since she got it, and has a surprisingly advanced comprehension of its features for someone in their mid-seventies. She uses her phone to look up weather conditions, read news on CNN and NPR, check email, look up recipes, communicate with her kids and grandkids, and, perhaps most beneficially, the new native flashlight app on the iOS 7.0 software upgrade.

While the iPhone has certainly facilitated daily life in an unprecedented, advantageous fashion, it must not be overlooked that it has also bridged the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants. With its user-friendly interface and extremely reliable reputation, the iPhone is also quite helpful to older people looking to get connected.

That said, however, I did turn on her read receipts so I know she's reading my messages :p