So after a few days of having the page listed as public i realised that by leaving the page at this status meant that those in the course could not contribute to it!
I feel that it is worth it though as i really wanted to get contributions to the page from people at work. I received contributions from one person really quickly however the second person has still not replied to the email i sent. It has been just under a week so i will leave it for another couple of days before changing the status back and updating the page.
I am really happy with the comments that I have received so far and the further info received from my work colleague specific to our situation is also really valuable!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
I am not alone....
There have been quite a number of people contributing to my facilitated page which is great. I discovered something called a category that i set to 'facilitated and in need of input' and i also added my page to the list on the FET 8611 table of contents so i think this may have really helped.
I have received comments from a number of people who also experienced problems with the slow and jerky nature of Second Life and this has put me off heading back into the world a little bit. I will give it another go though.
I also finally received some information on inviting guests into KG to get some external contribution to my page. It sounds like it was supposed to be easy to find the information but i read the section on guests and there was no link to anything else. Anyway, it all sounds like its a lot of effort for all involved and not a popular thing to do so i have played with the category of may page again and made it public so all can see it. I plan to invite a couple of people from work to have a look and provide some further comments for me - with their permission i will add their comments to the page.
I have received comments from a number of people who also experienced problems with the slow and jerky nature of Second Life and this has put me off heading back into the world a little bit. I will give it another go though.
I also finally received some information on inviting guests into KG to get some external contribution to my page. It sounds like it was supposed to be easy to find the information but i read the section on guests and there was no link to anything else. Anyway, it all sounds like its a lot of effort for all involved and not a popular thing to do so i have played with the category of may page again and made it public so all can see it. I plan to invite a couple of people from work to have a look and provide some further comments for me - with their permission i will add their comments to the page.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
My Second Life!
So today I thought i would take the time to actually create an avatar in Second Life and see what it is all about.
Other people had told me that the process for establishing your was complicated and time consuming and i would have to agree. The other time consuming part was downloading the software that is required to run Second Life. I use broadband internet but this is Cambodia so it is only just a little quicker than dial-up back in Australia!!
I have done a small amount of 'gaming' but i still found myself walking into walls etc. The keys used to navigate just didn't seem responsive enough for the way i was walking and flying!!
You start your life on Orientation Island before 'graduating' to the Second Life world itself - this step took ages. The length of this set up process (a couple of hours) would need to be considered when using Second Life for educational purposes.
It was just as i had finished all the tasks on Orientation Island that i received an error from my computer stating that the 'Windows virtual memory was low' and that Windows needed to increase the size of my virtual memory. It was also at this point where the whole Second Life window partially froze - i could look around but not move anywhere or click on anything. I gave it a little break in the hope that 'Windows' would fix it but ended off logging off after about 20 minutes.
Will try again tomorrow!!
Other people had told me that the process for establishing your was complicated and time consuming and i would have to agree. The other time consuming part was downloading the software that is required to run Second Life. I use broadband internet but this is Cambodia so it is only just a little quicker than dial-up back in Australia!!
I have done a small amount of 'gaming' but i still found myself walking into walls etc. The keys used to navigate just didn't seem responsive enough for the way i was walking and flying!!
You start your life on Orientation Island before 'graduating' to the Second Life world itself - this step took ages. The length of this set up process (a couple of hours) would need to be considered when using Second Life for educational purposes.
It was just as i had finished all the tasks on Orientation Island that i received an error from my computer stating that the 'Windows virtual memory was low' and that Windows needed to increase the size of my virtual memory. It was also at this point where the whole Second Life window partially froze - i could look around but not move anywhere or click on anything. I gave it a little break in the hope that 'Windows' would fix it but ended off logging off after about 20 minutes.
Will try again tomorrow!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
So many things...
There are just so many things in this course to keep track of.
You send a message in Moodle so you need to keep track of that, you post a comment on the Moodle forum and you need to respond to someone, you have people contributing to your page in knowledgeGarden who you need to thank - then you have your blog where you can write about it all!!!
I am glad i am not working at the moment as i feel that to truly keep on top of everything I need to log into Moodle and KG at least twice a day. Maybe that is a bit of overkill but it seems to be the way to go.
Have received clarification on the assessments and i was on the right track - also had confirmed that i don't need to actually implement my emerging learning tool, just be heading in that direction.
I feel a little more confident knowing that i am off on the right track even thought it took me a little while to get going!
Ohh - another thing - the little star next to my name in KG changed colour today!! Yay - also i now appear in the list of top users - makes me feel like i am actually getting somewhere.
You send a message in Moodle so you need to keep track of that, you post a comment on the Moodle forum and you need to respond to someone, you have people contributing to your page in knowledgeGarden who you need to thank - then you have your blog where you can write about it all!!!
I am glad i am not working at the moment as i feel that to truly keep on top of everything I need to log into Moodle and KG at least twice a day. Maybe that is a bit of overkill but it seems to be the way to go.
Have received clarification on the assessments and i was on the right track - also had confirmed that i don't need to actually implement my emerging learning tool, just be heading in that direction.
I feel a little more confident knowing that i am off on the right track even thought it took me a little while to get going!
Ohh - another thing - the little star next to my name in KG changed colour today!! Yay - also i now appear in the list of top users - makes me feel like i am actually getting somewhere.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Uncertainty....
Although I am still not completely sure I understand the assessment requirements I have created a page that I am going to hopefully use to facilitate discussion on using virtual worlds to deliver training.
Another student has commented that she feels that there is a lack of clarity in the assignments. Again I am relieved that I am not alone.
I am not currently in a position to to implement what i develop for the assignment as I am not working at all. Even if i was back in Australia I would be unable to implement anything related to virtual worlds due to restrictions placed on us by my employer. The course specifications said nothing about actually working in a educational environment just that we had to have 'access to or knowledge of an educational environment'.
I hope the course specifications are correct otherwise this will be the second subject in as many semesters that I have been forced to withdraw from due to misleading information in the course specifications.
Another student has commented that she feels that there is a lack of clarity in the assignments. Again I am relieved that I am not alone.
I am not currently in a position to to implement what i develop for the assignment as I am not working at all. Even if i was back in Australia I would be unable to implement anything related to virtual worlds due to restrictions placed on us by my employer. The course specifications said nothing about actually working in a educational environment just that we had to have 'access to or knowledge of an educational environment'.
I hope the course specifications are correct otherwise this will be the second subject in as many semesters that I have been forced to withdraw from due to misleading information in the course specifications.
25 November 2007
Peter commented in one of his announcements that 'it may seem a little overwhelming at the start (especially if you haven't studied for a while)'.
I think this may have been an understatement. If i am feeling like this how would someone who hasn't been studying for a while feel? Or would it be easier as they would just accept it is all new rather than lamenting on the way that it was?
I have delved into knowledgeGarden a little and Impossible is the only way to describe it. Things are very difficult to find and construct and i find that I am having to have numerous windows open at the same time in order to read and implement instructions. I had a problem with an avatar so i posted a question and received a very timely and somewhat simple answer! I am annoyed with myself as it should have been so obviouos. If i wasn't soooo frustrated with the whole thing maybe i would have worked it out myself.
At least I am not the only person having problems - a lot of other people are too. I do feel however that I am spending far too much time on just setting up my place in the course in the first week and that we should be allocated more time within the course. Some of us had other courses to complete and were unable to start the course a week early.
Also i don't really understand why we have been told to read the info in module 6 in week 1 - if we need the info why don't we have that in the module 1 materials?
One positive to come out of today is that i joined a workgroup looking at using virtual environments. I have always been interested in virtual enviroments but have been to hesitant to get involved as i was concerned as to how long i would then spend in that world. Also i never knew or even thought that education was part of a virtual world. This will be interesting!!
I think this may have been an understatement. If i am feeling like this how would someone who hasn't been studying for a while feel? Or would it be easier as they would just accept it is all new rather than lamenting on the way that it was?
I have delved into knowledgeGarden a little and Impossible is the only way to describe it. Things are very difficult to find and construct and i find that I am having to have numerous windows open at the same time in order to read and implement instructions. I had a problem with an avatar so i posted a question and received a very timely and somewhat simple answer! I am annoyed with myself as it should have been so obviouos. If i wasn't soooo frustrated with the whole thing maybe i would have worked it out myself.
At least I am not the only person having problems - a lot of other people are too. I do feel however that I am spending far too much time on just setting up my place in the course in the first week and that we should be allocated more time within the course. Some of us had other courses to complete and were unable to start the course a week early.
Also i don't really understand why we have been told to read the info in module 6 in week 1 - if we need the info why don't we have that in the module 1 materials?
One positive to come out of today is that i joined a workgroup looking at using virtual environments. I have always been interested in virtual enviroments but have been to hesitant to get involved as i was concerned as to how long i would then spend in that world. Also i never knew or even thought that education was part of a virtual world. This will be interesting!!
23 November 2007
Blog for Emerging Environments for Learning
I have just logged onto the new look USQ studydesk - Moodle and am not sure what i really think.
It is a bit confronting using a new system after having completed 5 other subjects and undertaking a 6th on the old studydesk. This semester I will have to work out of two different study desks! I am not appreciating having to find where all the things I am used to are hidden.
It is like starting online uni all over again. Learning a new stuydesk as well as all the other systems we have to use in this course is a bit full on. Now I am remined what being a new online learner must feel like.
And what is knowledgeGarden all about? There is so much going on in there and the site doesn't appear to be easy to navigate.
I have just logged onto the new look USQ studydesk - Moodle and am not sure what i really think.
It is a bit confronting using a new system after having completed 5 other subjects and undertaking a 6th on the old studydesk. This semester I will have to work out of two different study desks! I am not appreciating having to find where all the things I am used to are hidden.
It is like starting online uni all over again. Learning a new stuydesk as well as all the other systems we have to use in this course is a bit full on. Now I am remined what being a new online learner must feel like.
And what is knowledgeGarden all about? There is so much going on in there and the site doesn't appear to be easy to navigate.
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