By participating in this class, I have acquired a vast amount of information and numerous helpful skills throughout the semester. I have been able to learn these skills through a variety of different assignments, which I will later explain in great detail. I feel like the knowledge I have gained and the skills I have learned will prove to be very beneficial in the near feature. This letter better explains how I met the objectives of this course and what knowledge and skills I have acquired.
The conceptual learner outcomes are as follows:
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of accessing relevant, pertinent, and credible information pertaining to their research question.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of analyzing web sites for credibility.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of critically analyzing information.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of evaluating information.
By evaluating the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) using The Sheridan Libraries page for Evaluating Information on the Internet I was able to demonstrate the knowledge of the principles and methods of assessing relevant, pertinent, and credible information pertaining to my research question. One particular assignment that allowed me to acquire this knowledge was A4.6 WWW-Evaluating Resources II. With this assignment I evaluated the website about Cochlear Implants in relation to the site’s authorship, publishing body, point of view/bias, referral to/and or knowledge of the literature, accuracy of details, and currency. This assignment helped me a great deal in deciding whether the site was credible and provided important information to use for my research project. Prior to this assignment I was unaware of how to accurately assess this type of information. I additionally feel like this assignment shows that I was also able to critically analyze and evaluate the information.
Demonstrating knowledge of analyzing websites for credibility was shown in both the assignment I just discussed and additionally in the assignment A4.5: WWW-Evaluating Resources I. For the assignment I used the Evaluation of Web Site (Purdue Worksheet) to analyze the Better Dog Food website. To thoroughly analyze the website I answered questions regarding the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage of the site. By analyzing the information for each area, I feel like gained a better understanding of the website and realized that specific website was not very credible.
By solely finishing these two previously stated assignments I feel like I accomplished all of the conceptual objectives listed. Acquiring knowledge about the first four objectives allowed me to criticize and make better judgements about the information I chose to use in my Multigenre Research Project (MRP). Since I never actually learned how to evaluate websites, information, and credibility prior to this class I feel like I have obtained a great amount of knowledge that will continue to help me throughout my education and career.
The technical learner outcomes are as follows:
- Students will prepare for and participate in class discussions and activities.
- Students will develop strategies for effectively planning and completing independent work (meeting both the letter and spirit of the work, not just the letter of the work) in a timely manner.
- Students will think practically (solve problems and make decisions) by thinking critically (analysis and evaluation) and thinking creatively (imagining and creating).
- Students will demonstrate the abilities to use the internet to collaborate (collaboration), to find and manage information (rich and interactive information), and as a vehicle for publication (self-expression).
- Students will demonstrate enhanced communication skills and strategies, using the discourse of the discipline, in both oral and written formats.
- Students will participate and collaborate, synchronously and asynchronously, in online professional communities (ASSOCIATE).
- Students will craft a researchable question (ASK).
- Students will gather relevant information concerning their research question (ACCESS).
- Students will critically analyze and evaluate web sites and information (ANALYZE).
- Students will publish their work online (ANNOUNCE).
- Students will demonstrate self-confident interdependence in electronic spaces and interactions.
Each week in our instructions Mrs. McComas provided us with a few resources/readings/preparations in order to prepare for class discussions. After preparing for the discussions we sometimes met in class and other times met at Tapped-In, which is a online community for education professionals. We signed up for accounts and would meet in Mrs. McComas’s “office” on Tapped-In at a specific time. We then would meet briefly and then go into one of our group mates “offices” to discuss the subject of that particular day that we had prepared for. Assignments A6.4 Reflection on Discussion and A7.3 Reflection on Discussion provide summaries on two different occasions when we met at Tapped-In. These two assignments are specifically our discussions concerning first our research questions, and then copyright laws. By discussing these types of things I was able to gain a different perspective on different subjects and ideas by the input of my group mates which proved to be helpful later in the semester.
Throughout the semester I had to develop strategies for effectively planning completing my work in a timely manner. I feel like I did this each and every week, which can be observed through my weekly reflections. In order to accomplish this I had to pace myself, depending on the number of assignments, and then complete them thoroughly and efficiently. I feel like the aims and objectives specifically show how I accomplished this objective over the course of this semester.
By thinking practically (solve problems and make decisions), thinking critically (analysis and evaluation), and thinking creatively (imaging and creating) I was able to come up with my Project Prospectus. This involved my inventing an essential question, foundation questions, my tentative point, the genres I would include, how I would integrate those genres, and tentative sources I would use. I first had to think practically and critically when coming up with the essential question and foundation questions. I had to keep in mind whether the question was researchable and practical for the MRP. I also had to think creatively when choosing the genres I would complete for the project. I based these genres on my prior experiences, what I previously knew about the research topic, and how I could combine all of that information into each genre. I found integrating the genres also required some creativity. Since I have never made a project for a class in this way, I initially found it somewhat challenging. The more research I did and the more information I found, it became easier to pull it all together for the overall project.
I feel like I demonstrated the abilities to use the internet to collaborate (collaboration), to find and manage information (rich and interactive information), and as a vehicle for publication (self-expression); along with gathering relevant information concerning my research question (ACCESS) by conducting library searches related to my research topic. This was first demonstrated in discussing the type of search strategies we should use and additionally in assignment A6.2 Library Search II. For these assignments we discussed how it is important to be specific when searching for information and then correctly citing the information when it is published.
I also feel like I accomplished these two previous objectives by participating and observing in an online mailing list. A third objective that I aditionally completed with the online mailing list was participating and collaborating, synchronously and asynchronously, in online professional communicates (ASSOCIATE). I originally signed up for the mailing list concerning Cochlear Implants and began observing the type of information that was discussed in the community. A summary explains more in-depth what went on with the mailing list. I found this to be very helpful throughout my research. Personal stories and many helpful websites and articles were often sent to me by the online community. Before this class I did not know that mailing lists like this one existed. Now, I would recommend to anyone that they try it and see how much information they can learn just through the participants in the community.
I feel like I demonstrated enhanced and communication skills and strategies,using the discourse of the discipline, in both oral and written methods both by having a conference with Mrs. McComas and through my podcast. During the conference we discussed my essential research question and my foundation questions. My instructor advised me that my question should not have any bias which ultimately helped me the most. After this, we discussed the questions further and made the final decisions about them and then wrote them down. I then made a Revised Project Prospectus which showed the revisions we discussed. I also feel like I have accomplished this objective through my podcast. I first wrote an introduction and the text of my podcast, and then orally read the text of the podcast and recorded it. Although the podcast was not a conversation, I did use communication skills and strategies to relay my message as the voice of an SLP to a student.
To craft a researchable question I first had to decide what I wanted the question to be about. In assignment A3.7 Research Question I listed my areas of interest, issues of importance for my most liked topic, and then a research question. We then analyzed our original question to make it more researchable and specific in assignment A4.1 Revising Research/Essential Question. Throughout the semester my essential question went through several different revisions in order to make it researchable. My actual research question I decided on can be found on the Revised Project Prospectus. I originally did not think it was very difficult to create a researchable question, however I discovered that many considerations must be taken into account in order to have a question that is truly researchable.
I was able to critically analyze and evaluate websites and information throughout the course of the semester. This is specifically demonstrated through assignments A4.5 WWW-Evaluating Resources I and A4.6 WWW-Evaluating Resources II. The first site I analyzed and evaluated by commenting on the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage. The second I analyzed and evaluated in regards to authorship, publishing body, point of view/bias, refferal to/or knowledge of the literature, accuracy of details, and currency. Both of these assignments helped me determine the reliablity and validity of the website and the information it presented.
I used WordPress.com to publish my work online (ANNOUNCE) for the class. I created an account and used the write option to post different assignments to my website. I also used the page feature to create new pages, mainly for the purpose of my MRP. By clicking save and then publish after writing the posts or the pages allowed me to then publish my work. I also feel like I met this objective by sending e-mails to my classmates when I had completed one of my genres. I would send an e-mail to the class list with each URL in order for everyone to view my work.
I feel like I demonstrated self-confident interdependence in electronic spaces and interactions throughout the entire semester. With some guidance from the professor I was able to create my own Webliography, which I have never done before. I now have confidence that I could create a valid and reliable website on my own with little or no instruction. Although I have a good amount of experience using the Internet for a variety of different reasons, I have no previous experience creating a webliography, website, or podcast. Through this course I have acquired the skills to complete all of these different tasks along with several others. I was also able to conduct my MRP with confidence for the class. By practicing evaluating and analyzing the different websites and information, I feel like I now can identify valid resources and information. I confidently found sources to use for my MRP, and will continue to use these skills throughout my education. I have learned a tremendous amount of information and skills as a result of this course. I have enjoyed the experience and will continue to feel more confident in electronic spaces and interactions because of it.
