In a result that would have looked unlikely even one year ago, let alone decades ago in the midst of the civil rights battles of the 60's, the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States of America owes a considerable amount to the power of the computer and the transformation of regular internet users into active contributors to persuade millions of disaffected younger Americans to place their vote.
In one of the most effective online political campaigns I have seen (and I have seen many), elements from both the official Obama campaign team and many online special interest groups developed exceptionally innovative strategies utilising a broad range of Web 2.0 tools to put their view across. One of the most effective I saw involved the 'viral' spread of a worst-case-scenario personalised news report: a person adds the name and email address of friends, who receive an innocuous email suggesting they are featured in a news report. This news report was fully personalised, and had their name Incorporated into the story as having been 'the person who failed to vote that handed John McCain the Presidency by one vote'.
Citizen journalism was also in play, and not in the usual 'letter-to-the-editor' way. Americans in record numbers used alternative platforms like blogs and YouTube videos to highlight errors made by candidates, put their opinion forward on issues that mattered most to them and persuade others to vote for their favourite candidate.
Obama rode a irresistible and nearly unstoppable wave of public emotion and determination, due in no small part from the ability of Obama supporters to utilise the internet for greater effect. Republicans will need to formulate strategies to engage voters using these techniques rapidly to ensure they have a hope of being competitive in future elections.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Applying core themes: my personal computer use
I was excited by the opportunity to do a blog as part of my final assignment for COMP1900 as it is something I already have some experience. As I have mentioned before, I already have a personal blog which enables me to broadcast the opinions that I have on topics of special interest to me that I don't get the opportunity to say elsewhere. Because I am doing five subjects, it has been a little quiet lately, but I plan to actively contribute in the months ahead.
I have set up my Facebook, another Web 2.0 app that I use frequently, so that my friends are alerted when I have a new opinion on something. This caused me a bit of grief when I wrote a particularly controversial post in September which caused a significant stir - while it significantly boosted my site statistics I will probably act in a more cautious fashion in the future.
This most exemplifies the 'From Consumer to Producer' theme of COMP1900. Paradoxically, I am by nature a very private person and very careful about what information is available to people I don't want it to be. I don't use my full name on my blog, and my Facebook is set to only reveal information to my friends. I maintain a PO Box which I use whenever I need to supply an address online. The personal information I feel most perturbed about releasing is my date of birth - I know from working in the medical and paramedical fields that the date of birth is a crucial way of identify a person and I worry about people unnecessarily holding that information.
I have been fascinated throughout this course by having the opportunity to look back over the history of computing and seeing how 'The Power of Computing' has grown, even in just the last decade. It has radically altered how I do my research, how I spend my recreational time and how I store my music - all of which articulate into the 'Interface as a Mediator' theme.
For me, I would have to say that 'Alternative Software' is not a theme that applies very much to my personal computer usage - apart from the occasional usage of my mum's Apple laptop. I love Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, and despite learning of new platforms that fulfill similar functions, I am very happy with the performance these tried-and-true programs afford me.
I have set up my Facebook, another Web 2.0 app that I use frequently, so that my friends are alerted when I have a new opinion on something. This caused me a bit of grief when I wrote a particularly controversial post in September which caused a significant stir - while it significantly boosted my site statistics I will probably act in a more cautious fashion in the future.
This most exemplifies the 'From Consumer to Producer' theme of COMP1900. Paradoxically, I am by nature a very private person and very careful about what information is available to people I don't want it to be. I don't use my full name on my blog, and my Facebook is set to only reveal information to my friends. I maintain a PO Box which I use whenever I need to supply an address online. The personal information I feel most perturbed about releasing is my date of birth - I know from working in the medical and paramedical fields that the date of birth is a crucial way of identify a person and I worry about people unnecessarily holding that information.
I have been fascinated throughout this course by having the opportunity to look back over the history of computing and seeing how 'The Power of Computing' has grown, even in just the last decade. It has radically altered how I do my research, how I spend my recreational time and how I store my music - all of which articulate into the 'Interface as a Mediator' theme.
For me, I would have to say that 'Alternative Software' is not a theme that applies very much to my personal computer usage - apart from the occasional usage of my mum's Apple laptop. I love Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, and despite learning of new platforms that fulfill similar functions, I am very happy with the performance these tried-and-true programs afford me.
Applying core themes: my current study
I am about to graduate from my undergraduate Bachelor of Science majoring in Pharmacology. While this will mark the end of one phase of my studying, I have been accepted into the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery program next year, so I still have a long road of study ahead.
In the field of biomedical science at UQ, probably the largest computing hurdle relates to the COMP1900 themes of 'Interface as a Mediator' and 'Alternantive Software': my faculty (Biological and Chemical Sciences) and in particular my school (School of Biomedical Sciences) almost exclusively run Macs. The need for Macs is apparent in the wet labs in my School - many of the instrumentation used in physiology and pharmacology experiments are designed for use with Macs. With all due respect to the academics in my School, however, I also have a sneaking suspicion that a large number them are a bit bolshie and like being different to the rest of the university. This generates numerous problems for students even in third year who are not familiar with the peculiarities of the foreign operating system.
Literature reviews are a frequent mode of assessment in the subjects that I have done, and in this regard the theme 'The Power of the Computer' comes to the fore. The ability to rapidly search a wide array of journals from across the world all from a computer in Brisbane is an extraordinary advancement compared to the situation even a decade ago. Lecturers now frequently expect students to use the phenomenal resources available through the computers and databases to find the latest information on topics they present, so that we are always at the cutting-edge of knowledge in our field.
In the field of biomedical science at UQ, probably the largest computing hurdle relates to the COMP1900 themes of 'Interface as a Mediator' and 'Alternantive Software': my faculty (Biological and Chemical Sciences) and in particular my school (School of Biomedical Sciences) almost exclusively run Macs. The need for Macs is apparent in the wet labs in my School - many of the instrumentation used in physiology and pharmacology experiments are designed for use with Macs. With all due respect to the academics in my School, however, I also have a sneaking suspicion that a large number them are a bit bolshie and like being different to the rest of the university. This generates numerous problems for students even in third year who are not familiar with the peculiarities of the foreign operating system.
Literature reviews are a frequent mode of assessment in the subjects that I have done, and in this regard the theme 'The Power of the Computer' comes to the fore. The ability to rapidly search a wide array of journals from across the world all from a computer in Brisbane is an extraordinary advancement compared to the situation even a decade ago. Lecturers now frequently expect students to use the phenomenal resources available through the computers and databases to find the latest information on topics they present, so that we are always at the cutting-edge of knowledge in our field.
Areas for expansion in COMP1900
The four core themes of COMP1900 this semester have each been covered in recent blog posts. I've been really interested in what the semeste has entailed. I am a third-year student in my final semester of university, so this subject has been one of considerable personal interest, yet I can see the benefit this course can present to students in their first year of study by exposing them to the technologies that are going to be of use in later endeavours.
To improve on the mix of skills already learnt in the course, the following are three other topics that could be taught that would be of benefit to students studying COMP1900 in the future:
To improve on the mix of skills already learnt in the course, the following are three other topics that could be taught that would be of benefit to students studying COMP1900 in the future:
- An overview of how to contribute videos to YouTube.
This is a key Web 2.0 tool and is a site that will access at least once a week, yet I have absolutely no idea about how to contribute to it. While there may be some students who already know how to go about this, others I'm sure will not and this may be beneficial. - University IT protocols
Students at the start of their degree would benefit from a broad understanding of the online facilites available at UQ, including the Library and Student Services. It might also be beneficial to inform students of UQ IT policies, and what can and can't be done on UQ computers. - Financial literacy
A primer of facilities available on the internet to aid financial literacy and manage finances would be useful to first year students who may be independent for the first time.
From consumer to producer
In weeks 11 and 12 of the semester, the content of COMP1900 switched to the recent development of Web 2.0 technologies and crucially how the individual computer user is now beginning to switch from being a passive consumer of information to now being active producers of content in their own right.
Week 11 introduced the cohort to the concept of Web 2.0 and the tools that underpin it. It was clear to most that people we were all active users of Web 2.0 without really being aware of the significance of it. For me, I believe the crucial tenet to Web 2.0, and the idea of being a producer rather than a consumer are tools that make it easy to create a web presence. A few years ago, to have a web presence required investment in a desktop webpage program, perhaps the purchasing of web space to host the site and the technical know-how to upload the site you made. This could never, of course, be done quickly and required a great deal of effort to even update the site when you had something new to say.
Now through the use of blog sites, Myspace, Facebook and the like, people now have easy-to-use tools to create a web presence without the rigmarole it used to involve.
With the power to create content easily, however, comes the responsibility to act in an ethical manner and the concern that too much personal information being broadcast to the world engenders serious privacy issues. This was the focus of Week 12. The ability for people to create web content available to the entire world in the space of a few minutes means people who do not hold concepts of ethical behaviour in high regard can post whatever distasteful, rude, slanderous or defamatory items they want with very little recourse available to others to have such content removed. This situation is actually being played out by one of the fellow class members, who is using his blog to denigrate the course and question the merits of this assessment piece.
There was considerable concern a few short years ago that the development of the internet would lead to the leaking of personal information. What might not have been envisioned then, however, is the reality that at the moment people are readily volunteering often very personal and intimate information about themselves on social networking sites such as Facebook. I'm not an exceptionally large user of too many of the slew of Web 2.0 platforms and technologies as I simply would prefer to limit the number of separate organisations that hold details like my name, date of birth and credit card information.
The transition of computer users from consumers to producers provides a new and exciting opportunity to interact with people in the same neighbourhood or even across the globe. With this opportunity comes the requirement to post content in a responsible fashion, be respectful of copyright and intellectual property and ensure that personal information is only revealed where necessary and only to web presences of good repute.
Week 11 introduced the cohort to the concept of Web 2.0 and the tools that underpin it. It was clear to most that people we were all active users of Web 2.0 without really being aware of the significance of it. For me, I believe the crucial tenet to Web 2.0, and the idea of being a producer rather than a consumer are tools that make it easy to create a web presence. A few years ago, to have a web presence required investment in a desktop webpage program, perhaps the purchasing of web space to host the site and the technical know-how to upload the site you made. This could never, of course, be done quickly and required a great deal of effort to even update the site when you had something new to say.
Now through the use of blog sites, Myspace, Facebook and the like, people now have easy-to-use tools to create a web presence without the rigmarole it used to involve.
With the power to create content easily, however, comes the responsibility to act in an ethical manner and the concern that too much personal information being broadcast to the world engenders serious privacy issues. This was the focus of Week 12. The ability for people to create web content available to the entire world in the space of a few minutes means people who do not hold concepts of ethical behaviour in high regard can post whatever distasteful, rude, slanderous or defamatory items they want with very little recourse available to others to have such content removed. This situation is actually being played out by one of the fellow class members, who is using his blog to denigrate the course and question the merits of this assessment piece.
There was considerable concern a few short years ago that the development of the internet would lead to the leaking of personal information. What might not have been envisioned then, however, is the reality that at the moment people are readily volunteering often very personal and intimate information about themselves on social networking sites such as Facebook. I'm not an exceptionally large user of too many of the slew of Web 2.0 platforms and technologies as I simply would prefer to limit the number of separate organisations that hold details like my name, date of birth and credit card information.
The transition of computer users from consumers to producers provides a new and exciting opportunity to interact with people in the same neighbourhood or even across the globe. With this opportunity comes the requirement to post content in a responsible fashion, be respectful of copyright and intellectual property and ensure that personal information is only revealed where necessary and only to web presences of good repute.
Alternative software
One of the key things I have been able to discover as a result of this semester's work in COMP1900 has been the broad range of alternative software packages to complete tasks that I would ordinarily not have given a second thought to. At the very least, this exposure means that I have more choice available to me to complete uni tasks and means there is less learning curve for me if I intend to use these tools.
The first week of the course presented the concept of alternative software in terms of the very well known battle between operating systems. Microsoft Windows is the most used operating system used by computer users around the world, however its main rival in Apple Macintosh is known to most computer users and has a loyal following, particularly in creative industries where the operating system is used almost exclusively. When attention turned to the internet in Week 2, again it was already known to most in the course the vanguard nature of Microsoft in the 'browser wars' over many years and the rise of Mozilla Firefox as the most serious threat to Internet Explorer dominance since the rise and fall of Netscape.
While these examples of alternative software were reasonably well-known to most, it was the introduction throughout the course of competitors to Microsoft Office that was the most enlightening. In week 4 we were introduced to alternatives to Microsoft Word, and this formed the basis of our first assignment, where were were tasked to compare a number of free word processors and compare them to Word, the industry-standard. Through this task we were exposed to the first time to Google Docs - a free word processor, spreadsheeting and presentation-creation programs are available free online, with the potential to facilitate easier collaboration than has previously been possible. This was then reinforced by separate lectures on spreadsheeting and presentation design in weeks 7 and 10 respectively.
Since the vast majority of computer users are connected to the internet, with a majority of those connected by broadband connection, it is no surprise that Google foresaw the opportunity afforded by web-based utilities, leading to their 2006 acquisition of IT startup firm Upstartle and their technology to form the core of the Google Docs engine.
In assignment 2 this semester, Google Docs was used by my group to enable group collaboration. I do not believe that I will get a great deal of use out of this platform in the future and remain a big fan of Microsoft Office. I do believe, however, that creators of alternative operating systems, web browsers and productivity tools provide choice for consumers and enhance innovation by all developers.
The first week of the course presented the concept of alternative software in terms of the very well known battle between operating systems. Microsoft Windows is the most used operating system used by computer users around the world, however its main rival in Apple Macintosh is known to most computer users and has a loyal following, particularly in creative industries where the operating system is used almost exclusively. When attention turned to the internet in Week 2, again it was already known to most in the course the vanguard nature of Microsoft in the 'browser wars' over many years and the rise of Mozilla Firefox as the most serious threat to Internet Explorer dominance since the rise and fall of Netscape.
While these examples of alternative software were reasonably well-known to most, it was the introduction throughout the course of competitors to Microsoft Office that was the most enlightening. In week 4 we were introduced to alternatives to Microsoft Word, and this formed the basis of our first assignment, where were were tasked to compare a number of free word processors and compare them to Word, the industry-standard. Through this task we were exposed to the first time to Google Docs - a free word processor, spreadsheeting and presentation-creation programs are available free online, with the potential to facilitate easier collaboration than has previously been possible. This was then reinforced by separate lectures on spreadsheeting and presentation design in weeks 7 and 10 respectively.
Since the vast majority of computer users are connected to the internet, with a majority of those connected by broadband connection, it is no surprise that Google foresaw the opportunity afforded by web-based utilities, leading to their 2006 acquisition of IT startup firm Upstartle and their technology to form the core of the Google Docs engine.
In assignment 2 this semester, Google Docs was used by my group to enable group collaboration. I do not believe that I will get a great deal of use out of this platform in the future and remain a big fan of Microsoft Office. I do believe, however, that creators of alternative operating systems, web browsers and productivity tools provide choice for consumers and enhance innovation by all developers.
The power of the computer
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."Of course, since 1949 personal computing has made extraordinary leaps and bounds. The laptop computer with which I am typing this post weighs a mere few kilograms, yet the power of this relatively small unit would undeniably leave the room-sized computers of those times in its wake.
- Popular Mechanics, 1949
While the history of computing and the power of modern computers was most explicitly covered in Weeks 1 and 2 of this semester's COMP1900 course, the demonstration of the power of the modern computer was made throughout the semester. This semeser our class experienced first-hand the key utilities relevant to 21st century computer users: use of the internet, word processing, the creation of meta-data for our digital information and the managment of our print resources, spreadsheeting and visualsing data, database use and the creation of presentations.
The earliest computers solely performed mathematical calculations. This function alone is now managed by handheld calculators, meaning that the abilites of the laptop or desktop computer is phenomenal, and only set to grow as a result of constant research and development.
Interface as a mediator
One of the very first topics covered in Week 2 of the COMP1900 course was the concept of the user interface being a mediator for human interaction with computer hardware and the internet. This concept was also at the core of the first assignment, where we were asked to explain this concept to a lay person.
The hardware of the computer would be next to uesless for us if not for operating systems, which directs the functions of the computer and enables the use of other specialised pieces of software, such as web browsers, word processors, desktop publishing programs and music programs. Operating systems also allow us to connect printers, cameras and portable music players such as iPods to our computers by utilising drivers to facilitate data transfer using a common standard.
The earliest operating systems performed only very simple commands that could only really be used by individuals proficient in the knowledge and application of programming languages. Operating systems developed in the late 1980's began to incude graphical user interfaces, arguably marking the start of the personal computing era.
The hardware of the computer would be next to uesless for us if not for operating systems, which directs the functions of the computer and enables the use of other specialised pieces of software, such as web browsers, word processors, desktop publishing programs and music programs. Operating systems also allow us to connect printers, cameras and portable music players such as iPods to our computers by utilising drivers to facilitate data transfer using a common standard.
The earliest operating systems performed only very simple commands that could only really be used by individuals proficient in the knowledge and application of programming languages. Operating systems developed in the late 1980's began to incude graphical user interfaces, arguably marking the start of the personal computing era.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Another take on study effectiveness: Roland
Roland was in Group 1, and the presentation delivered by his group is available at this link:
COMP1900-2008-Roland: assignment 2 part b presentation
Group 2 demonstrated the broad variety of ways in which the data collected over the two week period could be visualised. A good comparison of the merits of spreadsheet and database use also featured. I also liked the conclusions drawn by the individuals in the group about the key areas in which they could improve their time management.
It would appear a more significant discussion of the effectiveness of study occurred when the presentation was delivered than is apparent on the embedded online presentation. This is perhaps a weakness more of the concept of sharing presentations online than the presentation itself: in many cases, it is more appropriate to spend time engaging with and responding to the audience than have all points listed on the PowerPoint slides. Indeed, this was a technique I employed in my presentation, when I asked questions of my fellow group members when I delivered the presentation in person.
On a minor note, the presentation is let down in some areas by typographical (spelling and grammar) and typesetting (appearance of text) problems, that may have been solved by some more thorough proofing.
Overall, another good insight into the lives of working and studying university students well worth having a look at.
COMP1900-2008-Roland: assignment 2 part b presentation
Group 2 demonstrated the broad variety of ways in which the data collected over the two week period could be visualised. A good comparison of the merits of spreadsheet and database use also featured. I also liked the conclusions drawn by the individuals in the group about the key areas in which they could improve their time management.
It would appear a more significant discussion of the effectiveness of study occurred when the presentation was delivered than is apparent on the embedded online presentation. This is perhaps a weakness more of the concept of sharing presentations online than the presentation itself: in many cases, it is more appropriate to spend time engaging with and responding to the audience than have all points listed on the PowerPoint slides. Indeed, this was a technique I employed in my presentation, when I asked questions of my fellow group members when I delivered the presentation in person.
On a minor note, the presentation is let down in some areas by typographical (spelling and grammar) and typesetting (appearance of text) problems, that may have been solved by some more thorough proofing.
Overall, another good insight into the lives of working and studying university students well worth having a look at.
Another take on study effectiveness: Harry
Harry, a member of group number 5 features on his blog his group's study effectiveness presentation. Here's the link:
Harry Kim COMP1900 Assignment: Powerpoint slide
Harry's group did a very good job in comparing the usefulness of spreadsheets and databases as methods of storing data, and highlighted situations where the each would be of more use. It is a shame that the nature of the online presentation precludes the embedding of dynamic presentations as a demonstration of the usefulness of this tool would have been welcome.
Harry's group was correct in concluding that their results seemed not to be consistent with the work-study hypothesis, which was in contrast to the results from my group including Anthony and Marie. Much like my group, Harry's group pointed out that a small sample size prevented more definitive conclusions, and it was a good move to look to the literature to find more comprehensive studies - including the study from which the hypothesis was drawn.
Overall, a good presentation worth looking at.
Harry Kim COMP1900 Assignment: Powerpoint slide
Harry's group did a very good job in comparing the usefulness of spreadsheets and databases as methods of storing data, and highlighted situations where the each would be of more use. It is a shame that the nature of the online presentation precludes the embedding of dynamic presentations as a demonstration of the usefulness of this tool would have been welcome.
Harry's group was correct in concluding that their results seemed not to be consistent with the work-study hypothesis, which was in contrast to the results from my group including Anthony and Marie. Much like my group, Harry's group pointed out that a small sample size prevented more definitive conclusions, and it was a good move to look to the literature to find more comprehensive studies - including the study from which the hypothesis was drawn.
Overall, a good presentation worth looking at.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thoughts on COMP1900 students
I don't know if it's the fact that I've been at uni for four years, or maybe it's just ingrained in my mind but I really can't believe the complete cheek some of the people in the class are showing towards the course. So for those that aren't quite up with the etiquette, here's how you generally behave at university:
JB
- You don't question the merit of an assessment piece in the assessment piece. Period. You just do them, because they're set. Assigned. Hence assignment.
- You stay quiet and do what you're told to do in tutorials. For goodness' sake, playing around on the laptop and not responding to the lecturer should have been left at school.
- You don't backchat. Ever.
- Finally, if you want to have the respect of your peers, you don't boast that you're smart enough to leave work to the last minute. I'd love to ask you how that plan goes for you at the end of your degree.
JB
My own study effectiveness
As you can see, my life at the moment would probably be a case of 'all work and no play'. That is certainly true, and the thing that is probably getting me through all of this is the knowledge that this time in three weeks this semester this hard work will be all over and will be worth it - if I pass all my courses I can relax before getting my graduation certificate on the 1st December.
Upon reflection, though, I could not say for certain that all those hours of study have been overly effective. I think blended into the hours that I earmark as 'study' is also a great deal of distractedness, dithering and procrastination. I don't believe, however, that having a job on top of the number of subjects I am currently undertaking would in-and-of-itself improve my study effectiveness. At the time of the survey I was pretty stressed, and I think having to deal with getting to and from work and spending time doing work away from my study comittments would only have added to my stress.
I am fully aware that there is room for improvement in my study effectiveness. Having employment would be ideal - I miss the volunteer work I used to do with St John Ambulance before this year. I would also benefit from having a scheduled recreational activity to do during the week or on the weekend, to break up my study time.
A complication that arose during the surveying phase for our group was the inclusion of sleep in the 'leisure' category. This therefore rendered that category less-than-useful, since there ws no way to isolate how much sleep I was getting or how much free time I enjoyed. This can be seen in the following graph of my Week 2 survey (click for larger view):
In contrast, by allocating sleep to a category of its own, it improves the sensitivity of the other categories and allows them to be seen. A graph of the same data reflecting this change is featured here (click for larger view):
Overall, I think that this task has provided an excellent opportunity to audit my own study behaviour, just at the right time before my exams begin. Although large changes may not be possible before exams start, I can at least ensure that my study for the next three weeks is productive and focussed. I can then focus on implementing more integral changes for next year when I start my medical degree.
Upon reflection, though, I could not say for certain that all those hours of study have been overly effective. I think blended into the hours that I earmark as 'study' is also a great deal of distractedness, dithering and procrastination. I don't believe, however, that having a job on top of the number of subjects I am currently undertaking would in-and-of-itself improve my study effectiveness. At the time of the survey I was pretty stressed, and I think having to deal with getting to and from work and spending time doing work away from my study comittments would only have added to my stress.
I am fully aware that there is room for improvement in my study effectiveness. Having employment would be ideal - I miss the volunteer work I used to do with St John Ambulance before this year. I would also benefit from having a scheduled recreational activity to do during the week or on the weekend, to break up my study time.
A complication that arose during the surveying phase for our group was the inclusion of sleep in the 'leisure' category. This therefore rendered that category less-than-useful, since there ws no way to isolate how much sleep I was getting or how much free time I enjoyed. This can be seen in the following graph of my Week 2 survey (click for larger view):
In contrast, by allocating sleep to a category of its own, it improves the sensitivity of the other categories and allows them to be seen. A graph of the same data reflecting this change is featured here (click for larger view):
Overall, I think that this task has provided an excellent opportunity to audit my own study behaviour, just at the right time before my exams begin. Although large changes may not be possible before exams start, I can at least ensure that my study for the next three weeks is productive and focussed. I can then focus on implementing more integral changes for next year when I start my medical degree.
Study effectiveness presentation
Last Tuesday, a group comprising myself, Anthony and Marie delivered a presentation summarising the results of the surveys we completed gauging the time each of us spent each day doing a variety of activities including study, work and recreation.
My section of the presentation specifically related to answering the hypothesis put to the class that around 10 hours of part-time work each week was related to improved study effectiveness than either no part-time work or excessive amounts of work. You can view the presentation I delivered in the embedded Slideshare below:
My section concluded our combined presentation - to make more sense of this, please make you way to the blogs of Anthony (1st presenter) and Marie (2nd presenter). When you read their blogs, you will likely see the answers to the open-ended points in my presentation when I handed over to them to talk about their study effectiveness.
Overall, it was tentatively concluded that the hypothesis was reasonably accurate and that around 10 hours each week of part-time work resulted in more effective study, with a more definitive answer to be reserved upon the completion of a more thorough study.
My next post will describe how I consider my own study effectivness to have been.
EDIT: I have altered the posting time to have this post come after the posts reflecting upon my time.
My section of the presentation specifically related to answering the hypothesis put to the class that around 10 hours of part-time work each week was related to improved study effectiveness than either no part-time work or excessive amounts of work. You can view the presentation I delivered in the embedded Slideshare below:
My section concluded our combined presentation - to make more sense of this, please make you way to the blogs of Anthony (1st presenter) and Marie (2nd presenter). When you read their blogs, you will likely see the answers to the open-ended points in my presentation when I handed over to them to talk about their study effectiveness.
Overall, it was tentatively concluded that the hypothesis was reasonably accurate and that around 10 hours each week of part-time work resulted in more effective study, with a more definitive answer to be reserved upon the completion of a more thorough study.
My next post will describe how I consider my own study effectivness to have been.
EDIT: I have altered the posting time to have this post come after the posts reflecting upon my time.
Reflecting on my time: the second week
The week from Monday 29 September to Sunday 5 October made up the second week of the survey of daily activites undertaken as part of assessment for COMP1900. This was the mid-semester break at the University of Queensland, and having the daily activities survey coincide with this week presented some challenges. First and foremost, it certainly wasn't a business-as-usual week, meaning that there was no time occupied by classes and my time travelling was dramatically reduced since I didn't have to commute each day.
On the other hand, universities traditionally make mid-semester breaks a week for personal study and assignment completion, and this was certainly the case for me during this week. I had one assignment due by electronic submission early that week, with a further three due the week after the break. Knowing exams were coming up, I deliberately studied for each subject at the time I would usually have had a lecture, practical or tutorial.
I'm afraid to say that I attempted to study each day of the break. The total time earmarked for study amounted to 63 hours, which included the 19½ hours I would normally have spent in classes. How effective those hours were however is another story, and is one I will leave for a later blog post about my overall study effectiveness.
My leisure time marginally increased, partly by way of an increase in recreational activities and part through some extra sleep. The break afforded me the opportunity to have some sleep-ins and avoid the 6am and 7am starts I usually did in normal weeks. Total leisure time was 94 hours, of which sleeping made up 59 (up from 55 the week before) and where I spent 35 hours doing recreational activities (up from 26.75 the week before).
Since I did not have to commute to uni each day, including commutes at peak hour when travel is slower, my time spent travelling dropped from over 8 hours to just 3.
I spent less time studying on the Saturday and Sunday as I was beginning to become unwell, perhaps indicating a need to have reserved a bit more time for leisure earlier in the week.
On the other hand, universities traditionally make mid-semester breaks a week for personal study and assignment completion, and this was certainly the case for me during this week. I had one assignment due by electronic submission early that week, with a further three due the week after the break. Knowing exams were coming up, I deliberately studied for each subject at the time I would usually have had a lecture, practical or tutorial.
I'm afraid to say that I attempted to study each day of the break. The total time earmarked for study amounted to 63 hours, which included the 19½ hours I would normally have spent in classes. How effective those hours were however is another story, and is one I will leave for a later blog post about my overall study effectiveness.
My leisure time marginally increased, partly by way of an increase in recreational activities and part through some extra sleep. The break afforded me the opportunity to have some sleep-ins and avoid the 6am and 7am starts I usually did in normal weeks. Total leisure time was 94 hours, of which sleeping made up 59 (up from 55 the week before) and where I spent 35 hours doing recreational activities (up from 26.75 the week before).
Since I did not have to commute to uni each day, including commutes at peak hour when travel is slower, my time spent travelling dropped from over 8 hours to just 3.
I spent less time studying on the Saturday and Sunday as I was beginning to become unwell, perhaps indicating a need to have reserved a bit more time for leisure earlier in the week.
Reflecting on my time: the first week
The week from Monday 22 September to Sunday 28 September made up the first week of the survey of daily activities undertaken as part of assessment for COMP1900. It was Week 10, one week prior to the mid-semester break and it was very busy for me with two assignments due that week, one assignment the week after and three the week after that.
One of the key things that I have to report is that I accumulated 0 hours of work - I am completing above a full academic load, with classes scheduled at irregular hours and thus I don't realistically have the time available to work. In place of that, I devoted a lot of my time to study - 44 hours of it in fact. This was in addition to the 12¾ hours spent in classes - something I tried very hard that week to do as I didn't want to get behind in my lecture knowledge.
My group measured leisure to include sleep, which skewed our results considerably - I ended up having 81¾ hours of leisure, which doesn't quite sit right. When I have gone back to the data and separated leisure to be sleep and recreation, I managed to get 55 hours sleep that week, averaging just shy of 8 hours sleep each night. My time devoted to recreation and leisure added up to 26¾ hours - this included showering and meals.
Driving to uni from my home on the Southside and back each day racked up 8¼ hours of travel time over the course of the week. This probably best sums up the week for me - long and laborious!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to 'Jonathan's Study'.
My name is Jonathan, and I'm a student at the University of Queensland in Australia. This blog has been created as part of the course 'Information Access and Internet Skills' (COMP1900), and is designed to showcase the assessment I have completed thus far and outline the key concepts I have learnt throughout the semester.
Like my personal blog, 'Jonathan's Right', I've used a title for this blog that is designed to exercise the mind and is meant to have multiple meanings. One interpretation cold have the word taken as a noun, where this blog will accompany me in my study (room) while I prepare for my upcoming final exams.
Two other interpretations involve the word being taken as a verb, and relates to the COMP1900 assessment this semester, which I will detail in this blog. In this task, a study (survey) of my study (work) was undertaken to gauge time management and work effectiveness.
In later posts, I will outline the presentation I made regarding my study effectiveness, followed by a review of the things I have learnt during the course of the semester in COMP1900.
My name is Jonathan, and I'm a student at the University of Queensland in Australia. This blog has been created as part of the course 'Information Access and Internet Skills' (COMP1900), and is designed to showcase the assessment I have completed thus far and outline the key concepts I have learnt throughout the semester.
Like my personal blog, 'Jonathan's Right', I've used a title for this blog that is designed to exercise the mind and is meant to have multiple meanings. One interpretation cold have the word taken as a noun, where this blog will accompany me in my study (room) while I prepare for my upcoming final exams.
Two other interpretations involve the word being taken as a verb, and relates to the COMP1900 assessment this semester, which I will detail in this blog. In this task, a study (survey) of my study (work) was undertaken to gauge time management and work effectiveness.
In later posts, I will outline the presentation I made regarding my study effectiveness, followed by a review of the things I have learnt during the course of the semester in COMP1900.
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