Week Nine in Accessing Knowledge!

2/5/08

Lecture Overview

Week nines lecture was all about communications. Communication in the world is very today different today compared to the past due to 'information and communication technology' (ICT). Communication can occur in a variety of ways, there are four types of ICT communication:

• Synchronous & Dependent Place, this means same time, same place and an example of this is a chatroom.


• Synchronous & Independent Place, this means same time, different place and an example of this is MSN Messenger.
  
• Asynchronous & Dependent Place, this means different time, same place and an example of this is a bulletin board.


• Asynchronous & Independent Place, this means different time, different place and an example of this is an email.


• For a Synchronous type of communication all parties have to be engaged in communication at the same time, whilst Asynchronous communication means parties take their turn in their own time. For a Dependent place type of communication all parties have to be in the same place, whilst Independent place communication means that parties can be anywhere in cyberspace.

Some examples of ICT use are:

• Mobile telephone (3G Network)
• Video and tele-conferencing
• Ipods, mp3s, laptops
• Electronic mail (emails)
• Multi-media communications

Tutorial Activities

Activity One:

For activity one we were told to visit the google search engine (http://www.google.com/), when we were on that site we were told to click on the hyperlink tab 'Groups', and enter a search term that interests ourselves.

• I searched the key term: 'dancing', and I found groups such as; Dancing with the Stars', and all different types of dance studios available to attend. There was a variety of studios available, ranging from all ages, the young to the old and also all types of dancing, hip-hop classes to ballet classes. It was very versatile, bringing me back a very broad range of dancing.

Activity Two:

Activity two required for us to further our search on this search term, and report our findings on what he have discovered.

• I discovered that the bulletin boards are boards that people post their comments.


• I found that the bulletin boards is all about people expressing their feelings on the subject, whether they like or dislike the classes or shows.


• It is also used for the classes to be known, showing everyone the variety of dance classes on, the times and where abouts the classes will be held.

Activity Three:

In activity three we were required to visit yahoo podcast, search a term that was of interest to ourselves and listen to at least two podcasts. (My search term was cheerleadng).

(Print screen of yahoo podcast search)

(Podcast of cheerleading).

• We then had to visit the ecu podcast website (http://www.ecu.edu.au/library/services/podcasts.html).
• I looked through the ecu podcast library website, and I found out about podcasts and what I need to listen to a podcast.

Activity Four: The potential benefits of podcasts for university students:

• It helps student study better as they can go at their own pace.


• Good for revision before a test or exam.


• If your sick or can't make it to the lecture, you wont miss out important information and fall behind.


• It is another way for the university to communicate with it's students.

Reading Summary:

Problem with Spam: Spam is an electronic mail that is sent out to a large number of people that have not asked for the email. It is also a pointless email, with no importance. The problem with spam is that it can seriously interfere with the operation of public services.

Email do's and dont's: Although emails are extremely useful and time saving they also have their downsides. Emails cause for you to not get as many tasks done in your life, due to constantly writing emails back and forth to co-workers, or you can get interupted from important tasks to read your email. When using email you should make sure that:

• The emails are the right communication skill for you.
• Get to the point straight away.
• Make sure the question you are asking is clear and precise.
• Specify who you want to reply.
• Be clear about when you need the response back.
• Dont forget the rules of grammar and punctuation.
• Be sure to stay on one topic per email.
• Provide context to frame your message.

Essential Email Etiquette: Although emails are a less formal way of communication, you must be sure to use the correct etiquette to ensure that your email will be taken more seriously and is more persuavive for your reader. You also need to remember who your reader is, and from this you will be able to determine the grammar and punctuation standard needed. When writing an email be sure to use the correct etiquette by obeying the following rules:

• Think of an appropriate subject.
• Address recipients appropriately.
• Select an appropriate tone.
• Avoid irony and sarcasm, as jokes and sarcasm do not always come across that way through email as the reader cannot see your expressions or hear youe tone.
• Edit your message.
• Keep messages brief.
• Make sure your attachment is used appropriately do not get off topic.