Week Eight - Reflect Activity

Technologies and service integration 

For the reflect activity this week I considered the following questions:

What is the role of podcasting, online video, screencasting or slidecasting in libraries or information organisations? Do you see them as enhancements to the existing work, or services in their own right?

With these questions I wanted to explore each of the technologies and the type of role they could possibly play within libraries and information organisations. Although I focussed on screencasting for my play activity, I have an interest in the other platforms posed in the question. To background briefly, I've listened to podcasts for a few years and while there is are peaks and troughs in my listening consistency, it's good to know that this free and convenient medium exists. Online videos are typically my first port-of-call when it comes to find out how-to do things - the audio or text instructions partnered with real-life visuals makes for an easy to understand and follow guide. Another version of this instructional-type video format, screencasting I've viewed in order to find out about more computer related issues. Slidecasting is a concept that is relatively new to me and I've since taken advantage of in university to access educational presentations. 

With this and select course information in mind, when considering the first question it was clear to see what potential role these information delivery formats could play within libraries or information organisations. The technologies and possible uses in information organisations are outlined below:

Podcasts: Offers convenience to users - people can choose when and where they can listen. Would be useful for educational or instructional content. The possibility for audio and video also expands accessibility of information. 

Online video: Allows people to choose when they watch and how many times they watch it. Offers and opportunity for information institutions to showcase their institutions and reach a wider audience. 

Screencasting: Capturing computer screen processes will be of exponential use to libraries in order to effectively present how library databases are used and informs patrons as to how other areas of their system operates (for example audiobook or ebook loan processes).

Slidecasting: To showcase presentations to a larger audience. Slides offer a clear and succinct way of viewing information and allowing users to control the speed of the slides.

Week Seven - Reflect Activity

Photo sharing - can it play a role in personal or personal professional life?

This week students were required to reflect on one of three questions posted to Blackboard. I selected the following:

Can you see an application for photo sharing in your personal life? Or your personal professional life? Why or why not?

At first I thought, apart from being able to share photos with friends or tag them in photos I'd taken, there wasn't any practical application of photo sharing. However, upon further reflection and by looking at the idea of photo sharing as an application within a professional context, I was able to see some possibilities. As I'm studying to work in the library and information management sector there are a number of ways photo sharing could be used meaningfully within the workplace. In order to best demonstrate the possible ways in which photo sharing could benefit the LIS sector, I drew table-like diagrams. Links to concepts I made mention of are listed to the right of the images. Click on the image to enlarge.

 - Although it wasn't mentioned the table to the right, the idea of sharing historical images was drawn from libraries who already have Flickr accounts (for e.g. the State Library of New South Wales).

- The respective Flickr diagrams mentioned can be found here and here. While diagrams and models aren't technically photos, through using a photo sharing platform like Flickr the creators are able to both manage the copyright and share their work.

- A definition of the GLAM concept can be found here. 

- Gold Coast Libraries Facebook page. 

When finding out about the LIS sector, collaboration and commons I also stumbled across this terrific SlideShare presentation by the National Copyright Unit:

Australian GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) and Creative Commons from National Copyright Unit, SCSEEC

After reviewing the possibilities of photo sharing in a professional context, I think in my personal life I'd eventually like to contribute to sites like Wikipedia through providing them with any quality work I produce through a creative commons license; it would be a great way to share knowledge and to encourage others to build on ideas.

Week Three - Play/ Reflect

This week, for the Play component, we had to set up a twitter account and carry out several twitter-related tasks. These included:

- "following" course lecturers

- "addressing" a tweet to a lecturer requesting to join the class twitter list (shown below)

- following the QUT information studies group

- following QUT library 
- adding your twitter handle to your blog either through a widget or a link on your blog (shown below) and

- following other information/ library organisations. As library studies is my major I am following a number of LISprofs and information hubs including the Association for Information Science and Technology, the  Library of Congress and the  National Library of Australia.

For the Reflect task I chose to comment on the following statement:

What role do you think blogging and tweeting will have in your learning, both in this unit and beyond it? Can you see yourself continuing to use either a blog or Twitter after this semester?  

Blogging and tweeting originally seemed like activities that would serve more as distractions than learning tools. Admittedly, I have played around with the blog template on multiple occasions and haven’t always tweeted the most academic of posts. However, I feel that this is all part of getting to know a new tool, learning new technologies and allows you to better use the tool in a constructive way. For example, using hashtags in twitter has allowed me to link up with students in the same course and follow interesting posts related to the LIS field. Not only this, but quick assignment queries can be posted, answered and read by the cohort through using the hashtag feature – an invaluable trait of twitter. This connectivity is a perk of both blogging and tweeting; you’re able to create a name for yourself within your chosen field, network with likeminded people and get noticed by other industry professionals (hopefully, and hopefully positively). This also means, if people are paying attention to your online movements that there is some level of accountability. Posting diary-like entries on blogger is one way I have found to keep up the internal pact with myself and the imaginary one I have with readers of my blog: to work consistently and be a meaningful contributor to the LIS field.

Both tools have pros and cons and these would have to be weighed up against their value as a learning tool if I were to continue using them. So far I’ve managed not to get too wrapped up in the rapid fire delivery of information via twitter and through the course expectations, have managed not to leave my blog posts too sporadic (says me). I have found that:

-          blogging hasn’t provided the best start to networking with LISprofs (though this may be down to the content I produce)

-           it has been challenging to keep up a consistent commentary for all units through the blog and

-          I’m following a lot of people unrelated to my field of learning on twitter.

These are issues that may need reviewing if I plan to make long-term use of these tools.

My expectation is that I will continue to use twitter as a way to stay abreast of topical issues relating to the LIS field (due to the number of key commentators/ organisations using this tool) and my contributions to this area will be less centred around blog posts and have a focus on both tweets and portfolio updates. I will be interested to see if this view changes and whether I will have to set up a new way to maintain consistency.

Week Two - Play/ Reflect

Week Two - Play activity

For the play activity this week, we had to set up our blog. In doing so, we had to meet the following requirements (as listed on Blackboard):

• Your blog must be public (although you can choose settings that indicate to search engines that you don't want your site to be indexed)

• You must allow comments. You can moderate your comments if you are really nervous about this, but you must be committed to moderating them quickly. We recommend choosing a setting that allows you to moderate a comment the first time someone posts, but after that, there comments get posted automatically. There are tools available to help manage comment spam - just check the help information on your chosen platform.

• You must have an 'about' page that provides information about you - just the basics!

• You must delete sample posts, pages and comments.

• You must categorise your posts. Categories are like the table of contents for your blog - broad topics. We recommend using a category for your Play activities and another for your Reflect activities.

• You must tag your posts with keywords. Keywords are like the index at the back of a book - narrow topics.

All these aspects were carried out. Over the semester I will be constantly reviewing the 'tags' for each post to ensure that all keywords are identified and listed accordingly. When doing so, I'll be mindful not too include too many identifiers as this may limit the findability and take the content into unrelated areas.

Week Two - Reflect activity

Write a reflection about your online identity. Write about any aspect you choose: what it looks like now, what you want it to look like; what you're willing to share, what you're not willing to share.

My online identity is a mix of censored/ uncensored opinion and public/ private information. This blog was originally going to be a say-exactly-how-I-feel-when-I-feel-it type domain but I was and am too fearful that earlier posts (since deleted) and future posts may do more harm than good. In her advisory video regarding blogs, Kate Davis talks about being the "real you" when you blog content - she said something along the lines of people not believing what you write about if you aren't being yourself. This is probably true, but I feel like some self censoring can be beneficial in the public realm, particularly if your work has the possibility of being read by future employers. 

Despite this fear, there have been times when I haven't made the best decisions when posting on social media sites like, facebook for example - this is highly rare though, as I'm extremely paranoid about the possible impact poor decisions could have on me and others. 

Admittedly, I think my online presence would be minimal if I wasn't enrolled in this course. There are several online platforms where we're encouraged to "put ourselves out there" and interact with people. So far the services that I've been encouraged to use in my studies include:

- LinkedIn: for industry networking
- Facebook: to communicate with classmates and lecturers
- Twitter: to share ideas with industry professionals and peers
- YouTube: to document assignment related content
- A blogging service: to document course activities, share ideas with peers and industry professionals

While each service is beneficial to my studies in some way, my work and personality are put into the public domain so I manage my online identity in several ways:
- Use LinkedIn to initially connect with people I know. Establish a professional looking profile before adding industry people (including a tidy resume - omit references to protect identities).
- On Facebook, keep content posted to class groups relevant to the discussion and polite in tone. Be appreciative of assistance received using this tool. Don't add people just because they're in my class.
- Use Twitter to post a mixture of what I'm interested in and what is relevant to the industry. Use hashtags appropriately and to target attention to certain posts.
- Opt to post videos as "Unlisted" until you find out whether the content is constructive to industry-related discussion.
- When blogging, watch the tone doesn't become too relaxed, arguments can be supported and tags used effectively.

It is hoped that through self-moderating, my online identity will be viewed as being a worthwhile and pleasant presence within various online communities.

Week One - Play/ Reflect

This week there was no formal post required but I thought I'd recap on what tasks we had to carry out.

We were encouraged to familiarise ourselves with the unit through checking out the resources on blackboard and reading the study guide. It was also compulsory to set up a Facebook account and join the Facebook group set up for this class. I thought it was interesting that it was a requirement of the course and was keen to see how people would react to this.

As part of signing up to facebook we had to introduce ourselves to our peers through answering the questions outlined below:

• who you are
• what degree and major you're in
• where you're up to with your studies
• what you're hoping to get out of the unit
• one thing about yourself that no body in the class knows

Below is a print screen of my introductory Facebook post. 

The idea of personal learning networks (PLNs) was also introduced. I touched on this briefly in my general thoughts this week and I definitely think that I'll be able to develop as both a student and information professional through harnessing a network with my peers. I think Facebook will make this process easier to some degree though I think it will depend on the level and quality of interactions that take place.