Reflective Summary 1

Cynthia Mansell

Reflective Summary 1

Option 1

I would like to preface this assignment with the idea that I am not experienced in online communities, and I don’t have teaching-background experience from which to draw upon. However, I thought I would like to try this option and attempt to practice the things that I have been exposed to in the past few weeks. In short, try to bear with me; and I hope not to be too mythical (or grandiose) in my approach. Also, I will struggle with the terms and concepts of building a virtual community; but I am very hopeful that this is what helps us to learn these basic foundations.

(A) Conceptualization of the e-IWANABE Model

The online community that I propose to create and design is simply entitled e-IWANABE. The conceptualization of this community is built on the basis of, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” This will not be an online career assessment tool, nor a virtual career center that merely offers career information in the form of job-search advice or directories. Instead, this community will be a comprehensive source of “try on” careers for people of most ages (elementary through senior citizens).

Context

The context will be an online learning community (or virtual learning community). This will involve a combination of physical and virtual interactions, imagination and identity.

The features would include:

(1) A community in which the core users, or participants, can return repeatedly, and be provided with advice, feedback, discussions, activities, assessment tools, and “hands-on” practice both collaboratively and individually.

(2) A multilayered communication space that would allow for the interaction of different conversations, linking of conversations across Web sites, archiving of discussions, information that would permit exchanges throughout site resources at different or future times. (Renninger & Shumar, 2002, p. 1-2). Platforms would be communal where all participants “thinking” is observable, or private.

Subject Matter

Children are often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Many times, well into our teens (or even beyond), we still really don’t know a concrete answer to this question. With that focus, the subject matter for this community will be a virtual career hub in which participants may “try on” different professions, careers, vocations, etc. This would provide participants with the opportunity to choose, engage and practice and develop knowledge in selected careers or vocations by:

· Deciding on a career based on their interests, skills, aptitudes

· Determining and identifying which steps are needed to fulfill that commitment

· Understanding what these steps would be like to fulfill

· Realizing what it would be like to be involved in “your” career by virtually going through a daily, weekly or annual routine (Trying On for Fit)

· Practice and develop their “career” knowledge (Trying On for Fit)

· Experiencing possible pitfalls, problems or successes (once you’ve “graduated” to your chosen profession)

Target Audience

The target audience would be broad for this community as many of us are either perpetually unclear about career choices, or are needing/desiring to transition to another career. With this being the case, the age representations would exist for: elementary, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and later adulthood. Since there are multiple participant categorizations, the characteristics of the learners’ entry skills and the secondary skills that would be needed for the context of this (online) instruction (i.e. tech skills, etc.) must be analyzed and appropriate for each categorization of the participants. (Dick, Carey & Carey, 2005).

(B) Strategies

Building or Creating the Virtual Community

“An ideal of community apparently leads people to invest themselves in the Internet and the sets of imagined and desired interactions the Internet affords.” (Renninger & Shumar, 2006, p. 8). The boundary between the physical and virtual communities can be permeable and implicit. It is important that computer-mediated communication facilitates communication between and among people. These virtual spaces can have many “rooms” or “services”. For this community, this would include chat rooms or discussion boards in which participants could “talk” to likeminded people who might have their same career interests and who are also in a novice position. In contrast, they might also communicate with those who are already in their “chosen” career; and who would offer insight on the pros and cons of their decision (Expertise). In addition, leadership could be addressed by building a relationship to help guide the participant to construct knowledge about a chosen or desired career (Mentor, Counselor, Mediator, Peers). Possibilities could also be utilized for virtual “volunteering” opportunities wherein interactions with those in relevant positions could be influences on participants’ relationships and structures of the career to be constructed.

Other forms of communication would also be utilized that would assist the participant with enhancing their networks of information and establishing connection possibilities. This could be utilized by way of archived information, access to actual career counselors and services. Tools such as interest and skill inventories (i.e. Campbell Interest and Skill Survey), personality and temperament inventories (i.e. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Keirsey Temperament Sorter Personality Instrument) and actual career counseling would be available. These could all work to make the experience more meaningful, personal and foster confidence and competence in assisting with choosing a career direction. Perhaps a proper fit between participant and career choice could proficiently be discovered in a less threatening and convenient environment. Additionally, there would be many applicable links such as Careerjournal.com where participants could acquire additional, or even initial, assistance with their choice.

e-IWANABE offers participants with many options in which to explore the career of their choice by visiting the various spaces (chat, discussion, bulletin board, counseling, “trying on”, interest, skill and personality inventories, etc.). Allowing the participants increased options and choices can lead to an enhanced sense of control, which is important to intrinsic motivation. (Lepper & Malone, 1987 as cited in Renninger & Shumar, 2006). Another significant factor to motivation is encouraging fantasy. This would come into play especially for the elementary-aged participants exploring what they might “want to be”. This could encourage participation of experimentation and exploration.

The “Trying On for Fit” spaces would specifically utilize the important factor of scaffolding. Participants would practice and develop knowledge concerning their “chosen career” by means of a mediator/expert. Support would be provided by a more competent individual who would help the participant successfully perform the task required of their chosen option within his/her zone of proximal development. This awareness of shared understandings and perceptions could then provide basic common ground and the foundation for better social interaction. (Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development). This could provide participants with increased reassurance in this community due to repetitive assistance from peers and “experts”. This could also result in increased confidence and less anxiety.

These competent individuals would fundamentally exist in the position of acting as a role model for many of the participants to observe in this environment. This, in turn, would mean that involvement of the role model, instructor or counselor would be imperative especially in encouraging and empowering participants. Of course, the role of technology would also play a very significant role in the success of this community. Such factors as relevant databases, various communication tools, and correct platforms and support would be very influential in the ultimate outcome.

(C) Framework

For this assignment, I drew from many resources and generously sprinkled them throughout. I found that this assignment really helped me reflect upon what we have been exposed to in the last few weeks and mediate how I could incorporate the many concepts into my own ideas or conceptions. I found that the Building Virtual Communities text was especially supportive and also the Week 4 discussion summaries were helpful in helping me sort through and consolidate the big picture. I was also drawn back to the aid of previous semesters’ texts, which also proved to be a very good consolidation practice for me, even though I only ended up using two of them!

References

Renninger, K. A., & Shumar, W. (Eds.). (2002). Building Virtual Communities.
Cambridge University Press

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (Eds.). (2005). The Systematic Design of Instruction. Pearson A and B.

McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (Eds.). (2007). Child Development and Education. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Blog #2 BVC

Well, here I am again (behind). I swear I will get the hang of these due dates! Now, if I can figure out how to respond!

Chapter 9

In this chapter, the author has discussed various aspects of the emergence of "wired self-help" (pg. 264). They discussed this through the theoretical concept of reflexive modernization. These theories help to explain social change in terms of current views. With a background of sociology (and psychology), I found this interesting. The computer (and Internet) have gone through a lot of changes in past times. Although now the Internet is heavily populated with just about anything you can think of (and some you don't want to), I think it is always evolving in generally a positive way. It is now almost an automatic response for many people to "google it" when needing to know something, or wanting to learning about some malady, etc. I don't even use a traditional phone book anymore. Likewise, many other routine tasks are also performed in this manner (banking, bill paying, shopping, etc.).

In addition to all of these routine tasks, one can also find as much self-help as one could seek. Recently, my husband and I discovered that our eight-year old dog has "gone" blind. We wondered what could have caused this, and what steps should we take, where should we go, etc. A few minutes later, we were slogging through a mountain of information. Although, we're still not certain what her particular condition is, we now have some good basic ideas of what could possibly be root causes, possible diseases, what steps we should now take, etc. This is very important because now we are possibly armed with some information (ammo, if you will) before we go to the vet. This could help in narrowing down the process and perhaps also help escape unnecessary testing and medication costs some vets push. Much of this information can help initially guide people in the direction they should go.

I think all of this information seeking can be very helpful when researched and analyzed carefully and discriminately. When seeking such information and knowledge construction, however, one has to be careful to consider the sources and weigh all the information as best they can. Multiple opinions are helpful. The down side is that anyone can post or write a web page so it is very important to weigh opinions/information carefully. I think it is also important to use the information as a spring board to then actually going out and getting the right treatment, materials, etc., to carrying out whatever it was you were seeking.

This chapter also mentioned the danger that the Internet may be forcing a more passive experience. They proposed that perhaps individuals could become consumers rather than producers. Personally, I don't think we really need the Internet for that effect. Media, in general, has been taking that role for years now. Television has always been accused of this effect, and I believe that if it is one's nature to passively engage in any form of media or technology, then it may be the pattern of the individual and not the nature of the technology. Hopefully, technological advances will equip all of us for betting understanding and allow us to take strategic advantage of engagement, whether virtually or in reality.

Chapter 10

In Chapter 10, the authors discussed the understanding of life cycles of virtual learning communities. I found this chapter interesting because I think (being a psych person) the life cycle of anything is interesting. With anything, we see birth, growth, maturation, decline and loss of functioning. One can see this with corporations, even fast-food chains. Businesses and advertising spend many resources on studying this phenomenon.

This is also true of online learning communities. In the past years, we have witnessed an explosion of this type of learning (birth), growth and maturation. There are quite a few that have also experienced a loss of functioning. What happens to these communities? I think that just like any life cycle (especially human) that has undergone a loss in functioning, it lies in the lack of proper support or the intervention of some traumatic external factor(s). Therefore, I think it is of utmost importance to structure the kinds of support that encourages routine functioning and also supports future growth. However, as straightforward as this may sound, I think we as humans have always had some difficulty in controlling these factors as a society in general and as individuals. However, knowledge about these life cycles in and of itself can help understanding, growth and learning overall.