I could not attend the lecture because Ross, my son, was sick and I had to take care of him but I have summarised what I learned from the lecture slides from blackboard.
I need to get more organised in the way I use the computer to store my various documents, presentations, assignments, web pages and references.
I read about, and could identify the pros and cons of atom-based information (that which is concrete) and bit-based information (in a computer system). The goods and services world has already moved from using atom-based information systems to bit-based information systems in many respects but has far to go.
I need to learn the most common file extensions and what they do (some of them I know already). Folders or directories and files should be named according to function rather than content. I did not know about creating metadata about documents and realise that this will make searching for files easier. When searching for a file, the search function should be used, or use a desktop search engine such as Google Desktop.
SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP FIVE
Tasks 1 and 2 were to complete an online tutorial on using bookmarks and favorites when researching on the Internet. We had to set up a favorites list with 3 folders in it, each with with two websites marked as favorites.
I found it easy enough to set up the folders as required but I was not happy with the size of the screen shots and found this very frustrating. By clicking on them in the preview menu, they do become large enough to read.
Folder "Native Plant Nurseries" open with two websites
Folder "Native Plants" open with two websites
Folder "Puppies" open with two websites (also shows other two folders)
Tasks 3 and 4 were to read "Being digital " archive online and write a short review.
SUMMARY OF "BEING DIGITAL"
In our information age, most information has been available as atoms. World trade has been confined to the exchange of atoms which is expensive, slow and reliant on border controls. Where possible this is changing to the instantaneous and inexpensive exchange of bits, non-reliant on geographical borders. Some services or products will always have to be delivered as atoms (eg. food), but in their design, manufacture or marketing, bits will play a vital role. To survive, companies will need to become more bit orientated.
In the post-information age machines will "understand" individuals and respond to their needs and this will be enhanced by improved machine to machine digital communication. Digital living means depending less on being in a specific place at a specific time - our lives become asynchronous. Television and radio will move towards an asynchronous delivery with a pay per view, information on demand system. Digital TV agents will filter out required programs or parts of programs to suit individual needs. Electronic video services will operate in the same way as computer bulletin boards, exposing us to a shrinking planet as distance becomes less in the digital world. While not replacing traditional teaching methods, bits provide opportunities for new teaching environments reaching children with different learning styles.
While we cannot replace all atoms, the job market has become more bit orientated. While this makes a lot of people redundant, it brings decentralisation, and globalisation. Borders disappear and time zones become more important. Being digital is empowering and each generation will become more digital than the previous one.
SUMMARY OF "INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENTS"
As students, we have a huge amount of information available to us but we need to learn how to organise it so that it may be efficiently accessed. An example of this is keeping track of our references with reference management software (at ECU we use End-Note).
Start with a folder for each of your units. Within each folder, make separate folders for presentations, assignments, and research material. No single folder should contain more than 20 items before you should further subdivide it. Use bookmarks or favorites when researching on the Internet and find a site which may be useful.
Information available as bits is easy to access and inexpensive to change. As soon as we hit the print button (something of which I am all too often, guilty) we convert the atoms to bits and probably end up with more information than we need. By using copying and pasting we may well save some trees and do our bit for the environment. This should only be used while making notes to avoid plagiarism.
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