Week 2 Topic 2

To go back to Livingstone’s point in lecture 2, is the asynchronous online seminar just doing what we would normally in a seminar do but online, or does the shift online change the nature of the communication and potentially the nature of your learning?

• I certainly think that there is defiantly a difference between a normal seminar and that of an online one, the change for me is quite obvious. The way you speak online to that of in a seminar, the way you feel, I myself feel much more relaxed with this online work, it feels like there's a lot less pressure your not point on the spot like you might be by a tutor in a seminar. Your able to comment on each others ideas easily with out others talking over you and butting in.

a) Navigation – how do you get around the web forum; is it an online conversation?

An online forum is easy to navigate round and are generally laid out in such away that anyone will be able to you it. A forum its self is where people from all across the world go online to discuss certain topics that they are interested in, for example there are a lot of forums on Music which enable fans from anywhere to interact with one another. They create a conversation type discussion, as one user starts a link on the home forum page to a specific topic he/she has thought of and anyone who goes to the forum and sees this topic can instantly reply to the discussion, it maybe answering a question or just giving your feelings on a certain matter, this continues and who wants to comments on this topic or what certain people have replied to it, therefore creating a conversation. It is very informal and chat like speech is used, the only really difference from online messenger services is that its not an instant conversation.

b) Expression – do you express yourself in the same way? How do we ‘take turns’?

Again it is a very chatty use of speech that is used and some users may even use 'text speech', as some see it as easier and faster to use. But the major difference with online forum to a face to face chat in seminars, is that you could be anyone you wanted to be you can create a totally new self image and pretend to be someone your not. This is the scariest thing about online forums, you never know who your actually talking too. The 'take-turns' aspect is much better in an online situation than in real life, as I mentioned above, no one will talk over you or push your answer aside like they might do in real life. A forum allows you to make your own comment on the situation/topic without any trouble and it can't be ignored as its there written in front of the whole message board.

c) Interaction – how does it compare to face-to-face seminars?

Interaction on the online forums is very different to that of face-to-face in the class room interaction.When a seminar is held you have the tutor at the front of the class leading and provoking a discussion, the tutor holds the power in a seminar setting, where as in an online discussion anyone can have that power, the person who creates a topic is the one provoking the discussion. Forums are much more informal in the way things are discussed, such as the use of 'text speech' etc.

d) Time – activities being over a week?

Time within online forums can never be predicted, you have no idea how long it is going to take to get a reply from another user on the discussion you have started, where as in real life you get an immediate answer, that is as long as someone knows the answer or have an opinion on it. In relation to our online work, the idea of it being over a week and continual being assessed is a good idea. It encourages us to do the work in stages over the course of the week, rather than doing what a lot of people do and leave work right until the last minute.

e) Authority and identity – who is in charge?

I've already mentioned the change in authority in online forums in a previous answer, but there us that obvious change. The tutor is now not necessarily in charge of what is being said and what is being discussed. Anyone can start a conversation and essential they can start it on any topic they like, although with our online unit we know what what have to discuss. And anything inappropriate that is put online will be seen by the individuals who run the forum.

f) Speech / writing – does the forum have features we would associate with either? A combination.

Forums as mentioned before are used by anyone, so any type of language or speech can be used. Even if your told not to use 'text speech' for example, if your used to using it when chatting to friends online its very difficult to stop your self in other online conversations. Forums allows users to use any form of communication, whether it be the written word,images, video or audio sound clips.

g) Do you have the knowledge, the media ‘literacy’ to be a user, an advanced user? If not how does it feel?

I don't feel I am an advanced user or forums or blogs, but I know the basics that are needed to set up a blog or join a forum, for some who may never had experience with this going into a forum may be very daunting. But in today's society I doubt there are many who haven't had some sort of experience with MSN or Facebook, and forums have a similar sort of concept