Blogger.com my fiend

I do mean fiend not friend!

ERROR ERROR ERROR

Is all I've seen for the last week, blogger.com updated there systems as part of their 'maintenance' on sunday with any update of technology and software comes waves of errors, unfortunatley for me these errors came when I needed to post.

The problem no posting on blogger.com for a week. The worse thing was there was no contact or message posted from blogger.com, so I started to think it was me, (uploading too many images, gone past my limit or some error with my connection).

I've had a very stressful week due to this, which made my condition dramatically turn for the worst, so I've been too fatigued to make much of a catch up with work or attend many of my classes.

I have to catch on my posts on my other module blogs then I will work through my final idea further and the post.

My almost final idea

My final idea (well still needs work, but the scale and type of artefact is final).

• An interactive magazine.

Main page similar format to a blog, if not. On the topic of projects (after school, weekend) within science, art/craft, user experience, social studies and such. For example fun experiments and tasks.

Marketed for primary school kids, but working with teachers for added content.

This online magazine, updated regularly will have feature projects, that students can try hands on at home, information explaining the science/ idea behind the project, instructions, further reading resources. Encouraging students to take part in discussion and send in projects of their own and test results, to even collaborate and share resources with other students via the blog style.

Hopefully more of an expressive medium rather than interactive textbook.

A feature I would wish to include would be a monthly competition to design the magazine cover on the index page.

The idea still needs further development, but I've chosen the final frame for my project based on my research so far.

Its late so won't go into detail. For now thats my idea.

Revelations

Today’s first task was to develop a brief plan for the early aspects/tasks of my project. However even though hours were spent on the project, this plan failed to materialize. Not a negative though. Upon entering into this task, I dived straight into the grasp of my research and project and I came across two revelations.

What on? The scale of the project and the form of the project I was looking to achieve.

I always knew this project was research based, which I started even before I brainstormed my idea. A negative no, because of this head start on the research, I have not got to a level of understanding of e-learning, allowing me to make educated decisions on the project that I couldn't have made prior. For my double project I wanted to THINK BIG without limitations, though I'm not a fool for not being realistic. So now I'm in the right position to make further decisions. I've decided to scale the project down.

My ideas prior were:

Firstly an online artefact not on a particular topic aimed at primary school kids to assist and enhance their learning. A user login start, where they fill in a questionnaire, which defines them as a learner and advices them on ways to enhance their learning, any data being sent to a user section. The content itself is different testing/training options, brain training games, questionnaires, IQ tests, general knowledge. Similar concept too many of the brain training artefacts available, but mine being designed specifically for primary school kids. Main features: gives user individualized attention/advice, improves the Childs learning over time.

An online environment, where primary students can log in to access resources, links, keywords on topics for independent study and tests within these topics, with results being calculated and sent to a user section to be viewed as graphs and progress reports, also included would be advice personalised to this results. A blog / discussion area to which can be used to discuss the topics, share views/ideas and resources. Main features: frequently updated, student can view own progress, student given individualised advice and independent student study.

Very large scale projects just for one person, on a shoe string budget, with not a day to waste. Even with my plan to hire a programmer for the scripting of the artefact, to allow me to spend more time on the research, design and evaluation, which takes up the majority of the project.
When compared to many e-learning projects I have come across on my research, designed now or 10 years prior, there is no contest my project would not be in the same league. For my project to stand its ground amongst the thousands of e-learning tools, even the poor ones it needs to be scale down in order for a better product. Its final a smaller project it is.

My second revelation came later after a much needed break. What type of project would I hope to achieve?

I wanted it to be online, not, CD edutainment, multimedia authoring tool or video streaming. But did I want it to be an interactive textbook or an expressive medium?

The first being as it sounds and what we know it as, the second being more than the first, a medium that allows the student to make use of the medium how they choose, but does not evolve around technology and encourages hands on experiences and learning and using the medium two join the two experiences at best advantage.
The second is more exciting as an approach to e-learning, on that I choose for my project.

Both revelations have moulded my final idea.
(Sorry for the long post, it’s been tough).

A muddle

This afternoons work, but no further ahead, refreshing work done.














I planned to write a brief plan for my project, untill I've finalized my idea enough to draw up a detailed, time scale plan. However I'm swamped in research, I have it coming out my ears, writing a plan had to come after taking a fresh look at my research and future research, so I could clearly see what I had left to do. I chose to do a brainstorm.

Its clearer, however I think I'll leave my plan for tommorrow, when I work further on my project.

Blogs

I actually looked at the DIM student blogs previously, at the end of the summer, I wanted to get a understanding of the extent of the assessments. I also wanted to look at what sort of thing the students were doing for their final projects.
Like I said before I was disappointed with the final pieces I saw and their intial ideas. I stand by this. I am myself a perfectionist and quite pickky. But I have seen the most amazing work produced by students over the years, which has probably set a benchmark in my mind.
By looking at the students blogs you can actually tell who really put time in. I'm sure some people backdated, but if they backdated a mass of well constructed entries, thats more than what others did . I wonder if the same will be true of this year?, will there still be students who leave it till the month before the last to post anything?

So far using the blog has been possitive, although posting on multiple blogs almost every evening is time consuming and hopefully noticed, I find I have to write down things first before going straight onto a post, as on many occasion doing the opposite I've been timed out and even crashed my blog.
Blogger.com, I recommend although it lacks the space of live journal and the buddie thing (probably various other things). I find it enjoyable as its so straightforward to post even without thinking.

This weekend

I need to produce a checklist of things to be done,
Theres no chance for a plan at the moment as I'm not sure of the scale and time my research will take up and various ideas need more researching and finalising before I could possibly even draw up a rough plan. A checklist is a must, just to keep on track. As I haven't been using my dictaphone wisely and have had trouble remembering what I am doing or have to do next.

CHECKLIST CHECKLIST CHECKLIST.

Proposal and plans

For the moment and past weeks, I've been conducting solid research, essential for my chosen project, but even though I haven't finished this, it is time to start structuring my proposal and plan and what Vicky mentioned on week 3s session the What, Why, How, When, Where, Who document. Actually that would be part of the proposal, so not to lenghty but precise, so it does need some time to work on.

Then once I've done my proposal, I need to plan, as those who don't plan, plan to fail, I dont know who said that but its true. I especially need the guidence of a plan. Though I still have a few things up in the air to do just yet.

I don't think I will ever not be researching something for this project.

Week 3

Yesterdays session was a lighter class. Going through different resources and ideas.

We looked at other peoples blogs from last year, it will be good when this years class blogs go up, hopefully there will be discussions between the blogs. That would be a great resource, to be able to see the process everone else is making, to be able to discuss topics and exchange resources. Great.

We talked about going beyond the bounderies with our ideas, when I was thinking of my ideas although they were good, I could have thought of more innovative ideas. Pieces to show off at the end of year show. However my mind set at the time was for a piece to show of my aspirations and talent and to link to my future career. I must admit after this session I did regret not coming up with more fresh ideas. For research I've looked around at a lot of student work, the best ideas come from product design students, who designed some spectatcular pieces, all this came flooding back. I did feel bummed for a bit but then my idea is perfect for me and for my needs.

We also talked about the environmental topic, I still have time and room for a environmentally friendly project. Maybe I should start now in researching environmental issues within design, friendly materials and processes.

The use of blackboard got mentioned, blackboard being the online access to course info. For the record, I hate it, It already has my course details wrong, another hassel I have to sort out, isn't it spose to make things easier. Its a mess of disorganisation. Couldn't they have set its design as a assessment, Im sure they would have got better results, even with the odd lazy student. It will become an example for me to use in the future of bad design. seriously. Anyway what I was going to say was I finally logged in to blackboard, so I now have access to the study guide. Yeh.

User centered design

I was glancing at the book below, 'Interaction Design- beyond human-computer interaction', that I have in my collection and I came across a case study of 'Phillips approach to designing a communicator for children' and the article below from the same book, both talk of the inclusion of children almost as the designers, with the designers taking a backseat at early stages of design( in terms of designing for children). It really would be so useful for me to go this route, to resource a group of appropriately aged children (my set user) to brainstorm my project at this stage. Truely this is how I would love to design, user centered totally. However I havent got a great time scale or resources to plan such an event and fit it in before I move further allong in my research.

I regret not being able to constantly brainstorm with the type of users who would use my artifact throughout the development. I have to remember to put this under my evaluation or contemplation at the end.

The author of one of my current reads Alison Druin a top expert at designing for children, is a firm believer of immersing children (user) into the design and development of a artifact.
I really strongly agree with this and am cant tell you enough how disappointed I am its not possible for me to do this till later in the design, when I test my artifact due to the scale of my project. I chose this project so I could design specifically for a type generation of user and get it near accurate. I hope to go on to do a masters specializing in user centered design.

I am still hoping for this to become a show piece, hopefully I can research hard on learning approaches for kids and casestudies to compensate for this form of input into the design.

Current reads

My current reads for this project.




















The only book really I could find that specifically was about designing multimedia applications for children, the other one I saw was by the same author, I picked this one, published in america only, so took time to get hold of, but glad got hold of it. The downside is this book is old, real old in technology terms, it talks about the design of applications I used as a child, however the techniques/approaches are still solid to this day and the author just so happens to be an top expert on the subject and with working with children.

One of a few books I have picked up on elearning, I feel it mainly heads towards the training market but does cover elearning as a whole, the main elearning strategies do apply still to children, but I do think that these strategies are very wide, maybe too wide. I have although come across elearning books that are worse and don't take in mind the various users, grouping users as all the same, I'm not keen on this path. Pluses within the book include the section on elearning games, how to design and manage online discussions and the indepth benefits and potential of elearning.

Early research

Ive been researching for my project for some time now

alot of : definitions, learning techniques, multimedia, learning approaches, technology, theories, mediums, interactivity, environments.

Further Ideas ideas Ideas

Some disppointments, the more you know of a topic the more you know what is possible when you even push pass limits but also what is plain impossible and not worth touching. More than a little dissapointment, as I always saw the double project as achieving the untouchable, showcasing your best and laying out a piece that can cut it out in the real world of design. However this project requires a wealth of research to be qualifed enough to even approach, which has ment certain ideas are unbalanceable on the same set of scales with the research, my dream idea would have been to produce and set in place a online multimedia artifact and pack, to unite a class from one country with a class from another country, as equals, for discussion, discovery and teaching, maybe even to stretch its bounderies further to a european/worldwide scale. What a dream project, but not possible, time, knowledge, cost, are huge and real realities, which make this idea impossible (for the time being). Besides I dont want something half done, thats good, I want something great, to be proud of.

Another disappointment, is the amount of different learning styles/techiques/approaches, I've come across and trying to understand the relationships between them. For example I found five elearning design approaches, more for adult learning but still can apply, four learning styles in general and then two types of learning environments with their own theories. How do they all link up? Are some the same? What ones apply to my project? And thats just some of the ones I remotely recognize.

Tough study ahead, but its becoming clearer, whats next.

Design for learning brainstorm

My project brainstorm.















The main points were, who for, purpose, feactures, medium, subject matter, accessability considerations, issues, learning approaches and strategies.

Week 2

This session was presentations. Work in progress presentations for the february start students.

I find it difficult sometimes when viewing other students presentations, as you dont quite know what the grader/tutor thinks, are they good or not? I dont like useing ideas used just incase I pick something up thats bad. Besides I'm such a perfectionist and a harsh critic, probally not the best person to fill in a student presentation marking sheet, but I've only seen in all my years attending on and off a couple of students works that have wowed me.
I heard a lot more interesting opinions and points of views on subject topics that have wowed me over the years, maybe its just down to implimentation. Im not too negative on this as its understandable, selfstudy doesn't always come easy, planning is vital, I must remind myself that, once I have a full day free.

The winner

I've chosen an idea to carry forward to development. Design Research project. I must admit it its being tugging on my heart strings, since I found out I didnt have the design research module.

The idea again was a elearning artifact for keystage children, to assist in the learning on a specific topic, designed around teaching principles that work best and most effective with the medium used.

I won't follow the design research module, i won't ignore it though, it is an essential guide. I wont have the teaching for design for learning for my double project, but I will ask if I can get involved on the module discussion blog.

What are my plans, well I've already brainstormed, which needs to be scanned and uploaded, then a finalised brainstorm, once that is done I need to go through material I have gathered on the subject, books on elearning, teaching methods etc. Then further research, information on managing projects, testing and etc. See if I can contact elearning groups for further information . I think the next few weeks will be mainly research. Research is key to my chosen project. Then eventually planning and development. The last steps will be testing, research and evaluation. So a lot of research!

Reflection most needed

This summer, I was diagnosed with a combination of conditions, which have left me with 'learning difficulties'.

Problems I face:

• A lack of ability to focus hard, process numerous information and that’s just for starters.
• Doctors orders to spend little time on any screen (something to do with no bright light)
• Doctors orders not to exert myself for any circumstances or risk further symptoms.
  

Instead of ignoring these problems and the early signs of struggle, like I have done in the past, I will play it smart and open and work with the problem by finding other avenues for study where possible. I've started by purchasing a Dictaphone to compensate for the tiring effort to focus. Also I will take advantage of this blog and note down both my reflection of the module and of my learning, giving me the opportunity to spot problematic areas within my learning ability. It’s a tough challenge but I'm positive. I have a strong will and determination and I have developed such a drive to succeed. The next steps are mostly of observation.

Week 1

Before week 1 my understanding of the module and assessments ahead were not detailed nor exact. However I did grasp the scale of the project and the creativity possibilities.

During week 1's session the module extent became clearer and a rough plan of the assessment grading avaliable. Week 1's class went quick but smooth. So positive to start, but I was disappointed by the work shown form previous students. I credit that the better assessments were proberly collected and taken away. The ones on offer to see, I found lacked show time and creativity, you would expect with no restrictions and a open brief. I only hope that this won't make me stay safe as well and not go the extra miles.

NOTE TO MYSELF LATER: Must plan time to spend on the design of the end product, something approprate to the objective but where possible innovative.