Class Evaluation

• What would you add? subtract? change? with this class

Of all the classes I have taken, no class has significantly impacted my perspective on technology as did this one. As I sit here watching the season finale of Survivor Gabon, I am now conscious of the complex narrative involved with the show's structure as well as the overwhelming number of threaded story lines that add to the complexity. When watching the news the recent crimes involving social networks such as the mother involved with the suicide of a teen girl over a myspace hoax I now am thinking of the security the site offers and how future tragedies may be prevented. Even when evaluating my own graduate experience, I am now aware of the long tail of marketing in effect. Of course this new perspective should invariably be applied to library studies and the world of education as a whole.

So when asked what I would change, I would say absolutely nothing. The content was very captivating and presented in a very fun and interactive manner. Although I have never met any of my classmates or the professor for that matter, I feel I have really gotten to know them via their pictures and videos. The course material presented via camtasia was a great way to provide instruction and was a great tool in simulating a live course.

As mentioned by Professor Garwood in a video recording, it may be nice to have future courses built in a virtual world like second life. The one apprehension I would have in making this suggestion is the learning curve. I would want to be sure the virtual platform is a bit more mainstream and the audience is a bit more technically inclined prior to embarking on such an endeavor.

On a personal note, I am very saddened to learn that Professor Garwood has chosen to focus on his work with Princeton libraries. Of course I am happy for his professional achievements, however the selfish side of me wishes I could continue my studies under his tutelage. He will be dearly missed :)

Second Life/MMO experience

Tell me a little about your experience...frustrating, fun, weird, surprising, scary...

The first time I entered the virtual world of second life I was overwhelmed. With a poor sense of direction to begin with, initially I found it to be quite disorienting. I very rarely spend time in second life, so I am still trying to conquer the learning curve. However, I think overall the ability to navigate in a three dimensional world immersed with graphics, video, and sound is very fascinating. Similar to Professor Garwood, I also made a connection between second life and feed in particular the large number of advertisements.

Second Life is definitely increasing in popularity. In April 2008, the first congressional hearing was conducted in second life. Rutgers University has also begun participating in the virtual world. Various departments at Rutgers, including the Continuous Education & Outreach have begun creating a virtual environment within second life. I have included some screen shots of the Rutgers virtual world within second life below.

slurl:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/RUCE%202/82/76/30

Rutgers Second Life Competition
Rutgers University Second Life FAQ's


Student Center, Winants Hall


Old Queens Campus



Grease Trucks


Football Stadium

Virtual Tour (Youtube)

Johnson Reading

• If everything "bad" is indeed good for you, what does this mean for the world of Libraries and/or Educational organizations?
• Feel free to disagree, just back yourself up with some good info

I found the second half of the Johnson reading to be as equally interesting as the first. The hypothesis presented which connects the variables of the Sleeper Curve discussed in the first portion of the book with the overall rise in IQ is quite convincing. The more advanced skills acquired from pop culture such as the probing and telescoping techniques as well as complex narratives seem to positively impact pattern recognition skills in IQ tests. With such positive impacts, I believe it is crucial for the educational community as well as library organizations to re-evaluate their current curriculum and/or structure to incorporate the power of such findings. Perhaps by applying the techniques of the gaming world to traditional educational content may further increase the scores in math and verbal areas of IQ.

Another component that would be valuable to transpose from the gaming world to the educational and/or library organizations is the reward structure. It is very easy to acquire motivation and participation when a reward system is in place. Application of the probing and telescoping techniques as well as complex narratives along with a set reward structure would create a more engaging and interactive learning environment. Although I was a fairly studious child, I would always be interested in the practical use for many of the theories, formulas, or other information I was taught. If a specific reward can be presented for learning the subject at hand, such as, you need to learn A in order to complete B and C and obtain Z reward I feel I would have been more attentive and inclined to learn. I feel it would be incredibly advantageous to continue probing the notions brought to light by Steven Johnson and begin to put a more positive spin on today's pop culture.

Screencasts Best Practices

• You've now made a few screencasts, What best practices have you discovered to get your best results?

After doing a number of screencasts using Camtasia version 5, I found that keeping that a few short clips work better than one long and drawn out screencast. I also find that if you mess up it is easier to just pause and restart your sentence as you can easily cut out your mistake as opposed to starting over. I find rehearsing the screencast prior to recording is also quite helpful. I have also been experiencing problems with my sound that I am still trying to address. The videos playback fine, however it seems the sound distortion occurs when I upload the video to screencast.com. Finally, use your voice. Be wary of the monotone, use as much diction and intonation as possible.

Getting a gaming system for your library or a local organization

* How would you research?
* What would your criteria be?
* Which do you think you would get?

Having very no experience in the working in the library environment, I would begin by visiting libraries in the area as well as conduct online research to determine the following:

*Which consoles are the most popular?
*What is the average usage for each of the systems?
*What rules do each of these libraries have in place? (in house play, lending
rules etc)
*What equipment is necessary to run the systems?(internet connection,
*projector,speakers etc)
*Is there a trained staff member that to assist with gaming questions.
*What type of supportive documentation is on site to assist game play (gamers tips
and tricks journals and magazines)


Of course I would need to consider budgetary constraints in selecting the gaming systems, as well as the potential user population. However after dong some quick research I found an article that nicely lists some interesting pro's and cons from the various console units. However, keep in mind the purchase was for a fifteen year old boy.

I have listed some of the articles findings below:

"Xbox 360 - 64%: The Xbox 360 hands-down came out on top of the console heap as far as retail employees were concerned, beating out the Wii (for the most part) and PlayStation 3 by a very wide margin. Apparently 15-year-old boys and the Xbox 360 were made for each other. Out of all the responses I received to my questions, those who gave the Xbox 360 as an answer generally didn't dance around the decision.

Pros:

Largest game library with widest selection
Best system for online games
More user friendly

Cons:

Hardware reliability
Not as powerful as the PS3"

"Xbox 360 or Wii - 18%: A surprising number of employees across all three chains wouldn't answer the question without at least asking one question - is your nephew and indoor child, or an active outdoor child? A more active child would love the Wii, while one prone to sitting still would prefer the Xbox 360. Given that my criteria for asking the question didn't allow me to offer specifics about my theoretical nephew, I had to record the double answer. I guess that whole Wii60 idea people were kicking about prior to the Wii launch isn't as far fetched as it first sounded.

Quotes: "If he never had a video game system before he might like the Wii.""

"Nintendo Wii - 1%: This low score for Nintendo's console is a direct reflection of the age I picked. We all know this. If I had said 10-year-old then the graph would look very different, but according to many a store he's right at that age where he'll be growing out of it - and about 50 years too early for liking it a second time.

Pros:

Promotes physical activity
Whole family can play

Cons:

Many of the games aren't good
Too "cartoony"
Better graphics on other systems

Recommended Games: From the one store that flat-out suggested I buy fake-boy a Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Quotes: "The Wii is for younger kids - and old people." Yes, he really did say this."

I really thought these assessments were great in providing a background to the positives and negatives of each system. If possible I would purchase both the Xbox 360 and the Wii as they seem to cover the full spectrum of the user population. It seems the Xbox 360 is popular among the teenage population while the Wii may better serve the younger as well as the older population. The Xbox 360 is more suitable for more passive users, while the Wii is more attractive to those more active and athletically inclined. These two consoles combined seem to nicely serve the greater community.

Some examples of gaming consoles in libraries:
ALATech Source Gaming in Libraries
ALA Games and Gaming
Gaming in Libraries Blog
Carvers Bay (SC) Branch Library: Gaming the Way to Literacy (August 2006)

Family Fued - Multiplayer

This version of Family Feud provided by Games at Miniclip allows you to play against others online. I found it much more fun and definitely more addictive or "sticky". I am competitive by nature, and this factor alone kept me playing in order to make it to the final round as only the top four players advance. Have fun!

Family Feud - Single player

Thought the Family Feud provided by Yahoo was a fun game, however with this version you can only play against a friend or family member and not anyone online. Despite this fact I included a quick screen cast of the game below: