The Seminar forum enables us to find out what new posts students have put on their blogs. The forum has enabled us to become interactive users of the media, in this case for academic purposes. To some degree the online forum is an online conversation, for example if I make a comment on the forum they are usually responded to by other students and Dave our Tutor. In this sense like neo liberalism suggests, new media allows for greater “engagement” with media texts.” Blogs allow readers to really think about a persons point of view and critically access it, giving a greater sense of “independent relation to sources of knowledge” unlike a book as neo liberism suggests. I suppose as regards my expression within the forum it is a lot more carefully filtered, especially because of the interactive rules of engagement. In this sense “user choice” is restricted to what you choose to write. I believe that I interact differently on the forum than what I would in a face-to-face interaction. My comment on the forum and other peoples does not need immediate response. The replies to forums and blogs can take minute’s, hours and even days. Therefore with online interactivity there is much more freedom with reply. Whereas in a face to face interaction with a student within seminars replies are more or less immediate and they don’t tend to have restrictive barriers. Dave is in charge because he sets the rules of engagement for both forum and blogs. He chooses the type of language that is appropriative within our academic circle and so the sense of the internet allowing for “greater consumer choice” is undermined. At the same time the students are in charge of their own opinions, when the students reply to the blogs and forums online they are generally open ended within reason. Speech is much more free flow within general seminars, whereas writing down what your opinions are within blogs and forums are much more time consuming. I feel overall that i am media literate but in terms of the Internet I’m quite illiterate in comparison with other students.
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteSome good stuff here. I agree with you about my 'ruling the roost' somewhat. This isn't just because of my online presence though is it? I wouldn't have the position if it wasn't for my role IRL -and students wouldn't have to take any notice if I didn't assess them? Then it would be down to things like lurking, flaming, and 'stroking' by users to set up agreed 'netiquette' -which all takes time doesn't it? And outside of such e-learning situations, who'd give it the time?
Otherwise I agree pretty much too. A good thoughtful post, well done.
Any idea why you keep getting stray bits of code at the end? (are you pasting in from Word for instance?)