Research

Last night I went through the introduction chapters of the 2 books that accompany the course with the aim of finding a topic that particularly interested me.  Although they were only short paragraphs It took me some time to get through them, partly because there were some big words i had to look up (Concomitant? polysemic? dialogic?) and partly because I needed to reread and think about what each paragraph meant before deciding how interested I was in each topic.  There were several topics which interested me including the Peer review process, which is in a few news stories at the moment.  How ever the one I have decided to concentrate on at the moment is the concepts of audiencehood and democratic citizenship in relation to science.   From what I have read in the introduction, this covers areas of web 2.0 and its collaborative potential.  I think it might lead on from my previous work looking at sites such as Wikipedia.

Today I went through some of the advanced search activities recommended by the course. I was reluctant at first as I thought I was fairly confident at researching after my last 3 courses, but I found it useful as it covered specific science based databases and covered issues which haven’t been as important on previous courses, such as filtering for peer reviewed content. It also looked at useing referencing systems such as endnote.  Although I find referencing a real chore I have always preferred to avid these automated systems, mainly because I find them more hassle than their worth.  For example there is always at least one reference that doesn’t quite fit the system. I remember asking a while ago “How do you Harvard reference a tweet?”

There’s lots of Communicating Science in the information age

Since starting the SH804 I have been overwhelmed by the amount of information I am finding and wanting to take in, which I am finding relevant to the course.  The news at the moment is full of the climategate story but on top of that I am throwing myself into anything which I think is relevant to communicating science in an information age.  On the drive to work I am listening to podcasts from Nature, Guardian Science and others, I am watching/reading/listening to scifi from a different perspective (Avatar Movie, EscapePod Podcast, The Black Cloud Book) and I am stocking up on popular science books (Bad Science, The Oxford Book of modern Science Writing).

I hope I don’t get so distracted by these related resources that I lose focus of the course itself, although from what I have seen so far the course seems really interesting.  The point I guess I am trying to make is I never realised how much really good stuff is out there which fits into the category of “Communicating Science in the information age”

The truth about climategate

I am starting to be convinced that the current climate gate story has somehow been engineered by the SH804 course leaders as it seems to cover so much that relates to the course including;

• Transparency and openness of scientists
• How fair is the peer review process
• Intellectual property
• Communication between scientists
• Impartiality
• Who funds the scientists (and sceptics)
• the publics reaction to contested science
• The reporting of science
• Public Engagement- or lack of

ClimateGate

Over the last few days I have been trying to follow a news story which the Guardian have been calling climategate.  Having said that I feel I have just started to scratch the surface of this complex story about leaked emails which have shown scientists working for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) refusing to disclose information requested under the freedom of information act, being accused of using the peer review process to discredit papers which conflicts with their own findings and the fallout from false facts about the melting of Himalayan glaciers.

First of all I should point out that pretty much all of my research has been based around reading many guardian articles and I realise that I should be using a wider range of sources in order to get a better understanding of the issues.

Anyway, from what I have read, I am extremely disappointed with the attitude and arrogance of these scientists.  I think that for some people, scientists have a reputation of being patronising and arrogant.  The details of this story will do little to dispel this myth.  Despite what Irwin suggests in his interview (part 2.1 of the SH804) it doesn’t look like everyone has learned the lesson that scientists need to be open, honest and transparent in this information age.

From what I have read the defences include;

-          Disclosing incomplete scientific data and code , particularly unfinished work, contradicts issues of information property and is the equivalent of stealing  (I can see the logic in this argument, and maybe there needs to be clarity in the law on this particular issue)

-          Those who are asking for information under FOI are only doing it to pick holes and find fault (my answer to this is… Deal with it. The whole point of being open and honest is letting those who disagree with you, look at the facts and ask difficult questions.  As difficult as these questions, answering them or even saying we don’t knw the answer, is better in the long run than keeping thing hidden)

-          Answering these FOI questions are too time consuming.  (Again I say …. Deal with it.  In the same way that no one likes to pay taxes, no one likes to spend time answering these questions, but FOI is a part of modern life and needs to be addressed.  Scientists are not above the law.)

I would really appreciate any comments, particularly from anyone defending the actions of these scientists. (i am not looking for a fght I just want to understand the other side of the argument).

2 What is science communication in the information age?

For this activity I read ‘Science and the online world: realities and issues for discussion’, by Scott L. Montgomery (2009). This passage positioned e-science in relation to the history of science communication. There was lots of information in the passage which and I chose to make my notes in the form of a mind map which can be found at the following link;
http://mind42.com/pub/mindmap?mid=546921cd-2648-4866-aab2-bdee0572d1d5
Montgomerey did comment that worldwide access to the internet is limited as computers were required for internet access and these were not available in poorer parts of the world. I would say that although computer access in limited, in many parts of the world internet access via mobile devices is becoming increasingly important.

SH804 Week 0: Activity: Reflecting on your experiences of science communication

Even thought the course doesn’t start for a couple of weeks, in the preparation material we are asked to think about ways we have communicated science.  Well personally, I haven’t.  I assume that the majority of people on this course are professional scientists, although I am not.  I have a Degree in Environmental Biology and a HND in Applied Biology, however since gaining these qualifications I have never had a job as a scientist.  I currently work as an elearning advisor in which I support Further education and Sixth Form colleges in their use of educational technology.  I guess the only way I can think that I have communicated science is in teaching materials I have developed such as the short learning object on speciation I created for one of my previous OU courses.

So I will tackle this question a little differently.  I will look at ways I have received science information;

Television; Ranging from the high brow BBC4 programs such as ‘the Secret life of chaos’  to low brow science entertainment shows such as the Gadget show and Brainiac.

Online Videos:  The TED videos have become a fantastic resource on a whole range of subjects, not just science.  For me they seem to be an evolutionary leap from the royal society Christmas lectures which have virtually disappeared from the TV schedules.

Podcasts:  I am a fan of podcasts and I’m currently signed up to the weekly science podcast from the Guardian.

Websites:  I get RSS updates from sites such as RichardDawkins.net and the New Scientist.

Magazines: I am currently a big fan of the Magazine Wired which covers a range of topics including advances in science

Newspapers:  I follow the science stories in the news and do my best to dig a little behind the headlines to find out what is really going on.

Books:  I’m personally more likely to listen to an audio book than read the hard copy, however I have enjoyed a number of science books including those by dawkins and Bill Brysons Short History of nearly everything.

Well that’s my list for the moment. I know it wasn’t the question that was asked but I would be interested to see how this list will change by the end of the course

SH804 Communicating Science in the information age…in a box

I m off work today, trying to get my ECA completed for my H808 course, which is due in next week (21st Jan) however I have been slightly distracted by a box which has arrived from the OU for my next course SH804 ‘Communicating Science in the Information Age’ which starts 30th Jan (no rest for the wicked).

In studying for my Masters in Online and Distance Education (MA ODE) I can take this unrelated course to make up the points I need as I have the required number of points from modules which are core to the MA ODE. This is quite scary for me as this will be the first course which is really out of my comfort zone.

The course moodle page is already open and i am relieved to see it contains the materials online in a similar way to my H8xx modules, however unlike my H8xx modules I have also received this material in the post as well. My box of goodies include 2 books, a dvd and 2 folders of printed sheets. Ok, maybe not the best thing for the environment if its online as well, but it makes a change from the basic letters I received for my H8xx modules. There is also a day school planned in March which I didn’t know about until i went into the moodle page. No idea what that will be like. There is already some discussion on the course moodle forums which is promising. I hope there are some fellow tweeters on the course as I have found twittering with fellow students to be invaluable to my studies/sanity on the H8XX courses.

Unit 10: Evidencing practice-related competencies

For this activity I have produced a two sided briefing document for the Biology Department of a Sixth Form College which explains what Wikis are, how they can be used for education and how to set them up.

Click here to view the Wiki Briefing paper.

Core Activity 9.1: Desktop research

The evidence of research-related competency produced for this activity needs to demonstrate: the ability to research a topic by accessing a range of information sources an understanding of that topic analysis of the information sources.

For this activity I have researched the use of blogs in education and come up with the following categories, descriptions, examples and notes.

Practitioners reflective Blog

Definition
Blogs which are kept by learning professionals in which they reflect on their experiences, and any issues relating to their profession.  These are usually individual blogs and can form part of their personal development plan (PDP) as part of a larger eportfolio (Institute for learning, no date)

Notes

Reflecting via a blog can provide practitioners with a diverse audience however a lack of personal contact means that blogging can be seen as a lonely experience.  The Edublog awards have attempted to address this by praising the work of bloggers and show them that they ‘ ”are not entirely at home in the ‘blogosphere” Dr Sabine Little from the University of Sheffield as cited by O’Hear (2007).  Although blogging may seem a lonely experience for some, the blogosphere can provide a feeling of community with many blogging practitioners commenting, discussing and debating ideas on each others blogs (Becta 2006)

Examples

Elearning stuff- James Clay

http://elearningstuff.wordpress.com/

The Scholastic Scribe
http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com/

The Cool Cat Teacher Blog

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

Student Blogs
Definition

This is a very broad group as it can include individual blogs for personal reflection as well as group blogs for collaborative learning.  I will be specifficly discussing blogs which learners use as part of a specific course and are likely to be initiated by the teacher.

Notes
If a student blog is made available over the internet there are a number of important safty issues to be addressed, particularly for younger students.  These issues can be addressed with solutions such as acceptable use policies, the use of pseudonyms and ensuring learners are aware of how to report issues (Richardson, 2006).  There are advantages to having students work published as a blog, as it allows others to join the conversation.  An example of this is the blog used by learners in New Jersey as a book review of the secret life of bees.  Having the review online meant the author could contribute and answer any questions (Guardian Online, 2004).

Although a teaching practitioner may be keen for their learners to use blogs, as a way of reflecting on development, the attitudes of learners towards the value of blogs may vary with some avoiding the process, some using blogging for personal reflection and some developing online communities. For these reasons it may be wise for practioners to ensure blogging activities are flexible and possibly voluntary (Kerawalla, et al.2008)

Examples
The secret life of Bees
A collaborative book review by students

weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/

Moo- Photography Blog

http://moo4you.blogspot.com/

Eric’s Blog

http://erich4.edublogs.org/about-me/

Organisation Blogs

Definition

This refers to blogs which are produced as part of an organisations website.  This may include a learning provider or support service.  The blog may include personal reflections from individuals working for the organisation or they may be used to promote or provide news about the organisation.

Notes

A blog may be an effective way for an organisation of delivering news and standard information, however these blogs do not appear to initiate much discussion in the form of comments (http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/blog/). Organisational Blogs which include reflections, analysis and opinions of individuals within an organisation may lead to more debate, however there is a danger that there is confusion between the opinions of individuals and the organisations they represent (http://jisc.cetis.ac.uk/).  There are some organisational blogs that include a combination of news and opinion (http://techdis.ac.uk/blog/)

Examples
The Mortarboard Blog from the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard

JISC Digital Media
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/blog/

Cetis
http://jisc.cetis.ac.uk/

TechDis
http://techdis.ac.uk/blog/

References

O’Hear (2007 )’The Best of the Blogs’ Guardian Online. 9 January. [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/jan/09/elearning.technology15 (Accessed: 5 January 2010)

Richardson, W. (2006) Blogs Wikis Podcasts and other powerful web tools for the classroom [Online] Available at: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tnBReFo5n_YC&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=student+blog+safety&source=bl&ots=8RhHj8IB_d&sig=DC_haEaJk8Y2mTCKJLnDG2YqG9o&hl=en&ei=g4VDS_WlCYf_4AaDxqCqCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCYQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=student%20blog%20safety&f=false (Accessed: 5 January 2010)

Guardian Online (2004) ‘Logs prepare to go on a roll’ Guardian Online 8 June. [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/jun/08/elearning.technology4 (Accessed: 5 January 2010)

Kerawalla, L. Minocha, S. Kirkup, G. And Conole, G. (2008) ‘Characterising the different blogging behaviours of  students on an online distance learning course  ‘Learning, Media and Technology. Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 21-33. [Online] Available at: http://www.informaworld.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/smpp/section?content=a790941795&fulltext=713240928 (Accessed: 23 May 2009)

BECTA (2006) Emerging Technologies for Learning. [Online] Available at: http://partners.becta.org.uk/upload-dir/downloads/page_documents/research/emerging_technologies.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2010)

Institute for learning (no date) Case Study: Thanet College [Online] Available at: http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/4654/Thanet-College.pdf (Accessed: 5 January 2010)

Core Activity 8.3: Communicating to an audience

Reviewing podcasts

EdTechRoundup
… Conversations about using technology in education

• Sound quality
  The sound quality varied with some parts having a distracting echo.  I assume this was due to using skype  for conversations and recording.  Volume was good and consistent.
• Broadcast quality
  Good use of music. Good introduction summarising content and contributors.  They are produced on a regular (weekly) basis which I think is very important.
• Suitability
  Useful for elearning professionals but possible a bit too much for general teaching practitioners to keep up with.
• Length
  Varied between 28 and 55 mins, I would personally finding it difficult to find time to listen to 50 mins on a weekly basis.
• Interest
  Useful and topical on current elearning topics, very reflective.
• Academic quality.
  Based on the thoughts and opinions of respected elearning professionals
• Suggestions for improvement
  Possible a condensed news update at the beginning as well as the ongoing discussions, although this is partially covered by the introduction.
  Possibly could use more details on how listeners can join the conversation.
• Suggestions for use.
  Elearning managers  can dip into this to keep up to date.

Apple Education
Apple in HE

• Sound quality
  Excellent sound quality, sounds like it was recorded in a studio.
• Broadcast quality
  Good use of music and introduction, but it was not clear who was presenting.  It looks like all episodes were uploaded on the same date rather than a staggered programme.  Mix of audio and video episodes.  The audio podcasts i listened to were readings of case studies.

• Suitability
  Reading text based case studies seems a missed opportunity as it does not include the voices and enthusiasm of those involved.  Often quite technical.
• Length
  Audio episodes are generally less than 10 mins which makes them bitesized.
• Interest

I would have found the case studies more interesting if they included interviews with those involved rarther than readings of text case studies. Also I find a monologue less interesting than a conversation.

• Academic quality.
  Although useful case studies, the fact that they are produced by Apple gives the impression they are biased advertising, especially as they are reading out text based case studies which could have been written in a biased way rather that listening to raw interviews with those involved.
• Suggestions for improvement
  Let us listen to the voices of those involved.
• Suggestions for use.
  May be useful for technical departments when looking for ideas on how to use/ roll out apple products but would recommend speaking to others who have gone through the process as well.

Jan’s Podcast

• Sound quality
  Good level of volume throughout which meant I could listen to it on my ipod while commuting.
• Broadcast quality

Good summarising introduction.  The content sounds scripted enough to ensure there are no pauses and stumbling for words, yet relaxed enough to be interesting and confident.  This can be a difficult balance to get right.

• Suitability

I found this to be a very good summary which could be played to other learning providers who are thinking of a similar project.

• Length

A good length for a general introduction.

• Interest
  Jan appeared to be talking directly to the audience and inviting them to be part of the conversation which kept it interesting.
• Academic quality.

A good balance of case study, personal reflection and ideas for the future.

• Suggestions for improvement
  This could be followed up by interviews with others involved in the project.
• Suggestions for use.
  As an elearning advisor, I could play this to other learning providers who are considering the use of wiki’s

Eugen’s Podcast

• Sound quality.
  Fairly quiet which meant I could not listen to it on my iPod while commuting.
• Broadcast quality.
  A good introduction and the content flowed well, sounding confident and relaxed.  Not too scripted, not too improvised.   This is particularly impressive as English is not Eugens first language.
• Suitability.
  Eugen is discussing a topic which he has personal experience of which means he is well informed and I think this should be played to developers of distance learning courses to help them get a better understanding of needs of learners.
• Length.
  A good length for an introduction although It was so interesting I could have listened to more.
• Interest
  An interesting topic and a friendly and confident speaker made this very interesting.
• Academic quality.
  A good example of a personal learning environment of an OU learner who needs to work from multiple locations clearly explaining what factors influence the decisions he makes.
• Suggestions for improvement
  This could be followed up with a more detailed look at some of the systems discussed, and how they are used on a day to day basis.  This could also be developed into an audio diary in which you instantly feedback on what systems you are using for your studies and how well they have worked.
• Suggestions for use.
  As I have already mentioned I think this would be useful for anyone developing or supporting distance learning courses as it clearly explains some of the issues a learner has to consider when working from multiple locations