Course evaluation
1) How well does this course meet your expectations / learning objectives?
Met them well. I have become much more aware of the content of web 2.o and have received a plenty of hands on experience. Feel more confident with the tools.
2) What are the difficulties encountered in accessing the course materials on the Internet at your workplace which have NOT been reported before?
No problems encountered.
3) Did you need to seek the permission of your trust IT before you accessed certain course materials on the Internet?
I asked them if they would work as instructed in the course joining instructions, and they said they would. I did not specifically ask for permission. Everything worked.
4) Do the readings meet the learning objectives of each topic?
On the whole yes.
5) What is the average amount of time you spent on the course each day?
About an hour, but often would be several hours at one sitting rather than an hour each day. Work patterns and no access to pcs because of meetings mitigated against it.
6) How do you find the interaction among participants of the course?
Thsi could have been better, including form me. I think it is just about getting into the habit.
7) Will you continue blogging and/or reading RSS after the course?
I used RSS before the course but have extended my feeds to include web 2.0 etc . We will definitely include RSS in our training relating to alerting.
I am already experimenting with wikis for my own personal use and will encourage others to do use a wiki on a departmental basis.
Action planning for the next 3 months:
| Objectives | Targets | Deadlines |
|---|---|---|
| Improve use of alerting services in the Trust | Add RSS training to availalbe course | By October 2007 |
| Improve communication and interaction within Directorates | Encourage relevant people in dorectorates to use this wikis (or weblogs) as a means of interacting in working groups | on going |
| Establish how much of web 2.0 technologiies are workable in the Trust, both technically and with regard to security. | Work with Trust Communication team and IT teams. | ASAP |
Add comment July 12, 2007
Information Literacy and Web 2.0
I have chosen to answer
So what is information literacy? It can be defined as the ability to recognize a need for information, find, evaluate and use that information in whatever format (print index, online database, Internet, etc.) it appears.
If this is the case then clearly the ability to edit, add, and manipulate content within web 2.0 applications by all players means it becomes much more difficult to evaluate the information you find. I feel there is less of an issue in spotting the need and for finding information. It is the evaluation of the retrieved information in order to use it to make a judgement that is the primary area of concern.
We could out of hand disregared any information we find in a blog but what if the author of that blog is the prime expert in his/her field. We could ignore anything we find in a wiki but what if it is very tightly moderated and by a truly expert panel, rather like peer reviewed journals.
Libraires need to :
- Develop further their ability to train their users in critical appraisal. Attention must be drawn to the possible difficulty of using web 2.0 sources, and develop new tools to help properly evaluate these sources.
- Encourage users to pass their judgement on sites by using comment and discussion opportunities. usually associated with Web 2.0 sites. They should provide well balanced comments ising good evidence to refute or dispute the content, rather than purely basing it on opinion.
- Get involved in using Web 2.0 themselves and to evaluate and score web 2.0 sources using tools developed in 1. above.
- Wherever possible to contribute to content in wikis, but to make that contribution evidence based.
- Encourage web 2.0 sources to allow scoring of the information content by the readers. Particularly wikis.
3 comments June 25, 2007
A Mashin’ time was had by all
Where to start?
Well I had a look a some of the things on offer here and this is what I thought
Podcasting
Listened to “Another 15 minutes…Health news from Fade“
sounded a bit like a news broadcast by Stephen Hawking. Very difficult to listen to for a long period, with all due respect to Professor Hawking. So lesson from that is make sure it is delivered using a well modulated, clear voice.
Having read the various pieces on podcasting I though this would be really useful embedded in an e-learning package so that something could be taken away and played later on an MP3 etc. Interested to see how many libraries are using podcasting as listed on LibSuccess (what a great wiki that is).
Mashups
Sounds a great idea but is it easy to do. The viewing of several examples in the Search Engines really emphasied how mashup would work and, in some cases, improve things
Search Engines
Would liked to have tried all of these but these are the ones I used:
Ajaxwhois? OK if you are looking to check for a domain name. Does not appear to search regionally, uk, de etc. Very restricted use.
FlickrStorm Great for finding images you might not get from using Google. Very easy to use. Recommended
FundooWeb Very Yahoo biased but the returns were nicely presented so it was clear where they were from. Be good to add additional sources. Recommended
Keotag This is good you put in your keyword then you are presented with a number of sources to perform the search from Technotari, Google, Furl, NewsVine and many more. Save a lot of time. Recommended
Whonu This is more complicated to use than Keotag but has a huge number of sources to search and for different types of material (images, sound, videos etc). When you add your search term it offers to alternative search terms to choose from. Worth trying but be patient.
Retrievr You retrieve by image to find similar images. You import your own and use that as the search key. Better still have a go a drawing a sketch of what you want and see what you get. Good laugh.
Rollyo This is a great way of searching across sites you use regularly in one go. and sharing them as a useful collection for others to use. Simply add the sites you want and off you go. I saved the DH site and Healthcare Commission as a set called Health England on the site. So others can use my selection if they wish. Brilliant idea, Highly recommended.
I did look at some others but have decided not to comment on them as this piece is too long already.
1 comment June 22, 2007
A quickie on wikis
Wikis
A simple concept with many potential uses particularly for those who wish to create a web presence and not be able to afford content management software, clearly this would be using the wiki in a restricted way rather than fully open, to be edited by all and sundry. I am a little concerned on the authority of the content, however. As librarians we spend a lot of time drumming into people that they must be clear of the quality and authenticity of the information they use.
I was interested to see an interview on Newsnight with Andrew Keen, author of the recent book The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet Is Killing Our Culture and Assaulting Our Economy.
According to Lawrence Lessing’s blog http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/003784.shtml Keen spends 200 pages attacking the rise of the “amateur” and the harm — economic, social, cultural and political — these amateurs will cause. Without “standards,” without “taste,” without “institutions” to “filter” good from bad, true from false, the Internet, Keen argues, is destined to destroy us. Lessing then goes on to criticise Keen for the quality of his information but Keen has started an iteresting debate. I think wikis in their purest form are a real concern and to preserve accuracy there will need to be some rigourous editorial control when dealing with fact rather than opinion.
Health wikis
I looked at Flu Wiki but as this has been commented upon elsewhere on the course I will only add that it looks useful but I was unclear who was behind it and could not find on the site any real comfort on this matter.
I then tried ganfyd. GANFYD was initiated by a group of doctors and medical students who use Doctors.net.uk (AKA Ausdoctors.net) to contribute their knowledge and experience to the commonwealth
IT is a free medical knowledge base that anyone can read and any registered medical practitioner may edit. Ganfyd is a collaborative medical reference by medical professionals and invited non-medical experts. The site is based around the wiki format, enabling true sharing of knowledge. It is possible to view a list of the authors on the site.
It uses the same software a s Wikipedia and has all the same features around searching and structure.
The contents organised in to categories and these are:
Although they can be presented in an A-Z list of articles by topic. The articles are very readable and the site is growing quite quickly when judged by the number of current changes.
However I liked the discalimer Ganfyd is for healthcare professionals!
IT GOES ON
To correctly interpret the material in this site you require either a medical degree, a place in medical school, or some very close substitute.
IN NO WAY SHOULD THIS WEB SITE BE CONSIDERED AS OFFERING MEDICAL ADVICE! THE CONTENT ON THE SITE IS PRESENTED IN SUMMARY FORM, IS GENERAL IN NATURE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. NEVER DISREGARD MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THE SITE!
As noted throughout this site, the information here is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for a health care provider’s consultation. Please consult your own Physician/GP or appropriate health care provider about the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your own symptoms or medical conditions as these diseases commonly present with variable signs and symptoms etc etc etc and ON AND ON.
So it is clearly not for use by patients.
4 comments June 18, 2007
That’s all folks!-onomy, or the end of cataloguers
On first impression I was horrified to see that someone out there in internet land is trying to get rid of cataloguers. Fancy letting the uninitiated catalogue websites, articles or whatever to these bookmarking sites.
On second impression, what a fantastic idea. To even get punters to think about adding keywords (tags) is a great step forward and then to share the cloud of terms to make further additions has much merit. It certainly allows one to keep up with the terminology which is more than your average thesaurus can do, this has often been a problem in techno based classification schemes where the terminology is constantly changing.
I looked at some of the examples:
Connotea has real promise, especially as we sometimes get asked about reference management software. I will be experimenting with this to see if it meets its promise. Think it has more promise than Citeulike, which appears to have a rather restricted set of journals.
Also interested to see the San Mateo library use of del.icio.us. Look remarkably like a cataloguing system to me. But interesting how it reflects the classification they use for the books to classify websites in the same way. May be worth doing this at the highest level of Classmark in NLM, QH for Genetics, QS for Human Anatomy etc.
Chris (in less skeptical mood)
2 comments June 4, 2007
Zodiac
Very long, very tense, very good. Not as gory as Seven, also directed by Fincher but just as fascinating.
Plot: excellent, great structure, always keeps you interested.
Script: Again excellent, has clever use of humour in a very dark setting.
Acting: Very good, although I wish Robert Downey Jr would not always mumble on film.
Special effect: none to mention but didn’t need them.
Direction/editing. David Fincher at his best.
5 out of 5
Add comment June 1, 2007
Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End
What a diasappointment after 1 and 2. First hour is irritating, then warms up and last hour is spectacular.
Plot: poor compared to the other parts.
Script: some great one liners but weak apart from that
Acting: very mixed quality, big ‘once more unto the breach’ type speech by Keira Knightly is embarassing to watch
Special effects: Brilliant.
Directing/editing: well edited but Verbinski lost the polt in the first hour.
There is an interesting comment in the film about the fleeing Jack Sparrow by a crew member to the captain of a ship Jack has just attacked, as the main mast crashes down onto the deck, he says ” not sure if he plans ahead or just makes it up as he goes along”. Sums up the film really-they certainly made it up as they went along.
2 of 5 (3 out of 5 if you miss the first hour)
4 comments June 1, 2007
What is this about
Having criticised keeping personal blogs in the blog assignment, I go and decide to keep a record of the films I see with comments about the film. Sure no one will be interested in my opinion but will act as a record for me.
5 comments June 1, 2007
Blogs
So, to blog or not to blog.
Personal blogs
A personal blog to me seems a little self indulgent. Why would anyone be interested in my life, thoughts and opinions. I thought the whole point of a personal diary was that it is just that, PERSONAL. Still as Oscar Wilde wrote in Ernest (slightly paraphrased) , never travel without your diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
Library blogs
A library blog however may be more useful. We publish a bi-monthly (every two months) library newsletter. A blog would serve as a supplement for any new books, course, events, etc. There appears to be some question on uptake however. We have recently used a simple content management device to add things as Hot Topics to the Trust intranet. The response was very good as most people go there to keep up to date. Also we have a good response when we send emails relating to courses that are available. So would having a blog improve that response. I am not too sure.
There may be more mileage in using myLibrary as forum for library news a la Siobhan Price. Like this idea, and we wil probably put some effort into this.
I do not support the theory that we must use the technology because it demonstrates we are up to date. Particularly as so much of the existing, simpler, technology, still needs to be adopted by our users. However, I think we need to demonstrate we have tried it and say why it might not be for us (yet).
Chris (in skeptical mood)
2 comments June 1, 2007
RSS feeds
04/05/07 – Health and ten years of Labour government: achievements and challenges
| This briefing, published by the King’s Fund, is an in-depth look into how successfully Labour has managed health provision in the UK after ten years in government. (King’s Fund – briefings) |
08/05/07 – Mental Capacity Act 2005: core training set
| The DH, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Social Care Institute for Excellence, is publishing five sets of training materials to support the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The five sets, a core set, a mental health set, a residential accommodation set, a community care and primary care set and an acute hospitals set, are available in web-based versions or as hard copy publications. (DH – publications) |
1 comment May 20, 2007
