Thinking in terms of assessment

We have been advised to look at the assessment criteria for our blog assignments in order to reflect on our own learning. I would say that our group has fulfilled the collaborative and interactive elements of this assignment almost without thinking about them. Personally, I have read each post contributed by the members of my buddy group, and tried to comment on those where my feedback could be helpful or relevant. I only commented and interacted on the blogs of my buddy group, but I did discuss issues with people from other blogging groups and view their blogs through the ‘student blogs’ part of the Blackboard site. As a group, our communication was both positive and constructive. For example, the latest entries on the topic of mashups illustrate how we have engaged in online discussions, suggested resources from individual research on the subject, and presented our own ideas (attempting to synthesise definitions) in order to improve our collective understanding of what has been confusing us.

I found that my group fostered a productive and supportive atmosphere which encouraged experimentation. This factored into my own willingness to persist with tasks that seemed daunting or difficult (e.g. Google Maps and social bookmarking difficulties). Whenever I encountered a problem I would research and test solutions, either by using the internet or in the case of my delicious difficulties (with the add-ons on my IE7 browser) contacting the site itself. Other people would comment on my posts and advise possible solutions to my problems, and relate their own experiences with the technology/software. This was a mutual process that my group members and I would engage in – try, try again, blog about it, get advice, keep on trying…evaluate the problem and/or the usefulness of the application.

Since all of the technologies and applications we have been introduced to through the web 2.0 tutorial have been unfamiliar (and some…darn intimidating!), my focus has been on understanding first and applicability second. This was necessary for me, as I could not discuss the potential value of these technologies in a library context without adequately understanding the functions and features of each application. This assignment aimed to equip us with the knowledge and skills to be better information professionals, and I feel I am in an improved position to suggest possible resources in a library and help users of the resources to try and problem-solve their difficulties. On a personal level, this has been a fantastic confidence building experience for me. Despite only briefly exploring these new technologies, I feel like I know ‘what is happening’ in the web 2.0 environment. I did not even know what web 2.0 was before I started.

My blog has, seemingly, become organic in the way it has changed and developed through what I have been learning. You probably cannot see all the ways I have grown in my knowledge – I know I still have a long way to go – but I have become far more tolerant of myself experimenting and making mistakes. This is a far more forgiving medium for learning than prescriptive exercises from a textbook, as each person can work at their own pace and choose from a variety of options within a task.