LIS 9763

I was initially anxious about taking this course because 1) I had very little exposure to social software and 2) I wasn't sure what the distance ed.

Over the course of this term, many students have blogged about the importance of performing user analysis and evaluating library functions to determine whether implementing various web 2.0 technologies would 1) improve performance/workflow and 2) be welcome/needed by users.  The sentiment "let's not adopt web 2.0 just because it's cool" has been repeated often.  I agree with this sentiment but in reading Kathy Sierra's article, I wonder where the line is drawn between smart/e

I'm taking my second blog holiday.

I'm taking a blog holiday this week.

It seems like the underlying principle of applying gaming/virtual worlds to traditional pedagogy is to enhance and enrich the learning experience by providing an interactive and collaborative exprience.  While the concept of interactive education is not new, technological developments have created a new mode of application via gaming/virtual worlds.  Several of the readings highlight how properly planned and intergrated gaming can help students apply what they've learned in the classroom in a non-threatening/low penalty environment.  The pedagogical field has evolved to incor

I have to say this week's readings appeal to me much more on a theoretical level (related to sociology, cultural studies, info & media studies) than on the practical level required for this course.  I found Danah Boyd's article particularly insightful; it comes as no surprise she is considered an expert on social networking sites. 
 

Folksonomy, like many topics in today's culture, is experiencing a rather dialectical debate (heavily for vs.

If I understand correctly, based on Joshua Porter's article, social bookmarking was born as a personal application/tool rather than a public one.  Tagging allows an individual to mark, store, and retrieve web content.  The aggregative aspect of tagging, which may make tagging useful in research for a larger community, is only a secondary attribute.

All the readings emphasize a wiki's usefulness for sharing information and working collaboratively on a project.  When a small group of people with a common goal (think project) need to share information, a wiki is a great tool.  The common goal makes it necessary for everyone to contribute and also acts as the reason for consulting the wiki. 
 

The case studies presented this week show how libraries are using RSS feeds to promote services and materials.  I really like the University of Oklahoma Libraries' RSS feed to new books by topic.  If you're doing research in a particular area, I can see how this service would be helpful-particularly if you're able to refine the granularity of the feed.  RSS feeds can also be used in public libraries in a similar fashion for reader's advisory (e.g. be alerted to new mystery/horror/fantasy titles when they arrive).