UserPage:asra

Introduction

My name is Asra. I am studying FET8611 this semester. This is my fourth unit with USQ.

I am an Electronics and Communication Engineer. Currentlyworking at Abu Dhabi Women's College Library in the independent Learning Centre.

I have a passion for web designing and creating Flash movies. I have designed websites for various conferences at the college. I have also designed online courses using WebCT and created various promotional movies for the Library.

I have always enjoyed incorporating ICT into teaching.

Links and other information to share with you

• Please have a look at my Final Flash movie that I created for FET5622

• My USQ Blog

Assignment 1

Progress Report

Wiki pages that I am facilitating

• sharepoint 2007

• Google Earth (Adopted this page, reorganised added new content)

KG Pages that I have made contributions to

• Google Jockey and the Back Channel

• Ebooks: Have we turned the page?

• Tablet PCs in the Classroom - An Emerging Learning Technology

• mLearning in 2008

• Social Networking Software

• Hot Potatoes

• Collaborative environments for sharing resources

Strategies for facilitating my Wiki page

• Categorize the page to Facilitated and in need of input
• Invite people to contribute by adding URinvited2 contribute in the facilitated page
• Invite people to contribute through the discussion forums
• Invite people to contribute through the Shoutbox in KG
• Request each 'friend' to view and comment.
• Request the members of our group Νεοτεχνοφιλια to contribute
• Added links to my page on FET8611 Table of Contents
• Thank people for making contributions.

Problems I foresee

• With my busy work schedule it’s difficult to find time to complete most of the readings provided in FET8611
• Getting people to contribute to my facilitated page.
• Research well to contribute to other pages on KG

What’s important for me?

I feel this is a really good course that gives us an opportunity to explore various emerging technologies. Even though I am busy I would like to make use of this course to the maximum to gain as much knowledge as possible in such a short span of time.

Assignment 2

Project Proposal

Each college within the HCT system has a Library and Learning Centre, which provides resources that support the curriculum and services that develop and foster independent learning and information literacy. I would like to design a website for the Diploma foundation students in our college that will focus on enhancing the independent learning skills of the students. Make them more efficient & confident learners. Enhance their skills in using all the Library resources that we have.
Diploma foundation students are very new to the college environment and also very new to the concept of independent learning. Their level of English is very basic and they are required to learn the language skills and also get accustomed to the new college environment which is very challenging for these ladies. Though the level of English & their skills are very basic when they enter the college they all have very expensive Mobile phones & IPODS with them and are technologically savvy in using these mobile players.I would like to make use of this facility which is a common gadget available with most of the students and since majority of them tend to favor learning by listening

I would like to create podcasts that will have a description of each area of the Library & how it could be used. If students could download these on their IPods they could listen to it again & again. Since we will have students with different capabilities these podcasts could help them revise what has been learned.

What skills will be focused on

1. How to search the Library catalogue & locate books on the shelf
2. What is general collection, Reference collection & Periodical collection?
3. What are the resources that could be borrowed
4. What are the different areas of the Library ( ILC – Independent Learning Centre & ELC – Enhanced learning centre)
5. How to request books from another college
6. How to place a hold on an item that has been borrowed
7. Check their Library record to find out what is on loan to them

How will I do this?

• Get space on the college Podcast server to host the podcasts
• I would like create the podcasts using Audacity
• Make bookings for the audio recording room to create Podcasts
• Create a website that will have links to the podcasts

Issues to be considered

• Some students might not have IPOD’s, in that case purchase some IPod’s for the Library that could be loaned out.
• Finding time to create these Podcasts
• The Library is 100% wireless and is well resourced with computers hence using internet to download the podcasts is not an issue at all.

Who will work with me how I want it to be evaluated?

I would like to work on this project with the Librarian who is always in contact with these students and who understands better what skills are required by the students and also get advice from the Team Leader of Diploma foundations
I would prefer a formative evaluation of this project as it is being developed. Once the project is running I would adopt a qualitative evaluation as suggested by Patton (2003) and would attend some classes to find out what the student’s reaction to the course is and how well it’s being received. I would prefer to have some face to face chats with the students to get their personal opinions about this course. I believe getting personal feedback will help identify the best practices and see if there are any problems being faced. The staff will also be asked to give a periodic feedback on how the project is running.

Reference:

Patton, M. (2003) Qualitative Evaluation Checklist. Retrieved Dec 30, 2007, from http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/checklists/qec.pdf

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