All of my life-stream posts this week came from Twitter. I need to get some space from the discussion, to see how much contextualization is required for each post. Not every post I made is covered in the life-stream, at least.
The Twitter Tutorial was surprisingly taxing. Keeping track of multiple threads of discussion; trying to get across your point of view in just 140 characters, or far fewer when factoring in the Twitter furniture than comes with every post. This reminds of why I have previously decided not to use Twitter.
Examples of the themes that I picked up on during the tutorial are:
- The impact of delegation by humans to algorithms,
- The failing of algorithms to live up to a particular cultural or professional standard
- The impact of algorithms on twitter itself, as we tried to “break” the algorithm which ended up working in a way we weren’t expecting.
- The future of algorithms in the Higher Education classroom
- I even got the chance to have a brief discussion with Ben Williamson, the author of the video from this week’s reading list. Thanks to the input of one of my fellow EDC students. The production of that video is strange. I find it unsettling to watch the speaker walking in and out of frame, and the sound quality is not great either. Which I find makes watching it harder work than it should be, I’d have preferred a book in this instance.
I felt the benefits of discussing my ideas with the class. Their feedback was helpful. There’s plenty to digest and consider. I haven’t reeled it all in as much as I would like. Having installed Twitter on my mobile phone, I do find that it’s quite invasive, so maybe something will pop up that I’m hard pressed to ignore. I would like to spend a bit of time reflecting on the themes raised during the tutorial and pulling in some images and videos.
Also, I have decided to pursue the use of Turnitin, similarity and plagiarism as my piece of assessment. Some form of video as suggested by James in last week’s feedback. Perhaps a mini-documentary of sorts.
Hello Colin, thanks for this weekly summary. Thanks also for your contribution to the Tweetorial – the success of the exercise heavily depended on how the group approached this somewhat unconventional exercise. Not that the exercise was without it’s challenges, as you’ve touched on…
‘The Twitter Tutorial was surprisingly taxing. Keeping track of multiple threads of discussion; trying to get across your point of view in just 140 characters, or far fewer when factoring in the Twitter furniture than comes with every post. This reminds of why I have previously decided not to use Twitter.’
The first thing I would say is that it’s absolutely fine to take the view that the Tweetorial format had it’s challenges. That’s exactly what the kind of approach we want you to take: putting everyone into these learning situations in order that you can reflect on the pedagogical and technological possibilities and challenges. It’s interesting that at the same time you have also pointed to the benefits of being able to gain feedback from other members of the class. Out of interest, what type of approach do you think might have worked better in place of the Tweetorial format? And for the record, I too found it really hard to keep track of all discussion therefore after a while just read all the posts and then zoomed in on those I was really struck by or found most interesting.
‘I need to get some space from the discussion, to see how much contextualization is required for each post. Not every post I made is covered in the life-stream, at least.’
I’ve just looked at Matthew’s lifestream and what he has done is to add a few lines underneath the Tweets from the tutorial. In hindsight it feels a bit like the director’s commentary that comes as an extra on a deluxe edition of a DVD. As you say, it’s hard to convey an idea in 140 characters (especially with the ‘Twitter furniture’ (lovely phrase, that!) therefore the metadata seem to have enabled Matthew to offer a bit more of a rationale. Worth thinking about once you’ve had a bit of space from the discussion.
‘I even got the chance to have a brief discussion with Ben Williamson, the author of the video from this week’s reading list. Thanks to the input of one of my fellow EDC students.’
Twitter certainly has its limitations, however I’m trying to think of another medium where it would be possible for two scholars who are producing really interesting and relevant work (Ben Williamson and Ibrah Bhatt) to briefly join our ‘tutorial class’? Great that you took the opportunity to speak with Ben.
‘The production of that video is strange. I find it unsettling to watch the speaker walking in and out of frame, and the sound quality is not great either. Which I find makes watching it harder work than it should be, I’d have preferred a book in this instance.’
I noticed some of the audio recording problems too, although I actually found the use of video quite refreshing. Once I got used to the juxtaposition of presenter with slides, I actually found it really engaging (although to be fair I think the topic and Ben Williamson are engaging in their own right).
What is it about the book format that you would have found preferable? In fact, thinking about your professional background, if you had been responsible for conveying the content of the lecture (in a way beyond print), how might it have been done? For me, there’s something about the directness of a presentation that sometimes makes it possible for a researcher to put over ideas is a way that is more punchy, more compelling than is often the case in the format of the 8000 peer-reviewed journal article.
‘Also, I have decided to pursue the use of Turnitin, similarity and plagiarism as my piece of assessment. Some form of video as suggested by James in last week’s feedback.’
This sounds like a really interesting – and current – topic. If you have any general questions about the assignment bring them along to the Google hangout. And then after that we can spend more time discussing the form and content of your assignment next week. As well as the work by Introna and Hayes there’s a recent special issue on learning analytics and algorithmic culture that I can point you in the direction of.