UPC004 :)

Week 11

2008-05-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

Lecture Summary:

This lecture was about Data, Information and Knowledge. Data can be defined as a fact. it must be unbiased, quantitative and representative. Data can either be sampled (eg-price, shares) or measured (eg-weather). Information can be defined as a collection of relating facts. It must inform, be relational and be meaningful. Information can either be historical (eg-almanacs). Knowledge can be defined as the range of what has been learned discovered or perceived (eg- white papers, press releases). It must show justification from the data and information and its origins should be clear. The following is the characteristics of these mediums:-

Data =

Factual
Non judgemental
Transient
No intrinsic meaning or value
Non inferential

Information =

Summary
Relational
Dimensional
Permanent
Has meaning

Knowledge =

Judgemental
Valuable
Subjective
Experimental
Inferential

Tutorial Summary:

1. Research the terms data, information, knowledge and wisdom and record definitions for them.

I used the following website- http://www.dictionary.reference.com/

Data = Factual information, especially information organized for analysis or used to reason or make decisions.

Information = The act of informing or the condition of being informed

Knowledge = The fact or state of knowing, the perception of fact or truth or clear and certain mental apprehension. Knowledge can also be described as an awareness.

Wisdom = Having good judgment, or having the knowledge of what is true. Enlightenment and insight.

2. Use the drawing toolbar in MS Word to create a graphical representation of these terms

Screenshot of my representation:

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-27

3. How can the understanding of the relationship between data information and knowledge assist in your university study?

Using data, information and knowledge is a logical plan towards achieving successful university studies. Data is part of the research needed to be conducted in an assignment and needs to be extensive and thorough so that accurate facts are collected. The information part is planning the assignment. This area ensures that the data is meaningful for study. Information and data are can each prove the other one is factual. Knowledge is the understanding of all of the work that has been completed during the first two stages. This part is where summary's and viewpoints are made. The important linkages of these three terms in an assignment will assist in drawing up conclusions so a thorough understanding of the terms and relationships is needed, in order to do well at university.

4. List five organisations that collect information from their clients or the public. Why do they collect this information?

Doctors = To keep your health records to make sure you are not experiencing the same problems everycheckup, to know who you are, to know what medication you are on if you are on anything. These are just a few reasons they may keep your information.

CentreLink = To keep track of earnings and benefits paid so they know if people are receiving correct entitlements.

Banks = To keep track of peoples savings and loans. when applying for an account they must collect 100 points of ID to make sure youare who you say you are and not a scammer.

Universities = So they know how many students go to the university and to know who is doing course and to know what year they are in when they are doing there course and to make sure they pay their money for the course.

Car Sales Personnel = When asking information about a car they often take down your details so that they can contact you in the future if any deals or certain models are available. When buying a new car they record your phone number so that they can ring and remind you in six months time to come in for a service.

Reading Summary:

1. Systems Thinking

This can be found at the following URL - http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm

2. Otec

This can be found at the following URL - http://otec.uoregon.edu/data-wisdom.htm

Week 10

2008-05-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Lecture Summary:

Information management is the organisation of information. A major problem people now face is finding out ways how to manage information to make the retrieval of it quick and easy. The technology of computer processing power helps organise in formation, usually in the form of text, documents, images, web pages, bookmarks and presentations. Atom based format is like a hard copy of information eg books, papers ad reports. Bit-based format is electronic data and digital reproductions. the technology advances of today have allowed for most atom based information to convert to bit form. An example of this is internet banking, email and music. There are many ways to manage information. File extensions, folders, directories, meta data and search functions, to list a few. With the continual changing in technology, the use of bit based information is becoming more common. I believe it is the technology of the future and atom formats are going to be slowly phased out.

Tutorial summary:

1. Set up a favourites list that has 3 folders in it, each with at least two websites marked as favourites

Screenshot of my favourites list:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-25

2. Read the 'Being Digital' online archive. Do you think Negroponte's ideas are still relevant? Why?

I agree with everything Negroponte has to say. Yes i do think his ideas are relevant because what he said is still true today as it was 14 years ago. Around the world newspapers, directories, textbooks and magazines are continually being massed produced. Most business have realised the worth of bit-based data and are always seen upgrading there technology to provide the fastest service. Even so, there is no denying the world still relies heavily on atom based information. There will be a day where all our information is digitally provided but the complete phasing out of all atom sources would take centuries.

3. What are the pros and cons of using atoms and bits?

Atom-based pros =

We know where it is
Easily concealed
Easy to protect
Difficult to change
Difficult to copy

Atom-based cons =

Bulky
Costly
Difficult to edit
Difficult to distribute
Inflexible

Bit-based pros =

Very flexible
Very cheap
Easy to edit
Easy to mass produce
Easy to broadcast

Bit-based cons =

Easy to copy and steal
Easy to fake
Easy to alter and edit others work
Unsolicited broadcast (spam)

Reading Summary:

1. Grazing the Net

This can be found at the following website - http://www.fno.org/text/grazing.html

"Grazing the Net' was an article explaining the issues involved with online schools. These are schools where students get most of their information, research and study from the internet. It is cheaper and more easily available than most atom-based learning formats. 'Free range' is often the term used to describe this style of learning because when searching the internet, children have endless possibilities of information that come from all types of viewpoints from all over the world. Lessons must be taught on how to sort through the load of information the internet provides but this in itself provides children with essential skills, that can be used throughout their lives. Online schooling has shown positive benefits; enhancing reading and communication skills, as well as making children more innovative. This modern way of learning will definitely be the way of the future.

Week 9

2008-05-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Lecture Summary:

Communication is a very important part of today's society. It takes place within networks and can be between individuals, between individuals and an organisation, within a business and also between a business and an external organisation. there are four types of communication. these are:-

Synchronous = all parties are engaged in conversation at same time eg-phone call
Asynchronous = parties take their turn in their own time eg-letters
Place dependent = all parties have to be in the same place eg-online games
Place Independent = parties can be anywhere in cyberspace eg-msn

ICT stands for information communications technology. This is used with mobile phones, ipods, laptops, video/tele-conferencing and electronic mail. Instant Message Clients like MSN are widely used thoroughout the world and allow users to instant message anyone, from anywhere, who is online at the same time. Discussion boards are similar but conversations are generally about a specific topic and can be accessed at any time. Even bigger than both these forms of ICT is emailing. This is usually in a form of a letter instantly sent to some elses web address. A major issue of this is emails can be easily forwarded to other people and most accounts recieve thousands of unwanted letters of spam (junk mail) each year. ICT will play a major role for not only university students but for everyone, now and in the years to come.

Tutorial Summary:

1. Visit the Google site - www.google.com and click on the GROUPS tab and enter a search term on a topic of interest to you. What term did you enter and what group(s) did you find?

I entered the term 'vegan' which is a person that does not consume or use any animal products. It is of interest to me because i am such a person. I found that the first two pages contained reliable vegan groups but after that it only found groups where the term 'vegan' had been written somewhere in the comments. Most of the groups were about the different recipes available and also discussions on how to succesfully maintain the vegan diet. There was also a couple about vegan health and raising vegan children. The first groups found were all about the actual vegan philosophy containing extensive discussions about different peoples point of view.

2. Investigate the messages posted on the topic and look through some of the bulletin boards containing them. Record your findings.

Most of the messages i found supported the vegan lifestyle and gave tips to living such a life as well as examples of recipes and their reasons why they are vegan. A few of the comments were anti-vegan but these usually had no substance to them and didnt provide any evidence to back up their opinion. They were mostly just one sentence lines persecuting vegans eg- "meat rules vegans drool". I feel if anyone wanted to turn vegan or wanted to find out more information these bulliten boards and groups will provide a load of information and support and are a great place to come to when in doubt.

3. Visit a podcast hosting site and look at one or two podcasts. What are the potential benefits of podcasts for university students?

I went to the site http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ and searched up dogs. most of the search results i found were videos about dogs in a comedy scene or songs entitled dogs. So i refined my search and found some podcasts that explained where the breeds of dog originated from and also short documentaries on how to train dogs. In terms of university i believe Podcasts have the ability to save alot of time because instead of turning up to a lecture a student can download the lecture podcast onto their ipods and listen to it when desired. There are alot of podcasts available to do with different topics and a student could use that as a resource in their assignments. Some students learn and absorb information better when they hear it, so through podcasts this may be a better learning experience and information system; for some people.

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-25

Reading Summary:

1. Guide to using email

The first was a website entitled "14 email do's and dont's- ways to make your messages more efficent and effective". This article describes how to make your email a more effective tool of communication and how you can structure the email to be a useful tool in communicating with somebody. i learnt that when writing an email the recipicent can actually take what you said the wrong way even though that was not your intention at all. i good way to prevent this is to not use any form of sarcasm and write directly to the point in an easy to understand manner. The second text was called Essential email etiquette this text describes different formatting styles for your emails and different ways of creating your email so it is set out correctly and also sets the right tones and stays on topic. Some of the subjects this website talks about arethe subject, addressing recipients properly, keeping messages pithy and attachments. The third was a video posted on youtube about how to practice good phone and email etiquette at work. it contains many tips and steps to help a person practice this good etiquette eg: always spell check your email before hitting send, it may save you alot of embarressment. The last was also a youtube video but this one was more about the problems of emailing. What people say in an email can often come back to hurt them, even costing people their jobs. Social networking sites use conversational text like lol-laugh out loud or btw-by the way, but email should be kept formal in the traditional format in order to convey what your trying to say correctly.

2. The problem with spam

Spam is the junk mail of emailing and is a big problem not only in Australia but worldwide. it usually clogs up email systems and unfortunetly important messages can go unnoticed or are accidently deleted with the spam. Spamming actually takes away recources from users and service providers without compensation and without authorisation. This website explains in detail all the different problems created by spam and provides hints and tips to help stop it from happening.

Week 8

2008-05-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Lecture Summary:

Microsoft Powerpoint is a computer program where the user can create slideshows that help them deliver a speech to an audience. The purpose of a powerpoint presentation is to generate energy, sell yor image, comand respect and give the audience certainty that what your saying is real. It contains compelling data that will survive scrutiny when the presentation is over and provides an emotional connection thats crucial to the success of the message being portrayed. Typical speeches contain an introduction a body and a conclusion. An effective introduction must first get the attention of the audience then discuss the topic at hand. A thesis statement is usually given before the transition into the body part of the speech. The body must contain the main ideas of your topic and discuss them in full detail; providing examples and outside research to back up what you're saying. the conclusion should be brief and tight, reviewing the main points of the presentation and re-asserting your thesis based on the facts presented. the powerpoint slides should not contain word for word of your speech but rather a summary or dot points of what you're saying. Keep it simple - less is more! Only add things that will enhance your speech; such as pictures and diagrams. It is wise not to use sounds unless they will definetly enhance what you have to say. When using colours make sure they dont clash or are too bright because that will more than likely distract the audience. the following is a list of strategies for audience involvement:-

Pitch your presentation according to the audience
Only use relevant and up to date examples
Ask questions that will encourage the audience to think
Try to keep eye contact at all times
Speak clearly, pausing and emphasising correctly
Rehearse and learn your speech

Tutorial Summary:

1. Go to Laura Guertin's "Online resources for how to prepare and deliver a presentation" and use this, as well as information from this week’s lecture, to make a "Top Five" list of strategies to help you deliver a top-notch presentation.

This can be found at the following web address: http://www.personal.psu.edu/uxg3/blogs/undergraduateresearch/2008/02/online-resources-for-how-to-pr.html

One = Make sure you have researched well on your topic, so when your saying your speech you know what you are talking about. This means you wont have to completly rely on your notes or aids and will beable to answer questions more effectively.

Two = Look at the audience when you are speaking. Make eye contact. If you are looking down at your notes alll the time the audience may lose interest.

Three = Ensure that you have practised your talk a few times over so you know what you are saying and how you will be saying it.

Four = Make sure your speech has a introduction, body and a conclusion. a well collected speech is more understandable and will help you know what point of the presentation you are up to.

Five = Don't go over the top with the powerpoint presentation or other aids. Use them as a backup and not as your entire speech.

2. Construct a PowerPoint Six Slide presentation on your ideas on how to give a low impact PowerPoint presentation

Screenshot of slides:

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

By danijolly22 at 2008-05-24

Reading Summary:

1. Powerpoint Tutorial

This is a fun and interactive way to learn about powerpoint. The site has used characters to explain and talk about how the program can be used. They have tried to make it fun by including jokes and using colour. The characters interact with each other and use this method to teach the reader. some of the things this website covers are:

Toolbars
Office assistant
Powerpoint Vocabulary
Hints and tips
Examples
Creating slides
Inserting media

I think this website will be very good for young adults and children because it provides an easy to follow step by step approach to powerpoint and the characters teach all the different programs within powerpoint that can help make a good presentation.

Week 7

2008-04-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Lecture Summary:

Referencing is very important in todays society. It helps the reader distinguish your ideas from the ideas of others and it is a good way to acknowledge your sources. A reference is also seen as a useful tool for readers to find follow up information on the topic of your work. Most writers also cite or quote a reference in their piece of writing to back up the idea being shown. a bibliography or reference list is an alphabetical list that shows all the works used to help portray an idea and is usually located at the end of the writing. Endnote is a computerised flat-file database system that allows the user to compile and manage references and can create bibliographies from them. The interesting thing about endnote is the fact that it can be incorperated into MS Word. This allows university students to easily manage a bibliography while writing, instead of when they are finished, which saves time. Endnote consists of many different recognised styles and types of referencing that makes it handy for any situation in life. It has shown itself to be a very reliable tool and will probally only continue to improve in the years to come.

Tutorial Summary:

1. Review the online referencing guide and include examples of referencing five different types of electronic format material.

Screenshot of Online Referencing Guide:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

The online referencing guide has given me the ability to reference all types of media in the correct ECU format. I have used this guide in order to reference 5 different types of electronic format material. These are as follows:-

Webpage=

Technical specifications (iPod). [n.d.] Retrieved May, 2008, from Apple:
http://www.apple.com/iPod/specs.html

Wiki=

Dogs. (n.d.) Retrieved May 24, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs

Aggregated Database=

Hannis, W. C., & Black, D. L. (1997). Role of elderly people in society. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 72, 444-450. Retrieved May 24, 2008, from PsycARTICLES database.

Electronic Newspaper Article=

Jandis, J. D. (2007, May 12). Change of legislation. Mandurah Mail. Retrieved May 24, 2008,
from http://www.mandurahmailnewspaper.com.au/

CD-ROM=

Maths Made Easy [CD]. (2000). Sydney, New South Wales: CD-ROM Publishing

2. Complete the "Endnotev11 Exercises for Vista" found on blackboard.

Screenshot of ProQuest:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

Screenshot of completed endnote exercise:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

3. Complete the "Cite while you write Endnote Exercise" found on Blackboard.

Screenshot of completed exercise:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

Reading Summary:

1. Endnote

This reading is all about how to use the computer program called Endnote. It has been especially designed and written for students at ECU and explains the many different procedures a student would need to know in order to use endnote. The main topics it covers are:-

Building a new endnote reference library
Displaying and Searching
making citations
Generating a reference list
Using Endnote in MS Word
Backing up
Importing references

As this is over 19 pages long i only skimmed through the main points, however, i found that this will be a very useful resource to any student wishing to use Endnote in their future studies.

2. Some Additional Endnote Help

This is a website that seems to be founded by the Endnote program creators. It provides many different downloads and patches that will help the program run better as well as keep the referencing system up to date. There is also a frequently asked question section that gives users of Endnote the ability find out answers to common questions. It is possible to email a feedback/support service for additional Endnote help. Overall this site I think this webpage could be very useful for the more advanced Endnote user as well as for the new user trying to find out answers to the problems they're having.

Week 6

2008-04-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Lecture Summary:

This lecture was about the evaluation and authentication of websites. The accuracy of information found on the web can be questionable because anyone can create a website. There is virtually no control over what can be published. It is often hard to determine the ownership of a web page. Webpages can be signed by the creator but there is no proof that suggests that he/she is also qualified enough to give trustworthy information about a topic. The goals of the author or sponser of a website, are generally never stated, and it can be hard to tell if the information given is biased or not. Validating the currency of the information is also a problem; websites are not required to present a publication date and if they do, it could be misleading. This means that more research must be obtained in order to validate the information. The following is a list of criteria questions a person can ask when trying to determine the auntenticity of a site:-

Accuracy - Is the information reliable and is the author verified?
Authority - Is the sponser reputable and the author qualified?
Objectivity - Are there any advertisments and is there much evidence of bias?
Currency - Is the page dated and was it updated recently, are the links current?
Coverage - Is the information in-depth and valuable?

It is also important that the domain name is appropriate to the content. (.edu) and (.gov) are generally the most reliable of all domain types. It is good to steer clear from personal sites or any URL's that contain (~) or (%) because these are the ones that can be written by absolutely anybody, and are usually strongly biased or unfactual, therefore they are not reliable resources or authentic pieces of information.

By reading the text a website provides, the quality of it can help determine if the site is authentic or not. The text should be well written and be detailed and proffessional as printed publications eg: a local newspaper. All sources should be documented via the use of links, footnotes and references. There also should be no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Finally, the page should be well formed and all links and pictures in working order.

It is crucial to evaluate the authenticity of a website before using it as a reference in any university work. Otherwise you could be using information that is not correct resulting in a lesser grade than you deserve.

Tutorial Summary:

1. Review the ICYouSee Critical Thinking page and summarise the strategies for evaluating information found in websites.

This website can be found at: http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html

Make Sure you are in the right place = The internet doesnt have everything. You may be able to find better more effective information in a textbook. Beofre you go on the internet you should ask yourself if its worth searching through all the information it provides when it may just be better to get it from another source.

When in doubt, doubt = It is important that you check the page for proper authentication otherwise you may get mis-leading or false information. Find the author and the date of the publication to help ensure the information you found is authentic and correct.

Consider the Source = By checking up on the author you will know if he or she has the proper authority and expertise to make their publication trustworthy. It is important not only to check their name but also to research it to find out if he or she is a qualified person that has other publications elsewhere.

Know whats happening = Some web sites are to inform, some are to sell and some are to make a statement. By identifing what the web site is trying to say it will be easier to see if this is the site you are in fact after. It is important to know the purpose or intention of a website because it helps identify whether or not the text is biased or not.

Look at details = By looking at the grammer, spelling and wording in the text you can tell if a site is professional or not. If there are many mis-spellings and sentences that dont make sence the author must not be of an educated background and the text is probally just opinion and therefore not a reliable resource.

Distinguish web pages from pages found on the Web = Sometimes the text on a website was actually written for something else like a book, journal, or newspaper article. If the text seems written like this, the site must provide the reader with the correct original references. If however, the website does not provide this, it is best not to use the information.

Screenshot of ICYouSee website:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-19

2. Complete the "Reliving the Sixties: a Web Site Evaluation Assignment" exercise on the ICYouSee website.

This can be found at http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think60.html

Screenshot of Exercise:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

Website 1

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/index.html

Accuracy = After searching up other sites to compare this to i found that the information was generally the same so i would consider the text in this one to be reliable. It is edited by a well known university so this gives this webite authenticity

Authorship = The text is a collection of works from many authors and all have been credited by the university.

Purpose = Included in this website is a foreword and the proffessor of the university clearly states the purpose of the site and what she hopes to achieve by publishing it. there is no advertising throughout the pages and nothing has been written in a biased format.

Detail and Design = The spelling, grammer and use of wording is accurate and the pictures match to what is being spoken about. The design of the webpage is easy to navigate, all the links works and attention to detail is seen in most areas.

Overall Worth = This website would be very useful for someone wanting to know about the 1960's. It appears to be authentic by the way its written. A university is also a reputable source to get information from.

Screenshot:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

Website 2

http://www.hippy.com/php/sitetopics.php?topic=1

Accuracy = This website does not provide the authors name. Most of the links take the viewer to a page that contains many peoples opinion, none of which can be verified. The website mainly gives an impression that it is a 'hippy' chat forum.

Authorship = There are no references on the page. This website only contains links to other places most of which dont provide an author or editor.

Purpose = This website mainly discusses the issues of the 1960's, like the civil rights movement, from a hippy's point of view. The only advertisement visible sells hippy calanders and is found at the top of everypage.

Detail and Design = The design and layout of this page is very amateurish. This makes me think this website is homemade and not from a reputable source. The spelling and grammar is incorrect throughout. This shows me the authors are not educated and gives me the assumption that what they say shouldnt be entirely trusted. It is a page in which people can express their own views on the matters making it biased in some ways.

Overall Worth = Overall this is not a web site I would use. It lacks legimate information, any referencing and there are many spelling and grammar errors. Universities would in no doubt deem this site as unreliable and it obviously shouldnt be used as a reference source because of this.

Screenshot:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-19

Reading Summary:

There were no readings to summarise this week :)

Week 5

2008-04-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

Lecture Overview:

This lecture was about using search engines on the internet. There are three categories of information on the web; the free visible web, the free invisible web and paid databases over the web. The tools for searching can be either a type of search engine or a type of directory. A search engine is a program that goes through the internet, creating indices of websites. It usually does this by reading the textual information found on the websites. when you search up a keyword or phrase on a search engine it will bring up every page it finds that contains those words. Some examples of search engines are:-

The main problem associated with these engines is the fact that they return too many results that may be of limited relevance to what you wanted to know. A directory is a collection of webpages that have been human edited. webpages are submitted to directories to be reviewed. They will only be added to the directory if they pass certain requirements. This is done to ensure the quality and reliablity of a directory. The following is a list of well known reliable search directories all with a comprehensive database:-

The types of queries that search engines allow you to enter are keywords, phrases, boolean and advanced features. The strategies and keyword choices will effect the search outcome. In order to achieve the outcome you would like it is advisable to learn how to search effectivly. Here are some tips to help:-

Use several search tools.
Read the search tips or help information at each search engine.
For keyword searches, use several words.
Guess a location.
Use advance search functions to narrow down the search.

Tutorial Overview:

1. Work through Monash University's excellent interactive tutorial on search engines and directories found at: http://www.monash.com/spidap.html and list four strategies that will help you to structure a good search!

Use keywords and key phrases in the search
Use boolean terms to assist the keywords words such as And, So etc..
Have a search strategy, and know what you want to look for.
Use concept based searching with phrases.

Screenshot of Tutorial:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

2. Complete the online Internet quiz!

http://www.siteseen.co.uk/questions/generalknowledgehard/

Here i had to answer the many questions to do with general knowledge. To find the correct answers I had to research information using the question as my guideline.

Screenshot of quiz:

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

3. List the strategies you used to locate your answers. Summarise what you have learnt so far during this module about information found on the internet and ways to find that information using search engines!

When researching for the answers to the questions in the quiz i used the search engine Google. By reading the question i could pick out the keywords and enter them in for searching. Google would then provide me with many relevant webpages concerning these terms. Most of the time i was able to find the correct answer in the first few pages Google had conjured, but sometimes this was not the case, so i used boolean terms such as AND to help me.

Search engines are programs that i can use to help me find information. Through this module i have learnt the different techniques that can be used to correctly search required topics. By using boolean terms or phrases it can not only turn up more relavant results but it also narrows down the search. This will be highly useful to know throughout my university studies because it will help me get the information i need faster and more efficient and effectively.

Reading Overview:

1. Web Search Strategies

This webpage is very informative and describes exactly what the title implies, strategies involved in web searching. Before telling us this it first explains what a search engine or database actually is and the categories information is held in; the free visible web, the free invisible web and paid databases available over the web.

According to this website, in order to be a good searcher, you must have:-

Creativity - you must be able to generate some synonyms
Patience - when you search a library collection, you must plan to spend more than five minutes looking in the card catalog or on the shelves.
Ability to look at more than one search engine - The variety will help you find what you need.

When searching it is advised to know how to use keywords, phrases and booloean operators to help get better, more relevant results. The tips this website gives in relation to searching on search engines are exactly the same as the ones we learnt about in the lecture.

2. Search Engine History

This website, as the title suggests, provides information relating to the history of search engines. In the beggining a search engine was a page filled with subjects listed in alphabetical order. When a person clicked on a subject of there choice, website URL's would come up. Since then the internet has grown so large that such databases wouldnt be able to handle the information overload. Engines had to grow to adapt to these changes and all of the search engines of today like google or yahoo essentially use the same principles of those that were created first.

3. Search Engine Optimisation for Companies

Search engine optimisation is a way to make your webpage appear in the first twenty results of a search. In this case if this was to happen it would be good for a company because of the advertising prospects it creates. This website is an advertisment in it self with the target audience being small businesses. The company provides a business with an analysis of there website content that will reveal any issues regarding optimising its search engine potential. On recieving this analysis a business has the key information necessary to know how to change certain things in relation to keywords and phrases to increase advertising potential. The company also sets a benchmark and will monitor future progress such as the link popularity.

Week 4

2008-04-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Lecture Overview :-

This lecture was about using the World Wide Web (WWW). On the net you find computers, on the web you find documents, sounds videos and information. On the net connection is made with cables between computers, on the web connections are hyperlinked text. The web would not exist without the net and is an abstract virtual space of information that made the net useful because of all the information and media it provided. It was developed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 to facilitate sharing research information. He has done this by developing a network of servers that are linked together by a common protocol. Some of the WWW protocols are :-

TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
DNS - Domain Name System
URL - Universal Resource Locator

The TPC converts binary signals into telephone like signals to transfer information to another computer through a telephone line. Once at its destination that computer will use TPC to convert the telephone signal back to binary. HTTP then uses the binary to instruct the computer how to display the data on the screen. The WWW is the visible part of the internet that shows this information. URL's find the information. The following codes will help you recognise the resource of a URL

.com - commercial or of a commercial nature
.net - network, used when .com isnt available
.org - non profit organisation
.gov - government
.edu - education

Web browsers are the programs that people use in order to access the World Wide Web. The three main ones are internet explorer, neoplanet and firefox. Browsers are quiet similar in the way they offer the same tools for searching, navigating and saving snapshots of the WWW. Web address is where you type the URL. The back and forward buttons navigate between pages visited in your current session. The home button is used to return to the homepage at any time. History is what you click to view a list of previously visited webpages. If you like a webpage for some reason all browsers allow you to bookmark the page so you can return to it whenever you would like.

Tutorial Overview :-

1. Have a look at the sites: http://www.haggishunt.scotsman.com/ and http://www.molossia.org/ and discuss their authenticity

Haggis Hunt

How has this website attempted to appear authentic?
This website has attempted to appear authentic by having a proffesional layout, providing the viewer with a date to show its recent, and showing names of people that have won the prizes in the past.

Four clues that give this site away as a spoof:-

.com = it is a commercial site and has many adverts throughout its pages.

Haggis = Everyone knows that it is impossible to find a Haggis because it is a fictional creature and haggis is in fact a traditional scottish meal comprising of a sheeps stomach that has been stuffed with meat and oatmeal.

Cams = These are being provided by a completely different website and obviously have not been put on that website for the purpose of searching for the "haggis" creature.

Publisher = There is nowhere that states the publisher, author or directors involved in the making of this site and competition.

Screenshot:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

Molossia

How has this website attempted to appear authentic?
This website has attempted to appear authentic by using the .org in the URL. Most people will see any site ending in this as authentic because it stands for organisation and an organisation is generally seen as trustworthy. the site also includes a logo and the supposed language of the country of Molossia, making it seem real.

Four clues that give this site away as a spoof:-

.org = although organisation is seen as trustworthy if this really was a country the URL would end in .gov for government.

Note to teachers = before you enter the webpage you able to click on this button and although it states that this is a real place it is obvious that this site is used for teaching kids the difference between authentic and non-authentic sites.

Government = the pictures are all of the same person but dressed up differently according to character

Language = The whole site is written in english when the apparrent language seen at the start is the countrys main language. If it was a real country the whole site would be written in the countries main language with the option of changing it to other languages

Screenshot:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

2. Consider the following Web address: http://www.martinlutherking.org/, what do you expect to find at the website based on the URL?

Based on th URL i expect the site to be authentic as it is from a non for profit organisation. Organisations are usually a trustworthy source to get information from. Also, by the URL, i can see that the site is going to be in someway about martin luther king. He is a famous black activist and he lead the fight in america for human rights. It is because of him that the black american people are seen as equals today. This site will probally contain a bibliography of his life and achievements as well as various pictures of him and his campaigns.

3. Now visit the website and write down your first impressions.

When first looking at the web page it is not what i expected it would be like. It is not as formal as i thought it would be, more like an amateurs attempt at a good webpage. It has links to articles about him but it also has a link to lyrics from a rap. this doesnt seem a very appropriate thing to put on a Martin Luther King webpage. There is a quote next to his picture that sounds very ANTI-Martin Luther King.

Screenshot of Website:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

4. Finally, spend some time looking at the articles etc. If you knew nothing about Martin Luther King before today, Google him to get a few more opinions. What you think of the website now?

When reading some of the linked articles, it seems the author has gone to the effort to show that King had plagerised his speeches, and they were not his own. The authors do not believe Martin was a good thing to america but was infact fake and only in it for himself. The site goes on to explain why there shouldnt be a King holiday and that he raped and beat three woman the night before his assasination. I went on google to search up other sites about him such as http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html and all of these seemed more reliable and unbiased; showing him to be a good man and included biographies, pictures, quotes, and information on his life. after seeing this i believe that the webpage http://www.martinlutherking.org/ is unreliable, very biased and contains more theories than fact.

Screenshot of another Martin Luther King website:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

This activity has taught me that .org may not be as credible as it seems. Anybody can create a web address ending in this and can write anything in it. So it is advised that all websites must be looked at to see how credible they are before taking information from them.

Reading Overview :-

1. History of the Internet

This was a very long webpage about where the internet originated from and how it got to where it is today.

2. History of the WWW

This website explained the Development of Computers up until the 1960's, from ARPANET to World Wide Web, History of Electronic Mail, Search Engines and Basic Net Data.

Week 3

2008-04-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

Lecture Overview :-

Todays lecture was about using online libraries and databases. An online library is essentially a place on the internet that holds books, journals, articles, enclyclopedias etc, that are available for use online. A database is an organised colection of information. In both the libraries and databases, you can type in what you want know about eg: plants and the websites will show you all relevant materials in their collections that are related to plants.

Advantages of online libraries :

Convenient - you can access it from home

Electronic Format - easy to put into notes

Currency - journals are always up to date

Disadvantages of online libraries :

Some content is hidden - need a subscription to most of them

Hard to find - most search engines do not show up the libraries

Advantages of databases :

Comprehensive -contain alot of information

Current - mostly updated on a regular basis

24/7 access - can be accessed anytime anywhere

Disadvantages of databases :

Some content is hidden - subscription only

Advertising - contains alot of it

Information overload - too much can be a bad thing

Difficult to navigate -hard to find the information you are looking for

The are many types of online libraries and databases. The libraries generally hold text repositories, journals, electronic books or collections of music or artwork. Whether as, with the databases you can search for people, look through email directories, government information and statistics or even news and media articles.

In conclusion I think both online libaries and databases will be vital for use in university research because they are both an extremely useful source of information . Although many are only available through subcription many are also free. Mostly all of these websites are up to date; current information not old irrelevant information is needed to comply with the university standard when writing an assignment.

Tutorial Overview :-

1. Log into the ECU Library service at http://www.ecu.edu.au/library/ and explore.

Here i looked at the various search functions and went through the support services. This library seems very easy to navigate and will be a good resource for my future university studies.

Screenshot of Library:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-17

2. Find a journal article on a online journal on the economic impact of global warming on business

I could not find any articles relating to this topic on the ECU journal database but after looking through a few other sites, i have located an article found in the BBC News - World Edition journal database, titled "The economic impact of global warming" which was in the business section.

Screenshot of Journal Article:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-17

3. Record a list of 10 useful functions or search tips from the ECU library site, giving a brief explanation of each.

The following is a list of ten different functions that can be useful when on the ECU library site:-

Journal article database = This is where you would search for books, journal articles, statistics annual reports etc.

Books = This is catalogue of all the books that are available at the different ECU libraries. Search on here if you are looking to hire out books for referencing for an assignment.

Websites = This is a list of key websites differentiated by subjects and is compiled by the librarians. Can be a usefool tool for locating important information.

MetaQuest = MetaQuest is an access portal for library databases that can search up to 10 databases simultaneously.

Quick Catalogue Search = The easiest way to quickly locate information on your topic.

Resource by faculty = If the topic of your assignment was for the faculty of business and law, here you would click business and law, and all the subjects realted to this subject would appear. You would then click on the subject relating to your assignment and the databases, websites and guides for this subject will be shown.

Reserve readings = eReserve is an online collection of high use materials made available in digital format via the Library’s Catalogue. More than one student may need the same book if it is in high demand so it is made available digitally here.

Liberty = This is an information package that will help students learn how to use the library's information sources.

Academic tip sheets = These are sheets that provide information on how to do many things in university and will help you in every aspect of submitting correct university work.

Podcasts = Podcasts are audio files that can be downloaded and played on your MP3 player, or through your PC. ECU library's podcasts include audio tours of each metro campus library, as well as information about using your ECU library.

4. Visit the MEDline plus website - http://www.medlineplus.gov/ and spend some time going through the health topics and drug information.

Screenshot of MEDline plus:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

5. Is there a particular condition or drug you are interested in? Use the built-in search engine to find out more about it.

I decided to look up dementia because this is what my grandad has and it would be interesting to find out more about it. I found that the website provided alot of information on this topic.

Screenshot of Dementia Page:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-04-18

6. Write who you think might use such a service and what you think they might get from it?

This website provides substantial information relating to all facets of health. It includes pictures and diagrams, definitions, drugs and supplements and also directories for local health services in your area. I think it will be very useful for someone wanting to find out anything about health or health related topics because it is very thorough in the information it gives. It would be also be useful for people who have a medical condition or who know someone with a medical condition because they could come on this site and find out more about it, giving them more of an understanding of what is involved with that condition.

Reading Overview :-

1. Finding out what you want on the web

This is an article by Bill Thompson and is found on the BBC website in the news section. He goes on about finding other forms of searching the internet besides the major engines such as Google. He says databases are a good form of searching as these contain the information that the search engines wont show. However it is hard to locate good databases without knowing about them first. This is where he found blogs came in handy. They contained credibable information that was linked to other online resources. Some databases online are blocked by firewalls and subscription services, but he says it is wise to join subcription because then you know you are not recieving information biased by advertising. Good online research has to involve more than just typing a couple of words into a search form and clicking a button. It is currently impossible to thoroughly search the internet because it is far to large for any search device to sort through. Bill says Google will continue to be his main search engine but will now also use other forms so he can access information from the parts of the internet google doesnt look through.

2. Basic Search Tips

This page showed the different ways of using signs and capitalisation in the search phrase to effect the outcome of websites found. For example :-

Use the plus (+) and minus (-) signs in front of words to force their inclusion and/or exclusion in searches.EXAMPLE: +meat -potatoes(NO space between the sign and the keyword)

OR

Use truncation (or stemming) and wildcards (e.g., *) to look for variations in spelling and word form.EXAMPLE: librar* returns library, libraries, librarian, etc.EXAMPLE: colo*r returns color (American spelling) and colour (British spelling)

OR

Combine phrases with keywords, using the double quotes and the plus (+) and/or minus (-) signs.EXAMPLE: +cowboys +"wild west" -football -dallas(In this case, if you use a keyword with a +sign, you must put the +sign in front of the phrase as well. When searching for a phrase alone, the +sign is not necessary.)

Week 2

2008-03-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Lecture Overview :-

In todays lecture we covered Common PC tasks and applications. General skills and knowledge are required to be able to perform different tasks. For example you may need to know about :-

Word Processing :

Formatting and Styles

Document Mapping

Working with Templates

Inserting Images

Inserting and Formating Tables and other objects.

Windows Explorer :

Structure of Files and Folders

File Compression and ZIP

Naming Conventions

Windows Commands (eg: move, send to, copy etc.)

Spreadsheets :

Styles and Formatting

Columns and Rows

Data Types

Functions and Formulae (eg: SUM)

Multiple Records Keeping

Graphs and Charts

Powerpoint :

Formatting and styles

Animations

Powerpoint Features

Different Graphics

Notes View

Internet Browsing :

Internet Explorer and Alternatives

Net Navigation

Hyperlinks

Bookmarks/Favourites

Search Engines

Information Authentication

The Lecture showed us how knowledge in the above areas can help us. For instance when trying to explain a point using Microsoft Word she told us that by learning how to insert a graph we could use that picture to add further truth to what we had written. Knowledge and skills in the above facets will help us with our assignment presentation, which is a very important part of the university standards. An Assignment that looks good will be more highly regarded than an assignment presented poorly.

Tutorial Overview :-

1. Microsoft Word

The first exercise we were to complete was designed to extend our understanding of MS Word; within the university context. By following the set instructions I created a document where I learnt how to set the typeface, adjust margins and alignment, adjust line spacing, create headings using the document map feature, include a header/footer, alphabetize text, create dot leaders and insert a picture. I have had experience in this before and i found it very easy.

Screenshot of my completed document:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-31

2. Microsoft Excel

The second exercise involved using Microsoft Excel to create a working table, pie chart and graph. In making these, I learnt how to create formulas that successfully used my information, to determine the sum and average of the different numbers. Once a formula is entered into a cell, that cell will automatically configure a number or answer, based on the results and what you wanted to find out. Once I was able to do this I then had to convert certain aspects of the information obtained, into a pie chart and a line graph. This was simply a matter of entering cell numbers into the chart wizard and changing the colours and style to suit.

Screenshot of my completed spreadsheet:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-31

The above tutorial exercises are going to help me throughout my universirty life by providing me with the knowledge to produce quality proffessional documents using standard software. MS Word and Excel are critical applications needed at university. They have many tools that are rarely used because they do not have a specific purpose in everyday life. However, in a university course, expectations are of a high standard and all work must be completed in a formal manner. The tutourial exercises have taught me how to use these 'tools' to my full advantage when completing an assignment.

Reading Overview :-

1. Using MS Word for APA tasks

This PDF file showed the basics of using Microsoft Word; from how to type and backspace to the more difficult subjects of toolbar customisation and auto-formatting. It showed all the different tools available for use and explained how to use them. For example if you wanted to make sure the headings stayed with the appropriate text, it said :

Place cursor at the beginning of heading.
Click Format, then Paragraph.
Click on the Line and Page Breaks tab.
Click Keep with next.
Click OK.

To make it easier to understand example pictures had been inserted. This reading helped me with my Tutorial because i didnt know how to 'alphabetize text' and by reading this i was able to learn how to do it.

2. Graphic File Formats

This reading simply lists the different file formats you can save a picture; such as Bitmap, CompuServe and Jpeg. Under each of these headings it then goes on to further explain what it is and when, why and how to use it. I found this reading quite interesting as I never before understood why we always save our screenshots as a Jpeg. I now realise that we do this because of its size compression abilities and it is the most commonly used picture file format on the internet.

Week 1

2008-03-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Lecture Overview :-

There were two parts to this lecture. one being the introduction to the course and the second about basic computing.

1. Indroduction

The first lecture, for the UPC0004 course, introduced us to what this unit provides. There are 6 modules that we will cover throughout the semester. These are :-

Using Computers
Online Research Strategies
Communications
Information Management
Building Knowledge
Social and Ethical Issues

By completing the tasks set in these modules I will learn how to effectivly use a computer and this will help prepare me for university as an undergraduate.

The assessment for UPC0004 is based on two assignments and one exam. We have a journal(learning log) that is due in week 13 and compensates for 40% of our final mark. Our second assignment is completed as a group, is worth 30% and is due in week 8. The rest of the final mark is based on our performance in the exam and is worth a further 30% towards our grade.

In order to achieve the best possible grade we were shown a list of responsibilities that we must try and adhere to. These are :-

Attend Lectures
Complete all Workshops
Know the ECU Plagiarism Policy
Check ECU email regularly
Log on to Blackboard regularly

We were also shown a list of emails that can be used to communicate with our lecturers and tutors if needed.

2. Module One - Using Computers

Here the lecturer talked about basic computing.

PC's have become very important in every aspect of our lives; especially for business, personal productivity and leisure. As a University student we will need computers for research, word processing, creating presentations and communicating with peers, tutors and the outside world.

In UPC0004 we will need to have:-

MyECU profile
A USB (thumb-drive)
ECU email account
Internet Access from home

The required and aquired skills we will be learning in this course will give us the ability to use computers effectivly and teach us basic computing knowledge. The following areas will help us to gain these skills:-

Windows OS
MS Office applications (MSWord, Excel and MSPowerpoint)
SIMO
Blackboard
File Formats and the applications that use them
File/Document managment and retrieval
Searching and Finding information on the World Wide Web
Endnote

Tutorial Overview :-

1. Log into SIMO by visiting the ECU website http://www.ecu.edu.au/

Here we had to make sure our log in information was working. Once it was we had to use SIMO to check our enrolment details, our timetable of activities (labs, lectures etc) and then send an email to our teacher to confirm our email addresses were operational.

Screenshot of me accessing my enrolment details :-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

Screenshot of me accessing my timetable:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

Screenshot of my sent email folder showing that the test email worked and was recieved:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

2. Set up a web blog at http://www.blogger.com/

For one of our assessments we must write a blog, each week of UPC004, detailing what we learnt that week and outlining the tutourial activities we completed. To do this blog we must first set up an account at the chosen blogging site.

Screenshot of me setting up an account at http://www.blogger.com/:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

3. Set up an image storage account at http://www.imageshack.us/

In order to provide proof that we did the tutourial activities or to help explain certain aspects in our blogs; pictures and screen captures may be needed. To transfer these images onto our blogs an account with imageshack is required.

Screenshot of me setting up an account at http://www.imageshack.us/:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

4. Produce a Screen Capture

The process of doing this is simple. Put simply you press the print screen button on your keyboard, go into an image program like MS Paint, right click the mouse and select paste, edit or crop the image however you would like and then save it into your files as a JPEG. To insert the picture into your blog you must upload it on image shack and copy and paste the image code into your blog before you publish it.

My Screen Capture:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

Edited/Cropped:-

By danijolly22 at 2008-03-23

Reading overview :-

1. PC Lube and Tune

The following website http://www.yale.edu/pclt/default.htm is a site which provides the viewer with articles relating to the introduction, tutourial and education of computers and their software. I think the articles provided could be both useful for the beginner and an experienced person wanting to enhance their computer knowledge. Topics include An Introduction to PC Hardware, The Graphic User Interface, and the Microsoft .NET Framework.

2. How Stuff Works

http://www.howstuffworks.com/pc.htm is a site that provides the viewer with information on how the computer actually works. The site explains all the different components of a computer and their functions. Some of the main components that make a computer run are the CPU, Motherboard, Memory, Harddisk and Operating System. The site goes on to explain how computers connect with the outside world; via the use of ports, removable storage and the internet. The site provides much more information such as what happens when you turn on the computer or even the future of computers. I found reading this was quite boring but i am sure it would be very useful for people that need it.

test blog..

2008-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

yepp pretty much