After reading and reflecting on most of topic 2 resources, I have scrolled forward to the next topic where resources are available - topic 8.
I reviewed Philip Bournes powerpoint slides on "Thoughts on the future of scientific dissemination" which was presented at the Australian e-research conference in June this year.
I think he accurately describes the current world where students are more e-ready than most of their lecturers with technologies such as streaming, podcasts, blogs, wikis etc. I must admit that I still get overwhelmed, but doing this course is a great form of de-sensitzation. In coffee rooms discussions with many of my 35yr+ colleagues, there is a significant level of resistance to embracing e-learning and I think that we are still half a generation away from realising it's full potential.
Still there has to be the ground breakers in any revolution, and I would like to count myself as an e-learning groundbreaker. I was at a meeting this morning discussing the possibility of running some professional development courses for country-based health staff. I raised the idea of on-line delivery for some of the course - and I was able to provide a range of ideas such as streaming, wikis etc. Those present loved a lot of my ideas and I think they thought I was pretty "up with it" for someone in their forties (am thinking of getting a nose ring next!).
Back to the Bourne ultimatium - whoops presentation. The similarities of the processes involved in publishing a journal article and uploading a web database was clearly demonstrated. I liked Bourne's thoughts on the limitations of text only - eg doesn't capture the excitment/emotion of the work. Also most of our students don't have the lifestyle or motivation to sit down and spend a considerable amount of time reading a print article. They are mult-taskers who want to listen or watch something on their I-Pod on the bus on the way to uni, or when they are out walking etc.
I love the concept of The Protein Data Bank that Bourne describes in his presentation. It's such a wonderful example of the collaboration and sharing of ideas and knowledge that really appeals to me as an academic. I even look it up on Google Scholar! I think that a database such as this should be seen as the norm, but I think that one of the biggest challenges to the evolution of open access date bases is the reluctance on the part of many academics to keep their knowledge close and protected. This would be a quantum leap for many of the current generation.
Well I'm off for another session on the Protein Data Bank!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Hi Cathy,
I know what you mean about being groundbreakers. I am trying to get a comprehensive e-learning interactive portal off the ground in the job I am doing but am meeting considerable resistance from the Investigators on the project. Strangely enough they think audio segments/podcasts and narrated Powerpoints would be a great thing, but don't seem to think the interactive stuff like wikis and blogs (or even discussion boards) have much merit. They also seem to think they will be very resource intensive when from my persective creating the audio content is going to take a lot more time than setting up an interactive facility and then encouraging people to use it....Ho hum, I guess we just have to take it slowly and look for little wins??
Post a Comment