Virtual Education

How Learning can be made effective through the use of digital media? 

Digital media has been used much recently in my academic life. One such occasion where the use of digital media was used, was during the SARS outbreak where we were told to stay home to  prevent the spread of the disease. We were then told to use the computer to access various sites to do quizzes and sit for virtual classes where slides were put up for us to study as well as test questions after the ‘lecture’. At that time, I felt like this was a really cool way to study and it felt like I was being ‘home schooled’.

However, after going through the class on e-learning, I would definitely prefer a physical learning environment as compared to one where I’d have to face the screen for hours on end. This is as, I believe that one can learn so much more when you’re in the classroom. With the teacher standing in the front and the cacophony of noises as well as the shushing by the girl in huge spectacles down in the front. The atmosphere itself is one that even technology would be unable to mimic unless you’re physically there.

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Future Classroom

The future of our classroom will definitely be more technologically enhanced as the use of e-learning has already been put in place in today’s education system. The use of clickers, which is able to let students provide answers to questions in real-time is especially efficient in today’s society as the teachers are able to pinpoint the exact responses of each students.

Elon University has used the social networking virtual reality device, Second Life to create a virtual classroom environment such as that in the picture above. The students are able to create their own unique avatars to mimic their personalities and this would enable the teachers to get to know the students even more. Also, the students are able to respond to the teacher’s every questions and they are even able to have a one-on-one chat with either the teacher or friends, just like that in a real situation.

However, problems may surface. The ability of students to chat with friends without the teacher knowing as well as the ability of the students to leave the room while leaving their avatars on may cause a problem.

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Microsoft Surface Technology

This is an example of how the Microsoft Surface Technology can be used in the instance of the RPG game, Dungeons and Dragons. It revolutionizes the way one uses technology where the screen is much bigger, making the sensors work double time. It is so fascinating to watch the way it operates, where the users hands move similar to that of a magician with swift fingers brushing across the icons so smoothly. It is not yet available in the market at the moment due to it still being tested for glitches, but im very sure that once it gets out, the people lining up for this product would grow by the day.

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Success in future?

The use of these devices would surely be the norm in the future. Its success however, is to be determined. This is as, there are so many things that we’re ensure about the capabilities and the length that technology can go to. However, like all new technological advances, the insecurity about the success of the product is always there. But, success is within sight due to many experiments and tests being done on this topic.

Online Businesses

10 key factors why some e-commerce have succeeded can be attributed to the following factors: 

1. The ability to look into the future: this is definitely an important aspect as it enables individuals to be thinking ahead and allows them to have more foresight and hence, keep up with the times
2. Advertising: it plays a huge role in getting your page into the top hits of a search engine. also, more people would more likely view that particular page if it were deem to be popular.
3. Capital: To ensure the success of any business, a capital that is enough to sustain the start as well as the growth of the business would definitely be a boost to the company
4. Interactive: There should be some interaction between users to ensure that the transactions go smoothly.
5. Sufficient information: There has to be enough information about the product to ensure that the consumer knows exactly what they’re getting
6. Target market: A target market has to be created to ensure that the product being put out there suits the needs/wants of the consumers.
7. Terms and conditions: This is to protect both the company as well as the consumers from any problems that may occur during the transaction process.
8. Up-to-date Technology: this would enable the consumers to find what they want with much ease as well as establishing that the company takes pride in being updated with new information.
9. PayPal: For the most obvious reason.
10. Never Give Up: Having a business online is something similar to having a double life, and it may be a little tedious to juggle both online work as well as reality. However, with a little hard work, the results will be more than fruitful.

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10 reasons why some e-commerce failed

1. Lack of foresight: the need to constantly look into the future lies on the constant change of the world of technology. Hence, e-commerce has to always look for the now instead of focusing on the present.
2. Inability to keep up to the pace: Business online moves very quickly and people are online 24/7. Hence, the need to always be on your guard and constantly monitoring the site is exceptionally important.
3. Tardy: tardiness does not work in both online and physical businesses, there is no way one can succeed if one were to be tardy and lazy. Nuff said.
4. Lack of drive: Keep the goal in mind and never falter.
5. Not consumer driven: The customer is always right.
6. No plan: Planning helps in creating a path towards success, without establishing this path, the journey towards reaching the company’s ‘nirvana’ would take longer tha expected.
7. Give up: The road to succeed in the virtual world is getting increasingly hard due to the prevalence of a myriad of different groups. Hence, in order to succeed, the ‘never give up’ mentality should remain, else, the road to failure is set in your sight.
8. Arguments: Between partners, this would most probably occur, due to differing perspectives. However, with a little persistence and conversations to sort out this problem, this should be kept to a minimum.
9. Safety: Always ensure that both parties are kept safe from any problems that may occur. Else, the company’s downhill spiral is in sight.
10. Creativity: Without being creative, your company’s gonna look like a typical run-of-the-mill ‘shop’ with similar items and similar procedures. To make yourself stand out from the rest is definitely tough, but it will boost your business greatly. Fer sure.

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How to make e-marketing a success

To do marketing online is something that has to be constantly upgraded and watched. The movement of information online moves so quickly and its constantly changing, hence there has to be a medium of some sorts to sieve out the bad and channel the good to the public.

Also, the need to be kept in the loop of mainstream trends is important to allow the company to be contemporary in its infomation.

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Issues about security, privacy and legal issues for e-business

Issues linked to these factors are especially important for businesses as it helps to protect both the consumer and company from any means of fraud or from being cheated. Hence, its important to establish some sort of rules or terms and conditions to ensure that both parties are kept free from such problems. This would also prevent any feelings of mistrust between both parties.

Privacy is also exceptionally important as embezzlement may ensue if information regarding the running of the site were to get out into the public. Private information may be leaked out, hence creating major problems for the company.

 

Faced-hook.

Facebook, the organisation synonymous to social networking that many other sites are left in the dust of this giant company. I’ve had facebook for awhile now, and honestly keeping up to date with everything going on in my friends’s lives is so exhausting! Im pretty sure there’re more people out there having the same sentiments, but recently, I’ve barely logged into facebook besides checking up on upcoming events. What with school and work, social networking seems to drop from my priority list (it shouldn’t even be there in the first place).

Well like most of us, I started out with Friendster first, not really knowing what it was for when I first clicked ‘Submit Particulars’. But gradually, its awesomeness came to me. It revolutionized my thoughts and instead of being ‘Bah humbug, what is this for’ it went to ‘Holy ****, this is one genius idea’! So yes, I got hooked on the social networking drug and in my teens, i lived to stare at the computer screen, scrolling for hours learning more about my friends that I ever could have!

I guess its main purpose is to constantly keep us in the loop about the lives of our friends as well as to add some cash in Mark’s pocket. But nonetheless, there are facebook addicts and people who use facebook as a means to propel themselves to stardom (albeit for only 15mins). Also, there has been a rise in users selling their preloved goods online, a smart move to get rid of unwanted clothes while making some money for yourself.

But, as i grew up and learnt to dispel all this crazy fads and things that just bore me, I had this nagging feeling that if i refused to stop holing myself in my room staring at a computer screen for hours on end, ill either turn crazy or be so socially retarded that ill quack instead of speak. So, I’ve cut down tremendously on my time spent on Facebook from hours to a mere 5 minutes. You no longer have my life!

Though the ride has been long and pretty boring, Ill have to say, Ill prolly still use Facebook regardless of how mundane it can be. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that without it, Ill lose all my privileges of liking random photos, making fun of my friend’s weird moments or even listening to a new band shared by a friend! So yeah, being on Facebook does have its perks although I might be very well be considered ‘dead’ on it.

(P.s. its kinda sad how Facebook is a word in itself but Friendster is not)

Social whuuut?

The week’s lesson was particularly entertaining, the social media is the stronghold of society in today’s day and age and many other more ‘traditional’ media are faltering beneath this heavyweight of an industry. Media that connects various groups of people in any way, shape or form, is especially important for our world today. We are heavily invested in what our neighbors do and what they have to contribute to our society that we need that extra bout of communication with them.

In the ancient world, many are unable to communicate well with each other what with the lack of any form of writing system and a language to bring two communities together, hence fights and wars occur. Ceasing the fight never happens until one group either decides to retreat or lay lifeless on the ground. The morbidity of this act makes me so blessed to being alive in this era and not in the times of Hammurabi as I am pretty sure my body would be devoid of any skin after being flayed for stealing.

Speaking of skins, how are we supposed to know about the people living halfway around the world if we cant communicate with them. I mean, if there’s no communication, there’s no contact which means, we wont even know they exist. I dont think ill be able to live not knowing about the existence of Ryan Gosling. yeaaaah.

But nonetheless, our world would be so much quieter, we would all be clueless as to what to do; maybe we would be hunting and gathering? I dont think life would be that much fun if I cant laugh at how stupid Troy looks while naming a monkey ‘Annies boobs’ or how frustrating it is to hear Lori scream instead of picking up a gun and shooting that zombie in the face or even watching how animated Jeff looks whenever Coach talks about being a ‘dragon slayer’. Yeah, Troy, Lori and Jeff would not even have existed without the power of social media.

So I thank God for putting me on this earth at this very moment when THE BEST SHOWS are currently ongoing and not be one of the future generation who’ll be watching fuzzy pictures on their screens.

 

yeah.

Intro to the NET

The internet is simply an amazing piece of technology! Everyone is obviously aware of the wonders and uses of the internet, however, with this lesson, I am more open as to what we’re able to do with the resources and connections we’re able to make on the net. From business opportunities to cheap shopping sites, the amount of activities available is infinite.

 

                                             

My favourite sites have got to be etsy.com and ebay.com. The easy accessibility and quality of the goods that they have on the site is something that you won’t possibly be able to find here in Singapore. On top of the unique items, the cost of purchasing them is variedly lower than that of local goods, and that’s inclusive of shipping. Though it can take hours just to sift through the myriad of options available, I’ll have to say, it’s all worth it. I’ve actually just came to know about these sites a couple of months ago and I am hooked!

                       

Another one of my favorite uses of the internet is to keep up to date with my favourite programs, especially searching for behind-the-scenes footage on youtube. Without the internet, the world would definitely be a much smaller place, and looking up ways to survive a zombie apocalypse would be close to impossible.
I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m not one for technical terms/jargon, but I was particularly fascinated by how we’re all virtually connected by an ‘invisible’ network called the intranet. The way that we’re all connected both intrigues and fascinated me. Intriguing in the sense that it made the world way smaller than it already is allowing us to know more about a culture with the click of the mouse. However, these make us all the more vulnerable to more treacherous predators that are able to sneak up behind the screens and steal personal information, but a little cautiousness can go a long way.

 

So with the week’s in completion, ive got to say, learning little snippets of information about the world wide web, is one of the things ill definitely look forward to! 🙂