Module one logistic reflections

Hello all,

This is the first of two postings on my reflections of module 1. This one will focus on many of the logistical issues that came out through your e-mails. The second will come this weekend and focus on the content of the postings on the wiki's and blogs.

- One common question that keeps coming up is in regards to the group paper and assignment. First, groups will be self selecting based on interest. Second, the group paper should be done at the end of the course and is an exercise to apply the theory and techniques that we will develop this semester. While there is some flexibility with when you can do course activities, that flexibility is not absolute. Learning takes time and I would like to see you wait until we have read more and explored more and ....

- In general, your e-mailed expectations for the course were consistent with how I see this course developing. However, to be clear, this is not a course from computer science that is simply being offered in PA. We will not be learning how to use databases, write SQL, or do any coding. Those courses are available if you are interested. This class was specifically designed to provide an interactive forum to discover how common challenges in public affairs are evolving because of changes in communication, information processing and all the other trends you should now be familiar with after Malone and Lessig. These changes were a topic that came up frequently at last week's Minnowbrook 3 conference, but more on that in my next post.

- One of the learning objectives in this course is to learn how to learn, especially with new technologies. As such, except for office hours, I will not be answering questions about how to use the technology in the class. However, we can talk about strategies to figure out how. Normally, most technologies will have an associated how-to document, getting started document, or FAQ document that is prepared for you. If you cannot find the one made by the manufacturer of the technology, you can always google the question. Searching for information is an art form or skill and the more you do it the better become. It never hurts to google your question in plain english with as much detail as possible, "how do I add friends in yahoo messenger". Another strategy is to uses social ties. Asking other people, especially in our class is encouraged. If you send out an e-mail to the entire class, it is a social norm to summarize the responses and also distribute them to the course. Each strategy has its own pros and cons will work better depending on your own personality type. Discover what works best for you.

- This last weekend the blogs and wiki for the class went down. One suggested reason is that the size of ASU's student body and online initiatives are outpacing their ability to maintain capacity. Electronic resources still have limitations. For a fun example of this, google or wiki the "slashdot effect". If this is the case, then the wiki might be down again in the future. Plan ahead, you can either post early or prepare your materials so that when the wiki comes back up you can quickly post. One interesting aspect about technology failures is that when there is a problem with the technology, most people still tend to blame the people involved instead of the technology. If you or your organization is providing an online or technical based service, it is a good idea to think about how you will cope with a temporary or complete loss of service for short or long periods of time. Imagine 911 operators without a phone service, the london stock exchange that crashed last week for a day, or the services in Galveston and Houston as the prepare for Ike. There is a rich discussion that is starting to emerge in PA about emergency preparedness, and a lot of that can be supplemented with information technologies. This could be an individual or group project for those interested.

And some short observations:

- I miss face to face classroom interactions, but I really enjoy each student having their own space and voice to develop in this format. We have a collection of fascinating people in this class, I hope you spend the time to meet each other.

- I am also working on getting a camera so that we can have video chats during office hours. ETA, about two weeks.

- If you write a reaction to someone that is on your blog, find a way to notify them that you did so. The likelihood of user to be active in a community was largely based on if their initial interactions were responded to by other people. Interestingly, it did not matter if the interaction was positive or negative, only that their participation and effort was noticed. So please figure out a way to let people know that you are reading their work or wiki. It will make for a healthier class community. One idea is to add a feedback section in your wiki that encourages others to write you. Another is to post comments on blogs. Some people are doing this, and that is a good start.