Honestly I do not feel like the blog posts are really extending much communication past the classroom. I read and comment on other people's blog posts, but not frequently and extensively enough to really communicate with classmates that seriously. I do not receive many comments or conversations relating to my blog posts either, which makes me think that some of my classmates are in the same boat. However, when we do meet in person, I feel like there is a lot of meaningful and helpful conversation. I think our class really helps each other out in person, but online it's just harder to effectively communicate about various things.
When I do receive comments on blog posts, they do not start good discussions very often. Most of the time they are in agreement with what I have said or words of encouragement. Don't get me wrong, I really like getting those, it just doesn't really start a discussion. When I am commenting on other people's posts, I do the same thing and just point out the ways in which I agree with them. Considering the various topics we have to make blog posts about, I feel like it is difficult to really start a meaningful discussion. If I were to pick between the blog posts and the discussion forums, I would say that the forums provoke more in-depth conversations. The blog posts are ok, but just a little harder to comment on.
I guess what I would change about the blog interactions to make them more effective, is when commenting to ask questions to one another instead of just saying "I like this.." I need to change my reactions as well when commenting. Maybe asking questions about posts would at least encourage a further discussion.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Qualitative Concerns Post
My biggest concerns when doing qualitative research are asking the right questions, and finding enough research to write on. When I am conducting my interviews, I want to make sure I am getting genuine responses, not anything that the person getting interviewed thinks I want to hear. So, as I am writing my interview questions, I have to be very careful to ask only open-ended questions, without any hints to lead the answers in a certain direction. Also, I am concerned about finding things online to give me enough information to write on. I know there are blogs and other resources out there, I am just nervous about finding them. I guess to ensure I have enough information to write on, I will pick only sources that are in depth.
I am a little worried about making sure my information is qualitative and not quantitative. In order to prevent my paper from sounding quantitative, I will try to include my viewpoints when starting the research and what I actually found when researching. I will also make sure I am including statistics and data like that, but not more than the information from personal sources such as interviews and blogs.
The best aspects I think about qualitative research is the variety of research you can explore. I am not just stuck with charts, graphs, and statistics, but can also look at people's personal opinions and how they express them. I get to immerse myself in the subject instead of having to stay objective. I think I will enjoy really learning the truth of what people out in society think about the topic I am researching. I think it will be a very interesting and unique experience.
I definitely expect to face limited information, especially from my interviews. There is only so much someone is going to sit down and say on one subject, so the rest is up to me to find. I plan to get past this limitation by planning my interview questions very precisely and carefully. Also when searching online, I will try not to just use the first source I come upon. I am going to search for awhile looking for the best possible sources of information I can use in my writing.
I am a little worried about making sure my information is qualitative and not quantitative. In order to prevent my paper from sounding quantitative, I will try to include my viewpoints when starting the research and what I actually found when researching. I will also make sure I am including statistics and data like that, but not more than the information from personal sources such as interviews and blogs.
The best aspects I think about qualitative research is the variety of research you can explore. I am not just stuck with charts, graphs, and statistics, but can also look at people's personal opinions and how they express them. I get to immerse myself in the subject instead of having to stay objective. I think I will enjoy really learning the truth of what people out in society think about the topic I am researching. I think it will be a very interesting and unique experience.
I definitely expect to face limited information, especially from my interviews. There is only so much someone is going to sit down and say on one subject, so the rest is up to me to find. I plan to get past this limitation by planning my interview questions very precisely and carefully. Also when searching online, I will try not to just use the first source I come upon. I am going to search for awhile looking for the best possible sources of information I can use in my writing.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Stereotypical News Article Post
When reading this article, I noticed the format was almost identical to the public article I am using for my paper. Basically, the order in which he says articles present information is exactly how my article is organized. The journalist presents the main idea of the information, adds quotes from various sources, and briefly elaborates while adding an image relating to the research topic.
When it comes to the tone of Robbins' article, he is very sarcastic and knowledgeable about scientific news articles. He assumes that his audience will get his puns and sarcasm without explaining the ideas or motives behind them. Based on that fact, I think you can assume that Robbins is targeting an audience who is well versed on scientific articles and research. Only individuals who regularly read scientific articles in magazines, newspapers, ext. could understand the humor Robbins uses. Also, the citing and quoting used in Robbins article is not serious whatsoever, therefore targeting those in his audience with a good sense of sarcasm and humor.
Robbins article made me see several key differences in not only the wording, but also the organization of my scholarly article and public article. The most obvious is how simple and short the paragraphs are in my public article as opposed to the scholarly one. The scholarly one is all in one paragraph, which means it is shorter than the public one, but a lot more information is presented at one time. The shorter paragraphs appeal more to a general public audience because it appeals shorter and easier to read. The long, joined paragraph appeals more so to the academic community because the information is all presented in one place. These kind of organizational differences all come together to target the audience intended.
When it comes to the tone of Robbins' article, he is very sarcastic and knowledgeable about scientific news articles. He assumes that his audience will get his puns and sarcasm without explaining the ideas or motives behind them. Based on that fact, I think you can assume that Robbins is targeting an audience who is well versed on scientific articles and research. Only individuals who regularly read scientific articles in magazines, newspapers, ext. could understand the humor Robbins uses. Also, the citing and quoting used in Robbins article is not serious whatsoever, therefore targeting those in his audience with a good sense of sarcasm and humor.
Robbins article made me see several key differences in not only the wording, but also the organization of my scholarly article and public article. The most obvious is how simple and short the paragraphs are in my public article as opposed to the scholarly one. The scholarly one is all in one paragraph, which means it is shorter than the public one, but a lot more information is presented at one time. The shorter paragraphs appeal more to a general public audience because it appeals shorter and easier to read. The long, joined paragraph appeals more so to the academic community because the information is all presented in one place. These kind of organizational differences all come together to target the audience intended.
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