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4. NETRO - THE ELECTRONIC LEARNING SPACE
4.4.3 The Path (continues)
This section is the text version of the description of the Path. Here
we report the eight Phases of the Path in English. See also the more reader-friendly
description of the Path (Path description).
Phase I: What is Netro?
THEMES AND AIMS
The theme of Phase I is to introduce the Netro learning space and the
course to the passengers. The aim is to provide access and motivate the
passengers, along the lines of the first stage of Salmon's (2000, 2002b)
five-stage model (see ch 3.3.2).
The Phase consists of an introduction to Netro and one task. The procedure
goes as follows.
PROCEDURE
The Path begins with an introduction of Tuomas, the virtual Netro guide.
Tuomas introduces the structure of the module, and instructs passengers
on its use by explaining the three-fold structure of the module and the
function of each section. Through Tuomas such topics as collaboration,
politeness, and acknowledging the other passengers in Netro are presented
in a natural way. The aimis to as early as possible to familiarise the
passengers with the pedagogical core idea of collaborative knowledge building
(Scardamalia and Bereiter 1999, 1994). We emphasise that in Netro, through
a joint effort and collaboration, and through sharing one's expertise
everyone benefits and new knowledge of the web can be created. To highlight
the essential function of collaboration and communication in Netro, it
is also mentioned already in the first Phase that the tasks in Netro do
not have false answers and that each passenger in Netro has an important
part in reshaping each other's thoughts and conceptions. Thus, all kind
of communication inside Netro is regarded as positive, and reflective
discussions are a large part of the subject matter on the course.
To support the idea of collaboration and to encourage group socialisation,
the passengers are asked to fill in a personal profile form at the end
of the first Phase. The form consists of various questions concerning
the passengers' names, majors, language skills, cultural background, relationship
with computers, the use of the web etc. The aim of the task is to get
the passengers to know each other and also to make them reflect on their
own backgrounds. In this electronic form the passengers are asked to describe
themselves and write down some specific field of expertise they believe
that they have. They are also asked to make a list of groups the members
of which they regard themselves to be. The answers are dealt with in the
following Phase to which this form functions as a preface.
Phase II: Getting to
know the Netro passengers
THEMES AND AIMS
Phase II focuses both on the theme of various cultural and biographical
backgrounds of the Netro passengers, and on getting to know one another.
It also functions as a Phase in which the three-fold structure of the
module is presented on a practical level, as the passengers practice the
use of the discussion forum and the Log. The aim of the Phase can be seen
as being parallel to Salmon's (2000, 2002b) second stage of on-line learning,
that of on-line socialisation (see ch
3.3.2). The Phase consists of three tasks.
PROCEDURE
The Phase begins with an introduction to the contents of the Phase, after
which the passengers are asked to read through the profiles of the Netro
passengers in order to get to know the Netro group and focus on the variety
of specialists the group consists of. Then the passengers are asked to
choose a few profiles from the list and focus on them in more detail.
Profiles can be chosen on the basis of mere interest on someone's hobby,
cultural background or skill. At this point, the module is presented on
a practical level, as the passengers are asked to try out the discussion
forum and comment on the chosen profiles. On a more cognitive level, the
aim of the task is to direct the passengers attention to the diversity
of the learners' backgrounds as the passengers are asked to reflect on
their own and each other's backgrounds and to think whether one's background
influences one's reading.
After the discussion forum task Tuomas introduces the Log. The Log task
is to reflect on how one's experiences and knowledge influences on how
reading and learning on the web are perceived. Tuomas also asks the passengers
to comment on one's group memberships that were listed in the first Phase.
The question is whether being a member of a group or society has an effect
on one's worldview. And whether this has anything to do with reading.
The aim of the task is to guide the passengers' attention to the socio-constructive
nature of meaning making before guiding them to the Bank section.
At the end of the Phase, the passengers are guided to the Bank section
of Our backgrounds in which the idea of one's cultural, societal
and biographical background and reading are introduced, and a diagram
adapted from Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system theory is presented.
Through Bronfenbrenner's diagram, the passengers can easily locate themselves
in various groups and communities.
Phase III: Knowledge
on the Web
THEMES AND AIMS
The theme of Phase III is searching information on the web. It includes
building content knowledge on the web related issues of the structure
of the web and critical reading on the web (see ch
2.3.1 and 2.3.2), as well as introduces
the idea of meaning making (see ch 2.2.1).
Although the Phase provides the passengers with tools for searching the
web, the goal of the Phase is far from giving the passengers the locations
of the "best" search engines. Rather, emphasis is put on building
metacognitive knowledge and becoming aware of one's own search processes
and strategies. Although the focus is on strategies rather than on rules,
however, through sharing each other's search processes the passengers
may gain new ideas, tips and skills for more effective searching the web.
The Phase includes a task of searching information connected to two discussion
tasks.
PROCEDURE
The Phase begins with introducing the theme of the Phase to the passengers,
after which they are given a task to find an academic article of their
own field of study on the web. Through this task the passengers are expected
to reflect on their web search process. We do not give any guidelines
on searching the web just yet, but want the passengers to make a search
on their own. What is important is that each passenger writes down his/her
search path as carefully as possible. The aim of this is on getting the
passengers own strategies explicit to themselves, as well as later to
the other passengers. Thus, the passengers are asked to make a record
of the search terms, engines used, links checked and the reasons for choosing
the text that they ended up with. We also want them to make note of dead
ends, bad key words or other possible problems they encountered during
the process.
The search paths are then published on the discussion forum and passengers
are asked to read each other's paths.
After this the passengers are guided to the Bank and asked to focus on
three areas. Firstly, the section of How to find and assess information
includes hints on asking the correct questions, from making mind maps
to forming question lists; info on searching the web, as well as some
guidelines for assessing that information. Secondly, reference is made
to the Knowledge construction section of the Bank to familiarise
the passengers with the idea of meaning making as Designing. Thirdly,
The structure of the web is briefly introduced.
After the Bank references the passengers are asked to go back to their
own search paths and compare them to the other paths on the forum. Our
aim is to direct the passengers' attention on their search processes,
ask them to reflect on the processes with the help of others search paths
and the information provided by the Bank. Through this we aim at supporting
the building of metacognitive knowledge, in this case strategic knowledge
of searching the web.
Phase IV: Reading on
the web
THEMES AND AIMS
The fourth Phase of Netro has its focus on reading on the Web. The theme
of the structure of the web introduced in the previous Phase continues.
In addition, the content goal of the Phase is on familiarising the passengers
with the structure of web texts, that is, hypertext and multimodality.
The metacognitive goals are on getting the passengers to realise what
it is like to read on the web and what kinds of strategies are actually
used when reading from the screen in comparison with reading printed texts.
(See ch 2.3.2). This Phase consists of five
tasks.
PROCEDURE
The passengers taking the Netro course are expected to have completed
an academic reading course in the English language, during which passengers
are familiarised with the concepts of reading strategies, such as skimming
and scanning. To ensure that they are, a hyperlink to TILA
(Towards Independent Learning Abilities) is provided at the beginning
of the Phase when the structure of the Phase is introduced. TILA is an
electronic learning material in the Language Compass in which these reading
strategies are summarised.
The first task is to visit a specific web page and to write down a list
of the first three things that the passenger did on that previously unfamiliar
web page. The answer lists are then published on another web page.
The aim of the task is to direct the passengers' attention to their own
actions and to encourage them to reflect on their reading habits. Focusing
on the immediate reactions when visiting a new web page functions as a
starting point for the passengers to later reflect their actions through
information in the Bank about differences between reading print texts
and reading web texts.
After the task of directing attention, the passengers are asked to write
a more detailed answer in their Logs, in other words, reflect on the subject
matter. They are asked the following questions: Why did you do what
you did? Do you think your reactions are the same when opening a new web
page and when opening today's newspaper? Do you always act in the same
way when visiting a new web page? The passengers are also asked to
read the published list of the other passengers' answers and compare them
with their own answers. Furthermore, a link is offered to the personal
profiles from where they can search possible explanations or grounds for
each other's reactions. This task emphasises the diversity of reading
strategies and styles that the passengers use.
The next task is a drag and drop task in which the passengers are asked
to read a list of words and choose whether the word describes reading
from the screen more than reading printed texts. The list of words is
as follows: skimming, scanning, reading images, navigating, searching
key words, slow, links, contents page, fast, linear, page number, non-linear,
hypertext, title, hierarchical, interactive, scrolling, getting lost,
paper, voice, reliability and moving images. Once the words
are moved on either the computer screen or the open book by clicking the
ready button you will get feedback of your work. On the feedback form,
despite the variety of possible answers it is stated that many of the
words probably describe both reading from screen and reading printed texts.
Thus, it can be said that reading on the web is based on more traditional
forms of reading.
The aim of the task is at giving the passengers a metalanguage for describing
the differences between reading from the screen and reading printed texts.
It also serves as a tool by which the passengers are forced to actively
think and decide haw they perceive reading.
After the drag and drop task Tuomas explains the goals behind the first
two tasks and asks the passengers to read more on hyperreading,
differences between paper and screen, and the structure of the
web from the Bank. After the Bank references the passengers are again
guided to the Log and asked to reflect on their reading and describe themselves
as readers of the web. The questions they are asked are whether they can
find the information they are looking for easily and quickly enough, when
it is that they prefer to read from the screen when on paper, and finally,
a more abstract question, whether they think that the hypertext structure
of the web can contribute to their thinking.
The third task of the Phase focuses on understanding that web texts are
constructed of many modes. The task is to browse through a section of
Tuomas's diary to see how texts are built. The diary consists of a plain
text that changes its structure by clicking arrows at the bottom of the
text. Each time more and more modes of meaning are added to the same text,
such as colours, images, tables and headings. Finally, the diary is a
hypertext site, which has various images and tables structuring the content.
The goal of the task is to introduce some of the modes of meaning on the
web, and illustrate their effect on texts and reading, to give the passengers
a preconception of the aspects before discussing them in more detail.
The fourth task is again a shorter task in which the passengers are told
to visit a web page that looks like a web page but is actually just an
image of a one. The goal of the task is not explained in advance, but
the passengers are merely asked to give their first impression of the
web site. After this, the passengers are given a link to the actual web
page, after which they are asked to state whether they actually understood
that there was something wrong with the web page look-a-like. Results
of this on-line poll can then be viewed, as well as all the initial reactions
to the page.
This simple task aims at raising the passengers' awareness on how they
actually read web pages. In addition, the task is meant to provoke thoughts
on conventions of web design, interaction, and how dynamic web pages are.
After tasks three and four, Tuomas explains the idea of the tasks, and
guides the passengers to the Bank to read about the topic of multimodality
on the web and, once again, hyperreading.
Finally, after these awareness raising tasks and Bank references, the
final task of the Phase is to compile a list of web pages, that can be
said to be good in some respect or, then again, "not-so-good"
when looking back of what has been discussed so far in Netro. The links
and their brief assessments are again published inside Netro so that all
the passengers can check each other's suggestions for "good"
and "not-so-good" web sites, and decide whether they agree or
not.
The aim of this task is to reflect on the aspects of web and web reading
discussed so far and to build a shared understanding of what all the passengers
regard as good qualities of web pages and what seems to be regarded as
negative. In addition, the task also emphasises again the individual preferences
that we all have when it comes to reading.
After spending some time checking the web addresses on the two lists,
the passengers are asked to move to the discussion forum. Some suggested
openings for the discussion are: Do you agree on the strengths and
weaknesses of the web sites in question. If not, why? Do you understand
something very differently? Can it be a matter of mere taste?
Phase V: Reading Images
THEMES AND AIMS
The fifth Phase elaborates on the concept of multimodality on the web
by concentrating on one specific mode that is very much present on the
web, that of the visual. Thus, the content goal of this Phase is to introduce
some aspects of visual literacy, such as the functions of images on the
web, the structure of an image, and semiotics, as well as to emphasise
the importance of visual literacy on the web (see ch
2.3.2). The metacognitive goal of the Phase is to raise the passengers'
awareness of how they read images, and how the visual mode effects web
reading. The Phase consists of three tasks.
PROCEDURE
After the introduction to the Phase, the first task is to give instant
reactions to two images. The images are given one by one on separate pages,
and the passengers are asked to write down the word they associate with
the image in question. After answering, the passengers get to see the
answers of others as a list of words. After reading the list, the passengers
are asked to open their Logs and try and explain the possible similarities
and differences between the words associated with the images. Suggested
points of view in discussing the answers are the following: Can you
think of aspects of your own background that made you see the things you
saw on the images? Why do you think the others saw something else? Does
the former image have an effect on the latter? Does the order matter?
After the first task, Tuomas guides the passengers to the Bank to read
about visual literacy related aspects of the web. At this point, topics
of our backgrounds, multiculturalism, authorship and influencing,
as well as producing and interpreting images and semiotics
are introduced.
Before moving on to the second task, the theoretical basis for the task
is introduced to the passengers in advance. They are asked to read in
the Bank about the purpose of using images, that is, about the functions
of images on the web and the structure of images. In this case,
the Bank references are given before the actual task because completing
the task requires specific metalanguage and knowledge of the issue.
Accordingly, the second task involves three web sites that contain images.
The passengers are asked to check the web sites and decide what the functions
of the images used on those web pages are. A list of functions is given
for each page, from which the passengers choose those they consider relevant
for the page. After the task, results are given in bar graphics, which
show the general tendency of the answers of group.
Both of the two previous tasks aim at raising awareness of the way people
interpret and "read" images, and how different aspects of images
influence reading. The goal of the tasks is also to make the passengers
to stop and think about the functions of images in the context of web.
In addition, the purpose is to give the passengers a metalanguage to process
and talk about images and their functions on the web. By giving examples
of different kinds of usage of images on web texts and making the passengers
to explicitly state which functions the images have, they are forced to
really stop and think about the images and to see how important the function
of the visual is on the web.
The third task of this Phase is a more extensive one and requires small
group discussion and planning. The task is to produce a digital picture
that is culturally free. The passengers can plan the picture on-line in
the group specific discussion forums, and there is a possibility of getting
a digital camera and some assistance from the Language Centre if needed.
After completing the task, the passengers are advised to reflect on designing
of the picture in their Logs. The pictures are then published on a web
site, and the attempt is made to create a discussion on the possibility
of culturally free images and the passengers can share their opinions
on the photos taken.
The aim of this task is to include the notion of producing into web literacy.
The passengers are first introduced the visual mode and the functions
of the images used on-line. This way, as to the pedagogy of Multiliteracies,
the passengers move from Available designs towards Designing as they act
as producers of the Redesigned photograph. Another aim of the task is
to make the passengers question whether anything is culturally free, and
raise their awareness on how differently people see the images despite
their cultural similarities. Furthermore, the task functions as a chance
for collaborative knowledge building, as the group forms a shared understanding
of what they consider culture free in visual design.
At the end of the Phase, Tuomas once more goes through the themes of the
Phase as well as the aims of the tasks.
Phase VI: Who owns the Web?
THEMES AND AIMS
The themes of Phase VI are text types on the web, authorship and critical
reading. The content goal of the Phase is to familiarise the passengers
with possible ways of categorising web content, as well as guide the passengers
towards a critical approach to web content. The metacognitive goal of
the Phase, in turn, is to raise the passengers' awareness of how critically
they read and what kind of web writers they are. (See ch
2.3.2). The Phase has three tasks.
PROCEDURE
Phase VI begins with Tuomas reminding the passengers of the importance
of authorship and critical literacy on the web, as well as of the concept
of text types in all written texts. The passengers are then guided to
the Bank, where some text types and web domains are presented.
Since the diverse content of the web cannot necessarily be divided into
strict categories, the concept of web domain is presented. The aim of
this is to help the passengers to create a more multilayered understanding
of web texts.
The first task after the Bank references, therefore, is to place three
web sites on the continuums presented in the Bank. The passengers are
asked to vote on a Likert scale from 1 to 5 on the qualities of three
web sites. The results are presented in a bar chart that shows the average
result of all the answers. After viewing the results, the passengers are
directed to the Log to comment on whether their own opinions differed
from the average result. They are asked to think about, for example, the
following questions: Can you think why your views differed from the
average views? Why is it difficult to make use of traditional text typologies
when categorising web content? What is the purpose of such categorising?
The aim of this activity is to have the passengers read about the continuums
and to attempt to put their knowledge into practice and to see whether
they help in describing the web content. What is important is that the
group's average result may differ from the individual passengers votes,
which illustrates how different readers read the web, and that as the
web content is as diverse as it is, it is difficult to create strict categories
that would make justice to the actual content. The aim is also to provoke
comments on the openness of the web, which would lead the passengers to
focus on the authorship on the web.
After the first task, Tuomas introduces the topic of critical literacy
on the web by referring to the fact that nearly anyone has the possibility
of being a web publisher. And because of this, critical attitude on the
web is crucial. The passengers are again guided to the Bank to read short
reflections about who owns the web, influencing, authorship, our backgrounds,
assessing information on the web, as well as about how meanings
are constructed in the light of the Multiliteracies (2000) concept
of Available Designs.
After reading about aspects of critical literacy on the web the passengers
are asked to focus on a specific web text and think about the authorship
of this text. In this second task,
the passengers are asked to read the text carefully, and also read the
layout of the web page. They are encouraged to think about who the
writers of the text are and what they are trying to do with the
text. The answers are written in a text box and the answers are published
on the Path. The passengers are also asked to give reasons for their opinions.
He asks the passengers whether the authorship and the function of the
text was visible in the choice of words, the style of the text, in the
pictures used or in the whole layout.
After sending the answer the passengers get to read all the previous answers.
Then they are asked to reflect on the task in the Log. The Log task is
to think about what was difficult in the task, what it is like to be
a critical reader on the web and what, in their opinion, critical literacy
requires. In addition, the passengers are asked to think about whether
the web is a good channel for influencing people and if so, on what kinds
of issues the web seems to be most effective.
The aim of this task is to direct the passengers' attention to authorship
on the web. As the web is such an open medium, the aspects of critical
literacy are valid. The passengers are first familiarised with the content
knowledge in the Bank, in other words, they are provided with a metalanguage
and can begin to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses as critical
readers in this multimodal environment.
The third task of the Phase focuses on critical literacy from the point
of view of a producer. So far the passengers have read and assessed various
web texts through web domains, functions of texts, authorship and credibility.
The aim of the third task, in turn, is to put all the above into practice
and produce a web text as a group activity.
The task is to write an ending to a text. The passengers are given the
beginning of a web text and the following instructions:
Choose a point of view and a role and define them carefully. Think and
decide who you are and what your aims are with this particular text. Your
goal is to decide on a background, in the light of which you will produce
the text.
When writing use language, which represents this background that you
have chosen. Think also about the text type that the text represents or
on what web domains it might appear.
Brainstorm, collaborate, comment, criticise and rewrite. This is what
process writing is. The planning and writing of the piece of text takes
place on the closed group forums so that the other groups do not know
the background information the group adapted.
The groups publish their texts in the Path. Once the texts are published,
the passengers are asked to choose one of the texts and concentrate in
it in more detail. They are guided to the Stop to discuss the text they
have chosen through the following questions: Can you define on the
basis of whet you read the possible author(s) of the text? What is the
purpose of the text? How does it show? They are also asked to comment
on whether the authorship is obvious in the sense that the group has
been able to choose a clear point of view. As guesses on the possible
authorships of the texts appear, before the end of the course, the groups
are asked to reveal their imagined identities.
At the end of this Phase Tuomas summarises once more the Phase and guides
the passengers to the Bank sections presented in this Phase.
Phase VII: On cultural issues
and the web
THEMES AND AIMS
The theme of the seventh Phase is multiculturalism and languages on the
web. The passengers are expected to put the metalanguage and the content
knowledge they have reached so far into use and discuss the aspects of
cultural and linguistic diversity on the web (see ch
2.3.2). The Phase consists of two tasks.
PROCEDURE
Tuomas introduces the Phase by asking the following questions: Is the
web monocultural or multicultural? How does it show? In what languages
is the web? Does it make any difference?
The first task of this Phase focuses on the Western world, and how it
presents itself on-line. The passengers are asked to go through a list
of web sites that represent different continents and cultures. They are
also encouraged to search better ones themselves in regard to the question
how so called westernisation presents itself on-line. In other words,
what a non-western web page is like. After familiarising with the diverse
web content, the passengers are directed to the Stop. They are asked to
write a compact personal statement about the topic. After this task, on
the same web page, Tuomas guides the passengers to the Bank to read about
the web ownership, in other words, who owns the web, to be more
exact, on our backgrounds, on authorship, on influencing and multiculturalism
on the web.
The aim of this task is not to support any dichotomies, but to try to
make the passengers to understand multiculturalism and the diversity of
the voices on the web. How passengers perceive this is very much individual
and dependent on their own backgrounds. The purpose of this task is to
open and unweave the web a little and as the passengers have already been
introduced various aspects of web literacy, such as visual literacy, web
domains and issues on authorship and reliability, they should have some
kind of a metalanguage with which to discuss and describe these web sites
and their possible differences. As such, Available designs are again used
as the starting point for meaning making.
The second part of this Phase focuses on language. It begins with a simple
poll task in which passengers are asked to tick as many languages from
the list as they use on-line. After this brief introductory task, Tuomas
again guides the passengers to the Stop to discuss the topic in more depth.
The passengers are asked various questions to help the discussion emerge.
For instance: Why do you read in these languages? Do you read specific
web contents in a specific language? Are you interested in the language
itself or the culture in which the language is used? Comment on the language
distribution of the Netro passengers.
After the discussion instructions, Bank links are offered to further support
the discussion. Tuomas guides the passengers to the Bank section who
owns the web and to subsections of our backgrounds, multiculturalism
and language issues. This section of the Phase is planned to
direct the passengers' attention to an area of web literacy, which is
not often thought of, even though it is a hot topic of many socio-linguistic
studies. These are the dominance of the English language on the web and
the use of English for non-native-non-native communication.
Phase VIII Final work
THEMES AND AIMS
The aim of the final Phase is Redesigning the concept of web literacy.
The Bank introduces one possible form of defining web literacy the focus
being on both the content knowledge of the web and the metacognitive knowledge.
However, we do not want the Bank to become a static authoritative voice
on what web literacy is, but believe that through collaborating in an
authentic environment and through focusing on the web the passengers can
together produce new knowledge that adds on, or even contrasts, what the
Bank states on the topic.
PROCEDURE
The passengers are now asked to focus on the whole Netro journey and in
small groups discuss the possible area of web literacy that is missing
from the Bank or that should be more elaborated. The groups are asked
to choose an aspect of web literacy to work with and find out more about
that aspect. The concrete product, the Redesigned, is the group's contribution
to Netro. It can be in the form of a web page, a mind map, an assessed
list of links etc. An access to a scanner and a digital camera as well
as support for the coding is provided if needed.
The final work is not to be regarded as the result product of Netro passengers.
It is certainly a part of it, but what is more important is that the passengers
having gone through the Path have had to reflect their own, as well as
others', relationship to the web. In this process, the passengers may
have become aware of the various aspects related to various aspects of
web literacy presented in Netro. If we think about the collaborative knowledge
building process, the shared product is naturally the Bank's attachments
that increase knowledge on web literacy related issues.
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