During the course of this semester, I have acquired knowledge and skills while participating in a Computer Networking course in Communication Disorders. During this time, I have created a Multi-Genre Research Project, exchanged e-mails with classmates, joined a mailing list to communicate with a community of people interested in stuttering, participated in peer response commenting, partipated in online group discussions, and posted weekly blogs to my personal weblog in which I have reflected on my own knowledge and learning experiences in this class. The following is a description of the skills that I have acquired during my CD-315 class and the course objectives I have met:
Learner Outcomes: Conceptual
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of accessing relevant, pertinent, and credible information pertaining to their research question.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of analyzing web sites for credibility.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of critically analyzing information.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles and methods of evaluating information
I have demonstrated knowledge of the principles and methods of accessing relevant, pertinent, and credible information pertaining to my research question. During the fourth week of class, I developed a search strategy, considering how and where I would be searching for information on the topic of my project. I included key words to my topic search such as “developmental stuttering, stuttering theories, stuttering etiology, and stuttering cause.” After I revised my essential question and the focus of my research topic, I used different key terms to conduct a search such as “brain functioning, dysfluency, developmental stuttering, and neurophysiology.” I have learned how to use the databases from the library’s web page to search for scholarly articles. To complete one of the assignments during the fifth week of class, I used two different databases that Marshall’s library makes available to us and completed a search for information pertinent to the topic of my project. The following week, I used two different databases from the library’s web page to search for scholarly publications pertinent to the topic of my project. I compiled a list of the most pertinent resources I found and posted that list to my personal weblog using APA format. Throughout the semester, I found more sources other than the ones I found during the library search assignments. I continued to use Marshall’s library databases to search for articles. I used the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) website to find articles as well. I also went to Marshall’s library and searched for books pertinent to the topic of my project. I found several books relevant to my research topic, but I did not know if they were credible or not. To find out if the books were credible, I researched the authors’ names to find if they had any publications other than the book I found. I also checked for copyright dates to check for currency. I looked at the sources the authors cited in their text and if they provided references to their work, and I looked at the preface and introduction pages to discover the purpose of the books. I only used some of the books I found relevant to my research topic -the ones I found to be credible.
I have demonstrated knowledge of the principles and methods of analyzing web sites for credibility. In my CD-315 class, I evaluated common internet sources. The teacher provided me with one website to evaluate, and I chose to evaluate a second website relevant to the topic of my research project. She also provided me with a link to a website evaluation form (Purdue Worksheet) and a link to information about how to evaluate information found on the internet. I used the information and the worksheet to evaluate the websites. I followed the worksheet closely when doing the evaluation and posted the results of the evaluation to my personal weblog. For instance, I evaluated the BetterDogFood website in terms of accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage. I found that the the author did not cite any sources used to develop this site, the site is not research-based, I did not recognize the author’s name, all of the links provided on the site do not work, and the topics covered on the site were not explored in depth. I found that I did not trust the author of this website, and I assume from the evaluation that the website is not credible. The second website I evaluated was a website related to stuttering, in which I used all of the categories the teacher suggested I consider and used them in my evaluation. For instance, I checked for authorship, the publishing body, point of view or bias, accuracy or varifiability of details, and currency. I found that the author’s name was not mentioned on the website, but that it was developed by a support group for people who stutter. The website does provide biographical information about the leaders of the support group and for each member in the group. The name of the organization is provided on the website which also includes a watermark that shows it is a document from the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc. I found that this website resides on the Web server of an organization that does not have a clear stake in the issue at hand. Shopzone’s site http://www.shopzone.co.nz/ advertizes and sells products. However, the document I read from the New Zealand Speak Easy Association Inc. does not advertise or sell any products, and it does not have a political or philosophical agenda. This document did not include any data collected or an explanation of the research method(s) used to gather and interpret it. The website does not include other sources in a bibliography, and it does not include links to other sources. It does include links to “further information on stuttering”. There is no background information provided that can be used to varify for accuracy of the information. There is only one dated listed on the document which is on the “Cause of stuttering” page: March 21, 2002. It does not include a publication date or a copyright date. On the “Members” link, there are pictures that include the year the photos were taken. I assume from the evaluation that this website is not credible enough to quote information from or to site it as a source for my research; however, I feel that it could be a source of support for people who stutter. It appears to be a lot like the mailing list I joined this semester, in which people who stutter or others interested in stuttering can communicate with each other while providing a means of release and support. I feel confident enough, after evaluating these two websites in class, that I have aquired enough knowledge to determine whether or not a website is credible on my own. I will be able to check for currency, objectivity, accuracy, authority, coverage, etc. while evaluating a website to determine credibility. For instance, I was able to use my knowledge of the principles and methods of analyzing web sites for credibility to evaluate my own website. I evaluated it twice this semester -once around midterm of the semester and once during the final work of my project. At midterm, I found that my work was not yet complete and therefore my website did not contain all of the information needed to be labled as “credible”. However, I feel that others will find it credible now that it is complete.
I have demonstrated knowledge of the principles and methods of critically analyzing information. I have been analyzing information all semester, and analyzing has become part of my thinking process. I find that I analyze information as I learn it. Each week, as I complete my class assignments, I have written a reflection -reflecting on what I have learned and discovered. I reflect on my declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and conditional knowledge while analyzing the information I have learned. One assignment, in particular, in which I analyzed information is Eternalizing Web Evaluations. I applied my new skills of evaluating websites to evaluate my own personal webpage. This was very useful to help analyze my own work in terms of what I need to improve to make my work a reliable and credible source for others to read. I was also able to analyze group discussions in the assignments A6.4: Reflection on Discussion of 9/13/06 and A7.3: Reflection on Discussion of 9/27/06. I analyzed the feedback my groupmates and I provided for each other as well as how I planned to apply what I learned during the group discussions to my work.
I have demonstrated knowledge of the principles and methods of evaluating information. I believe that I demonstrated this knowledge in the assignments mentioned above. Not only did I evaluate and analyze my own website during the middle of the semester, but I also evaluated my website after my project was complete in the assignment Self-Evaluation. I used my evaluating skills, which I learned early in the semester, to re-evaluate my website. I looked for accuracy, currency, objectivity, authority, and coverage to see if my website is credible or not. I learned that it is important for me as an author to list and cite sources used throughout my work. It is also important to provide information about myself so that points to the knowledge of my topic and to identify my method of research. It is important to display a date so that my audience knows my work is current, and make sure all links within the site work properly. I also evaluated the comments I provided for my classmates on their work in the assignment Evaluation: Self as Peer Responder. This assignment helped me to realize what kind of feedback I give to my peers and to determine if I provide specific and useful information in my comments. I realized that I should be more specific in my responses and point out the strenths and weaknesses of my peers’ work while providing them with useful advice.
Learner Outcomes: Technical
- Students will prepare for and participate in class discussions and activities.
- Students will develop strategies for effectively planning and completing independent work (meeting both the letter and spirit of the work, not just the letter of the work) in a timely manner.
- Students will think practically (solve problems and make decisions) by thinking critically (analysis and evaluation) and thinking creatively (imagining and creating).
- Students will demonstrate the abilities to use the internet to collaborate (collaboration), to find and manage information (rich and interactive information), and as a vehicle for publication (self-expression).
- Students will demonstrate enhanced communication skills and strategies, using the discourse of the discipline, in both oral and written formats.
- Students will participate and collaborate, synchronously and asynchronously, in online professional communities (ASSOCIATE).
- Students will craft a researchable question (ASK).
- Students will gather relevant information concerning their research question (ACCESS).
- Students will critically analyze and evaluate web sites and information (ANALYZE).
- Students will publish their work online (ANNOUNCE).
- Students will demonstrate self-confident interdependence in electronic spaces and interactions.
I have prepared for and participated in class discussions and activities. To meet this objective, I created an account in Tapped-in. I used this site to interact with my teacher and classmates outside of the classroom. I logged on to Tapped-in and met my classmates in my teacher’s online office. We then split up into groups and met in our group leader’s online office to discuss a particular topic I had prepared for that week. One online discussion was about our essential research questions. My groupmates and I each discussed our essential questions and provided each other with feedback in terms of how to make our topics more specific. Once my group had finished our discussion, we met back up with the rest of the class and shared the main points of our meeting with everyone. The recorder in my group sent a copy of the class discussion to me via email, and I was able to reflect on the group discussion in my personal weblog. I also participated in an online discussion with the same group about proper use of Copyright materials, which I had read about prior to the online meeting. We discussed infringement and some other aspects of the copyright laws. We were also able to share our group discussion with the rest of the class, including our teacher. The recorder of my group sent me a copy of the group discussion via email, and I was able to reflect on it in my weblog as well. Another important way I was able to discuss issues and communicate with my classmates online was through emails sent to the class list. When I sent an email to the class list, everyone in the class, including the teacher, was able to read and respond to the email. Most of my classmates used the email list to ask questions which anyone could provide an answer to. We also used the email list to provide classmates with any useful information we found while completing our class assignments such as to let everyone know when a deadline has been extended on a particular assignment or how to fix a common problem on their weblogs.
I have developed strategies for effectively planning and completing independent work (meeting both the letter and spirit of the work, not just the letter of the work) in a timely manner. I have not only completed my work on time each week, but I have completed my work with time to spare each week. I learned to spread my assignments out so that I do not have to sit down and do all of them at the same time or in a hurry. Each week, I would complete all of the peer responding assingments first and then my researching assignments. I had a different digital literacy skill to research each week, so I would usually complete that assignment in the beginning. After I had completed all of the responding and researching, I was able to work on my individual genres for my MRP. I wanted to be able to sit down and focus on my MRP as a whole and not have to go back and forth between assignments, which is why I chose to do my genre last each week. I can honestly say that I invested a lot of time and effort into creating my MRP, and I became emotionally invested in my work. I believe this is because I felt like I was telling a story instead of doing homework. I developed strategies for effectively planning independent work by developing a research strategy, in which I wrote out my plan of action. I also created a Project Prospectus which served as a roadmap in which I followed along the way of creating my MRP. This helped me to complete my work in a timely manner because I had a guide to follow. I had a written plan of what genres I wanted to include in my project as well as what each genre was to consist of. The project prospectus included my essential research question, foundation questions, the genres I planned to use and what each genre was to consist of, a plan to integrate my genres, and a list of resources I planned to use for my project. It is always hard for me to make a decision about how I want to write or what I want to write, so to write my project prospectus was a difficult task for me. I didn’t really know what I wanted to include in my project at first, but as I began to put it all together in my mind, I began to put it together as a plan. I am glad I did create this plan of action before beginning to create my MRP because the guide kept me from having to make all these decisions each week. I already had the plan laid out ahead of time, which was very useful. This plan helped me to look at the big picture of what I wanted my project to look like instead of at the small aspects of my project would consist of.
I have thought practically (solved problems and made decisions) by thinking critically (analyzed and evaluated) and thought creatively (imagined and created). I have thought practically by creating individual genres each week as I completed my MRP. First, I thought practically while creating my Project Prospectus because I had to make decisions based on what I wanted my project to consist of. I had to pick out several genres to use and look at the big picture as to how I would answer my essential research question. Speaking of my research question, I thought practically while creating it as well. I had to not only pick a topic for my research project, but I also had to narrow the topic down to a specific, yet researchable question. It took me a couple of revisions to come up with my final essential research question, and I developed some foundation questions as well to aid in my research strategy. I had to think practically along the course of the semester by making decisions on which genre to complete next. I tried to create my genres in an order that helped to tell a story about a particular client struggling with a communication disorder -developmental stuttering. I realized that some of my genres would take more time to complete than others, so I also made decisions based on how much time I had between my other classes to complete each piece of work. I tried not to save all of the harder genres until the last minute because I knew that I would have some revising to do in the end, and I also added one extra genre to my project prospectus when revising. I realized mid-semester, after meeting with my teacher, that I would need a unifying genre to help integrate my genres into a cohesive whole to tell my story in the end, so I added a Letter to a Parent as my unifying genre. I then created a Revised Prospectus of the new decisions I had made. I thought critically by evaluating my peers’ work each week. I responded to the work of two particular classmates, in which I evaluated their work and posted comments to their weblogs. I provided them with feedback and talked about the strengths and weaknesses of their work. I also thought critically while revising all of my genres. I read each genre individually and analyzed it in terms of what needed to be changed, added, cut, or rearranged as demonstrated in my SCAR revisioning assignment. I was able to think creatively each week as I created a genre for my MRP. For each genre, I had to use my imagination, as well as my knowledge about developmental stuttering and the brain, to tell the story of a girl struggling with a disorder. The genres could pretty much consist of anything I wanted them to, so I was free to use my imagination and creative mind to tell a story which is exactly what I did. You can see how I thought creatively by reading each genre listed in on my Project Pages. I spent the entire semester creating a piece of work that I am rather proud of. 
I have demonstrated the abilities to use the internet to collaborate (collaboration), to find and manage information (rich and interactive information), and as a vehicle for publication (self-expression). I demonstrated these skills in many of my assignments over the course of the semester. For instance, I used my research skills to write about Collaborative Software,which is used for online collaboration groups. I also researched five different types of digital literacy which consist of Photo-visual Literacy, Information Literacy, Branching Literacy, Reproduction Literacy, and Socio-emotional Literacy, which I knew nothing about prior to the research assignments in this class. I used the internet to join a mailing list which pertained to my topic of stuttering. I lurked around the mailing list for several weeks finding out about the collaborative environment and the purpose of the online community. I never contributed to the discussion within the mailing list, but I did reflect on what I learned from the online stuttering community in assignment A10.4: Online Communities. I used my personal weblog as a vehicle for publication. I posted all of my assignments on my weblog each week, and I used it to create pages for my MRP as well. My entire experience in this class consists of self-expression because I have been writing about my thoughts and what I have learned from each assignment. My MRP consists of the information I have learned; however, I used my knowledge to create a piece of work that represents an answer to an essential question. In my weblog, I have written reflections each week stating my declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge to express what I have learned. I used my the research skills I learned from a library seminar to locate and manage information pertinent to the topic of my project. I used different databases that Marshall makes available to students to conduct a search for my topic using key words such as “developmental stuttering” and “cause”. I was also able to manage my sources of information by using the “delicious ” website to bookmark information found on the web. I used my weblog to manage the information and create a reference page to cite the resources I found during research. I used these resources to learn about brain functioning and its relationship to developmental stuttering, and I used them to create a project in order to answer my essential research question.
I have demonstrated enhanced communication skills and strategies, using the discourse of the discipline, in both oral and written formats. I was able to meet with my professor, Mrs. McComas, during a 30-minute conference to discuss my project prospectus. We talked about the initial plan I had developed for my MRP with a focus on my essential research question. Mrs. McComas helped me to realize that my topic was too broad and needed to be narrowed down in order to complete this project in the course of a semester. She asked me “What causes developmental stuttering?” At first I froze because I could not provide her with an answer to that question, but then I started to explain my plan to her which was that I wanted to talk about the different theories as to what causes stuttering because the actual cause is unknown. She asked me what theories I had been reading about, and I started to describe the first one that came to mind. For some reason, the theory that stuck out in my head was about how developmental stuttering may be caused by an excessive amount of dopamine in the brain which is related to Parkinson’s disease. I thought of this theory because I had never heard it before, and it interested me. Mrs. McComas helped me revise my essential research question, as well as my foundation questions, according to the theory I had just told her about. After I got home, I rewrote my research questions and revised my project prospectus to fit the new focus of my topic.
I have participated and collaborated, synchronously and asynchronously, in online professional communities (ASSOCIATE). I demonstrated this by joining a mailing list in which I collaborated with an online community consisting of people who stutter and others interested in stuttering. I lurked around the mailing list for several weeks and read emails sent to me each day. I really enjoyed reading the posts that were sent to my email, even though I did not post to the list myself. The purpose of the community is to allow people who stutter, as well as others interested in people who stutter, and to provide a release and support. It also gives them the opportunity to exchange information based on research or experience. A lot of posts were to provide links to useful websites about stuttering or articles that were interesting to an individual. There were also links to documentaries about different therapy techniques to stuttering. My teacher reminded me each week to keep up with my mailing list, which I did. During the tenth week of class, I was able to complete an assignment in which I reflected on what I had learned from that online community.
I have crafted a researchable question (ASK). I learned that research or essential questions are those questions that anchor an investigation and serve as the purpose of the investigation. I also learned that good questions have certain characteristics, and they can facilitate the research process. During the third week of this course, I created a draft of my essential research question. I began by listing ten areas of interest. I chose one area and identied 2-3 issues of importance relating to that area. Then, I chose one issue of importance and turned it into a question that asks about how the world works or how things came to be. I posted this assignment to my personal weblog with the title Research Question explaining why I chose that particular question. The following week, I had revised my essential research question after receiving feedback from my peers in an online group discussion, and I developed foundation questions. Of course, I later met with my teacher and revised my research questions further. The final revision of my essential and foundation research questions can be viewed in my Project Prospectus.
I have gathered relevant information concerning my research question (ACCESS). I gathered relevant information concerning my research question by completing two library research assignments, which I explained earlier in this cover letter. I used the databases which Marshall’s library makes available to search for information pertinent to my research topic. I compiled a list of ten resources, which I thought would be useful in creating my MRP. As I continued to research throughout the semester, I found more information about brian functioning and its relation to developmental stuttering. I found that some of my original resources were not as useful as I originally thought, so I cut some of the resources as I added more. I found some books at Marshall’s library as well. I used my evaluating skills to search for credibility of the authors and the information contained in the books. I only chose to use the ones I found credible because I want to provide my audience with valid and reliable information as well. I checked the publication dates for currency and considered the purposes of the books. I checked to see if the authors had any other publications and if they are well-known. I also checked to see if the authors cited other sources within their work. Once I compiled a list of credible sources, I organized my information in order to create each genre for my project.
I have critically analyzed and evaluated web sites and information (ANALYZE). I critically analyzed and evaluated websites and information by completing weekly assignments throughout the semester. As I explained earlier, I evaluated a website based on accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage to check for validity and reliability in Assignment A4.5. I also evaluated a website related to my research topic based on authorship, the publishing body, point of view or bias, referral to and/or knowledge of the literature, accuracy or verifiability of details, and currency in order to check for credibility in Assignment A4.6. In addition to evaluating and analyzing these two websites, I evaluated my own website twice throughout the course of the semester. I evaluated my website once during mid-term to see what I needed to add or improve in order to make sure my work is credible, and I evaluated it once at the end of the semester after my work was complete. This helped me to make sure I provided all the information necessary to make my work worth reading and reproducing. Click here to read the results of my initial evaluation of my own website, and click here to read the results of my final evaluation.
I have published my work online (ANNOUNCE). I have spent the entire semester publishing my work online. I began by creating a personal weblog through WordPress. I was able to create new posts and categorize them by weekly assignments. I was also able to create pages for my MRP. I mainly published my weekly assignments and reflections as “new posts,” and I posted various genres and pieces of my research project as “new pages”. I used Writely to create my work, copied and pasted it to my weblog, and then published it directly to my website. I created a Table of Contents to help organize my work, which will also help my readers to navigate their way around my website. I created links within my work, which will also help my readers find their way around and navigate through my project. On each page of my website, I provided a simple explanation of what the page consists of so that my audience knows what they are reading. I also provided Copyright information at the bottom of each page to remind my audience that my work is secured due to Copyright laws. You can view my finished Multi-genre Research Project and all of my other weekly assignments by viewing my website: http://missystillwell.wordpress.com/.
I have demonstrated self-confidence interdependence in electronic spaces and interactions. I am actually surprised at how independent I have become while completing this course. I have never been one to use the Internet to create work other than to type up my notes in Microsoft Word. I actually considered myself “Computer Illiterate” before taking this course, which is kind of funny now that I have learned about all of the “new” digital literacy skills I didn’t know I had. I have learned to depend on myself to get my assignments completed each week because I didn’t have someone reminding me when my work was due. I had to depend on myself to come up with ideas on what to research, and I had to depend on myself to gather information pertinent to my research topic. I was able to interact with my peers by providing and receiving feedback on our work each week. I also found that email lists can be a useful tool for interacting in electronic spaces. I also interacted with my peers in online group discussions, in which I provided input. I am now confident that I can find information on any topic, and I can tell if websites are credible or not. Now that I have learned how to evaulate websites, I think that I will have more patience to search for information instead of giving up half-way into a search. I also feel that I have demonstrated my self-confidence interdependence by creating my MRP. I feel that this piece of work proves that I can work in an electronic space while learning at the same time.
This page was written by Missy Stillwell, a student at Marshall University, as a research project for her CD-315 class.
Last updated: December 11, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Missy Stillwell
Marshall University | One John Marshall Drive | Huntington, WV 25755
