Education in 25 years

Communication technology definitely changed education. I remember when I was in primary school, projector and computer were only used for big events in class with no internet connection. Education stayed the most traditional way of oral and literal teaching. Then in high school, internet, computer, powerpoint are common in each class and no one would, like we did in primary school, make a fuss on the fancy effects on the screen. In college, for the first time in my life I took online course, where everything you learn and need were shared online by electronic version. Unconsciously, we all witnessed and experienced the process of how communication technology change school and class. Thinking about 25 years later, it is definitely reasonable to go wild with imagination and believe in the incredible power of technology in education.

In Facer and Stanford’s article, I really think the “Informed Choice” education system in World 1 is viable to be the real future. “A highly personalized education system structured around the individual collaborating lifelong with paid mentors and structuring education provision from diverse sources around their needs”. Even today, the physical connection between students and teachers are being weakened by the virtual contact online. With less sense of being a collective group, the idea of individualization in education will definitively be enhanced. In 25 years or more, more people realize their personal expectations from education and would like to choose anything that meets their needs. Each one has his own personalized design of program, have class and meet with professors individually.

From my view, I can imagine other two scenarios of education which may happen in 25 years. First of all, schools may no longer exist and are taken place by online education schools. This is not an idea comes from nowhere, it is actually happening in today’s education system. The introduction of communication technologies into schools weakens the importance and necessity of physical interaction. Class may not be hold in real classroom, assignments are all handed in via emails, google drives help share every material within the class. It is so convenient, time-saving, labor-saving and efficient than any other method before. With computer technologies, the statistics of one student’s online attendance, exam grades, academic performance improvement can be easily calculated and valued, which I believe is more efficient than traditional ways.

Second scenario that I imagine may happen in the future is that classes will not take place in traditional setting like classroom in schools, but in real working situations. In other words, there may not be classes for students of different majors. Instead, each person study in real working occasions based on their own choices. The high efficiency and immediacy of technologies makes educators and students more practical and efficient. With figuring our what they really want to learn well and fast, education happen in the real working environment instead of schools and universities.

The future relationship between communication technology and education is very unpredictable. It depends on how technology advance, how people react and adapt to it. One thing can be sure, from my point of view, is that the virtual connection made by new technology will definitely play more and more important role in education that will change the educational expectation, design and interaction in the future.

Final project working process

This work, I continued to search and read relative articles. Since there are so many of them covering various aspects of social networks and people’s involvement and motivation, I started to select the most relevant and help information from some of the article I found. 

During my searching and reading, I found one article that is really interesting. It's called Separating Fact From Fiction: An Examination of Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles. Although it does not perfectly fit my topic, the study of profile is only based on the online dating environment, it did inspire me a lot on how to conduct my research and what factors should be taken into account. It collected the real information of participants and ask them to rate the accuracy of other's profile. I am thinking if I can also include this rating method into my research to define the accuracy and deception of online profile photos.

Also I have been working a little bit on the questions on my questionnaires and try to find the best way to present it to respondents as many as possible in limited time. How many factors should be taken in to, how many questions would be the most appropriate, what is the most efficient way to give out my questionnaires.

Thinking about how crazily busy the final week would be, I think it’s a good idea to make a schedule ahead to time, so that everything can be done with sufficient time and in order. 

Final Project Schedule
Date	Content	Check (finished/not finished)
Nov. 17 – Nov. 23	1.      Design questionnaires 2.      Discuss with classmates and teachers in class
Nov.24	Distribute the questionnaires online
Nov. 17 – Nov. 28	1.         Writing literature review 2.         Write the outline of the whole paper
Nov. 4	Collect questionnaires result and make analysis.

Working on My Final Project

This week I have been working on fixing some problems pointed out by Dr. Gorski last time, and searching for relative articles and books to help me to conduct mu research as many as possible. 
First of all, since last time I made my research question as a statement, I changed it as "What are university’s students’ preferences about profile photographs on social networking sites? " this time. Since the time limitation, I will make my reserach scale within Teachers College. 

For my literature review, I am going to include the relevant points as below: 
- Identity constructions, self-esteem and self-disclosure in anonymous online environment
- Personality and motivation associated with social networking media use
- Accuracy of self-presenting profile photos

I have found and read some research articles which can give my guidance and laid the foundation for me to conduct my final project. “College students' social networking experiences on Facebook” written by Tiffany A. Pempek, Yevdokiya A. Yermolayeva, Sandra L. and Calvert, “Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships” from Shanyang Zhao, Sherri Grasmuck, and Jason Martin, “All about me: Disclosure in online social networking profiles: The case of FACEBOOK” by Amanda Nosko, Eileen Wood, Seija Molemacovered covered studies and observation about identity construction, self-disclosure during media use of college students. Craig Ross, Emily S. Orr, Mia Sisic, Jaime M. Arseneault, Mary G. Simmering, R. Robert Orr in their research “Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use” explored the correlation between motivation and media use behaviors, which can be very helpful for my study. Also, I found “A picture is worth a thousand words: A content analysis of Facebook profile photographs” written by Noelle J. Hum, Perrin E. Chamberlin, Brittany L. Hambright, Anne C. Portwood, Amanda C. Schat, Jennifer L. Bevan specifically focused on the prfilep photo choosing and the possible influecntial factors.

From now on, I will read and search more information to conduct my final research and write a clear schedule of each step so that I can keep everything well-arraged.

Responding to Questions about Article Critiques

1.  Did you say TV is the least likely to be part of multitasking? Is that true for TV as both the primary and secondary media? (I.e., I almost always do something else while watching TV, but I rarely watch TV while I’m doing something else.)


It is true that, according to the study result of Foehr, TV is least likely to be multitasked with another medium. As it shows below, only 17% of respondents’ media multitasking time has television involved, either as primary or secondary media. Honestly, the researcher found the survey result of television is surprising too. 

They analyzed the parings of media multitasking regardless of whether the media were primary or secondary activities. It is reasonable to think that TV is seldom used as secondary media, which accounts for the low percentage of its time used with another medium. I think it’s better to make a distinction of TV between being primary or secondary to study it in different scenario, because the researcher in this study did not expect such outcome of television.

2.         Do you have any suggestion for young people on multitasking?

The most reason why I think this is a good study because the author gave broader implications expect his illustration and discussion of the statistical result, which concerns about young people’s behaviors, psychological and neurological changes during media multitasking, also some predictions and suggestions for them.

From my view, I do have suggestions for young people on media multitasking. Since more and more young people become multitaskers, they should better know whether their working efficiency has been improved or not and what is the best way for them to multitask. For example, do I really finish my homework better with the help of computer and instant message at the same time? Do I get along well better with writing emails and reading online than texting message while reading online. Make stop in time if you find yourself not being capable of doing too much multitasking.

3.  Thinking about multitasking, does using a laptop in a classroom setting / learning environment facilitate learning? Or does it hinder learning?


Actually in this research, the researcher didn’t cover the analysis of using laptop in classroom, considering that it was published in 2006. I do think now laptop using in classroom is very important for studying multitasking for education. I think there is no definite answer to decide whether it is helpful or harmful to use laptop in classroom, it really depends on how much time and how you multitask.

The author also brought up an idea in the study that “we cannot process simultaneously multiple non-related messages.” It means the brain only responds when multiple information on different medium are relative, other wise we cannot process. Thinking about using laptop during class, if we use laptop to take notes, search relevant information simultaneously, our brain can process these messages and thus facilitates out studying process. On the contrary, if we use laptop for irrelevant activities during the class, our brains decline to get the information therefore do harm to our studying efficiency.

Understanding behaviors in virtual world from psychological perspective, where should we head for?

I believe that people who actively participate in virtual community activities nowadays are aware of the great difference between online self and real self, the one you create and present as you want and the one you are really like in real life. Sherry Turkle’s TED talk, even was in 2012, really pointed out the current worrying situation that “people are being alone together”. I did remind me of so many familiar scenes taking place in real life where teenagers are obsessed with video games and become more rebellious against parents, people still find loneliness when they have many online friends, people who develop psychological disorders and are not able to deal with real lives. Situations are completely different and more complicated than the time when we are celebrating and embracing the fantastic new life online.

The idea that I support most is the psychological motivation that shape and decide people’s engagement in virtual community. I think what people say and do online is driven by psychological needs and wants. With larger scale of virtual online activities, some people’s obsession with this unreal dream cause endless psychological desire to interacted with the unreal self in online community. Here I would like to mention an ongoing phenomenon online.

As social media take large part of people’s life, some people find it fascination to share their good life and receive good comments by faking themselves as almost perfect. They take pretty pictures with photoshop and got millions of followers online, which satisfy their vanity which they don’t have in real life. This seemingly beautiful experience being under the spotlight lure so many people to recreate their images in virtual world. It eve gave rise to an occupation in China, which we call “online celebrities”. People paid any price to do plastic surgery just to be looked pretty in pictures, or some just live on photoshop. They beautiful images they show on social networks to their fans soon become like their real life. However, after their psychological desire is satisfied, this causes other serious psychological problem: they can no longer accept the self who they really are. As I read in news, some “online celebrities” died in plastic surgery to be more beautiful on their facebook, some had MDD when they find themselves are not beautiful in front of the mirror, some live always in fear that others may find out their secrets. All these psychological desires, motivations and depression create a circle chain that distort their normal life and force them to live forever with masks.

Personally, I find this kind of life is horrible when you feel you have to create lies to cover your lies, and have real happiness from real life. “We expect more from technology and less from each other”, says Sherry, because virtual world meets our vanity and provides us a utopia of all perfect things. When we get used to the perfection online, we no longer want a real talk, real friend, even real love. When we become afraid to real conversation and real life, when our expectation fail, technology may lead to very dangerous consequence.  

However, psychological problems are always hard to cure, so as the powerful influence of virtual life created by internet technology. It true that when we firstly invented and introduced the fabulous technology into our lives, no one predicted the consequences today. Now as we study more about online behaviors and connect it into psychological field, we should head our way to conduct people to understanding critically about the foam and illusion world in online world and avoid to be controlled by it.

Who Should be the Police in Second Life?

The virtual reality created by the internet technology provides us a second life where we can do almost all the practices in our first lives. We get information, make friends, finish work, study, shopping, even dating in that world.

Most of the time, we are overwhelmingly happy to see the online virtual world is becoming more and more real that we can do everything as we do in real life. We build up community where we share thoughts with friends. We bring classroom into the virtual world where the studying experience become more interesting and efficient. We made trade and shopping online open to everyone with easy click in front of your computer. All these improvements we achieved in virtual world make it as a real society. However, we all know that conflicts and problems always come out in real life when there existing so many needs and wants. It is the same with the second life in virtual world that we built. Online harassment, assault, fraud and any other kind of activities that concerned with people’s rights is not uncommon for everyone. Therefore, when we can resort to lawyers, police and laws in first life, who is responsible for dealing with the same problems in our second lives.

This is actually a question that hard to find a definite answer, because online activities in virtual world all take place within a much larger scale of people than in real life and the anonymity provides too much freedom for people’s behavior. When the virtual world activities are more like real life practice and more serious, with more and more people join in second life activities out of different purposes and needs, it may cause terrible problems due to some anonymous’ irresponsible and detrimental behavior. As I mentioned in last class about the young guy who looked for medical suggestion online in China and died because of someone’s irresponsible suggestions, it was really the first time that such reports got the nation-wide attention about the “anonymity”, “laws” and “responsibility” in second life. This case was brought to the court afterwards, but no specific laws had been made and no one or institution claimed responsibility for this. A young life was lost in second life.

According to the news I mentioned above and what happened afterwards, it really warned people that to deal with such problems in second life is more complicated than in first life. First of all, virtual world is like real life society but with just decades of years’ development, so it takes long time to make regulations, disciplines, laws and clear and strict distribution of responsibility. It is the must that we need to do for virtual world. Second, during the process that the virtual world is being improved, our awareness of the rule of “anonymity” in second life is essential in preventing more problems. Knowing that no responsibility is taken by anonymous people when you make friends, spend money or take other people’s words seriously, you can stay relatively safe in virtual world. 

Personal Understanding and Experience of the Reader-to-Learder Framework

In this week’s reading, the one The Reader-to-Leader Framework: Motivation Technology-Mediated Social Participation really intrigued me most by its very clear, logical and thought-provoking discussion. It mainly explores and classifies the different level of people participating in online social activities: readers, collaborators contributors, and leaders. This kind of scientific method of studying online user community is completely brand new to me, but I did, after reading it, find it make so much sense to think about the social online activities I experience in daily life. Furthermore, I believe this detailed study of motivation and behavior of people’s participation online on each stage can help designers, managers and researchers to improve the interface design and promote both the quantity and quality of online social participation.

This reading reminds me of my role in social online activities and I realize it varies a lot according to different circumstances. Moreover, many factors of website design which influence people’s involvement also give me a lot of ideas by thinking on my real life experience.

For most of the time, I’m not much socially active online, thus I am just a reader who only read, browse and care about information that I need. For example, when I search information on Wikipedia as a reader, I tend to believe what I see on the website edited by other people with more expertise, never raise doubt the accountability and even never feel responsible for correcting the wrong information. As a reader, I only use it because it’s designed clear and simple for novices, people around are all using it and the content of it accurately fulfill my needs. Or when I go on a new website for the first time without any sense of belongingness of this community, what matters most to me is the interesting and relative interface and content design, which I believe is the most important factor for readers. Since contributors or collaborators may care more about the quality of their participation experience.

Certainly, there are cases where I become collaborator or contributor in some social online activities. Since I am a huge fan of films, I always go to my favorite film news and reviews website Mtime to post reviews, rate others review, join forum discussion and reply other people’s question. After read this article, I find that my enthusiasm to spend my time working on that makes me as a collaborator in this online social activity. Then accordingly, the factors that mostly influence my participation in this community is no longer the appearance design, but the accessibility of getting involved, visibility of my contribution, recognition of my expertise, possibilities find similar people to collaborate with. The requirement of being a collaborator and a contributor are quite similar, but on different levels. For contributors, which is confined in smaller group of people, they care more about trust and belongingness which motivate them to work for something big.

The last role the leaders, which I didn’t experience myself and involves much fewer people, also exist in my online social community Mtime. There are some users spend much time organizing discussion or activities on the forum, designing their own forum homepage, synthesizing information from collaborators and contributors, making policies for all the community members. At the same time, their roles are also being highly respected and honored. In this case, the factors the influence learder’s experience and behavior is the sense of leadership, entitled with special power and effort being valued and respected.