In Mallet’s article “Asynchronous Online Collaboration”
As one of the most important subjects and a foundation of many careers, mathematics requires dedication and a considerable number to practice. Sufficient practice is vital for one to succeed in mathematics. A well-structured online course in mathematics can facilitate practice by offering numerous exercises and systematic demonstrations. Online courses are convenient and flexible thus allowing one to practice at his or her pace. These types of courses present an individual with an opportunity to make clarifications by searching for more information on the internet. About mathematics, the learner can access numerous information on various approaches used in solving mathematical problems.
Although mathematics can be learned through an online course, some elements cannot be taught effectively to a large number of students. This arises from the fact that some elements require systematic demonstration and class interaction for the learning process to be successful. Interaction with tutors and other students is vital in enhancing understanding of some principles in mathematics. Even though some students may understand some mathematical principles without much difficulty, others may require assistance to understand. Classroom interaction would thus provide an appropriate atmosphere where students experiencing difficulties can be assisted. Online math courses can be used as a collaborative course in conventional classes.
Factors that Mallet used in measuring success
I agree with the factors which can be used for measuring success listed by the author of the article. Tracking students’ performance throughout their course or even in their employment is vital in measuring success. Even though this task is demanding, one would be able to understand their trend. Because a significant amount of resources are required, it is important to develop a more convenient method of tracking students’ performance. This motivated the author of this article to consider developing alternative approaches for measuring success. One of the approaches considered includes illustrative collaboration. This is a very effective method of measuring the success of online courses. Collaboration with other students indicates that a student is interested in a particular subject. Through collaboration, a student can learn from other students. This arises from the fact that this method gives all the students a chance to contribute towards obtaining a solution regarding a certain problem. This enhances the learning process. Corrective collaboration is a strong indicator of success in mathematics. Inviting other students for correction or volunteering to correct another student’s mistake indicates that a student is interested in the program. Although the implicit method can provide vital information regarding the course, student evaluation at the end of the semester is necessary. This is since it gives a student chance to express their explicit opinion regarding the course.
Van House’s article “Weblogs: Credibility and Collaboration in an Online World”
Credibility is a very important factor in academic research. Sources used to obtain information in academic research should be reliable to ensure the credibility of the information. Blogs provide a means for contributing to an online discussion. Even though it is an efficient tool through which one can express his or her opinion on a certain topic, information posted in blogs may not be credible. Contributions in blogs are mostly opinions rather than facts. The contributors may not dedicate enough time to verify the information that they wish to contribute. Also, blogs may create an atmosphere of competition where individuals compete in the discussion. This may lead to fallacy thus misleading the researcher. Some bloggers may use other authors’ work as their own without giving credit to the owner. Besides, the content of a blog can be easily edited making it unreliable for citation. Therefore great care should be taken when citing a source from a blog. It is highly advisable to avoid citing from blogs. If one intends to cite a source from a blog, he or she should verify the credibility of the source of the post.
Do you think Van House did a sufficient job of describing how to measure the credibility of a blog?
Van House did a good job by describing how to measure the credibility of a blog. He expressed the importance of the credibility of the source of information. Some of the key suggestions that he gives are verifying the blogger’s self-disclosure, the reliability of the authors, and how the blog discloses information about others. A blog that does not disclose itself authentically cannot be relied on for credibility.
The credibility of blogs and other internet sources is very important. This arises from the fact that some blogs may contain false or biased information. To ensure the credibility of a blog, one should consider the credibility of the author. If the author or authors are reliable, then the blog may be a credible source of information. Sponsors of a blog can enable an individual to get insight into the credibility of a blog. This is because they determine the objectivity of contribution thus its credibility. Excessive advertisement on a blog may be an indication that the blog is not credible and hence cannot be relied upon. Another factor that should be considered is the date when the blog was last updated. A blog that is not updated frequently has low credibility.
Fishers “Group Processes Online”
In my opinion, the model in Fisher’s “Group Processes Online” followed a typical track. It was motivated by an existing challenge in the university and advancement in technology. The model was aimed at improving the quality of education for off-campus students. Unlike students having their courses on-campus, these students could not benefit from interaction with other students. Group Process Online was intended to offer an alternative method through which off-campus students could interact. The first step was the evaluation of the situation and how it could be improved. The solution to the situation entailed using internet technology to offer an alternative interactive environment among off-campus students. After designing the course, it is implemented within the system. Testing the applicability of the system was conducted on ten students. This was important to ensure that problems associated with the system are addressed before they affect many students. A follow-up on the students used in testing the system is conducted to gain insight on how to improve the course.
The technical implication of the new “Group Process Online” course had not been evaluated adequately. This can explain the technical difficulties experienced by the students. Technical issues on how to use the system should have been attended to avoid such problems. Also, the students should have been prepared psychologically to enable them to adapt to the new system.
References
(n.d.). Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education. Web.
PremiumSale.com premium domains. (n.d.). PremiumSale.com Premium Domains. Web.
(n.d.). Test Page for the HTTP Server on Fedora. Web.