Videos

Social and Ethical Issues (23/05/2008)

Lecture 12

The following were the main points from this weeks lecture,

• Problems from using the Internet
• Plagiarism, security, privacy etc
• Why these problems occur
• Protecting yourself

Tutorial 12

The main points from this weeks tutorial were,

• Protecting yourself from Internet attacks. For example, privacy and security
• Information about the "copyright" system
• Researching about music and the Internet
• Threats of viruses and Trojans etc
  

Week 12 Tasks

In Australia, Copyright protects a wide range of sources accessed in educational institutions. Some of these include,

• Written material - books, articles, essays, websites etc
• Computers - Computer programs
• Artistic work - paintings, drawings, photographs etc

However, Copyright does not cover information, techniques etc. All individuals can access and research material and information from different sources and write about a certain topic. Only when an individual copies the exact wording of someone else's work does Copyright come into place.

Educational Institutions are allowed to copy and use material for "educational instructions" provided the use...

• Does not conflict with normal exploition
• Copying is not made for profit
• Use amount to a special case

Copyright protects a wide range of sources accessed through libraries. These include,

• Libraries are allowed to copy certain Copyright material for clients, collection and for other libraries
• Amendments affecting libraries and the Copyright system came into effect in December 2006
• Can make replacement copies
• A libraries collection has to be available to to public directly or through loans
• Minimise infringement risk be displaying warning signs
• Use Copyright material to maintain an operational library

Copyright laws relating to the use of quotations and extracts include,

• Permission needed usually depends on whether the information wanted is a "substantial part" of where it comes from
• "Substantial part" is determined by whether the information needed is important, essential or distinctive
• There are a few situations where you can use "substantial parts" without any permission
• Special exceptions eg. dealing for criticism or review and dealing for research and study

Websites are Copyright protected in many ways. Some include,

• Each agreement should state each persons responsibilities relating to Copyright and moral rights
• Web designers should have written agreements between themselves and the client
• Whole websites are not protected
• Component parts of a website are protected. For example text, artworks, logos etc
• Owner's permission may be required. For example uploading a website, downloading, scanning, emailing etc

Information used for research or study usually has strict Copyright laws

• If material is used for the purpose of research or study, you can not infringe the Copyright law if you use it fairly
• Do not need to be enrolled in a particular course. You can just study for yourself
• Libraries can copy material if it is to be used for research or study purposes
• For research and study, you are able to copy a whole articles from a magazine or newspaper
• If is it available for purchase, copying all the content of the article is unlikely to be considered as fair and therefore cannot be done

There are many people who don't know the first thing about music and the Internet. There is so much information people should be aware of before downloading and/or buying music off the Internet. Although there are many advantages on downloading from the Internet, there are also many disadvantages to go with it. Below is a lost of what you need to know about music and the Internet.

• Misconception that music which is downloaded is free
• "Free" music means that the artists don't get paid for their music
• New distribution avenues eg. digital downloading, ringtones, webcasting
• Adds value to businesses and services operating online
• Downloaded music is exploited by a number of rights
• Musical work is property contained within any song eg. melody, chorus etc
• Reproduction of musical work consists of operating a downloading service

No matter what you do, your computer is never fully protected from viruses, Trojans and other attacks on privacy and security. You could use every protection software but you can just as easily have you privacy invaded by anything from viruses to computer hackers.

Viruses can easily destroy your computer completely. Although they are only a small piece of software that attach themselves to other programs, they can cause a great amount of damage. For example, a virus attaches to a certain program and everytime you run that program, the virus runs, spreading to more and more programs. You can protect yourself from viruses in many different ways, some of which include,

• Using virus protection software eg. Macro
• Avoid using programs with unknown sources
  
• Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is and who the sender is
• Using a secured operating system
• Using commercial software

Trojan, on the other hand is simply a computer program. However, the program claims to do something (perhaps a game) but it actually causes damage when you run it. Trojans are prone to erasing your hard disc if you try and run a programs containing a Trojan. By using the above steps, you should be able to minimise your risk of receiving a virus.

Your own personal information is not even safe on the Internet. Hackers and people pretending to be someone else are the main causes of attacks on your privacy. People with internet banking are at a disadvantage as hackers can easily gain access to their personal banking details. To help protect yourself from hackers, you should never give out details about any of your personal information. Although you may think the slightest information will not give hackers enough, they will find a way to gain access to your most valuable information.

Reading Summary 1: EFF's Top 12 Ways To Protect Your Online Privacy

There are 12 ways that you are able to protect you online privacy. Below I have listed the top 6 methods in Internet privacy,

• Do not reveal personal information - use pseudonyms, refrain from using your real information eg. email address,
  
• Turn on cookies - shares incoming information to you, only enable on sites that you trust
• Keep a 'clean' email address - posted addresses can easily be tracked by spammers, use pseudonyms or an alternative address
• Don't reveal personal details - for example your full name, employment details, phone numbers etc
• Avoid sending personal emails at work - you may be monitored, could compromise banking details, email address and other information
• Don't click on 'reward prizes' - not real prizes, information entered is easily gathered eg. your name and address etc

Reading Summary 2: Ethics in Computing - Electronic Monitoring

There are many different companies that are able to monitor your privacy on the Internet. Many include monitoring in the workplace, legal issues and other policies

• Workplace privacy
• Technological surveilence
• Monitoring in the workplace
• Through the keyhole: privacy in the workplace
• Workplace privacy? Forget it!
• Epic's

Reading Summary 3: Brown & Michaels - Overview of Intellectual Property

There are three kinds of basic intellectual property protection, including patents, trademarks and copyright. Patents are used when it related to a method of doing something. These include the following,

• Utility Patents - used for inventions
• Plant Patents - used when a new variety of plant is descovered
• Design Patents - used for ornamental items eg. automobiles

Trademarks cover logos or a name of a symbol

• Coca-Cola
• Sounds
• Sequence of notes
• Music
• Fragrances

Copyright covers authorship, composition and art

• Music
• Books
• Paintings
• Computer programs
• Architecture

Building Knowledge (16/05/2008)

Lecture 11

The main points from this weeks lecture were,

• Data, information and knowledge
• Definitions and characteristics
• Data relationships
• Strategies for assignment work

Tutorial 11

The main points from this weeks tutorial were,

• Dictionary terms for data, information, knowledge and wisdom
• Graphical representations
• Relationship understanding
• University study
• Organisations that collect information

Week 11 Tasks

This webpage was very helpful in determining the definitions of the terms data, information, knowledge and wisdom. From the information available, I constructed my own definitions of the above terms.

DATA - In the computing world, data is referred to as coded invariances. Also, data is the use of records and/or recordings which can be used in computers, all of which contain certain information.

INFORMATION - Consists of contents which can be retrieved from a database or the Internet etc, intended for the use in computer systems. Information can also be used as the representation of a certain term during a form of communication.

KNOWLEDGE - The ability to know and understand information given to an individual. Developed inside a system, knowledge can also be referred as being information that is clearly organised and structured.

WISDOM - Knowledge which has been accumulated by an individual. Wisdom is the ability, through experience, to apply knowledge, common sense and understanding to everyday activities.

Being able to understand the relationship between data, information and knowledge can assist your university study in many different ways. The term "data" usually refers to the research needed for a university assignment. For example, research of facts, statistics etc. In relation to university assignments, the term "information" refers to the building of your assignment. Once you have collected all the relevant data, the data is put together where patterns start to emerge within the structure. The term "knowledge" relates to composing your assignment. During this phase, you begin to make judgements based on the data you have collected. From this, you are able to develop your own understanding from the way you interpret the data and information you have collected and put together.

There are many organisations that collect information from clients and the public. Below I have listed five companies and why they collect this information.

1. WA Police Force - collect information to help with their inquiries and to recover information about certain people in relation to the law
2. Commonwealth Bank - collect information related to public account and so they can process anything related to these accounts
3. Wanneroo Council - collect information related to the public within their area. For example, client information, blueprints for houses, rubbish collection etc
4. RAC - collect information from members relating to insurances and other policies they may have. For example, client information, car insurance, roadside assistance etc
5. City of Joondalup Libraries - collect information relating to the burrowing of books and other services. For example, due dates for books, client information, locations etc

Reading Summary 1: Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom

There is little sense as to what the definition of knowledge actually is and how it relates to data, information and wisdom. The contents contained within the human brain can be categorised into five group. These being,

• Data
• Information
• Knowledge
• Understanding
• Wisdom

Data, information, knowledge and understanding all relate to the past of what has been known as well as what is currently known. Wisdom, on the other hand, relates to the future. This allows people to not only take hold of the present and past, but they can also create the future.

Reading Summary 2: The production of knowledge

Having an understanding of information and how it can be categorised, will enable you to become successful at researching information. To gain knowledge of something, you must be able to think of an idea and keep with it and pursue it further. Funding is also a major role to enable the production of knowledge in addition to time. Research is usually performed by a person who is part of a large group because they have more reliable resources. For example institutions, government agencies, universities etc.

Information Management (09/05/2008)

*As I do not have Internet Explorer at home, I was unable to complete the favourites task as the tutorial was based using Internet Explorer.

garyC

Lecture 10

The main points from this weeks lecture were

• Information formats
• Principles of organisation
• Information management
• Atom-based
• Bit-based

Tutorial 10

The main points from this weeks tutorial were

• Bookmarking on the Internet
• Favourites on the Internet
• Information relevance
• Positives and negatives of using "atoms"
• Pros and cons of using "bits"

Week 10 Tasks

This is the tutorial from the Internet on bookmarks and favourites, which we had to complete. Basically the tutorials show how to bookmark a website and how to add a website to your favourites. There are four different tutorials to complete, which guide you step by step on how to add to your favourites. In this case, the website "Blue Mountain Arts" was used.

I believe, just from reading Negroponte's webpage that his ideas and information are not relevant as they previously would have been. The ideas Negroponte has published were most likely relevant when he first publicised his ideas, however the information has not been updated since 1996 and it is now 2008. Within this twelve year period, the information and ideas could have dramatically changed numerous amount of times. As the webpage has not been updated in those twelve years, there is no way to determine whether the information and/or ideas are still relevant. There could still possibly be quite a number of ideas which would not have changed over this period of time; therefore they would still be of relevant use.

There are many pros and cons of using 'atoms'. Some of which include,

• Most information is delivered in atoms
• For example, newspapers, magazines and books
• Trade and balance sheets are recorded with atoms
• Atoms are not worth very much
• Get caught up in customs

There are many pros and cons of using 'bits'. A few of these include

• Worth more than atoms
• Weightless
• Don't get caught in customs
• CD's, videos, CD ROMS

Reading Summary 1: Grazing the Net

The potential of grazing the Internet is amazing. Ideas of cultures and human civilisation may soon become available over the Internet. Schools and governments are rushing for advice, encouragement, pressure etc. Schools and children are engaging in helpful learning indicators including,

• Authentic and disciplinary tasks
• Interactive learning
• Exploration
• Students are responsible for their own learning
• Strategic

Communications (02/05/2008)

Lecture 9

The main points for this weeks lecture were,

• Communication problems
• Examples of ICT use
• Using ICT
• Benefits of using ICT

Tutorial 9

The main points from the tutorial were,

• Searching "groups" using Google
• Investigating topics and messages
  
• Podcast
• Benefits of Podcasts for university students

Week 9 Tasks

I searched the group "Fremantle Dockers" and came up with many different groups. They included aus.sport.aussie-rules, rec.sport.football.australian etc. Each group mainly contains solutions, self opinions etc on the specific group I searched.

This is a post recorded at aus.sport.aussie-rules, which contains information about the Fremantle Dockers. Basically the information contained within the post is about the Dockers and how they can improve their performances against rival teams. Individual people are posting their opinions on how Fremantle can change the way they play the game.

This post was retrieved from rec.sport.football.australian. Although it only contains one posting, it is quite informative. The person who posted this topic is informing people about his opinion towards the new Femantle Dockers team and how their uniform disgusts him .

This is a site given to us which is used to view podcasts. The site is http://podcasts.yahoo.com/
I searched a few terms which interested me, however I was unable to view them as my computer would not allow me to.

There are many potential benefits of podcasts for university students. Having looked through the library's website, there are many podcasts available to students. For example, there are podcasts on bibliographies, journals etc. This is quite useful for university students as they are able to gain information from these podcasts about how to perform a certain task. Without podcasts, university students would have less information available to them.

Reading Summary 1: Guide to using E-mail

When using email, there are many things you need to check before you send an email. These include,

• Making sure email is the right communication tool
• Specify who should respond
• Be clear
• Provide context

When you are receiving an email, the following should be taken into account,

• Don't make assumptions about the sender
• Clarification
• Organise messages
• Beware of viruses and spam
• Don't respond straight away

Reading Summary 2: The problem with SPAM

Spam is commonly known as Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE). UBE is a form of advertising that has no cost and has the potential to destroy someones computer and email system. There is no limit on the amount of UBE's someone can send and millions can be sent at one time. The following problems can occur by UBE,

• Costs recipient money
• Time consuming
• Destroys email
• Other communication problems

Presentation Strategies (25/04/2008)

Lecture 8

The main points from this weeks lecture were,

• Tips for presentations
• Structuring a presentation
• How to prepare a presentation
• Using Microsoft PowerPoint
• How to involve the audience during a presentation

Tutorial 8

The main tutorial points were,

• Using Microsoft PowerPoint
• Presentation strategies
• Creating a PowerPoint presentation
• Principles of an effective presentation

Week 8 Tasks

In order to give a good presentation, there are five strategies to take into account. These include the following steps,

1. Planning - includes the type of talk to be given, the audience, allocated time and expectations of information
2. Preparation - research topic, develop a theme, use short sentences, presentation format
3. Outline - organise material, quality of format, use appropriate material, quality of presentation linear format
4. Practice - idea of how to talk with flow, feedback, practice parts equally, practice more then once or twice
5. Presentation - slides are orientated, have equipment needed available, don't stand behind desks, accessories, appearance

My presentation included the points of planning, preparation, outline, presenting and a summary of my presentation.

The planning of a low impact presentation shows minimal efforts in researching the topic. The presentation contains full sentences instead of short. When presenting, the audience is not involved and the time allotted is not taken into account.

Material included in a low impact presentation is usually not organised clearly and appropriate material is not always used. The presentation usually shows signs of poor quality, lack of practice and equipment is not prepared and/or available.

Low impact presentations are not university standard and will result in poor marks for the presenter. Presentations can not be constructed in a few minutes so time must be used wisely. By following the top steps for constructing a good presentation, every talk you complete will be at a high standard.

Using EndNote (18/04/2008)

Lecture 7

The main points from this lecture were,

• Introduction to EndNote
• How to use EndNote
• Citations, references, bibliographies

Tutorial 7

The main points from the tutorial were,

• How to activate EndNote
• Shown how to use EndNote
• How to include citations, references and bibliographies

Week 7 Tasks

After reviewing the online referencing guide, I have include five examples of referencing different types of electronic format material.

Article (Electronic Based)
Capper, C. (1998). Critically oriented and postmodern perspectives: Sorting out the differences and applications for practice [Electronic version]. Educational Administration Quarterly, 34(3), 345-379

Report: Electronic version
Mulligan, D., & Bick-more Brand, J. (1998, July). Outreach, access and support programs for socio-economically disadvantaged people at Curtin: A feasibility study. Retrieved November 27, 2007, from http://eesj.curtin.edu/local/documents/les.doc

Website
Harris, R.(1997). Encouraging students to use technology. Vanguard University of Southern California. Retrieved July, 24, 2000, from http://www.vanguard.edu/rharris/techuse.htm

CD-ROM
Smart, F. (2005). Travelling around Australia [CD]. Applecross, Western Australia: CD Group

Films and Videos
Deeley, M., & York, B. (Producers), & Scott, R. (Director). (1984). Bladerunner [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Brothers

Before I was able to use EndNote for the two exercises, I first had to enable the program. Once EndNote was setup, it then enabled the program to be used in Microsoft Word which was needed to complete the exercises.

Using the information in EndNote Exercise 1, I was able to transform the information from that exercise into a referencing library using EndNote (shown above). In using the referencing library I created, I was then able to go on and complete EndNote Exercise 2

This screen shot is of EndNote Exercise 2. I was able to complete this by using the referencing library shown above. The information within the library, was able to be transfered into the document by using citations as well as copying and pasting direct quotes from the available sources.

Reading Summary 1: Endnote

Endnote is able to store references you have personally added within it's program. These references can then be used as in-text and end-text references and citations, usually within Microsoft Word. You do not have to create a reference list as Endnote instantly creates one for you. Endnote ensures that the format of each reference is correct, whether it be a book, journal article or website. Endnote can be used by undergraduates to help with referencing assignments and any other assigned tasks.

Evaluation and Authentication (11/04/2008)

Lecture 6

The main points for this lecture were,

• IQ Context: The WWW
• Evaluating IQ
• Quick tips
• Indicators of Quality
• Group assignment

Tutorial 6

The main points from the tutorial were,

• Went through assignment 2
• Discussed criteria - accuracy, authorship, purpose, detail and design, overall worth
• Evaluate several websites
• Learn how to tell if websites are reliable and accurate

Week 6 Tasks

Make sure you are looking in the 'right place'

This strategy is basically mentioning about whether your search takes you to relevant information. As information is harder to find and is less accessible, you have to be careful that the page relates to your topic and the information is useful.

When in doubt, doubt
Always check for supporting evidence to your page. Any individual can publish anything on the Internet, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. You must be able to decide whether the information you are reading is accurate. If you have any doubt in doing so, the page should not be used as a reliable source of information.

Consider the source
When you access a website, you should consider the source. For example, if a website has no information on the author, you should address additional research to acquire information on the author. You should always know who is responsible for the site, the author and the type of website. For example, is the site commercial, governmental, personal or academic.

Know what's happening
Documentation should always be available no matter what type of webpage is being viewed. If there is no documentation eg. citation, the website should be avoided as an information source.
You should identify the purpose of the website and what the purpose is informing you about.

Look at details
There are many details and clues that should alert you as to the accuracy of the site you are viewing. The site should be well organised, have proper grammer skills with no spelling mistakes. Any links contained within the site should work properly and lead you to reliable information.

Distinguish Web pages from pages found on the Web
If the page doesn't appear to have been intended for the web, it most likely wasn't. You many need to be able to distinguish between magazines, trade journals and peer reviewed journals. If you believe the page was originally designed for something else, you many want to do additional research to determine what the source was designed for.

This site, which relates to the information previously mentioned above, is a very reliable resource. The information is accurate and relates to the topic with in depth information. Another tip this site reveals are the "Ten C's". These include content, credibility, critical thinking, copyright, citation, continuity, censorship, connectivity, comparability and context.

This web page is very accurate and reliable. Being from a library originally and recently updated, you will have an idea that the information will be quite recent. This site contains documentation on the author which can be used to further look into the author. The purpose of this site is to educate people on American Cultural History (1960-1969). The design is of professional standard, containing real life images and colour. Having in depth detail, including facts and links, this site overall is extremely reliable and a useful source of information.

This site has a wide variety of information accessible through many links around the site. The design/detail of this site are relevant and accurate. Having lots of colour and images makes the site look more interesting and attractive. Once again, there is documentation on the author and where the source originated from. This site is an overall reliable source containing information about the '60s.

Using Search Engines (04/04/2008)

Lecture 5

The main points from this lecture were,

• Types of search tools
• Problems with search engines
• Directories
• Common search engines
• Search engine interaction
• Search tips

Tutorial 5

The main points from this tutorial were,

• Strategies on structuring a good search
• Tips for advanced searches
• Using different search engines

Week 5 Tasks

Four strategies that will help me to structure a good search in my Learning Log include,

• Search using a web directory rather then a search engine. This will hopefully make my search results more specific to what I am searching
• Read the 'help' files, if any, and use any available search refining objects
• Use simple phrases and words, not sentences
• Enter the smallest possible subset that describes what I want to search

To locate my answers, I used various search engines and simple phrases so my results were as specific as possible. I used the plus (+) key as well as the double quotations (" "). Using these key functions, my results were narrowed down a substantial amount compared to if I wrote whole sentences. The answers were very effective as they all turned out to be correct.

Throughout this module, I have learnt alot about information found on the Internet. I know that alot of information on the web is fake so I have to be careful when researching. When researching for information, the best way to do so is by using simple phrases and making it as specific as you can. This makes your search results more relevant to your topic.

Reading Summary 1: Robert Harris - Web Search Strategies

The Internet has a wide variety of information from over a billion websites. Using creativity, patience and a few search engines, information is usually very easy to locate. When using creativity, you must use synonyms to generate words. You must not give up if you don't find anything useful after five minutes. Keep searching by refining your keywords and phrases each time. Also, using more then one search engine will give greater results.

Reading Summary 2: The History of the Internet - Search Engines

The first search engine used to find and retrieve computer files was developed in 1990. Directories are determined as lists of site and are like a catalogue. Google and Yahoo are two of over a thousand search engines and are the most used. These search engines are very useful, however the way the information is categorised and the search functions that are provided affect their usefulness.

Reading Summary 3: Search Engines Optimisation for Companies

Keyword analysis is used with several sources to provide you with information into the popularity of your keywords, eg misspellings in relation to your topic

Benchmark includes ranking your relevant phrases in search results and how many pages come up in your results

Measuring your progress is carried out when we provide regular reporting on your search engine campaign

Using the WWW (28/03/2008)

Lecture 4

The main points from this weeks lecture were,

• Difference between the Internet and the Web
• Definition of WWW
• Information about the WWW
• Internet browsers
• How to use Internet Explorer on Windows Vista

Tutorial 4

The main weeks from the tutorial were,

• Browsing through the Internet
• Using different Internet browsers
• Identifying what information on the Internet is fake
• Researching a topic through Google to find information

Week 4 Tasks

This website tries to appear authentic by including items such as realistic pictures, having an up-to-date time frame, links etc. However, there are clues which gives the site away as being fake. These include,

• Pictures in the gallery
• Grammar used in descriptions
• Quotes including "Thank you for hunting with us" and " Peace descends once more on the haggis moors"

This site appears authentic as it has a proper colour scheme, logos, links and pictures. Athough it looks authentic, this website appears quite fake. Some clues to show this include,

• More than one language
• Links sound unrealistic
• Site isn't professionally set out
• Quotes including "Naval academy goes gangbusters"

I believe the following web address www.martinlutherking.org is about an organisation relating to Martin Luther King. I gathered this information from the link above. I know it is going to be an organisation as the website end in 'org'. The URL says 'martinlutherking' which gives me the knowledge of being about him.

I was surprised to find this website was exactly as I thought it would be. The website has links relating to Martin Luther King, including his history, death, civil rights and book suggestions although, this site is very bias. I did however, expect there to be more information about him compared to what I visualised.

After researching on the Internet about Martin Luther King, I realised the website I first visited was actually quite informative and contained a decent amount of information about him. Once I clicked on all the available links and had a browse, I learnt a whole lot more about his life.

Reading Summary 1: A brief history of the Internet

Ever since the Internet was invented, the computer and communications world has evolved dramatically. The Internet, available world wide, is used for gathering information, research and connections between people and their computers. The Internet is one of most successful benefits made available to the world

Reading Summary 2: History of the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (WWW) is basically a whole lot of sites that are able to be searched and retrieved by a protocol known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The WWW was invented in 1989 and a year later was developed into a browser program, with WWW sticking as its name. The Internet enables communication and transmission between computers at various locations. Computers and the Internet are highly scientific and a discussion between historians about the cause of inventions. This discussion lead to two main points,

• are inventions 'science' led
• are they determined by the material environment

The second main points were,

• are inventions determined by supply constraints
• are they called forth by demand