Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities.

Some online communities that I am currently apart of are a group on facebook called W.O.T2010, bloggr.com and you tube.

Here are their links and information around each 'community'

W.O.T2010  

 http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=329891927890

W.O.T2010 is a facebook group created by our class of Occupational Therapy students at the beginning of year 1 and continues today. It stands for Wintec Occupational Therapy 2010. It's great!! It holds a purpose of being able to interact with class mates around any assignment quiries, comments on how papers are going, info on exam dates, classroom changes and basically anything around occupational therapy and being a student in general.

This is a very interactive site which provides the opportunity to contribute to online discussions, post and read the notice board display of announcements, and also post videos and photos with room for discussion and comments.

I think students choose to join W.O.T2010 because they all have the common ground of being Occupational Therapy students doing the same course. I think they generally seek information that might help them with assignments, exams, content they may have missed in class and the opportunity to connect with students outside of class. The information shared via W.O.T2010 is reciprocal as everyone has the opportunity to contribute and voice opinions, concerns, and queries.

Here is an example of a discussion topic posted by a student regarding a querie in a assignment.

Anyone know what this one is about?

(b) The student must also submit three criteria which they will use to evaluate their use of educational theory during the teaching session.


Some ethical issues that may arise in this community could be the opportunity for putdowns and cyber bullying as students can post or discuss anything they please. The photos and videos posted could also pose ethical threats as there is no informing of consent or privacy acts.

Bloggr.com

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5542815411517651491


Well obviously the purpose of my involvement in blogger.com is based around me as an occupational therapy student completing a paper called Participation in Occupation. What you see so far is the purpose blogger.com and what it has to offer.


Blogger.com is an interactive site as my viewers can follow my posts and comment as they please. Anyone can look at my blogs and contribute by commenting on my photos, videos and posts.

People choose to contribute to blogger.com because many people post topics of interest that appeal and intrigue readers. Bloggers also get the chance to express opinions, tell people what’s happening in their lives and open the doors to friendship networks. Information is very much reciprocal as both the blogger and the viewer can interact with each other and share thoughts and comment.

The content on all of my posts are examples of the types of topics that may lead to discussion and comments on my blog.

Ethical issues that may arise are a lack of accountability for breaching privacy/copy right acts regarding photos and videos being posting and also content being posted may be offensive to others.

Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3RO5uBZtJY&NR=1

YouTube is an awesome site that is used by millions of people globally. The intended purpose of this site is to broadcast anything and everything. Some videos are used to educate, teach, inform, entertain, humiliate, frustrate anger and sadden its viewers.

YouTube is also an interactive site where viewers can contribute by pushing the ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ button and comment on video clips.


I think people choose to contribute to YouTube for many reasons. If you have an interest or hobby..search it and you will find it. It is also a good way to waste time watching endless amounts of videos if your procrastinating on doing assignments ;P Although I do find it useful to research study related topic such as schizophrenia or  OT related things. People also posts videos of themselves in hope of making it famous. An example of this is the following video posted by a couple who are on the rise to being famous simply by starting off on YouTube!!

Ethical issues may include posting offensive material based on religion and war between countries etc. Although you must be 18 years of age to view some of the videos..It’s extremely easy to tick the ‘Yes I’m 18’ box and enter explicit sites.