Report
1:
Monitoring My Information Behavior
By:
Leanna Bergeron
Instructions
for this report are at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/409a-g22-report1.htm
It is truly amazing what
can be learned about oneself through the observation of others. As I read
through the reports of students previously enrolled in Professor James’ class I
realized two things: 1. these “tasks” were not going to be as easy as I suspected
and 2. there is much I can learn from previous
students.
Task 1: Registering on the Web
as a lab user and writing Section A of Report 1
Section A
Hae Lin Han (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2003/han/report1.htm)
wrote “Instead of doing what was
suggested, I briefly went over the requirements for the course and proceeded
with task one.” Upon my analysis of the way she performed her task I rendered
the following conclusions:
i. Due to her haste in reading over class material, she became
quickly frustrated with the class material
ii. She thought the course work for the class would be “too much”
for her to handle. She also began to realize some of her own shortcoming such
as taking on something before understanding the full breadth of her
undertaking.
iii. Through performing various tasks Hae
Lin began to take notice of characteristics about herself that she did not find
desirable, and she began to work to change these. She learned where in her task
she made errors and made mental notes about how to correct that behavior; such
as slowing down and reading all directions in their entirety.
iv. Hae Lin learned “my behavior process involves both my cognitive and
affective assessments in any given situation such as learning new information.”
She learned how her cognitive self interacts with and responds to any new
situation or task. She also learned that it is important to attempt to control
her affective self (her emotions and feelings) and to not let it override the
task and make it seemingly harder than it really is.
v. This
report really struck me because I am a stickler for reading over things too
fast and missing some important details. Like Hae Lin
I too made a mistake in my first e-mail to Dr. James. Her report along with my
own mistake has made me just a little more aware of how important it is to read
instructions thoroughly.
I again look to Hae Lin Han and her writing about her Report 2 (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2003/han/report2.htm)
to see a reflection of my own self.
i. She
writes “when facing new information, if I am intrigued I am more likely to
expand my thinking and elaborate on my ideas.” She felt more confident
performing tasks she was interested in.
ii. She
thought that she was better at retrieving information from her short-term
memory if it was of some interest to her iii.
Hae Lin expressed that she could better deal with her
errors if they were involved with topics she enjoyed
iv. She
concluded that if she can find something about a topic that interests her she
will be better able to discuss that topic
v. Hae Lin’s
insight in section iv. greatly reflects my own self.
If I am interested in a topic or can find something interesting about a topic
my work on that topic will be much more indepth and
personalized than my work on a subject I consider, for lack of a better word,
boring.
At the beginning of
her Driving Psychology class with Dr. James Jacquelyn Lim (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2003/lim/report1.htm)
believed the class would be a breeze and the tasks would be ludicrously simple.
The following assessment shows her realization of and reaction to the
difficulties of the tasks.
i.
Jacquelyn initially felt pretty confident with herself. She did not foresee the
class or the tasks as showing any degree of difficulty.
ii. “The
tasks which looked pretty much innocuous actually turned out to be very
detailed and somewhat repetitive,” is what Jacquelyn recalls about her initial
view of the tasks. She initially believed the tasks would be easy but soon
learned otherwise.
iii. Jacquelyn
did not send her e-mail to Dr. James correctly, she also was not initially
willing to accept and learn from her mistakes
iv. She
learned that she needed to read the directions for Dr. James’ tasks very
carefully or something would definitely be overlooked. She also learned that it
was ok to make mistakes and that what was most important was that she learned
something from her mistakes.
v. As I
stated earlier I had some problems with my first e-mail to Dr. James so I can
sympathize with Jacquelyn. I again see the importance of reading all of Dr.
James’ instructions.
In my last report analysis I chose
something a little different than reviewing the wrong-doings of past students.
In reading through the reports the one by G. Andrews (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/gandrews/report2.html) (there was no first name listed on the
report so I will refer to the author as G.A.) caught my attention because it
focused on some important lessons G.A. learned through “his” tasks.
i. G.A.
felt that the help of others in the cyber community really assisted him in his
class work. However he also expresses his views on the lack of privacy and
protection on the net.
ii. He
thought working as a cyber “Team” could be beneficial. “Working as a group we can jump the technohurdles
of the net, higher and faster, collectively.”
iii. G.A. acknowledged that there was an abundance of information to
be found on the internet but he also recognized that nothing is being done to
protect info and prevent plagerism.
iv.
G.A. concluded that everything is
fair game on the internet
v. I really enjoyed G.A.’s piece because
it made me much more aware about the material I am posting on the internet in
the contents of my webpage.
Task 2: Locating two specific journal
articles in electronic resources on the web and writing Section C of Report 1
Section B
Article 1
Abstract: The research presented in
this paper uses memory work as a method to explore six women's collective
constructions of two embodied practices, sweating and pain. The paper
identifies limitations in the ways in which social constructionist research has
theorized the relationship between discourse and materiality, and it proposes
an approach to the study of embodiment which enjoins, rather than bridges, the
discursive and the non-discursive. The paper presents an analysis of 25
memories of sweating and pain which suggests that Cartesian dualism is central
to the women's accounts of their experiences. However, such dualism does not
operate as a stable organizing principle. Rather, it offers two strategies for
the performance of a split between mind and body. The paper
traces the ways in which dualism can be both functional and restrictive, and
explores the tensions between these two forms. The paper concludes by identifiying opportunities and limitations associated with
memory work as a method for studying embodiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Persistent link to this
record: http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=12787719
My Summary: One of the main concepts of
this paper is the ways Cartesian dualism affects the sense of a relationship
between the mind and the body. The paper discusses the memories women have of
their reactions to sweating and pain. The mind/body dualism theory shows two
dimensions. In one the mind and body work together to control the situation. In
the other the mind and body are separate entities and neither can control the
other. The researchers use their findings to analyze the relationship between a
sense of body and mind and social workings. I found this article somewhat difficult
to follow, yet very interesting. It was interesting because it made me think
about my body and mind working together and as separate entities.
Article
2
The year 1988 marked the tricentennial of the birth
of the Swedish scientist, theologian, and revelator Emanuel Swedenborg.
Swedenborg and His Influence consists
of 25 papers originally presented at a symposium held by the Academy of the
Persistent link to this
record: http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9604085487
My Summary: This article is basically
a book review of the book Swedenborg
and his Influence. The book is a story of the life and work of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg was a
scientist, inventor, navigator, and writer. His works were great contributions
to many fields. The book contains 8 sections dedicated to different times on Swedenborg’s life. Although I am sure Emanuel Swedenborg was a great man, this book review does little to
spark my interest.
Section
C
M. Heather Piper (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409as2003/piper/g18research.htm)
i. M. Heather Piper stated
that at the beginning of every task we all feel a little fear about just what
the task will entail
ii. She thought it was easy to get frustrated with all the
information available on the internet. She also thinks that computers can be a
large source of frustration as they do not always cooperate as we would like
them to.
iii. To better understand using the internet
Piper took an ICS class and she states, “Not
until I took an ICS class did I understand how to search using search engines.”
iv. She
concluded that through practice and learning we can all become better internet
searchers and through time we will be able to easily rule out non-valid
information.
v. Piper’s
insights applied to my performance on this task because even though the
instructions to use the electronic database were seemingly easy I had a little
difficulty navigating to the articles I desired. I screwed up a few times and
had to retrace steps or re-login. I’m sure there was an easier way to obtain
the information.
Sean Arakaki (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bs2003/arakaki/research.htm)
i. Sean
felt it was important for him to be up to par with his classmates
ii. He
writes, “I have the mentality that if you can do it, so can I.” He thought that
as long as others were sticking it out it was possible for him to do so.
iii. To
ensure he would show up to class every week Sean concocted a sort of imaginary
competition between himself and the other students.
iv. Sean
concluded that every person has their own individual reasons for performing
certain tasks, whether that is attending class or searching for info on the
net.
v. I am a
self-motivator and often use an internal competition with my peers to motivate
me to complete a task.
Ryan Mitsui (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/459f96/rmitsui/409/reports/report2.html)
i. Ryan
felt it is important to perform tasks as soon as possible.
ii. He
thought that the best way to get through the tasks and the semester was to ask
for help when needed and “get the reports out of the way.”
iii. Ryan
learned how to save time by saving parts of the reports that don’t need a
computer for at home. He also says that learning to use copy and paste were
extremely helpful to him.
iv. Ryan’s conclusion is to be patient with the course work and
yourself.
v. I found Ryan’s
advice very helpful. I tend to wait until the last minute to do work and
sometimes become easily frustrated when something doesn’t make sense to me….as
happened when I initially read the article on dualism. Once I became patient
and read slowly I was better able to get a grasp on the jest of the article.
Christine Marchadie (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/march/409/report2.html)
i. Christine
says “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to learn the internet in a
cyber-community as this. It gives the other students as well as myself a chance to learn from each other and about each
other.”
ii. She
thought that in order to be successful in the class it is important to not put
it (the reports) off for a long time. She says staying on task is important.
iii. To
learn about the net Christine just sat down one night and started surfing. She
found it very easy to find information about anything and everything.
iv. Christine
concluded that although the course work is not that difficult (in hindsight) we
should not wait until the last minute to do the work.
v. I am
learning more and more how important it is to not wait until the last minute
for these things…..I should have read these reports sooner. J
Task 3: Shopping for a
specified type of mailbox on the web and writing Section E of report 1
Section
D
http://www.mailboxes-unlimited.com/
Mailbox
Dimensions and Prices - Free Shipping.
Small: 19"L x 6"W x 9"H at $98.99
Medium: 21"L x 8"W x 11"H at $139.99
Section E
Renae
Mendez (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409bs2003/mendez/researchreport.htm)
i. Renae felt that we all go through
some sort of frustration when it comes to internet searching
ii. She thought low stress levels are motivators while high levels
of stress lead to anxiety. This could also inhibit a person’s ability to search
effectively on the internet.
iii. In her report Renae analyzed the
different ways people from previous generations went about searching for info
on the net. She then recorded their findings. She also completed
self-observation forms on her own ability to search the net
iv. Renae found that her average
responses to the self-evaluation forms were generally representative of her
feelings towards the subject she was searching.
v. I found Renae’s report very
interesting and enlightening. It seems perfectly logical that the amount of
time and effort we put into researching a subject depends heavily on our
feelings about the subject. In the case of this task I became frustrated more
easily because I really was not interested in trying to find a mailbox on the
web.
Shane Cobb-Adams (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/459f96/cobb/psy409a/report2.html)
i. Shane felt it was possible for people
to survive Dr. James’ class. J
ii. He thought it important for us in the new generation to
remember that some of the best information we can get about the class is right
there on the web disguised as the reports of previous generations.
iii. Shane looked at developmental patterns for learning the
internet. He reported how the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor
self all interact as we are learning to use and using the internet.
iv. Shane concluded that he benefited greatly from reading the
failures and successes of previous generations. He also believed we need to use
our complete three fold self to accomplish internet tasks.
v. Reading the notes from previous generations has made me
thankful for a couple of things. First, I am thankful that I was pretty much
raised with the internet and I enrolled in Dr. James’ class already knowing how
to search for things. I am also thankful for new technology because as
technology improves searching for things such as a copper mailbox become easier
and easier.
G. Andrews (www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/gandrews/report1.htm)
i. In Andrews’ Report 1 he writes that he initially became
easily frustrated with the assigned work.
ii. He though that one of the best things about working on the
internet and in the cyber community was that there were always others “around”
who could be consulted for help.
iii. Andrews worked with a classmate to solve dilemmas and through
cooperation they achieved greater results at a faster pace.
iv. Andrews concluded that by cooperation and efficient work habits
it is totally possible to successfully finish the reports and feel that sense
of great pride!
v. I have had some experiences with working with others in this
class. Amy and I are always exchanging e-mails and asking each other questions
about just what we should be doing. Sometimes I find that I can only stumble
upon a correct way to do something if I am trying to find it out to tell Amy.
Michelle Alonzo (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/malonzo/report2.html)
i. Michelle
says that the best feeling was when she finally got the hang of using the
internet.
ii. Initially
she thought learning to use the internet was one of the most difficult things
she had ever had to do.
iii. During
the summer between her two courses with Dr. James Michelle managed to “forget”
a lot of what she needed to know for the class. To refresh her memory she
turned to her friend Carol for help.
iv. Michelle
concluded that help is really important in this class and asking for help and
helping others are some of the best ways to learn.
v. Here I
reiterate what I wrote earlier about having a buddy in the class. In my other
psych classes I have met up with former students of Dr. James who have also
been more than willing to give me advice on how to successfully conquer the
class.
Task 4: Acquiring FTP
software, and creating and uploading a Home Page and writing Section F of
report 1
Section F
Carol Ohta (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/cohta/459/report2.html)
i. When
Carol Ohta began creating her files she said, “…I
didn't know where to start or where to go.” She felt confused and somewhat
intimidated by the material.
ii. She initially thought she should just learn from the work of
previous generations.
iii. After
consulting Dr. James Carol began simply copying and pasting the information she
needed onto her files.
iv. Carol
concluded that if you are like her and computer illiterate, you should spend as
much time on the computer as possible. She says it is also important to ask for
help if you don’t understand.
v. When I
first began to create my files and upload the FTP information I was a little
lost. I am actually still trying to figure out why my folder, although it shows
up when I login, is not posting on the class website. I e-mailed Dr. James
about that just a few minutes ago.
Carol Ohta (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/cohta/409/409report1.html#Reaction%20to%20the%20Internet)
i. As Carol
Ohta was reviewing the home pages of previous
generations she says she felt excited to see the creativity of previous
students.
ii. She
thought looking at other home pages was interesting because “…one can view and
see the step by step creative ideas of each student as they created their own
homepage.”
iii. In her
report Carol reviewed and recorded her reactions to the home pages of previous
generations. She also listed her thoughts and opinions.
iv. Carol
concluded that although the course was a little rough, she is now addicted to
acquiring information off of the internet and will take another course with Dr.
James.
v. I have
looked to the homepages of others in my generation and previous generations to
gain insight on just how my report should be put together. I think my success
in this class depends heavily on my learning from others.
Michelle Alonzo (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/malonzo/report1.html)
i. Michelle
also reviewed the home pages of previous classes and felt confident that it is
possible to survive and be successful in Dr. James’ class.
ii. She thought looking to past generations’ work was fun and
interesting.
iii. In her
report Michelle shares her views on the cyber world. She hoped that the work of
her generation would help future generations.
iv. Michelle
concluded that as frustrating as the net can be, there are numerous advantages
to the cyber world.
v. Again I
relate to Michelle through my review of previous generations. Just reading all
the difficulties previous generations had makes me grateful. Many in my
generation are already very computer and internet literate.
Jill Umetsu (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/jumetsu/report2.html)
i. Jill,
like many others felt scared at the initial prospect of getting online and
creating files on computers.
ii. She
thought one way to conquer the fear of computers is to work to change your attitude
about computers and the net. “Eventually you will actually like using the
Internet and view it as something wonderful.”
iii. Jill
didn’t find setting up her home page too difficult. She just followed Dr.
James’ directions step-by-step.
iv. Jill concluded,
“I think that the initial stage of doubt and negative feeling is due to
ignorance of how to work the computer except for word processing.”
v. I was
frustrated just as Jill was, and also like Jill once I began to follow Dr.
James’ directions the task became easier. I, too, am a little ignorant about
creating web pages from scratch.
Section G
Carol Ohta (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/cohta/409/409report2.html)
i. Carol
expresses some feelings of guilt for procrastinating on posting her web page. She
knows she should have started earlier on her reports.
ii. Carol
thinks that by reading through difficulties previous generations had it is
possible to avoid some minute mistakes.
iii. Carol worked
really hard to finish up all her reports on time, but because of her
procrastination she ran into some trouble.
iv. “…this class isn't to relax.” She concludes
that it is important to stay on task and on time with Dr. James’ reports
v. I am a procrastinator and although I know this to be true
there are times- such as now- that I still choose to procrastinate.
My feelings of guilt stem from the fact that by waiting until the last minute I
put unneeded stress on my family. I become frustrated and stressed out and they
feel the brunt.
Jacquelyn Lim (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2003/lim/report2.htm)
i. Jacquelyn also became frustrated with herself and the course
work. She let her mind get ahead of her and was concerned with working as
quickly as possible.
ii. She re-thought her actions (such as throwing her mouse across
the room). She thought about how she could have acted differently and as a
result accomplished more while keeping control of herself.
iii. Jacquelyn became more conscious of her behaviors. She analyzed
all situations and tried to react as calmly as possible.
iv. Jacquelyn concluded that by taking her time and thinking things
through she was able to gain positive results in her work.
v. Sometimes I have to take a breather and reassess the way I am
working. Things such as readjusting my sitting position (if I am hunched up
over the keyboard) or getting up for a sip of water can clear my mind and allow
me to think better and work more efficiently.
Hansjurg (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/hansjurg/reports/Report2a.html)
*Just to clarify I could not
get the full correct name for this person so I am using his name given in the
web address
i. This student felt that although there is a bounty of
information on the net, it can at times be too much information. Searching to
find certain topics can be too time consuming.
ii. He thought that students often go further than necessary in
their quest to find information. He warns of avoiding computer/internet
addiction.
iii. In his report, Hansjurg wrote about
problems previous generations experienced while using the internet.
iv. Like many others before him, Hansjurg
concludes that procrastination is a key element that can make doing Dr. James’
projects much more difficult than they have to be.
v. I found it somewhat difficult to navigate though posting my
home page on the web. There are a lot of links and folders and buttons and if
you hit the wrong one…whew…you’re screwed.
Shawna Honeycutt (http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/409af96/honeycut/report2.html)
i. Shawna felt relieved when she came
to the part of the report in which she could just enter the information.
ii. She thought that everything she had gone through in the first
four weeks of her course prepared her for the posting of her information
iii. Shawna finished out the rest of her
project with ease as she had gotten through the hard part of understanding
exactly what she was doing.
iv. Shawna concludes that success in Dr.
James’ class is possible if you “…just keep trying.”
v. I have had some difficult road blocks during my work on this
report. I have yet to give up, though. Now that I am approaching the end I can
begin to see the light.
Section H
I am here at the end of the road of Report one, preparing
to write a summary on just what the report is about, and I am at a loss for
words. I am not completely sure I understand just what the report is about. In
one respect, I believe Dr. James wanted us to learn how to create a webpage.
Much of the report deals with creating and uploading files and formatting information
for the web. On the other hand I believe Dr. James also wanted to make us
frustrated. By this I mean the tasks in Report 1 were seemingly mundane and
easy. Upon close inspection, however, I came to see that these tasks required
more work and thought that I initially gave them credit for. That being said I
think Dr. James wanted us to take note of how our threefold self responded to
each task. He wanted us to notice how we reacted physically, what we thought,
and finally what actions we took to complete each task. So after writing all
this down I have come to the conclusion that Report 1 was about us getting to
know and understand our whole selves just a little better.
From this report I have learned that I am overall a pretty
calm person. At times I can become agitated, but I do well to calm myself down
and focus on the task at hand. I have also learned a little more about the
internet. I will admit it has been fun creating my webpage. There is something
about a finished product that gives me just a little feeling of pride in
myself.
Section I
I have thought about what advice I would give to future generations
concerning Report 1. I have read through many reports of previous students and
one thing they all stressed is to avoid procrastination. I believe at this stage
in the game (i.e. college) avoiding procrastination is a given. That being said
the advice I will give is as follows.
1. Read all directions in order, don’t
skip and perform each step as it is written
2. Take your time and don’t try to rush
through the tasks
3. Don’t read too much into what is
written….Dr. James’ instructions tend to be wordy and repetitive (no
offense Dr. James)
4.
Be creative…I believe there is something about trying
to be creative or different that can bring out the best
In
us all
Finally,
don’t be afraid to ask questions from your classmates or Dr. James. I have
e-mailed him countless times recently and he is pretty good about responding
back. Good luck!
Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/classhome-g22.htm
My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2005/bergeron/home.htm