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Report 1:
Monitoring
My Information Behavior
By Ynhu Le
Instructions for this report are at:
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy21/409a-g21-report1.htm
Section A: My Interpretation of the Pre-Ratings for Task
1
At first
glance, I noticed that the Pre-ratings assignment for Task 1 is actually the
same one that I did on the first day of class. I found it difficult to answer
some of the questions even though there are no right or wrong answers. I felt a
bit unsure of myself while doing the Pre-ratings because I was basically
predicting my performance on the task before I even completed it. I ended up
guessing to the best of my ability. I cannot wait to compare the answers when I
get to the Post-ratings part of the task. I gave high ratings for questions
relating to my confidence in performing the task successfully because I think
this first task is fairly easy. Since I don't expect to run into any sort of
problems while completing the task, I gave low ratings on the levels of stress
and frustration I expect while completing Task 1. I also gave positive ratings
to the question pertaining to what it's like to live with computers and the
Internet because I love working with computers. I think computers and the
Internet can provide a person with endless opportunities to acquire new and
interesting skills.
Section B: My Interpretation for the Post-Ratings for
Task 1
I
think the purpose of doing the Post-ratings is to allow myself to look back at
what I did for my task and be able to evaluate my performance and provide
opinions about the task. I kept track of how long it actually took me to
complete Task 1 and I actually went over about 20 minutes from what I had predicted
early on. I am not very surprised by that fact because I took a lot of time
re-checking my work to see that I had followed all the directions carefully.
That is just me being excessively worried as usual. I think that I should be
getting used to the routine and know what to expect by the time I work on Task
2. I had an easy time registering on the web as a lab user for Task 1.
Therefore, I kept my high ratings in terms of my confidence in completing the
task successfully for the Post-ratings. I also noticed that everything else was
similar because the process turned out just as I expected. However, I found it
a bit frustrating to provide an explanation for each question on the
Post-ratings without sounding too repetitive.
Section C: My Interpretation of the Pre-Ratings for Task
2
I
was a bit disappointed that the questions on the Pre-ratings for Task 2 were
exactly the same as Task 1. Since that is the case, I felt pressured to come up
with creative explanations for the questions on the Pre-ratings because I
wanted to avoid saying the same things over and over again. Besides that, maybe
I should be glad that I know exactly what to expect on the ratings for upcoming
tasks. I put down that I expected Task 2 to take around 2 hours long because I
took into consideration that I might run into some problems searching for the
journal articles online. For instance, I had a previous experience in the past
where the library server was down so I couldn't do any searches. I noticed that I gave high ratings on
questions pertaining to completing the task successfully because I can easily
ask somebody to teach me how to use the library website to search for journal
articles so I shouldn't have any problems there. Once again, I don't expect to
experience much stress or frustration while completing the task. Fairly similar
to Task 1, I gave positive ratings on my opinion of what it's like to live with
computers and the Internet. I also noticed that my opinion on that question
highly correlates with me being very supportive of the computer systems and
software that I will be using while completing the task.
Section D: Two Journal Articles Found for Task 2
Article #1: British Journal of Social Psychology; Mar2004, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p99, 14p, 1 diagram
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 identifying opportunities and limitations associated with memory work as a method for studying embodiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Persistent link to this article: http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,uid&db=aph&an=12787719
My Summary:
This
article talks about a research conducted using memory work to study memory
recalls of sweating and pain from six women. It also claims that there are
limitations to the theory proposed by the social constructionists about the
relationship between spoken or written expression and abstract things, such as
a feeling or an emotion. In other words, they are saying that sometimes, it is
not possible for a person to use the exact words to describe a feeling or an
emotion. The memory analysis suggested that Cartesian dualism is central to the
women's recollection of their experiences. Cartesian dualism was Descartes'
principle of the separation of the mind and body. The results also showed that
Cartesian dualism actually exists in two forms: functional and restrictive.
This article also talks about how it is not always valid to use memory work for
studying embodiment or giving a concrete form to an abstract concept.
I think this
article sounds very interesting although it has nothing to do with what we are
learning in this class. This article is written in a way that is hard for me to
comprehend so I had to read it over a couple of times. I tried my best to
interpret the main concepts of this article and I hope I did it correctly. I
don't agree with the Cartesian dualism principle because I don't believe that
the mind and body is totally separate, there has to be some sort of small
working link between the two.
Article #2: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion;
Jun90, Vol. 29 Issue 2, p277, 2p
Reviews
the book 'Swedenborg and His Influence,' Edited by Erland J. Brock et al.
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 article: http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,uid&db=rlh&an=9604085487
My Summary:
This
article gives a review of a book titled "Swedenbrog and His
Influence" edited by Erland J. Brock et al. Swedenbrog as a prominent
scientist and theologian in Europe during the eighteenth century. This article
also talks about Swedenbrog's published work and his major life
accomplishments.
Once again, I
am a bit surprised that this article has nothing to do with what we are
learning in class. I guess the purpose of this task is to allow the students to
use their computer skills to look up journal articles online. I have never
heard of the name Emanuel Swedenborg before so it was interesting to learn a
little about him through this article.
Section E: My Interpretation of the Post-Ratings for
Task 2
I
think put in more effort for this task than I did for Task 1. I am glad that I
didn’t run into any problem while obtaining the journal articles so I was able
to complete the task faster than I had predicted. Most of my ratings are the
same for the Pre-ratings and the Post-ratings. The one major difference is the
question that asks about how I attribute my success to completing the task. At
first, I thought that I might need to ask the librarian for help in searching
for the journal articles online, but it turns out that I could do it on my own.
It was fairly easy because I knew the exact descriptions of the journal
articles that I was searching for. As for the question about my opinion on what
it's like to live with computers and the Internet, I gave the same ratings as in
the Pre-ratings. It could be that haven't changed my opinion about computers or
I probably had the answers memorized by now since it's a repetitive process. I
also noticed that I toke longer time to do the Post-ratings because I would run
out of things to say for my explanations.
Section F: My Interpretation of the Pre-Ratings for Task
3
I estimated
that Task 3 would be a lot faster than Task 2 because it seems to be easier. I
gave really high ratings in terms of my confidence and enthusiasm in getting
the task done correctly because I think shopping for a mailbox online should be
easy. Besides, I love to shop for anything. I answered the rest of the
questions very much similar to the way I felt in the previous tasks. The
questions for the Pre-ratings are still the same so I am a bit frustrated in
having to answer the same questions repeatedly. I feel tempted just to copy and
paste the same answers from all the Pre-ratings that I did in my previous
tasks. However, I think that doing the Pre-ratings before each task can be very
helpful. It is a way for me to establish some goals prior to doing the task
itself. With a clear plan in mind, it can help me stay focus on getting the
task done successfully. Doing the Pre-ratings also forces me think and be able
to evaluate myself. I am free to say anything because I don't have to worry
about providing the wrong answers.
Section G: Shopping for a Specified Type of Mailbox on
the Web
This
mailbox can be found at: http://www.mailboxesresidential.com/store/myProducts.cfm?categoryID=9
Specifications:
·
Postmount
·
Non-locking
·
Decorative:
Hummingbird
·
Copper Exterior
·
Dimensions: 8 3/4" Wide x 10" Tall x 19 1/2" Deep
·
$129.99
S
Section H: My Interpretation of the Post-Ratings for
Task 3
This
Post-ratings assignment allows me to look back at Task 3 and to evaluate
myself. I kept tract how long it took me to complete Task 3 and it actually
took shorter than I expected. I think that was the case because it only took me
a short while to find the mailbox that I was looking for. The task seemed easy
because I am very familiar with searching for things online using various
search engines such as Yahoo and Google. The ratings that I gave earlier for
questions relating to stress and frustration were lower than the ratings that I
gave on the Pre-ratings because I actually enjoyed doing this task very much
and I didn't run into any sort of problems. My predictions for the rest of the questions
were correct. By now, I have learned how to pace myself better and I have
gained a better understanding of what to expect for each task.
Section I: My Interpretation of the Pre-Ratings for Task
4
In
the Pre-ratings for Task 4, I have indicated that I might have a difficult time
with this task because I have never created a home page before. I have no idea
what to expect. Although I am supportive of the computer systems and software
that I will be using for this task, I am still worried that I might not be able
to get the FTP software to work on my computer. Despite all my worries, I
really look forward to completing this task. I am very excited to learn how to
use the FTP software to create and upload my very first home page. That is
obviously shown by the high ratings that I have given for questions pertaining
to motivation and optimism for this particular task. I also gave higher ratings
for questions about stress, pressure, and frustration compared to my previous
tasks because I am very well aware that Task 4 would be the most difficult task
in Report 1. I put down that my success will be attributed to mostly my own
skills, but we will see how that goes. If I ever run into any problems while
uploading my home page, I plan to ask one of my friends for help. This is one
of those times where I wish I have taken an ICS course. Overall, I did not put
down as many high ratings as the previous tasks because I am not very confident
that I will complete this task successfully.
Section J: My Interpretation of the Post-Ratings for
Task 4
I am very glad
that I got through with Task 4. I ran into some problems while uploading my
files onto my home page so I asked my friend for some help. I also ran into
another problem where I kept getting disconnected from the FTP program. It took
me twice as long as I expected to complete the task. I gave a high rating for
the question that asks about how upset I would be if I found out that I did not
complete the task properly because. I would be very upset because I put a lot
of time and effort into this task. If I didn't get this task done properly, I
might not be able to finish the rest of Report 1. I gave similar ratings for my
feelings toward computers and the Internet even after running into some problems
because it wasn't the computer's fault that my home page didn't work properly
in the beginning. I gave pretty high ratings for questions relating to stress
and frustration because I was really worried that I might not complete Task 4
on time. I was working on this task at a very last minute even though I knew
that this task would be the most difficult. If I had started on this task
earlier, I wouldn't have been that stressed out about it. I wouldn't say that I
have fully grasped the idea of how to create a home page by now, but I am
getting there. I just need some more practice.
Section K: My Interpretation of the Pre-Ratings for Task
5
I think Task 5
should be fairly easy to do because it’s basically requiring me to write a
short summary for Report 1. This is the very last Pre-ratings that I need to do
for Report 1. I feel a bit relieved in a way because I know that I’m getting
closer to the end. It is about time because I start to run out of things to
say! Even though the Pre-ratings were repetitive, I still think they were
beneficial. The Pre-ratings helped me prepare myself for the present task. I
think that without the Pre-ratings, I wouldn’t know what to expect or be able
to stay focused on the task at hand. As usual, I was fairly confident that I
would be able to complete the Task 5 successfully. I terms of how I feel about
computers and the Internet, I still feel that they are very useful and
reliable. I gave a high rating on the question that asked me how upset I would
feel if I found out that I did not complete this task properly. I think I would
be very upset because this is the very last task for Report 1. If I cannot get
this task done properly, I won’t be able to post my Report 1 on the web.
Section L: Summary of Report 1
Report
1 was sort of like a self-monitoring project. The Pre-ratings and Post-ratings
helped me stay on task throughout the whole Report 1. Now that I am done with
the whole report, I feel that I have achieved a great accomplishment. I’m glad
to know that my report will be used by future generations, by students from
other places surfing the Web, by researchers interested in data on information
behavior, and by the general public looking for ways to improve their
information literacy skills. For the past five weeks, I have gained technical
competence in Web publishing and report writing. It was a fun and interesting
experience. By doing this report, I hope that I will able to use what I learned
to organize and monitor my daily tasks properly. It will surely make me a more
efficient person in my daily life.
Section M: My Interpretation of the Post-Ratings for
Task 5
The responses for the Post-ratings
were very much similar to those of my Pre-ratings. For the very first time, I
was able to complete the task in the same amount of time that I had predicted.
I feel very relieved that this Report 1 is coming to an end. All I need to do
now is revise my web page until I am completely satisfied with it. For example,
I can put up some pictures to make my home page look more attractive. I
predicted that I would feel a bit pressured and stressed out while trying to
complete the task and I was right. Not only did I feel pressured to get the
task done successfully, I was also feeling pressured to get the task done fast
because I have a very busy schedule this week. I think that I’m beginning to
get familiar with the FTP software. I was able to upload my Report 1 without
relying on others for help. With all of
the new things that I learned about computers and the Internet, I still don’t
think computers are intimidating. As a matter of act, computers are very
interesting in a way that they can provide me with endless learning
opportunities. Overall, I think the Post-ratings allow me to evaluate my
performance accurately. It all comes down to the fact that this task or any
other tasks can be done at ease when I show high motivation and patience. =)
Helpful Links:
Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy21/classhome-g21.htm
My Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2004/le/home.htm
Report 2: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/409af2004/le/409a-g21-report2.htm
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