Report #6

Creating Generational Development



Table of Contents

Introduction

Improvement in the Generational Curriculum Over the Years

The Benefits and Purpose of the Online Generational Curriculum

Feelings About Being in the Online Generational Curriculum

Problems While Learning and Adapting to the Internet

Insuring the Survival and Success of the Project

Introduction...

The generational curriculum has gone through many stages over the years, and every stage has contributed to making the generational curriculum what it is today. The reports and home pages of each generation can be assessed and compared using several different variables and measures. However, it is important to remember that technology also plays a role in the advancement of the project. Over the years, technology on the internet has advanced and so have the reports and home pages in the generational curriculum. A report or home page in a more recent generation may seem more advanced than a report or home page in the earlier generatons, but rest assured that it is not merely due to a lack on the student's part, it is also due to a lack in the technology at the time. The reports in generation 4 are bound to look primitive when generation 10 comes around. When everything comes together, the generational curriculum is viewed as a very positive place by the students who take part in it. Sure, there are bound to be bumps in the road along the way, but when it's all over, the generational curriculum is a marvel to look back on, and a project well worth continuing.

Improvement in the Generational Curriculum Over the Years...

In trying to determine whether or not the generational pages have improved over the years, it is necessary to consider many different measures. Quality, depth, richness, and scholarship are all areas which must be taken into consideration. Each of these areas center around the topics and the content of the reports. These four areas can be assessed using six measures:
Length: The length of the reports is a good indication of the depth of the reports also.
Sub-headings: The use of sub-headings to separate information within the report is a good measure of depth and scholarship.
References with comments: This is a good indication of how well the report was written, taking into consideration the quality, richness, and scholarship of the report.
Detail of topics: The amount of detail that is stressed for each topic is also a good measure of depth in the report.
Development of topic: Taking into consideration definitions, references, arguments, and summaries in order to develop a report that is consistent with the expectations of all four areas.
Integration into psychology and science: This considers the potential of the report to be broader for the purposes of psychology and science, which is a good indication of depth and scholarship.

Other areas which must also be considered are technique, connectivity, integration, and navigation. These four areas focus on the technique that was used to create the report and the appearance of the report. These four areas can also be assessed by using six other measures:
Links: Links, including anchors, are a good indication of the connectivity of the report.
Navigation buttons: The use of navigation buttons represent a report that is more easily explored and more user friendly.
Overall appearance: The overall appearance of the report is a good measure of the connectivity and technique that was integrated to publish the report so that it is conscious of the visitor.
Special effects: The use of special effects are a good indication of the technique and integration that was considered in publishing the report.
Presence of an index: Whether or not there is an index handy is representative of the integration and navigation issues that were considered when publishing the report.
Table of contents: The absence or presence of a table of contents is another good measure of the integration and navigation abilities within the report.

In Generation 1, the home page is very plain. Basically, it's a screen with no background and a list of names of the students in the class. The student home pages are equally plain. There were some pictures and icons, but I didn't see any backgrounds incorporated. This affects the appearance of the site to the visitor and is representative of the technique that was used to create the site. The reports consist of one long entry that is broken up into segments according to the topic, and links take you to anchors within the report. Links are supposed to be representative of connectivity and navigation, but I found it surprising that the links merely take you to a specific part of the same report. Although the report is long, suggesting depth, the report is not very technical. The topics that the students wrote on made the report seem more like journal writing, as they commented on their experiences while being online.

In Generation 2, the home page is a little more flashy. There are some dividers and small icons that are used, and the names of students are now separated by balls or bullets instead of just being listed in a column. The integration of these things adds to the technique and appearance of the site. There are also some backgrounds and blinking text that are used. The reports are now separated instead of being one big document that you can click through. The separated reports include their own headings also. It is evident that the quality, depth, richness, and scholarship of the reports is improving. However, the reports still resemble journal writing. Basically, the students reported on their experiences on the internet, using Netscape, Unix, pine, and ftp.

In Generation 3a, things began to really take off. The home page includes colors, backgrounds, tables, and dividers. This alone shows the development of a keener sense of technique and integration to insure the appearance of the site. The student home pages also follow in this manner, incorporating tables, backgrounds, icons, and dividers. The reports also go further in the areas of technique, connectivity, integration, and navigation by the addition of things like navigational buttons that take the visitor "back to the top". There are also links to other student home pages and the instructor's home page. Students have also incorporated a table of contents into their reports, and the individual reports also contain anchors. The areas that there seems to be less development in are the areas that deal with topics and content. It still seems as though the writing is more concerned with the students' experience and explorations online and less with the technicalities of the internet itself.

In Generation 4a and Generation 4b, I think that there is a marked difference that separates these two generations from the previous generations. One unmistakable difference is the use of animated gifs. The generational curriculum has gone from generation 1 which has almost no icons to generation 4 which incorporates animated gifs. Students also make use of complex tables, table of contents, anchors, and topical indexes in their reports. Individual reports also have their own backgrounds and icons. Navigational buttons such as "e-mail me", "go back to my home page", and "go on to the next report" are also common on the students' reports. It is evident that as far as technique, connectivity, integration, and navigation are concerned, generation 4 has come a long way. Perhaps the biggest difference that I have noticed is in the quality and content of the reports. The reports have developed from journal writing concerned with how the student met the challenge of the internet to technical reports about the operation and navigation of the web. I see it this way, the reports of the past generations focus on the experience that the student has while online, but the reports of generation 4 goes a step further and discusses the mechanics and dynamics of the web while still integrating the thoughts and feelings of the student. Because of this, the quality, depth, richness, and scholarship of the reports has also been taken a step further.

The Benefits and Purpose of the Online Generational Curriculum...

According to the article, Introduction to the Community Classroom Generational Curriculum, the generational curriculum is a "cumulative collection of student work on many topics of interest". This is a very basic description of the generational curriculum. I see the generational curriculum as much more than just a "collection of student work". I see it as an ever growing database for cyberpsychology. The generational curriculum is also a one of a kind cybercommunity. I think that it's different from other cybercommunities out there because the students of each generation actually brought this cybercommunity together. Each generation, semester after semester, puts forth their best to contribute to the generational curriculum. I think that the students having such an important role in developing this cybercommunity, adds to the uniqueness of the generational curriculum. This is why I feel that the generational curriculum is more than a "collection of student work".

As stated in the article, the generational curriculum was conceived due to Dr. James' focus on "an instructional approach that would provide a platform for authentic student writing". What Dr. James was striving for is oral and written communicative competence. Since 1975, Dr, James has been working towards this goal, however, things got even more interesting when Dr. James moved the project towards the 21st century by taking the generational curriculum online in 1992. The earlier student reports from 1975 - 1991 are kept in the Daily Round Archives, and since 1992 to the present, students have been publishing their reports on the World Wide Web.

Since the generational curriculum has gone online it has enjoyed more far reaching and notable effects. First of all, being online, the generational curriculum has a greater potential audience than it could ever have if it merely remained in print. The generational curriculum is now a site on the World Wide Web. This means that there is now world wide access to everything contained in the generational curriculum. Another thing stated in the article is that because the student reports are being published online, the reports have taken on a multimedia form. The article states that this type of presentation has brought about more "individual expressiveness, creativity, and identity" in the student reports. In this way, I think that moving the generational curriculum online has taken Dr. James' goal of communicative competence one step further. As far as extensiveness goes, I think that the generational curriculum has it all. As it is stated in the article, the generational curriculum is a "virtual generational cybercommuntiy". It is conceivable that the generational curriculum could go on forever, and each step in its development from generation 1 to generation 101 and beyond would be held in virtual reality on the World Wide Web.

The principles for the generational curriculum can be seen by looking at the types of assignments that the students are given. One principle that I think is evident is that everything is done for the benefit of the student. Topics are chosen by the students. Students are encouraged to write for future students as their audience. Students also use the reports of past generations to help them with their own reports. Another principle is that the students should learn from the generations of the past, thus reports are made "generationally cumulative". Another principle is "group dynamic forces". I think of this as a sense of belonging that students can walk away with after having been a part of the generational curriculum. One method that was used for our generation is a group photo that is available on our generation's home page.

Feelings About Being in the Online Generational Curriculum...

When I first enrolled in this course, I was overwhelmed by the thought of the internet, home pages, and publishing reports. I didn't know anything about the generational curriculum, and I cared less about being in generation four. All I wanted to do was pass the course so that I could graduate. Now, it's about a week before graduation, and the last thing I have to do for this class is finish this report. I'm proud to say that my attitudes about this class and about the internet have changed drastically. Now, I'm proud to be a part of the generational curriculum and a part of generation four. I feel that it's a privilege to have accomplished all that I have this semester, through this course. I am a part of this cybercommunity that will hopefully continue on well after I have gone. It's a site that I know I will visit from time to time, as the years pass. It will be interesting to see how much progress will be made when generation 10 comes around. This sense of accomplishment that I am beginning to feel since the end is so near, cannot even be put into words. I think that I really pushed myself to the limits in this course and all that I have accomplished this semester. When I first started this semester, I thought that I would never make it through this course. There were so many problems and frustrations that I faced, but I overcame them all to get where I am today, right now. I did it.

The feelings that I have had over the course of the semester are not uncommon. Junko Hashizume of generation 4a also reports similar reactions to being a part of the generational curriculum. She mentions the sense of community that she feels because she a member of generation 4a, and she also tells about the sense of accomplishment that she has gained through this course. Leslie Agena also views her participation in the generational curriculum in a positive way. She was glad to be able to make her contributions on the web so that others might be able to benefit from it. She has also learned new skills dealing with the computer and the internet that will be invaluable to her in her future endeavors. Dan Hamamoto also shares his feelings of pride in being a part of the generational curriculum. He also states that he has come away from this class having learned useful information.

Problems While Learning and Adapting to the Internet...

Everyone encounters problems with the first attempt at the internet. The chief problem that I had was frustration. I was an internet novice. I hadn't been on the internet before, or even sent e-mail. However, I did not consider myself a computer novice because I have always been handy with computers. My mistake was thinking that this would translate to the internet. It didn't. I couldn't have been more wrong. I was totally lost. At times, I didn't know what to enter or what to click. This was a whole new experience for me, and I was shocked at being so confused and hopeless. This is what led to my frustration. I couldn't believe that I couldn't figure things out. I couldn't believe that I had to go and ask someone for help; usually if it dealt with computers, I was the one that people would come to for help. Now, it was the other way around. What was going on? What did I do to overcome this? I relaxed, took a deep breath, started from scratch, and tucked my ego away in a safe place.

Frustration, time constraints, and fear are all problems that students of various generations face in trying to make it through the semester. In generation 1, Nicole Gustie tells of her battles with frustration in the beginning of the semester. She also mentions that she had some problems because the time consuming nature of the course and the amount of work involved. Dellia Badua also of generation1 reported that she had some problems because of the "time" variable too. Kimberly Oshiro tells about another kind of problem that she had when first experiencing the internet. The problem that she experienced was fear. Kimberly states that it was her computer phobia that she had to overcome.

Insuring the Survival and Success of the Project...

I think that the biggest thing that needs to be done to insure the survival of this project is to make sure that students know about the course and making sure that the course remains available for the students. There are so much budget cuts going around. I've noticed that many classes aren't being offered every semester like they used to be or just aren't being offered at all. It's a real shame. I just hope that this class is able to beat the budget cuts so that students will continue to be able to learn from the course. One solution to managing the project would be to make management of the generational curriculum a separate course, like a 499 course or something. Maybe students who have taken cyber psychology or traffic psychology would want to take things one step further and venture into the management of an online cybercommunity. It doesn't even have to be a 499 course. It could be another 4X9 course where the prerequisite would be either traffic psychology or cyber psychology. Another alternative is to maybe put it out to ICS (computer science) students to either manage as a course or as extra credit for a course that they are currently taking. Either way, I hope that some form of management for this project is implemented because I think that it would be a shame for the generational curriculum to lose all that it's accomplished thus far.



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