Assignment Two

Media Tools That I Use...
I use quite a bit of media tools on a daily basis, I'm pretty sure I neglected a couple on this list. I use Google services a lot. Quite frankly, I don't know how I survived without it before it became so large. As well, my Mp3 player is one of my most prized processions. It holds pictures, contacts, emails, tasks, extra storage and it most importantly provides the soundtrack of the bus ride home after classes. Here are some other media tools I use:

Hardware:


PC - mouse, keyboard, monitor
Mac
Digital Camera
CD Player
Mic
Web Cam
Speakers

Super Nintendo
Printers

My (Beloved) MP3 Player
USB Key
Scanner
CD Burner
TV
DVD Player
Telephone
Alarm Clock


Software:

Email - Brock Mail and Gmail

Search Engines: Google, Yahoo
Google: Google Maps, Google Images, Google Maps, Blogger, Picasa
Adobe Photoshop
Firefox Web Browser
Realplayer
Windows Office: Word, Excel, Outlook, Media Maker, Power Point
Youtube


Tom From My Space...will you be my friend?

Online Communities/Social Networking Sites: Livejournal, Facebook, Myspace, etc


Brock Website: Library homepage, student self service, registrar, etc
Web CT

Technology Assessment

Web CT
I know it's school time when I begin to log on to Web CT more than I log on to check my own email. I believe Web CT is intended to be a very useful, multi-faceted tool for students and profs to communicate and organize course materials. However, I find it to be one of the more frustrating things in my student life to deal with.

So over the course of the week I have been on Web CT constantly. I signed in at all different times of the day, at different computers either at home or at school. I rely on mostly hand eye-coordination and my cognitive skills to help me navigate through Web CT. It's a pretty interactive tool in terms of students being able to contribute ideas and to discussions, as well, it is a very visual medium because it does have hyper links and is text-based. Web CT has the potential to involve other senses such as hearing through the posting of videos, sound clips and other things that involve the other senses as well.

The Bad:

Layout/Navigation:
The layout of Web CT is hard to navigate. The icons on the side are a good idea, but the amount of icons on the side of page is overwhelming. It also takes a lot of time trying to guess where the things I need are located, and which icon it would be under.


Availability of Web CT:
I find Web CT to be unreliable during peak hours and when you need it in the most urgent times. The system almost always seems to be down during the evening and afternoons when most other students are doing their assignments and readings, as well that's when I'm on it as well. It's frustrating when I need to access something on Web CT and I can't even log on. It's even worse during exam time and when assignments are due and I'm trying to get that assignment uploaded before class starts.
As well, the majority of my courses are available on Web CT, so I have to check about 4 Web CT pages each time I sign in. By the time I get to the second or third Web CT page, it signs out and asks me to sign in again. Yes, I know this is for security reasons, but it is time consuming to log back in and having to look for the one time you were looking at before I was signed out (refer back to layout and navigation).

Some Improvements:

It would be very helpful if Web CT was actually linked to our Student Self Service pages, instead of logging into a separate account each time. It would make things more efficient, like a one-stop place to get information instead of logging on to two different areas to access important information.
As well, it would also be convenient to be able to check our Brock Badger email through the Web CT site as well. Or even better, to have our Web CT mail be linked to the Brock Badger Email or vice versa.
Web CT isn't like a Facebook page or a a Myspace page where you can customize your layout or profile pages. But it would be nice to be able to change up the appearance or to personalize my Web CT page not just by choosing the courses I am taking. I think it would not necessarily make me want to check Web CT more often, but it would make it look nicer and make it into something that I would be better able to navigate.

The Good:

Web CT isn't all bad. It is a very useful tool for organization and communication for students and profs. So here are some of the things that I like about Web CT.
It's a good tool for communication, there's a discussion area/forum where students can ask questions to their fellow classmates. It's good during exam time and you're stuck on a definition or a theory and have no other resources. As well, it's something that everyone in the class has access to because everyone registered in the class is on it. As well, you can contact whoever in the class via Web CT email.
In addition, Web CT is a great organizer, it lists the due dates of major assignments on the calender portion of student page. Every time I log in, there is a reminder that I have things due and I should get on it.
As well, the Web CT site is constantly being updated, and allows for extra content to be viewed by students. Extra links and tools can be added to make Web CT a more interactive tool for students. As well, it is a great archival resource as well. If you loose your syllabus, guess what? It probably is on Web CT.