The Online Collaboration to Develop Knowledge - Essay Example

Reflective essay on lessons about an online collaboration to develop knowledge Student Name Instructor’s Name Course Code and Name University Date of submission Reflective essay on lessons about an online collaboration to develop knowledge In my pursuit of knowledge through online resources, I have found that personalization of learning is an inevitable outcome. Although I did not set out to personalize my learning, it was an outcome of my research processes. As I went about presenting my ideas throughout the research, I realized that I would have to use my voice in varying ways to put my point across to the reader. The common denominator was that the voice has to be academic in nature, in order to gain credibility over the information I was presenting (Barrett 2005, p. 324-331). The initial step towards this was to gain as much information as I could about a subject of interest. The resources used were credible ones, in order to enrich my academic voice. Following this, information was then complied and explained using my own words, and in my point of view which was instrumental in my development of an academic voice. I learned that one cannot develop an academic voice unless they are in possession of credible knowledge from which they can draw upon. As I read other articles, I got ideas on how information and knowledge should be presented. One of the main guiding lines for my development of an academic voice is that information and knowledge is meant to be shared and transmitted (Barjak 2006, p. 1350-1367). Hence, whatever one writes should possess a particular level of comprehensibility that will allow others to understand the point of view I am presenting. I adopted a common sequence of presenting ideas, which involves presenting a clear position or a clear idea then supporting and defending it using the appropriate tools such as cited evidence and examples. Developing, defending and argument, means that there is a mandatory need for evidence that supports this information, the evidence is what makes an academic voice unique in comparison to other ways of presenting information. I came to prefer indirect voices in academic writing, as opposed to direct voices. This is because direct voices leave very little opportunity for an individual to develop their own academic voice. In reference to direct voices, I only used direct quotes in situations where I believed it would augment my own academic voice. However, I used more of my own ideas that the direct quotes since they are limited in most situations. The indirect voice allows one to develop an academic voice more solidly because one paraphrases an idea according to what they have understood (Brick 2009). This enabled me to present and refute other people’s ideas and conclusions in my own voice. In my research and scribing of ideas, I also found that the introduction and conclusion are essential to developing an academic voice. This is because they are the first instance that a reader ‘meets’ the writer. Hence, it is critical that the personalized academic voice is used at the beginning to introduce the reader to the writer, and also at the conclusion to remind the reader of the voice of the writer. Other than the development of an academic voice, I also found that collaborating and constructing within a group was an inevitable part of knowledge and academic work. This is more evidence in research processes. When carrying out research – particularly online research –collaborating with others is an inherent quality of the online world. As I carried out research, I found that I wanted to share what I had found with others in order to find out what they thought of my ideas, and I also wanted to learn about other people’s ideas. I did this face to face, as well as in the cyber world. I found that classroom experiences are augmented by online experiences of research. Upon coming across information that piqued my interest, I would seek information from the internet to satisfy my intellectual curiosity. Discussion and message boards have been instrumental in collaboration over the internet since people share their interests and discuss ideas with a group of other individuals over the internet (Barjak 2006, p. 1350-1367). However, the experience is not the same as what happens in the face to face situations. The online environment only permits the sharing of ideas, but the face to face environment contains an additional parameter of compromise. The reason being collaborating often involves coming together and agreeing on what pieces of information is most useful such that they are written down and presented to others. Many decisions have to be made concerning the nature of writing that will be used. I came to realize that the best way to handle a group situation is to allow the voice of each person within the group to be heard. Instead of entrusting the world to a single individual, each person should be in charge of an area of the work, which they will then share with others. Hence, the final work would be a combination of the efforts of each person within the group (Barrett 2005, p. 324-331). The online environment also increases an individual’s urge to participate in collaborative activities owing to the ease of access to both information and people. Multitasking is a major part of group work in the online environment since one can confirm the information and share it at the same time. I also learnt that constructing information within a group, involves structuring your information is such a manner that; it allows space for the inclusion of other information that will augment the quality of your own information. According to what I have learnt from nine research, collaboration and construction of information within a group, all information – regardless of its nature – aids in further understanding of another. For instance, people who carry out studies often target gaps that have not yet been explored conclusively. Hence, they contribute to the building of knowledge. Even when an article criticizes another, it serves to augment it because it allows for further understanding of the information from a unique point of view. The advent of the internet has brought with it new methods of collaboration with varying implications. Every action has a reaction and the act of developing and using knowledge within the online environment also has varying implications. As a user and producer of online resources, there lies unlimited potential for gaining knowledge. The World Wide Web is an extension of the human brain. That which an individual cannot store and share using the dimension of his own brain can be accomplished by the internet. The online environment is a storage area for information from varying minds. It is where people meet and become a single entity characterized by information. The implication of this for me as a producer and user of information from the internet is that there is no limit to what one can achieve when aided by knowledge. The internet has made education more pleasant because of the potential for research and sharing of information (Lawson & Benefield 2007, p. 4 – 9). Being a producer of information also obligates one to do the best they can, in order to produce credible information. The implication of this for me was that I have to strive to improve my knowledge so that the knowledge I produce is useful to someone else. The internet also gives one a space where they have to be accountable to some extent. Just as one is open to collaboration, they are also open to criticism over the internet. The internet opens one up to the rest of the world and prepares them for different reactions to their knowledge. The internet seems to have something for everyone such that it has the implication of being a great motivator. It motivates users to the user and produce information depending on the subject they are researching (Smith 2009, 7-27). In my view, online research under the guideline of education is greatly beneficial. When one is given an assignment, they are not only users, but also producers of information. Under the guidelines of an assignment, a student researcher will stay focused on the topic and avoid digression. The internet not only motivates, but it also sustains the engagement of an individual in research. As I went about researching on various topics online, I found that the interaction with information that the internet provides maintains interest for a longer time than a classroom session would have. Online sources are dynamic compared to other sources. A book that has been scanned and offered online can change in terms of font size and font type. This dynamic nature makes online sources more appealing. I also came to realize that not all online sources have different implications depending on what type of resources they are. Online encyclopedias are less bulky and show that information can be manipulated in terms of size. Large encyclopedias can be shrunk to the size of a memory card. In my opinion, the online environment has provided endless possibilities and access to information for people who may not have been able to access it before. The implication is that more people have access to knowledge and the knowledge that is produced will improve in academic quality because of this access. List of References Barjak, F 2006, The role of the internet in informal scholarly communication, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 1350-1367. Barrett, A 2005, The information-seeking habits of graduate student researchers in the humanities, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 324-331. Brick, J 2009, Academic writing: a student’s guide to studying at university, Macmillan, South Yarra, Vic. Lawson, A & Benefield, P 2007, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Practical Research for Education, vol. 37, pp. 4 – 9. Smith, J 2009, Qualitative psychology: a practical guide to research methods, Sage, London. Tuten, TL, Urban, DJ & Bosnjak, M 2002, “Internet Surveys and Data Quality: A Review” in: B. Batinic, U. Reips, M. Bosnjak, A.Werner, eds., Online Social Sciences, Hogrefe & Huber, Seattle, p. 7-27. Read More

As I carried out research, I found that I wanted to share what I had found with others in order to find out what they thought of my ideas, and I also wanted to learn about other people’s ideas. I did this face to face, as well as in the cyber world. I found that classroom experiences are augmented by online experiences of research. Upon coming across information that piqued my interest, I would seek information from the internet to satisfy my intellectual curiosity. Discussion and message boards have been instrumental in collaboration over the internet since people share their interests and discuss ideas with a group of other individuals over the internet (Barjak 2006, p.

1350-1367). However, the experience is not the same as what happens in the face to face situations. The online environment only permits the sharing of ideas, but the face to face environment contains an additional parameter of compromise. The reason being collaborating often involves coming together and agreeing on what pieces of information is most useful such that they are written down and presented to others. Many decisions have to be made concerning the nature of writing that will be used.

I came to realize that the best way to handle a group situation is to allow the voice of each person within the group to be heard. Instead of entrusting the world to a single individual, each person should be in charge of an area of the work, which they will then share with others. Hence, the final work would be a combination of the efforts of each person within the group (Barrett 2005, p. 324-331). The online environment also increases an individual’s urge to participate in collaborative activities owing to the ease of access to both information and people.

Multitasking is a major part of group work in the online environment since one can confirm the information and share it at the same time. I also learnt that constructing information within a group, involves structuring your information is such a manner that; it allows space for the inclusion of other information that will augment the quality of your own information. According to what I have learnt from nine research, collaboration and construction of information within a group, all information – regardless of its nature – aids in further understanding of another.

For instance, people who carry out studies often target gaps that have not yet been explored conclusively. Hence, they contribute to the building of knowledge. Even when an article criticizes another, it serves to augment it because it allows for further understanding of the information from a unique point of view. The advent of the internet has brought with it new methods of collaboration with varying implications. Every action has a reaction and the act of developing and using knowledge within the online environment also has varying implications.

As a user and producer of online resources, there lies unlimited potential for gaining knowledge. The World Wide Web is an extension of the human brain. That which an individual cannot store and share using the dimension of his own brain can be accomplished by the internet. The online environment is a storage area for information from varying minds. It is where people meet and become a single entity characterized by information. The implication of this for me as a producer and user of information from the internet is that there is no limit to what one can achieve when aided by knowledge.

The internet has made education more pleasant because of the potential for research and sharing of information (Lawson & Benefield 2007, p. 4 – 9). Being a producer of information also obligates one to do the best they can, in order to produce credible information. The implication of this for me was that I have to strive to improve my knowledge so that the knowledge I produce is useful to someone else. The internet also gives one a space where they have to be accountable to some extent.

Just as one is open to collaboration, they are also open to criticism over the internet.

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