As I was pondering my future, I researched other blogs, websites, and journal articles to find subjects and content that is meaningful and interesting to me. On this page I will provide examples and summaries of my findings.
Journal Articles:
Thumbnail Reproductions, Imported Images, and Copyright Infringement on the Web
The Ninth Circuit (which is the Federal appellate court that oversees California, Alaska, and Arizona) ruled that “thumbnail” images from other websites or webpages can be posted on a webpage that does not hold the copyright to such images. Full size images are not allowed.
Copyright protects a creative work, and Fair Use allows for the copyrighted work to be used within certain guidelines. This article discusses a case where a professional photographer, Leslie Kelly has his photographs displayed on his own website, and has agreements’ with other clients to display his works on their websites. A Company Arriba Soft tried a new search engine that showed thumbnail images as results. When you clicked on the results, the full size images of what you were searching for came on to the page.
Mr. Kelly sued Arriba and won that the copyright infringement case but it was determined that the images were used under fair use. Mr. Kelly appealed the case and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided the case in two parts. The judges ruled that the thumbnails were not copyright infringement because the quality was poor, and that any interested clients would have to go to Kelly’s website to purchase images, therefore not taking any monetary compensation away from Mr. Kelly. They also believe that the kind of search engine that showed thumbnails may even be a form of free advertisement for companies.
On the full size images the judges ruled that seeing those images on a full scale at full resolution would deter internet users from going to Kelly’s site and the case was remanded to the lower court for resolution.
This is an interesting case of where fair use, and copyright can get tricky. I would agree that low resolution images in the context of a search engine is fair use because it is not ruining the work of the individual or making it a hardship for the person to earn money from those works.
References
Bredeson, D., Olazábal, A., Cava, A., & Sacasas, R. (2003). Thumbnail Reproductions, Imported Images, and Copyright Infringement on the Web. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(1), 98-99. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
The World of Multitaking Teens
How Library Programming is Changing to Meet these Needs.
Teens juggle electronics and are constantly multitasking between different devices and events. Research has showed that multitasking does effect the workplace by lowering the productiveness of the worker. In educational setting, “forty-seven percent of these heavy multitaskers get mostly C’s or lower.”
Statistics from article:
25% media consumption with mobile devices with students who multi use devices this =10.5
hours a day. This does not include talking on the phone or texting or using a school computer.
When does this occur?
While watching TV, doing homework, listening to IPod etc.
Who is doing it?
31% of 8 to 18 year olds. It is most common with males.
The issue to be concerned with is can teens prioritize and get their work done or is it going to lead to too much distraction.
College students are heavy multitaskers and “were found to be unable to focus on one particular task…”
Younger teens because the area of their brain that deals with planning and organization (prefrontal cortex), this multitasking could permanently effect the way they strategize.
Libraries are now getting involved more online and with social networking such as with Facebook and Twitter to get more teens and college students to utitlize their services. Some libraries offer online gaming, as a way to get the kids into the library.
References
Hill, R. (2010). The World of Multitasking Teens: How Library Programming is Changing to Meet these Needs. Young Adult Library Services, 8(4), 33-36. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Accessing Social Ability in Online Learning Environments
This article discusses how education as a social interaction can be implemented in an online classroom.
The sense of belonging to a group is missing in online learning. However, online communities can be created but it is important that it’s members are recognized and that there are certain protocols that are followed, much in the way that a traditional classroom is set up. Making expectations clear and rules regarding respect of others is imperative.
Method:
Students were given questionnaire. Data was used to look at social ability. Students were graduate students. 107 students participated in the study. Three types of course were studied: teacher-student where student works at own pace and can interact with teacher, teacher-student where student works at own pace but is required to work with other students online working on the same material, and collaborative learning groups.
Some examples of Findings:
The actions of other students in the course influenced their work 86%
Knowing what other members of the course did helped me 77%
In all instances whether online or in classroom it appears that the key to student learning is that they have some interaction with instructor and classmates. Knowing there is a group working toward the same goals helps motivate students and aids in their confidence level.
References
Laffey, J., Guan Yu, L., & Yimei, L. (2006). Assessing Social Ability in Online Learning Environments. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 17(2), 163-177. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Not Your Child’s Playground:Workplace Bullying Among Community College Faculty
The problem or question:
What do people perceive as workplace bullying? Why or what factors are present when it occurs?
Why is it important?
Workplace bullying creates an atmosphere that is not conducive to learning. Victims are more likely to leave their workplace, take days off, and communicate negative feedback to students and towards their organization as a whole.
What evidence supports the problem?
A case study was performed that proved that workplace bullying takes place under several circumstances, such as:
When people in “formal” power abuse their power, such as department chairs, people with protection from tenure, or who hold governance positions.
Lack of leadership leads to nervousness of employees, and leads to bullying.
Women in male dominated vocational instruction tend to be more bullied and sexually harassed.
What constitutes bullying depends on the culture, such as in an academic setting. aggressive behavior, name calling, and taunting would be considered bullying, however, in a vocational type classroom or setting these would be perceived as the norm.
References
Lester, J. (2009). Not Your Child's Playground: Workplace Bullying Among Community College Faculty. Community College Journal of Research & Practice, 33(5), 446-464. doi:10.1080/10668920902728394
My findings:
Looking at the above journal articles, together with the links that I have posted to my page, it is apparent that I am drawn to education, media policy, and law. Through the research that I have read in this course I believe that these topics make for a good foundation for a future educator. I do not believe I could be an effective educator without having the knowledge of copyright law, and streaming works on the web. It is pertinent to students to be educated about such laws when creating their own works. Understanding how libraries are attempting to gain student traffic allows me to peer inside the mind of students and how they learn, as a student myself, I know first hand that students multi-task with various electronics simultaneously. Perhaps it is a particular learning style of students who enter the media field. More research would be needed to answer this assumption with certainty; however, from personal experience I am willing to believe it. Learning about the community college climate for instructors was something I deemed important because it is an environment I could see myself in. Curiosity led me to research what kinds of issues employees of such institutions face and more importantly, how such issues affect students. Eighty-five percent of my Associates degree was accomplished through my enrollment of online classes. The research on this subject was what I had expected. Students need proper interaction to have a successful learning experience. Interaction between both the instructor and fellow students is equally important. Through my personal experience, I would have to agree that an online learning environment is most successful when a collaborative learning process is exercised. All of these articles, although varied, are written about the topics that will make me an effective educator in the future. Such topics are a sampling of the content that I will have to draw on to give my future students a strong foundation in media education.
