affordances in social media for education

04/10/23 1Travis Noakes

* Beware! A PowerPoint presentation is not a social media presentation!

Affordances in Social Media for Education.*

04/10/23 Travis Noakes 2

My PhD in Media Studies Research Title

Understanding functionality in software: the affordances of free, web 2.0 graphic software in art education.

How &Why software interfaces?Important to communicate their affordances?Why only to secondary school students?Describe engaged in the online creation of... Why specifically visual art?

Research Question (in black!)


Environmental scientists, ecologists, make use of the concept of niche. A given

species of animal is said to utilize a certain niche in the

environment. It is not the same as habitat of the species, that is, where it lives, but rather how it lives. I suggest that a niche is a set of affordances. The natural environment offers many ways of life and a way of life is a set

of affordances that are utilized.

Environmental scientists, ecologists, make use of the concept of niche. A given

species of animal is said to utilize a certain niche in the

environment. It is not the same as habitat of the species, that is, where it lives, but rather how it lives. I suggest that a niche is a set of affordances. The natural environment offers many ways of life and a way of life is a set

of affordances that are utilized.

J. J. Gibson (1977, 1979)

What is an affordance in psychology? What is an affordance in psychology?


… J.J. Gibson’s definition can be confusing.

Discussions of Gibson's concept of affordance have been plagued by confusion about where to locate the reference of the term.

For example, is the affordance that a chair provides for sitting a property of the chair, a property of the person who sits on it or perceives that he or she could sit on it, or something else?

Credit: Wayne Ho and Joanna McGrenere (2000)


There already exists the start of a psychology of materials and of things, the study of affordances of objects. When used in this sense, the term affordance refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used.

What is an affordance inHuman Computer Interface and Interaction Design?


What is a perceived affordance?

What the designer cares about is whether the user perceives that some action is possible (or in the case of perceived non-affordances, not possible).

What the designer cares about is whether the user perceives that some action is possible (or in the case of perceived non-affordances, not possible).

The concept has caught on, but not always with true understanding. Part of the blame lies with me: I should have used the term "perceived affordance," for in design, we care much more about what the user perceives than what is actually true.

The concept has caught on, but not always with true understanding. Part of the blame lies with me: I should have used the term "perceived affordance," for in design, we care much more about what the user perceives than what is actually true.


… Donald Norman’s definition is ambiguous.

Norman’s definition [of affordances] spread quickly and some inherent ambiguities have lead to a widely varying usage in HCI literature…Wayne Ho and Joanna McGrenere (2000)

As the concept of affordances is used currently, it has marginal

value, because it lacks specific meaning. Returning to a

definition close to that of Gibson’s would solidify the concept and

would also recognise that designing the utility or functional

purpose is a worthwhile endeavour in its own right. In order for

the affordance concept to be used fully in the design world,

however, Gibson’s definition needs to incorporate the notion of

varying degrees of affordances.

Wayne Ho and Joanna McGrenere (2000)


A better concept for affordances is needed in HCI/ID.


Use Semiotic Engineering to define a “software affordance”

Use the right metaphor -Software is an epistemic tool, not a concrete artefact.

Adopt a semiotic approach -Look at software development holistically as a semiotic process and aim to include ALL roleplayers/speech makers (i.e. The Designer’s Deputy).

Narrow the definition’s focus -Focus on the perceived and real affordances of an intellectual, software artefact (versus a natural environment’s, for example).

Credit: Wayne Ho and Joanna McGrenere (2000)


Software application’s semiotic interface

PLATFORM

Base it on an semiotic view of the “speakers” in software

perception

invokes an action

learns

functionality offering

feedback

Browser

Operating System

Desktop, laptop, notebook, netbook or mobile

software experience

Device

brand

USERUSER DEVELOPERDEVELOPERDEVELOPER’S DEPUTYDEVELOPER’S DEPUTY

interpretation


A software affordance definition for ALL speakers.

A software affordance is an action-possibility (or functionality) that a developer’s software offers by communicating in the semiotic interface to a system and/or that a user interprets and may choose to invoke through that system, thereby learning about it.

A software affordance is an action-possibility (or functionality) that a developer’s software offers by communicating in the semiotic interface to a system and/or that a user interprets and may choose to invoke through that system, thereby learning about it.


What is your favourite onlineaffordance?

04/10/23 © travisnoakes.co.za 13

Sourced from http://centeredlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/web-30-in-plain-english.html

Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 vs. Web 3.0

http://centeredlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/web-30-in-plain-english.html

http://centeredlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/06/web-30-in-plain-english.html


The Networked Teacher

Credit Alec Couros

http://www.flickr.com/photos/courosa/344832591/


What can a teacher use?

Youtube Myvideozoopy

Google YahooHotmail BingWolfram

Delicious diigostumblupon

Wordpress TypepadSquidoo BloggerThoughtLeader (M&G)

Picassa FlickriStockphoto

iTunes iLikespotify musopenlastfm pandora

Share bookmarks Afrigator AmatomuTechnorati

Email and search Upload a video edit

SMS and chat

MSN ChatSkypeMXit

Blog

Share photos

Download music

Download podcasts

ted.comthedolectures.comaudible.com

Upload a podcast

Track your website’s popularity

Advertise online

Google adsenseFacebook ads

podcast.com

Run a survey

Promote your blog

Google Analytics

Use a feed aggregator

Rate, write reviews

metacritic

LinkedInbigthinkFacebookTwitterMyspaceFriendsterOrkut

Social network

Easy (consumer)

Share a portfolio

Use a CLOUD service to share files

Google docs box.net Sugarsync dropbox

N.B. Just scratching the surface of what’s out there… N.N.B. Experiment with new services, different platforms, etc.

Resource intensive(producer)

Share shopping lists

Amazon

Create a group

Launch software project

Google Groups

sourceforge.netedgewall

Take part in online forums

Use newsgroups

Create shared content (Wiki)

Wikipedia

Launch a petition

bhance.net

Web 1.0 Web 2.0

Raise charity

greatergoodsa

Do search engine optimisation

Share your slides and documents

Slideshare docstoc

Create your own social network

Ning

Subscribe to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds

Publish website pages

Create a portfolio site

omeka

Outsource your research or code

InnocentiveMarketocracy Topcoder

Learn from experts

CGSociety

polldaddy.com

petitiononline.com

Download from an FTP site

http://www.musopen.com/music_overview.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocesan_College


Department of Education’s National Policy

Bridge the digital gap

Address the relevance gap

Bridge the participatory gap

Web 2.0 technologies support OBE’s

democratic objectives

Accommodate special students’ needs

Software affordances @ High School


Strategic thinking must factor in abundance management

The pedagogy of visual arts and visual design’s studio-based education can readily

accommodate Digital Visual Literacy (DVL) modules:

1. Visual literacy plays an important role in arts education, already. In particular, its focus on formal characteristics supports the understanding a communication’s form can be an important part of its content. This is seldom emphasized in text- and numbers-focused subjects;

2. The studio environment promotes better experimentation with digital media than a normal class setting. There is more scope for collaboration, peer-to-peer education and constructive feedback in a studio.

3. Successful examples of DVL modules may be readily adopted in other subjects, since using the Form, Theme and Context approach to teach DVL in art education provides a framework that’s easily transposed to other disciplines (Sandell, Renee. 2009).


Why trial digital literacy modules in Arts and Design departments?


• Prepare a digital portfolio of one’s progress- Track improvement (and be grateful it’s backed-up).

• Experiment with digital self-expression- Better understand digital affordances.

• Provide feedback on others’ content- Learn about Sturgeon’s law and the Pareto Principle first-hand.- Showcase the best annual work from Bishops’ website.

• Experience the modern, knowledge-sharing, work-environmentUnderstand web 2.0 technologies’ functions and affordances.

• Connect with Old BoysLearn from their examples; good… and bad!

• Increased literacy in digital media- Understand the benefits (and hazards) of new media early on.

Potential outcomes of a web 2.0, Digital Visual Literacy module

Key functions web 2.0 supports:

Flag it

Tag it

Share it

Rate it

Comment on it

Subscribe to it

Syndicate it

Remix it

Publish it

Edit it


Pupils will learn to create online portfolios with their favoured service: i.e. carbonmade.com or foliogem.com, for example.

Matric and grade 11 online portfolio project


The OD See 2010 exhibition

Chose Facebook initially dueto:1 At least 500 ODs are on italready2 ODs not really a MySpace or Friendster demographic

Learnt it’s:3 Very easy to create a group4 Cheap to advertise on5 Must provide FAQs.

So far:• 26 members• 14 links• 6 discussion topics (mostly group advice)


The OD See 2010 exhibition benefits from these Facebook affordances

Search by name and email address (function)

Connect with friends, colleagues and associates using their names (affordance)

Message people irrespective of their contact details (affordance)

View a friend’s friends

See a person’s social network

Update one’s status

Share one’s activities and interests

Join networks, groups, fan pages

Meet like-minded people and keep abreast of events and activities

Tag photos

Share photos efficiently

Share coursework (function)

Facebook’s founder used it to share Art History course-work (affordance).

Add applications

Benefit from new affordances.

Easy for third parties to add new artefacts (Yazid, Idris, 2009)

Tailor information to specific social circles

Customise information for one’s relevant social circle (personal. network or pages). (Yazid, Idris, 2009)

Birthday notification and wall message

Be more pro-active in sending best wishes to friends and colleagues.

Define one’s location

Look out for friends in one’s travel destinations.

Customisable interface design (Yazid, Idris, 2009)

Customise one’s profile.


Some other useful Facebook affordances


Top 100 Tools for E-Learning


Available online 24/7 (function)

Mobility (affordance).

Free

Inexpensive, easily accessible.

Browser-neutral

Easily accessible on W3C compliant platforms.

No need for bloat-ware in cloud-computing

Smaller, cheaper device as minimal hard-drive, storage space required.

Easily updated

Running the latest version.

FAQs are current

Latest product knowledge.

Some affordances of free, online software


A few affordances of design software

Select a file format (function)The image is represented in binary code and can easily be modified (affordance)

Define the canvas sizeThe area one works on can be easily adjusted.

Select a drawing toolOne’s mouse can serve as an airbrush, paintbrush, etc.

Select a colourIt’s easy to define the colour one wants, numerically.

Set a drawing tool’s settingsOne’s mark-making can be easily adjusted.

Make or erase a markAny recent mark one makes is simple to remove.

Export to curvesThe design can be saved for printers to develop proofs from.


Which educational affordances excite

you the most?

Which educational affordances excite

you the most?


Producers create functions

While the production of software functionalityis easily understood, the consumption of software and adoption of affordances is a complex subject.

Sometimes, functionality of perceived marginal importance becomes the most important in the market:FlickrWikipedia

In these cases, the affordances’ benefit to users are more important than the value developersperceive they create with specific functions.

Frissen V. 1995 Gender is Calling: Some reflections on past, present and future uses of the telephone. In K. Grint and R Gill (eds), The Gender

Technology Relation, London: Taylor and Francis, 79-94

Early telephone companies did not appreciate the telephone’s affordance for intimacy, instead promoted the phone as a purely functional, instrumental device.

Telephone companies issued prescriptions for how to use the telephone:during the day it had to be used in an instrumental way for business or housekeeping matters, such as ordering things… Only in the evenings was “chatting” or “visiting” by phone permitted, although this should be restrictedin any case. It took these telephone companies some to realise that thesemarketing strategies were not an accurate reflection of what was actually beingdone with the phone.

The Telephone’s Affordances


“The Street Finds Its

Own Uses For Things.”

Gibson, William.


Consumers and Prosumers create Affordances

The unexpected role of the consumer


But we need to remember, we're only at the beginning.

The epics of history are long. The cultural revolution, the industrial revolution.

By comparison our information age is still in its infancy:

we're only at Web 2.0.


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Need help; web 2.0 me :) !