Unlecture #2

From what I could tell from today, the “unlecture” format works. The things that i was a little unsure of were answered and I now feel confident with what a can/cannot and should/should not put in this blog. For instance, while I was aware that we have an exceptional amount of freedom in what we choose to publish, I was still quite intimidated by that freedom, I was “without a paddle” as it were. Simply by elaborating and giving examples with where we could go with this freedom, I got renewed confidence that I would not get too hindered by the limitless choices I could make.

However, I am still unsure of what the rest of the unit will be like, especially the lectures. While today everyone had similar questions in mind, i can only speculate what we will learn in future weeks, and what questions we will be inspired to ask. Considering the directed learning is largely dictated through the readings, I can see only a small amount of time being used to address questions that relate directly to the course. What then do we discuss in the rest of the time? When we start work on the Wiki then perhaps the questions will be more focused, interesting and relevant to everyone, but as it stands at this early stage, I find it hard to anticipate how the “unlecture” will evolve.

Reading: Week 1

Adrians metaphor of the “Ocean of Ideas” beautifully illustrates the scope and scale of the immense freedom we are afforded in this subject. It seems to emphasise a kind of “it’s the journey, not the destination” ideal which I feel is the best way to view this subject, as well as the entirety of my tertiary experience.

While the immensity of this ocean is daunting and the fact that “There is no shore. Not at least to be seen…” expresses that there is no clearly defined outcome. The message seems that to get through, one must simply paddle in order to explore and discover our own outcome.

“unlecture” week 1

I had a fair idea that this subject would be relatively unconventional in it’s approach. The lecture conducted by Adrian confirmed my suspicions. The general theme of the lecture was an emphasis of self directed learning. Adrian made his point by highlighting the significant progress technology has made and the affordances we as students gain through the integration of the readily available technologies.

Adrian made the claim that when he was studying at university, what drove people to undertaking tertiary education was scarcity of facilities and tools one would require in a specific field. For example, Adrian stated that when he was studying cinema, the video camera was a bulky and expensive piece of equipment while the editing suit was essentially a large desk used to cut and splice reel to reel tape. In contrast, today our smart phones provide better video and editing software than what was previously available, and as such, we are no longer driven by scarcity.

This made me ponder why I decided to undertake tertiary study. I suppose the main reason would be to obtain a piece of paper that states a have a qualification in my field of study. Beyond this though, what drives me is a desire to refine and expand my ideas, skills and confidence through the funnel which is a structured degree.

This is why I am simultaneously scared and excited about Network Media. The lack of direction is relatively daunting and I can see myself floundering about trying to update this blog with interesting and relevant content. However, being forced to supply content of my own choosing forces me to take risks on my own initiative.

The concept behind the course seems to be a very organic method of teaching and learning and I look forward to seeing what I have produced an how I have improved by the end of the unit.