This assignment was definitely one of the most interesting I have done so far in this course. It started out by reading 6 articles and excerpts about learning online through videos, and sites such as YouTube or Khan Academy. These emphasized how when people encounter boredom or a problem they need fixing, they can find “do it yourself” videos that walk them through it. Some of the examples included fixing a washing machine, getting out of a baseball slump, and rolling lefse, to name a few things.
Following this, we were required to search through tutorials from Khan Academy, Lynda, YouTube, or Pinterest, and learn 2 new skills. This did not consist of just watching, but we actually had to do these skills! After doing the skills, we had to post on the discussion board about the 2 skills, describing the skills and why we chose to learn them. Finally, we had to embed the videos we learned from in the post, as well as images that document my learning of the behavior.
I chose to learn from YouTube, and the 2 skills I learned were how to make an origami frog, and an origami heart. Physically completing the actions also lead to more learning than I would have experienced if I would have just watched the videos. Kardas’ study showed that when people watch others do something, they believe they could do it too, but that their actual ability to do it does not change by watching.
Reflecting on this assignment, it was unique because the learning I experienced was not really from the articles I read, but from the actions I performed as I completed each origami step. It was a change of pace from what we had previously done in this course! Not only did doing the actions make it more fun and rewarding, but it also reinforced my ability to actually complete the origami skill.
Although, it is important to note that the articles were still valuable. It provided many different perspectives to represent one main point. They are trying to express the usefulness of the internet, particularly online videos, and how they can influence the lives of others for the better. From learning fun skills to important maintenance fixes, the internet can provide almost anything you need instructions for!
This assignment was another great example of professor Gernsbacher utilizing a variety of mediums for her students to learn from. Compared to an in-person lecture where everything is so similar, this online course keeps challenging me with new ideas and concepts, all presented in different ways. I am looking forward to continuing to learn about the effects of the internet through more diverse groupings of assignments!
Nicky's Blog 