In the course of the last nearly two months of the Fall Semester, I have really enjoyed being able to explore digital culture through BYU’s English 326. Although I have struggled as I’ve attempted to adapt to the classes structure, which is built around the idea of self-directed learning, it has already been very impactful for me to learn more about the potentials (and risks) of new technologies within our digital culture and seeing how I can better adapt these ideas into my own life.
The idea of self-directed learning has been one of the most difficult parts of the course for me to grasp and really apply so far, but I have already come to see that this is an invaluable skill that allows me to focus on what’s most interesting to me and what is most meaningful for what I’m interested in. I have really appreciated the freedom this course has given me to research topics that I find interesting such as intellectual property, open content, the open education movement and even a little bit of programming. Rather than being forced into a strict structure, this has allowed me to expand my knowledge and come to learn about a lot of different topics that really are fascinating. I have also been able to build upon the general and often foundational principles that we’ve discussed in class. I’ve been really fascinated to learn about subjects such as crowdsourcing and seeing a glimpse of the potential for this method, as well as the concept of how niche markets are developing through the idea of the “Long Tail”, and also how the Church is applying these technological advancements in new and innovative ways. I hope to be able to learn more about intellectual property (specifically how to use common content licenses as well as copyright material online, specifically through blogging).
It has been fascinating to mix more traditional literature based assignments with the identity and exploration I have begun through Google+ and blogging. I began the semester reading the non-fiction book, The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates by Adrian Johns. This book not only has taught me a lot about intellectual property and the different problems and questions it raises, but perhaps more importantly this book helped me to better understand how our technological problems relate to the same issues people dealt with hundreds of years ago. While there are obviously numerous differences, intellectual property is an interesting example because it ties back to the problems with the printing press and copyright throughout print culture. Johns writing really helped me to see how connected we still are with print culture, and how the solutions to our intellectual property dilemmas today really can illuminated through an examination of past solutions.
Likewise, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina has helped me to better understand how technology and society relate and how deeply they influence one another. It really has surprised me as I’ve examined this book through with an eye for details relating to digital culture, how deeply Tolstoy’s writing really does relate back to the issues today that arise with our own technological advancements. I really see a connection with the idea of balance and a clear need for moderation and control with our digital lives now, just as Anna’s world required a balance through social interactions and relations with an often corrupt society. With both these works, I’ve appreciated the chance to apply them to my thoughts and writings here on my blog as well as throughout my other assignments (and especially my group projects). Rather than a traditional essay or writing assignment, I like how this allows me to truly incorporate and apply my thinking to everything else I’m doing, which allows me to bring a more interesting context to my other work.
As I’ve been able to bring the context provided by my reading to the concepts I’ve explored through my own research and learning in class, I have been incredibly benefited by being able to interact with other students through blogs and Google+. Although I am definitely much more familiar with the research model of doing everything myself without a lot of outside input, it has already been helpful to try out my ideas through online discussions as well as gaining new insights and ideas from interacting with others work. Although I hope to be able to continue to get social proof for my ideas, I’ve already seen how important this idea is. This has been especially true with my part in the group project, where I’ve been able to expand my own ideas through collaboration with my group and the rest of the class.
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