Thursday, June 12, 2008

Tutorial Two

Tutorial Two: Digital Camera use and applications

A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”. Briefly discuss this statement in relation to digital camera technology. What would you consider to be some of the pluses and minuses digital camera technology holds in relation to more traditional film based cameras?

Digit Cameras come with a lot more feature compared to the old film camera. The positive features are that it can store a lot more images at one go, you can view pictures as soon as they have been taken and delete any you don’t like; you choose which photos you print, you don’t have to print them all at once; you can photo shop or edit your photos, i.e. crop them, get rid of red eye, make them black and white, add writing or frames etc; photos quality is clearer and you can put photos straight from your camera on the computer or television. Negative features are that the camera comes with extra cords and they need to be compatible with your computer; computers require printers, ink, cables, software etc; you have to spend more time to get your photo images and you have to go through each one unlike film when someone else does it for you; people don’t print many photos anymore and try to show everyone on the tiny screen on the camera.

List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.

Photos on the camera are stored on a memory card and can be transfer on your computer by either additional cable or some fancy computers you can put your memory card straight onto the computer. The images and then uploaded on to the computer using special software and from there you can manipulate your images.

Given the prevalence of image capturing devices, and thinking about the issues discussed in tutorial one, consider what sort of ethical issues may arise with their use.

The same ethical issues any camera would have, obtaining consent of individuals before taking their photograph. But I would say it could be easier to abuse photographs as the photos can be put on the internet faster.

Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice.

Digital images could be used in practice to take photos of an individual home environment or an individual’s posture for the OT to consult someone else. Pictures are worth a thousand words, a picture could aid a description.

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com

Flickr is a photo networking site that allows people to share photos, stay in touch, upload, organise, make stuff and explore.

Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to Flickr.com

Snap fish http://www.snapfish.com/helpstorage

Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom

Optical zoom is when focal length and magnification changes before a photo is taken. Digital zoom happens after the photo has been taken and it crops the picture. Optical zoom gives you a clear image than digital zoom.

Explain what is meant by the term mega pixel

A pixel is one of millions of tiny coloured squares that make up a digital image, like a mosaic.

Tutorial Three

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Blogger (this will be your third posting. Information can be drawn from the attached hand out). In addition to this name one other Blog host.

Blogging is away individuals can express their opinions, introduce yourself, post videos or pictures, link to useful websites and network with others friends or people with the same interest. You can view other people’s blogs and place comments things they have posted and they can do the same with you. Blogs can used for education purposes e.g. Brain Injury http://www.braininjury.blogs.com/ and can be used for personal use, e.g. Paris Hilton http://www.myspace.com/parishilton

Tutorial Eight

Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

Provide a definition of Assistive technology (your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful with this).

“Assistive technology refers to the board range of devices, services, strategies and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities.” (Cook and Hussy, 1995)

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.

Tech/Talk, this is an agumentative communication device made by AMD (Advanced Multimedia Device Inc). This device has 8 buttons a client could push to communicate. You can make your own voice recordings for each of the buttons and slide in pictures or words so the client knows what they want to say. There are 8 different levels which things can be recorded and a new card would need to be slided in for each level. So 64 different phrases or words could be used. You could record different things that would be said at certain types of day for each level. The device is light-weight, portable, water resistant and can handle rough handling. The device would approximately be 300x150mm and has a shoulder strap. This device would cost $4-5000.00.

How does your chosen piece of equipment increased functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.

The Tech/Talk increases functional capacity of a user because it can help them communicate how they are feeling as they struggle to verbalise what they want. Communication is an important for individuals as it allows them to express themselves and have some choices. For example Dave in our Lecture described a boy who interlectual abilities but he could only move his arm and one eye. To communicate he would have a switch attached to his eye to choose something from a selection of options and he communicated yes by lifting his arm fast, maybe by lifting his arm slowly and no by not lifting his arm at all. This allowed the boy to expressed what activity he wanted to do and express his colourful personality.

Tutorial Seven

Tutorial Seven: Posting You Tube Videos and Flickr Badges to Blogs: Explaining the process

Explain the step by step process required to embed a Flickr Badge into your Blog. Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.process to embed flicker badge

Task One: Explain the step by step process required to embed You Tube videos into your Blog . Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.

Step 1: Go to www.youtube.com and find a video you wish to put one your blog. You can do this by going to the search bar and typing in your topic. A selection of films with that key word will come up. Watch them until you find one you like.

Step 2: Once you have found one you like, go to the box under the word embed in the grey box on the left and highlight the information in the box and push “ctrl” and “c” to copy the text.

Step 3: Then get to the Dashboard page on your Blog and click “new post”

Step 4: Paste “ctrl” “v” text into the text box. If you want to give your clip a caption Type it before the text you pasted. Add a titl. When finished pushed publish and it should be on your blog!

Explain the step by step process required to embed a Flickr Badge into your Blog. Consider using screen captures to provide a visual representation of these steps.
process to embed flicker badge


Step 1: Go to www.flickr.com. Then click sign in and enter your ID and password.

Step 2: Click “upload photos.” Then click “choose photos.” A box will come up for you to find them in your computer. Select the ones you want and click “open.” Then select private or public and then click “upload photos.”

Step 3: Once uploading photos click on the option “add a description.” Then give each photo a title, description and tag. The click “save this batch.”

Step 4: Click “home.” Then scroll down to the bottoms of the page and click tools which is under help.

Step 5: Scroll down the page a little until you find the title “Display Flickr photos or video on your website” then click “build a badge.”

Step 6: Select a format then push “next: choose content.”

Step 7: Select which photos you want to put on your badge, then select your lay out, then select “next:colours.”

Step 8: Choose colours and look at preveiw, then click “next:preveiw and get code.”

Step 9: If you happy with the badge put your cursar in the text box and push “ctrl” and “a” at the same time. This should highlight all the text in the box. Then push “ctrl” and “c” at the same time. This copies the text.

Step 10: Then go to your blog dashboard page and click “view blog.” Then go to the top right hand corner and “customize.”

Step 11: On the right-hand side click “add a page element.”

Step 12: Find HTML/JavaScript then click “add to blog” underneath.

Step 13: Put the cursar in the text box and push “ctrl” and “v” at the same time.

Step 14: Click “save,” this should now appear on your blog.

Tutorial Six

Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

Either search online for a community which interest you or choose one of the provided online communities to investigate. Make sure your selected a community that comprises some form of online forum, discussion page or chat room. You may also wish to see if your community has a Wikipedia entry.

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating

Del.icio.us http://del.icio.us/

What is the brief or focus of this community

Del.icio.us is a social networking website allowing people to bookmark their favourite websites and allow other to access your library of websites. This way a person can link with another person with the same interest or collaborate with your friends or work colleagues. In your library of favourite websites you can organise them into different tags and topics. Del.icio.us can be used for research, wishlist, podcast, vacations, linklog or cookbook.

What services are provided? How interactive is this site? How can people contribute?

People can contribute by setting up their own favourite library. This networking is not very interactive with others as you can only look at other peoples libraries or send to a person you might think is interested.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking?

People may join del.icio.us to link up with others with the same interest and find useful or interesting websites they could use. Using del.icio.us could also be a faster and more useful tool to a search engine as the websites have been filter by the user of del.icio.us.

Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt).

Welcome - Arthritis NZ
edit / delete
to Arthritis disabilities ... saved by 1 other person ... on may 15
OPUS
edit / delete
to O.T.equipment housing.modification ... saved by 3 other people ... on may 14
Stroke Foundation of New Zealand - Reducing Risks, Improving Outcomes
edit / delete
to Stroke Disabilities ... on may 14
The Brain Injury Association of New Zealand
edit / delete
to Disablity Brain.Injury ... on may 14
Lifetime Design Foundation - Products, services and environments designed to include all New Zealanders
edit / delete
to Occupational.Therapy ... on april 17
Tennis Ball Retriever
edit / delete
to Tennis.Ball.Retriever Cute Dog ... on march 16
Budget Backpacker Hostels New Zealand
edit / delete
to backpacking accommodation travel ... saved by 8 other people ... on oct 23
Quality Hostel Accommodation - YHA New Zealand
edit / delete
to travel YHA accomodation backpacking hostel ... saved by 16 other people ... on oct 23
Dictionary.com
edit / delete
to dictionary.com dictionary ... saved by 15793 other people ... on oct 10
Disability Funding Info : Enable New Zealand
edit / delete
to Enable Disabilities equipment ... saved by 4 other people ... on oct 10
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Considering material presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability.

Yes there is a lack of identity and accountability as anyone can join and you do not have to prove yourself to join or even use you name. You do not know what websites have been added under a tag and whether they are appropriate sites.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community e.g. communities reliant on geographic proximity

It complements real life communities, i.e. linking colleagues together.
Provide large amounts of information.
Can connect people all over the world.
Connect people with similar interest.
Allow silent participation.
It doesn’t cost extra.
An individual chooses what the put under their user name.
Fast way of sharing information.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can.

You do not Know who has access.
Misuse.
Unwanted websites could be added.
Limited communication tool.
Validity of websites being added.

Tutorial Four and Five

Tutorial Four and Five: Video Production Sessions

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by U Tube. Information can be drawn from the week five tutorial hand out.

“YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips.” There are movie clips, tv clips, music and amataur films.

Youtube. (2008). Retrieved on 21/05/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtube

Provide a brief account (1-2 paragraphs) on how the use of planning storyboarding and scripting aided your groups short film.

Writing a story board is helpful for when you go to film the material. It gives you the opportunity to collate the groups ideas into the one project and think of what resources you have and what you need to obtain. You need to create a story or plot for the film and make sure everything links together.

When you go filming you can look to your story board and see what needs to be done. It can keep you on track and on topic, but you still have the freedom play around different ways of expressing the idea. For example we choose to have a leaf falling sceen but it was difficult to film just one left, so we try heaps of leaves and in the end we choose to have people throwing up leaves to have the best effect.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Tutorial One

Tutorial One: Information Technology and Ethical Issues

1. Provide a definition of Information Technology/Information Communications Technology (APA reference required)

Information technology n. The production, storage and communication of information using computers and microelectronics.
Hanks, P. (ed). (1989) Collins Concise Dictionary. Glasgow: Bath Press.
Consider the definition of IT you have provided. How is this form of technology prevalent in our society? How common place has it become?
Computers are pivotal in many occupations to run smoothly these days. The internet, cell phones, ipods and many more, new technology are common place, used by the average Joe. Basic knowledge of how to use a computer, type and use the internet are common skills and are expected by society.

2. What IT devices or system do you feel comfortable and competent using?

I am fairly confident on how to use my digital camera and my cell phone. I’m not the best on using computers but have a basic knowledge on how to use them to my advantage, but really it is a love/hate relationship. Plus I do not type properly, more freestyle like.

3. Thinking about your own fieldwork experiences consider how IT is being used in Occupational Therapy practice?

My last two placements have been in rest-homes so using some very recent technology is inappropriate with the residents as they do not know how to use them and they may not be interested or have the functional skills to use them. But some eldery have really embraced IT and are very familiar with using the internet and email. Some find it the best way to keep in contact with their family if they live out of town or grandchildren who prefer to use the computer.

4. What ethical implications arise from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices (e.g. mobile phones) or systems (e.g. internet)

The internet can be hacked into very easily these days and virus are very common. Individuals can receive junk mail that is inappropriate for younger age group or con artist advertising false product. It is harder to check whether it is a reliable source or dealer when buying things over the internet.

5. Provide a definition of Computer Ethics (APA reference required)

"Computer ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct.”

Computer ethics. (2008). Retrieved on 03/03/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_ethics

6. Provide a definition of Intellectual Property (APA reference required)

“Intellectual property (IP) is a legal field that refers to creations of the mind such as musical, literary, and artistic works; inventions; and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and related rights.”

Intellectual property. (2008). Retrieved on 03/03/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property

7. Provide a definition of Social Justice (APA reference required)

“Social justice refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society.”

Social justice. (2008). Retrieved on 03/03/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice

8. Provide a definition of Informed Consent (APA reference required)

“Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action.”

Informed consent. (2008). Retrieved on 03/03/08 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_Consent

9. In your own words briefly summarise why (or why not) a great understanding of IT and the ethical issues it encompasses will help us in our practice and daily lives.

If individuals are aware of what the risks are using IT they can be wary of it and not fall into the trap. Networking with others is a good way of finding out new risks out there. There are many postive for using IT and they weigh out the negative, so if you are wary of the risks you can use IT to your advantage.