Monday, October 29, 2007

Appendix A - Self Evaluation

Appendix A
Self-Evaluation of Blog



Written Analysis
Final Word Count = 1503
Readability Analysis:
Flesch Reading Ease = 13.3
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level = 12.4

I have included an abstract to aid in the readability, and also included an introduction, body, conclusion, and reference list. I have also included a self evaluation and Blog postings list on my main Blog page. Citations used in the body of the essay are references appropriately in the reference list which is consistent with the APA style of formatting. I devised a concept map which I included in the body of the article (see Figure 1) which depicts the depth of the research I have conducted on a number of individuals involved in the development of Family Systems Theory. Results of my readability analysis indicate that the level of my academic writing style could be improved, however this grade analysis determines my writing style to be higher than that of my first Blog, indicating that I am able to apply what I have learnt over the semester.


Theory and Research
As my reference list will show I was able to effectively search and locate articles which supported the voice I displayed throughout my Blog topic of Family Systems Theory. I sourced a moderate number of books and journal articles which was peer reviewed and pertinent to my topic. Research cited in my Blog ranged in age from 1991 to 2008. While Bowen and Kerr the two main theorists associated with Family Systems Theory have written numerous books and documents, the University Library currently has no holding for these items and I was unable to locate them elsewhere. While I would have liked to reference directly from the source and felt this would have been an invaluable addition to my paper, unfortunately I was unable to utilise these resources.


Online Engagement
I believe my Blog is inviting for others through my use of visual information and friendly tone, and generally easy for others to follow and understand. In my Blog I have included a profile of myself summarising my interests, hobbies and goals for the future. I have also on numerous occasions viewed the profile of my fellow classmates in order to better understand their interests, as well as get a better idea of the issues which may be of interest. I have made a number of comments on other people’s Blog’s, including participating in a number of polls being conducted by other students and the unit convener. Links to my comments are included on my Blog page, however as I did not record the polls I participated in, I am unable to provide links to these. The total number of polls I participated in would be around a dozen. I have also received a number of comments to posting which I have made, links to which are posted on my Blog page.

Since its inception at the beginning of the semester my Blog has included discussion surrounding lecture topics, as well as adding useful sections in an attempt to enhance the learning of others and myself. Throughout weeks 8-15 I have tried my upmost to build upon not only the things I have learnt not only over the semester, but also the feedback I received from my first Blog. I believe that over weeks 8-15 I have displayed a higher level of engagement as well as an improvement in number of postings I have made.

Although not as often as I would have liked, I continued to post items on my Blog throughout the semester, and have tried my best to make weekly or fortnightly postings. As the marker of my first Blog suggested posting of a draft copy of my second Blog to demonstrate and enhance my learning, I have done this as well as post two draft concept maps for comments and critique. In many postings I asked for students thoughts and input on the matter of discussion, to which numerous students responded. I believe this demonstrates my ability to facilitate a discussion based on the knowledge of a number of individuals. While over the semester I have found the task of Blogging challenging and at times frustrating, I believe that I have risen to the occasion and conducted both myself and my Blog in a user friendly, engaging and thought provoking way which was to the best of my ability.

I have also placed a number of postings on the discussion board within UCspace. In times that I have been uncertain of a particular item I have asked for both explanation and thoughts from members of the unit. In regards to my second Blog, I encountered numerous technical difficulties, to which I enquired if anyone knew of ways to fix or overcome these. While I only received a small number of responses, I believe that utilising the discussion board on UC space displays my engagement with others not only in times of composure, but also in times of uncertainty.

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