Category: LRNT 525

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The Eye of the Thai-ger

Not the Thai-tanic

For this week’s activity, exploring the pedagogy of abundance, Michael and Sue joined forces to explore an area of interest and report on the implications of the abundance of digital content.  Join us on our journey to find out more about the history of Thai food!

Constructing our search

We identified our topic asynchronously through Slack. Both of us have a love of Thai food and wanted to find out more about the history of how the combination of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter tastes that characterize Thai Food.  

If at first you do not succeed, try Thai again

We agreed to conduct independent searches, using a variety of different search engines, and search parameters derived from The history of Thai food. 

We created a chart to record our results.  Before starting, we incorporated some of the suggestions from Will’s post on Considering your topic and constructing your search, and created a list of synonyms and search parameters (W.Meredith, personal communication, September, 19, 2018).  

 

Search  Engine Search parameters Number of results Time to get results Comments
Google History of Thai Food 168,000,000 0.73 seconds
  • Most had the same limited information such as countries of origin,   taste, ingredients, variations by region etc.
  • Most sources seemed to restaurants with a brief historical blurb
  • One scholarly article (2nd page)
  • No references
Google Scholar History of Thai Food 270,000 0.07 seconds
  • Most articles did not pertain to the history of Thai food
You Tube History of Thai Food N/S N/A
  • Documentaries about Thai food that did not include history
  • Lots of amateur videos – no references
  • Cooking shows with no history
Google “Food” AND “Thai” AND “History” 157,000,00 0.83 seconds
  • Same links as previous searches on first page
Google Scholar “Food” AND “Thai” AND “History” 270,000 0.07 seconds
  • Same results as previous search “History of Thai food”
Google Origin of Thai food 32,700,000 0.78 seconds
  • Mostly listing of restaurants with reviews
Google Scholar Origin of Thai food 94,800 0.35 seconds
  • Most articles did not pertain to the history of Thai food
BING History of Thai food 21,800,000 N/A
  • Similar results as Google
Encyclopedia Brittanica History of Thailand 1,730,000,000 0.74 seconds
  • Much rich history of the people, culture, economics etc.   Some information on the history of the food
Google Evolution of Thai Food 17,500,000 0.35 seconds
  • Similar results to previous searches
Discovery History of Thai Food 1161
  • Covered food and Thai culture
Discovery “History” AND “Thai” AND “Food” 1093
  • Similar to previous search – mostly Thai culture and some cuisine
Discovery “Chronology” AND “Thai” AND “Food” 19
  • Mostly about general information about agriculture in South East Asia
Google History of Thai Cuisine and influences 83,000,000 .65 sec
  • Strong initial results indicating some information about the history of Thai food
Google Thai food history timeline 21,300,000 .7 sec
  • Very similar to previous results
Google scholar Thai food historical timeline 7,680 .08 sec
  • Poor results. Covered a wide range of topics about Thailand
Google Scholar “timeline” AND “Thai” AND “Food” 7,590 .04 sec
  • Similar poor results from previous search
YouTube “Thailand food” timeline NA NA
  • Starts off with relevant topic, but then quickly diverges into broader topics
YouTube History of Thai food (also Thai food history) NA NA
  • Almost exact same as previous results.

 

As you can see, and as you learnt through your own experiences with the activity, when utilising search engines such as Google and Bing we retrieved millions of resources.  The challenge now was to weed through the massive amounts of resources and choices and determine which ones were valuable.

 

I soup-pose this looks right

Evaluating the literature to ensure its validity.

What we learned is the quantity does not necessarily mean quality!  Much of the literature we encountered was Produsage or as Anderson (2016) defines “user-led content creation, consumption, and active production online” (p. 41).  It was often of poor quality or intended to promote a business or product. Some of the criteria that we used to filter the massive amounts of information were:

  • Consideration would only be given to the first ten to fifteen results.  We rarely went past the first page.
  • If there were duplications in concepts we accepted them as being valid.
  • Who was the author? Were they part of an organization?
  • Did they provide contact information on the webpage?   
  • Did the site look professional?  Were there errors in spelling?
  • Was there an opportunity for others to comment and share their knowledge and experiences?  
  • Did the site share reading lists through social bookmarking? (Weller, 2011, p. 228).


The last two points made up a large part of our criteria for assessing validity.  For as Anderson (2016), states “It is through the digital traces of others that learners may formulate connected pathways to accessible online learning resources.” (p. 45).

 

En-Thai-sing

Does abundant content enable learning?

Abundant content does not promote learning on its own. “The transition from scarcity to abundance introduces massive amounts of information and choice, challenging students and instructors to develop their judgment, comparison, and evaluation skills” (Anderson, 2016, p. 41).   Although our search was on an informal topic, it occurred to us that the skills and criteria we used to assess the validity of the content retrieved through our searches was largely gained through experience, not something that was taught to us. We learned through the painful experience of hours of searching for resources to support our topics in the libraries, online, and from our parents, teachers and friends.  “In this digital, networked age, how can we ensure that learning environments are created and used by learners to access, process, filter, recommend, and apply information with the aid of machines, peers, and experts within the learning network” (Anderson, 2016, p. 43)? Weller (2011), posits that “moving to a more participatory, socially constructed view of knowledge” such as, resource and problem based learning, constructivism, communities of practice and connectivism learning theories could assist in accomplishing this (p. 228).  

Warschaeur (2007), postulates that learners must gain information and multimedia literacy skills to enable digital learning. He defines the two skills as follows:

Information literacy – refers to the ability to define what sorts of information are needed; locate the needed information efficiently; evaluate information and its sources critically; incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base; understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information; and access information ethically and legally (p. 42).

Multimedia literacy – refers to the ability to interpret, design, and create content that makes use of images, photographs, video, animation, music, sounds, texts, and typography (p. 43).

He also believes that mentorship and modeling from faculty, parents, siblings and friends plays a large role in whether or not learners develop these skills.

As free content continues to grow in abundance, educators must be mindful to provide learning activities that focus not only on content, but also include opportunities for learners to hone their evaluative skills and support the new ways in which knowledge is created (Anderson, 2016).

 

Food that is to Thai for

Thank you for joining us on our journey, and that you wanted to wok this way. To Thai it all together we encourage you to be mindful in your academic searches in the consumption of knowledge. Thai to remember the importance of validity in the medium, otherwise when you write a paper you may find yourself tongue Thai’d.

If you are too Thai-erd to read this blog, or you are short on Thai-m, you can learn about the history of Thai food through this video – 

References

Anderson, T. (2016). Chapter 3: Theories for Learning with Emerging Technologies. In Veletsianos, G. (Ed). Emergence and Innovation in Digital Learning: Foundations and Applications. Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Warschauer, M. (2007). The paradoxical future of digital learning. Learning Inquiry, 1(1), 41–49.

Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 249, 223–236.

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LRNT 525 – Unit 3 Activity 1 Project Management

The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on an experience when I was involved in project management, and to discuss the success, and challenges, in that process. A project is a temporary change that has a definite beginning and end, with stages and a unique output.

The best example that I think is most applicable to my experience is when I was managing the University of Victoria’s undergraduate pub. The idea to renovate the pub, and the entire building, was considered and implemented. It is imperative to note the structure of a unionized student pub, the role of the board of directors, and that the stakeholders are undergraduate students that typically exist in four-year cycles.

A unionized student pub means that the employees outside management must be undergraduate students and therefore only have a limited employment time-frame. This is important to consider as this means the front line is not a long-term employee that is aware of transitions. As the years passed, new employees are rarely aware of what the past looked like. This can be a benefit as any resistance to change is temporary. Of prime importance is the role of the board of directors. They are five elected students that sit for a one year term that have an average age of 21 years old. Renovating an entire building is a multi-year process, and having decision makers that rotate each year brings a multitude of challenges. Lastly, the stakeholders, akin to the employees, are typically only around for four years. This also means that any input, or cost, is in a limited scope.

It began with a conversation one night with a server I managed that became the events director the following year. The events director is one of the five positions of the board of directors. We had talked about the vision of a renovation to the pub and outlined our ideas. It was presented to the board at that time and was passed as an initiative. The staff were wholeheartedly behind the concept as it was to create a warmer atmosphere with more wood and brick (a traditional model that stands the test of time) with technological improvements to enhance the stakeholders’ involvement. For example, outlets near the windows for completing homework while purchasing products, digital screens for events, and improved sound systems. With the staff buy-in, the front line engaged with the stakeholders to get their commitment. There was a vote by the students (stakeholders) that for the cost of one beer per semester they would have a new pub that they could enjoy. The board extended the vote to include a renovation of the entire building (eight businesses involved). This would be a multi-year endeavour, and the students voted yes.

By the time the project management was to commence, a new board of directors were voted in. This means five new viewpoints on what success looked like. This new board was not as interested in others’ views but rather wished to instill their ideas. For myself and the general manager of the building, the approach was similar to Conway et al. statement of “[t]he answer is not to wish these obstacles away. It is to find a way through” (Conway, Masters, & Thorold, 2017, p. 25). This new board chose furniture that was non-commercial grade with no warranty (these broke within six months, whereas the general manager and I supported recovering the existing furniture that lasted 15 years of student exposure). The style of the pub became a mish-mash of ideas as the renovation took longer than a year and therefore a new board came in with their ideas to finalize it. This became a cycle of young wisdom creating a new building over four years. What kept the project in check was the adaptability of the managers of the building.

Watt (2014) outlines the stages of project management as a life cycle involving four components – initiating, planning, executing and closing.

The initiating stage has been outlined above and the issue of feasibility and justification was met. What was not considered was the revolving involvement of the board of directors and what their roles would look like. This was a question mark that in hindsight should have been considered. In this manner, spelling out a definitive outline before new leadership arrived would have saved many contradictions, and challenges.

Planning included budgeting of materials, labour, and the cost to each department for shutting down operations (labour cost in a union, food inventory, loss of revenue, and possible loss of clientele as they explored other alternatives). The steps were to outline the finances available for each department for the renovation, assess what were priorities, seek out options for delivering priorities, assess improvements in aesthetics and costs, plan stages of renovations. Aesthetic planning was assisted by a local renovation company that held closely that the board of directors had full control.   The general manager had to mitigate fiscal responsibility, university policy limitations, and changes in perspectives as the board cycled. My role in this stage was to assist the general manager as best possible to direct the perspectives of the board of directors and to then advise the front-line of any new visions. Most importantly was the value of the managers adjusting to the new boards and suggesting ideas so that they seemed as if it was the board’s idea.

Executing the project revealed to the board the difference between ideas and reality. With any renovation costs seem to be higher than projected costs. Sub-contractors make mistakes, and objects get broken. Additionally, unforeseen setbacks arise when building codes challenge ideas. With these challenges arising this opened the door to suggest alternative approaches that were in closer alignment with the managers. Some had been working there for 20 years and knew the stakeholders’ patterns of behaviours well.

The closing phase of the pub’s renovation helped other departments prepare for dialogue with upcoming shifts in the board of director membership. The new boards became cognizant of the successes and struggles of each department renovation.

The end result for the pub was an output of a vision that aesthetically looked somewhat strange but ended up with additions that were guided by management. New beer monitoring systems were installed to monitor slippage and technical improvements such as new terminals were added. Also, a new sound system has been installed. As the stakeholders, front-line employees, and board of directors come and then go, the comparison to the past fades away and all that remains is a secret view between the old managers of what was. History, in this manner, is hidden.

 

References

Conway, R., Masters, J., & Thorold, J., (2017). From design thinking to systems change: How to invest in innovation for social impact. Royal Society of Arts, Action and Research Centre.

Watt, A. (2014). Project Management. Victoria, BC: BCcampus.

 

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LRNT 525 External Scan

Infographic created Visme (www.visme.co)

The goal of this assignment was to display how change is addressed by two professionals in digital learning through creating a one-page visual infographic to compare the approaches. The first individual interviewed is a leader of online digital design (designated as “1” on the infographic), and the second individual is a program coordinator for non-for-profit brain injury services (designated as “2” on the infographic).

Both individuals were asked to identify an organizational change that involved digital learning, what steps were required by the leaders in this change, and what challenges were presented. After interviewing these two professionals about their experiences with leading changes in a digital setting, there seemed to be an alignment with Biech’s CHANGE model (Biech, 2007). I thought this was interesting as Al-Haddad and Kotnour suggest, “organizations undergoing change vary significantly in their structure, systems, strategies and human resources” (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015, p. 234). When comparing these two interviews there were differences in the structure and human resources, but systems and strategies seem aligned. That is, to identify what change is needed, find a strategy and leaders to create the change, find commitment by the leaders and staff to understand the vision, design the approach to change the system, execute and monitor the learning, and to then evaluate the learning.

Weiner (2009) discusses aspects of organizational change within the healthcare system. He notes, “…organizational members take into consideration the organization’s structural assets and deficits in formulating their change efficacy judgments” (Weiner, 2009, p. 3). As both individuals are leaders in health care, there were similarities, and some differences, in the challenges that they faced. Both leaders noted that change seemed to be precluded by a sense of urgency or an ad hoc approach. Additionally, both felt that having the support from their superiors was the pinnacle of their success in leading the change. The greatest difference seemed to come from the organizational style. As the first individual is embedded in a formal institution the challenges can be setbacks from upper management due to budget limitations, a “top-down” decision making process, and with “siloed” departments. The second individual is a leader in a not-for-profit organization and although the budget was again noted as a concern there is greater flexibility in negotiating change with the head of the organization.

There was a view that was echoed by both individuals – that although there is a short-term cost to implement digital learning changes, the long-term gain is extraordinary. The modules that are created enhance performance, maintain a record of engagement with staff and promote confidence in leaders and staff. Digital learning creates an atmosphere of growth and retention. Furthermore, similar to digital learning in an educational setting the flexibility of health care workers having a variety of shifts makes it difficult to arrange formal training in a classroom setting. Embracing digital learning means acknowledging the solutions of adaptability in advancing a team’s knowledge.

It was noted in both individuals that upcoming projects in digital learning the catalyst of change hinges of the financing available. The first individual spoke about Periopsim (a virtual reality operation room for surgeons and nurses to practice), and the second individual referred to Naloxone training (emergency response to fentanyl overdose). It is unfortunate that the planning, and roll-out, of these, could be postponed due to budget restrictions. The concept of healthcare is multi-faceted and includes preventative approaches. Is there a price on someone’s life?

References

Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234–262.

Biech, E. (2007). Thriving through change: A leader’s practical guide to change mastery. American Society for Training and Development.

Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(1), 1–9.