This is the course blog for PH 663 - the theory-based, practical, action-packed Health Communication course for ace Health Promotion students in the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University. Are we having fun or what!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Week 12 - Web 2.0
KEY CONCEPTS - Involvement Conversion - Game Characteristics - Web 2.0 Principles
I haven't been the first to post before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Right? There's even a first for Web 2.0. Please, allow me to explain. After reading the Boulos article, Web 2.0 is taking things of yester year to a whole new level. For many of us, it's our first time social bookmarking but now because of it, we can access bookmarks, tag pages, define what a page is and how relevant it is to what's important to us, any time of the day from anywhere around the world. This is a first. And, it's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Even more so, we didn't get a chance to talk about it in class, but there's also this Web 2.0 concept called "Second Life". It's a virtual reality where you parade around different communities talking to other cyber folks. I thought this Second Life was really far out there, but apparently it's really big. I was surprised to learn that the US Marine Corps and American Cancer Society have Second Life territories. As I write this, I think you just have to check it out for yourself. Second Life even has games you can play. On another note, I think that the custom features that we can create on given spaces such as social networks and blogs really takes issue involvement to a new level. Web 2.0 bring power back to the consumer and as a consumer, I almost feel dual-hatted. I mean, not only am I receiving the information from the masses, but I'm sending info right back out to them. Is Web 2.0 the first pure taste of democracy? My mind can't even comprehend what firsts we'll see with Web 3.0. Stay tuned.
I was thrilled to see and hear that the Health world and industry is changing with the times, which it must in order to still be effective. I loved those health games showed and if it helps children with cancer feel even more like they are actually fighting and beating their cancer... well kudos. The games these days are so realistic and advanced, i remember playing the new game duck hunter by nitendo and thinking it was the coolest thing. Now i feel so out of the loop, I attempted to play playstation and was left behind by not feeling well with all the turns and 3-d style. Technology these days is changing so much it is hard to wrap your head around to stay with it. But kids get this and if it works and is effective to get through to them, educationally than GREAT! I can not believe that a web 3.0 will be coming out when i have not been able to navigate and grasp 2.0 that well yet. Yikes!
Last week I had a chance to observe and participate in exergames for my exercise psychology class. We went to a local elementary school that hosts exergames for an after school program. At first glance, I was not impressed with the games as it did not appear as if the kids were getting much exercise from them. However, once I played some of the games with the kids, I found they were actually quite a workout! The class room had several different types of games, including Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii, and stationary bikes with TV screens simulating motorcycle races. The kids were getting great workouts from the games and were having FUN playing them. Part of me felt like the kids should be outside playing traditional sports and getting fresh air, however I also realized that video games and technology are the games of the future. Through exergames, kids can experience all the same aspects of traditional games, such as autonomy (they get to choose the games they play), competence (they gain performance self-efficacy by progressing through levels), and relatedness (they can play on teams and against other peers, enhancing their social support.) I predict exergames will become more prevalent in schools as they are an innovative way to get kids more physically active.
Its really fascinating the prospect of public health moving into a tech savy field that incorporates the latest technology with creative intervention designs (i.e. interactive games). The possiblities of public health being streamed 24/7 on the web are unless. Is it possible to think that in a few years there could be a myspace/facebook type forum just for public health communication. As I write this I think about how public health communication and interventions can become mainstream through web 2.0, but my thoughts are constrained by what is out there now. Its takes real creative and cutting edge thinkers to come up with the next big thing. My references for what can come next are constrained but was it out there now and thinking nothing can top that! Like google. And my next thought is what if there was a search engine with everything and anything related to health, could that one day be the next big thing?! I think yesterdays class was really all about getting us to think outside the box and into the future of PH.
Web 2.0 was a great addition to today's computer technology. I know for all the teenie-bopers they would not be able to survive without Myspace or Facebook. For me I couldn't live without my celebrity blogging pages, since they are so "informational". Web 2.0 has allowed us to share all kinds of information with everyone around the world. For me Google is great site for researching for class projects. I wish I had all this access to knowledge when I was in undergrad. There was no blackboard to get class note or to communicate with the professor or other classmates. Time have definitely progress for the most part for the better. I guess the draw back are we can share too much, which can cause problems to the public or individuals. People can hack into your credit account, post false or personal information on you, take advantage of you (sexual predators in myspace, chat rooms...).Whatever your purpose is for using web 2.0 do not allow it to control you (good or bad). Now let me go check on the latest celebrity gossip. I mean the news.
The interactive games related to health are so fascinating and a great learning tool for everyone especially kids! Technology is advancing so much and so fast that it almost makes is impossible to keep up. However, this is a good thing specifically with the existence of web 2.0 where it allows for democracy. Now, people all over the world are able to connect in many different ways which weren’t able to do some time ago. There are numerous opportunities for everyone with different purposes using web 2.0. There are sites for socialization, networking, exchanging ideas, blogging, etc. This is especially invaluable since health information can also be exchanged this way. However, not all health information out there is credible. Thus, this can create challenges for Public Health professionals as far as ensuring that the public or the consumers out there are accessing the right sites and gaining accurate knowledge. For instance, it has been extremely easy for me to find many articles online through databases regarding my thesis. On the other hand, if I had only Google searched tobacco, many site including non-credible ones will also come up. Then, I would have to be very cautious in selecting accurate information since false info could also be coming from Tobacco companies and corporations. We also need to be very cautious about sharing our personal info on the web since there are hackers and cyber preditors who have nothing better to do with their lives.
This week's class was an interesting one yet made me feel a bit old! I completely understand and am a fan of incorporating game elements into health messages. During my time in Peace Corps games were an integral part of the women's health course I taught and a kid's health day camp I organized. To me it seemed like the middle aged women in my health course did actually enjoy getting up and participating in silly (yet relevant) games/icebreakers that tied into whatever health topic we were covering that day. I think no one is too old for games! Having said that getting a peak into the technology available today, in the form of Web 2.0, interactive video games, etc. it's difficult for me to really understand what technological tools are available to us. It'll take some extra work on my part to look into and experiment with these tools since they are ones I don't feel familiar with, and the ones that make me feel 'old' - in the sense that the younger generation is so familiar with these products yet I still don't have a facebook or myspace page, have never owned a nintendo, playstation or even atari, and am not really a fan of videogames. Once again this class has revealed to me that I have my work cut out for me!
Finally for an interesting talk by the founder of Wikipedia, that mentions the role of democracy within Wikipedia (as was discussed in class), visit this website: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/37
Everything is so fast now a days. It's like if you don't keep up with what's going on with the web and other technologies, you'll be completely lost. It makes me think about how humans have become so dependent on their electronics, internet, cell phones, and etc. What happens if we couldn't use electricity anymore to power oue electronics. Oil is slowly depleting from the earth and sooner or later we won't have anymore oil. Oil is vital in powering electricity and keeping our economy going. I wonder, what would happen to us if we did not have all this technology. I am guilty myself because I don't go anywhere without my cell phone and use the internet everyday. However, have we gone too far? TVs in cars, actually, TVs every where! At gas pumps and grocery stores even. Do we need that many? What kind of world do we want our children to grow up in? It's a good thing that we could connect so easily with each other, but all those ads and certain social norms being promoted is just not healthy.
I agree with what other have said about feeling old after the talk on Tuesday. I consider myself pretty internet savy but there is SO much out there that I have no idea how to use or how it is created. I never really thought before about the evolution of the internet but after talking about it in class, I really see how it has changed dramatically right before our eyes. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like when it comes time for me to have kids. I work at the Humane Society and I would say 70% of the kids I interact with have a Webkinz pet online that they take care of. My 10 year old cousin has 10 of them that she takes care of every day on the internet. So she is growing up used to the internet, I remember when we first got it and having to sit patiently because we had dial-up. Now kids are able to access anything lightning fast. This is going to be one, if not the most, important too for us in our future public health careers, which means I must get up to speed and stay up to speed so I can fully utilize the power of Web 2.0.
I hadn't even realized that I was using Web 2.0 until class on Tuesday. I didn't even know there was a name for it until then. But now that it is here, I don't know what Internet-loving people would do without it. The ease with which information is shared and received, not to mention the amount of information that there is, is unparalleled. But, is it truly a democracy? Isn't it only a democracy if everyone has an equal chance to have an input, not just those with computers, the internet, or the literacy to navigate the technology? There is so much information being exchanged with the Web 2.0 technology (such as blogging, see?) that someone can say whatever they'd like, without much truth to it, and someone else receiving that info may put some belief behind it. I guess its up to them to take what information they find and assign it weight. I could blog today saying that the world is flat or give someone instructions on how to keep a whale in your backyard pool... you know, because I have one and I'm an expert on the subject. Who's going to tell me I'm wrong?
Games what a great idea! Although not really a big fan of them I hate the structure and rules and to be quite frank playing games stresses me out. My boyfriend hates that I do not and tells me I am no fun, he grew up playing all sorts of games and in my family they really were not a big thing. I am actually going to put this lecture to good use, I think I will come up with some health education games for my consumers and teach the “game way” for a change.
It’s incredible how far we have come in our entertainment technology. And a little scary to think what’s in store for the future when I become old and set in my antiquated ways...although I feel like that now sometimes. I agree with others in questioning our dependability on technology and wonder if we or our kids are going to one day become purely heuristic viewers with short attention spans. Recently I watched my niece play video games on her mini laptop while we were on a family road trip. Its crazy how at four yrs.old, w/out any help, she knows how to access internet, search for her games or the next level game and then proceed to play. No way nice traditional play dough or hungry hippo can compete with these all senses blowing games. Also, I wonder if a lot of games can be played solo now, you don’t need to really call over friends; you can compete w/ online players or with the computer/video game. No real human interaction needed. In any case, I think it’s great that we can use games for a public health purpose and engage kids and adults this way. And I’m thankful for Web 2.0 (although I can be old fashioned) and how easy it has made my life. I have so much information I can access and how much more is added and changed everyday. And I have way more to learn.
MySpace info was really eye-opening. Didn't realize there was sooo much going on eventhough heard about it. Games for health are really a great idea for kids especially when dealing with fear and anxiety and learning self-management skill. Surprised R.W. Johnson foundation is big on it but I can see the benefits with people dealing with a serious chronic disease. IT will be interesting to see what's in the future. Involvement conversion is a little unclear but assuming it relates to going from print media to Internet news.
At first when I saw the topic of health games I was unsure there could be one that attracted teens. These days, the gaming industry is so incredibly profitable that I couldn't see a health game comparing to the graphics and/or clarity of the major games out there. But the one exampkle from class that addresses cancer, pretty much paralleled them. Thats something I would buy for my kids!
I wouldn't dare tell you you're wrong, Emily, especially because I, too, have a whale in my backyard pool! I do think it's amazing that if someone googled "whales, backyard pools" they might come across our blog where, now two of us have claimed to have raised shamu in the pool just outside the enclosed patio where I have also successfully raised two bengal tigers... It will be interesting to see as Web 2.0 upgrades to 3 and 4.0 how people will begin to manage all the information they can share and that which is available to them. I am even further excited to see how health professionals will use this resource to disseminate and collect health related materials. I imagine this tool could be invaluable in formative research...
Web 2.0 seems like a label that is bound to be outdated within a few years. That is what so daunting about technology it is seems to be updated every day—what seemed like the greatest thing will be obsolete within a couple of months. I guess that is the price of technology.
17 comments:
I haven't been the first to post before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Right? There's even a first for Web 2.0. Please, allow me to explain. After reading the Boulos article, Web 2.0 is taking things of yester year to a whole new level. For many of us, it's our first time social bookmarking but now because of it, we can access bookmarks, tag pages, define what a page is and how relevant it is to what's important to us, any time of the day from anywhere around the world. This is a first. And, it's pretty phenomenal when you think about it. Even more so, we didn't get a chance to talk about it in class, but there's also this Web 2.0 concept called "Second Life". It's a virtual reality where you parade around different communities talking to other cyber folks. I thought this Second Life was really far out there, but apparently it's really big. I was surprised to learn that the US Marine Corps and American Cancer Society have Second Life territories. As I write this, I think you just have to check it out for yourself. Second Life even has games you can play. On another note, I think that the custom features that we can create on given spaces such as social networks and blogs really takes issue involvement to a new level. Web 2.0 bring power back to the consumer and as a consumer, I almost feel dual-hatted. I mean, not only am I receiving the information from the masses, but I'm sending info right back out to them. Is Web 2.0 the first pure taste of democracy? My mind can't even comprehend what firsts we'll see with Web 3.0. Stay tuned.
I was thrilled to see and hear that the Health world and industry is changing with the times, which it must in order to still be effective. I loved those health games showed and if it helps children with cancer feel even more like they are actually fighting and beating their cancer... well kudos. The games these days are so realistic and advanced, i remember playing the new game duck hunter by nitendo and thinking it was the coolest thing. Now i feel so out of the loop, I attempted to play playstation and was left behind by not feeling well with all the turns and 3-d style. Technology these days is changing so much it is hard to wrap your head around to stay with it. But kids get this and if it works and is effective to get through to them, educationally than GREAT! I can not believe that a web 3.0 will be coming out when i have not been able to navigate and grasp 2.0 that well yet. Yikes!
Last week I had a chance to observe and participate in exergames for my exercise psychology class. We went to a local elementary school that hosts exergames for an after school program. At first glance, I was not impressed with the games as it did not appear as if the kids were getting much exercise from them. However, once I played some of the games with the kids, I found they were actually quite a workout! The class room had several different types of games, including Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii, and stationary bikes with TV screens simulating motorcycle races. The kids were getting great workouts from the games and were having FUN playing them. Part of me felt like the kids should be outside playing traditional sports and getting fresh air, however I also realized that video games and technology are the games of the future. Through exergames, kids can experience all the same aspects of traditional games, such as autonomy (they get to choose the games they play), competence (they gain performance self-efficacy by progressing through levels), and relatedness (they can play on teams and against other peers, enhancing their social support.) I predict exergames will become more prevalent in schools as they are an innovative way to get kids more physically active.
Its really fascinating the prospect of public health moving into a tech savy field that incorporates the latest technology with creative intervention designs (i.e. interactive games). The possiblities of public health being streamed 24/7 on the web are unless. Is it possible to think that in a few years there could be a myspace/facebook type forum just for public health communication. As I write this I think about how public health communication and interventions can become mainstream through web 2.0, but my thoughts are constrained by what is out there now. Its takes real creative and cutting edge thinkers to come up with the next big thing. My references for what can come next are constrained but was it out there now and thinking nothing can top that! Like google. And my next thought is what if there was a search engine with everything and anything related to health, could that one day be the next big thing?! I think yesterdays class was really all about getting us to think outside the box and into the future of PH.
Web 2.0 was a great addition to today's computer technology. I know for all the teenie-bopers they would not be able to survive without Myspace or Facebook. For me I couldn't live without my celebrity blogging pages, since they are so "informational". Web 2.0 has allowed us to share all kinds of information with everyone around the world. For me Google is great site for researching for class projects. I wish I had all this access to knowledge when I was in undergrad. There was no blackboard to get class note or to communicate with the professor or other classmates. Time have definitely progress for the most part for the better. I guess the draw back are we can share too much, which can cause problems to the public or individuals. People can hack into your credit account, post false or personal information on you, take advantage of you (sexual predators in myspace, chat rooms...).Whatever your purpose is for using web 2.0 do not allow it to control you (good or bad). Now let me go check on the latest celebrity gossip. I mean the news.
The interactive games related to health are so fascinating and a great learning tool for everyone especially kids! Technology is advancing so much and so fast that it almost makes is impossible to keep up. However, this is a good thing specifically with the existence of web 2.0 where it allows for democracy. Now, people all over the world are able to connect in many different ways which weren’t able to do some time ago. There are numerous opportunities for everyone with different purposes using web 2.0. There are sites for socialization, networking, exchanging ideas, blogging, etc. This is especially invaluable since health information can also be exchanged this way. However, not all health information out there is credible. Thus, this can create challenges for Public Health professionals as far as ensuring that the public or the consumers out there are accessing the right sites and gaining accurate knowledge. For instance, it has been extremely easy for me to find many articles online through databases regarding my thesis. On the other hand, if I had only Google searched tobacco, many site including non-credible ones will also come up. Then, I would have to be very cautious in selecting accurate information since false info could also be coming from Tobacco companies and corporations. We also need to be very cautious about sharing our personal info on the web since there are hackers and cyber preditors who have nothing better to do with their lives.
This week's class was an interesting one yet made me feel a bit old! I completely understand and am a fan of incorporating game elements into health messages. During my time in Peace Corps games were an integral part of the women's health course I taught and a kid's health day camp I organized. To me it seemed like the middle aged women in my health course did actually enjoy getting up and participating in silly (yet relevant) games/icebreakers that tied into whatever health topic we were covering that day. I think no one is too old for games!
Having said that getting a peak into the technology available today, in the form of Web 2.0, interactive video games, etc. it's difficult for me to really understand what technological tools are available to us. It'll take some extra work on my part to look into and experiment with these tools since they are ones I don't feel familiar with, and the ones that make me feel 'old' - in the sense that the younger generation is so familiar with these products yet I still don't have a facebook or myspace page, have never owned a nintendo, playstation or even atari, and am not really a fan of videogames. Once again this class has revealed to me that I have my work cut out for me!
Finally for an interesting talk by the founder of Wikipedia, that mentions the role of democracy within Wikipedia (as was discussed in class), visit this website:
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/37
Everything is so fast now a days. It's like if you don't keep up with what's going on with the web and other technologies, you'll be completely lost. It makes me think about how humans have become so dependent on their electronics, internet, cell phones, and etc. What happens if we couldn't use electricity anymore to power oue electronics. Oil is slowly depleting from the earth and sooner or later we won't have anymore oil. Oil is vital in powering electricity and keeping our economy going. I wonder, what would happen to us if we did not have all this technology. I am guilty myself because I don't go anywhere without my cell phone and use the internet everyday. However, have we gone too far? TVs in cars, actually, TVs every where! At gas pumps and grocery stores even. Do we need that many? What kind of world do we want our children to grow up in? It's a good thing that we could connect so easily with each other, but all those ads and certain social norms being promoted is just not healthy.
I agree with what other have said about feeling old after the talk on Tuesday. I consider myself pretty internet savy but there is SO much out there that I have no idea how to use or how it is created. I never really thought before about the evolution of the internet but after talking about it in class, I really see how it has changed dramatically right before our eyes. I can’t imagine what it is going to be like when it comes time for me to have kids. I work at the Humane Society and I would say 70% of the kids I interact with have a Webkinz pet online that they take care of. My 10 year old cousin has 10 of them that she takes care of every day on the internet. So she is growing up used to the internet, I remember when we first got it and having to sit patiently because we had dial-up. Now kids are able to access anything lightning fast. This is going to be one, if not the most, important too for us in our future public health careers, which means I must get up to speed and stay up to speed so I can fully utilize the power of Web 2.0.
I hadn't even realized that I was using Web 2.0 until class on Tuesday. I didn't even know there was a name for it until then. But now that it is here, I don't know what Internet-loving people would do without it. The ease with which information is shared and received, not to mention the amount of information that there is, is unparalleled. But, is it truly a democracy? Isn't it only a democracy if everyone has an equal chance to have an input, not just those with computers, the internet, or the literacy to navigate the technology? There is so much information being exchanged with the Web 2.0 technology (such as blogging, see?) that someone can say whatever they'd like, without much truth to it, and someone else receiving that info may put some belief behind it. I guess its up to them to take what information they find and assign it weight. I could blog today saying that the world is flat or give someone instructions on how to keep a whale in your backyard pool... you know, because I have one and I'm an expert on the subject. Who's going to tell me I'm wrong?
Games what a great idea! Although not really a big fan of them I hate the structure and rules and to be quite frank playing games stresses me out. My boyfriend hates that I do not and tells me I am no fun, he grew up playing all sorts of games and in my family they really were not a big thing. I am actually going to put this lecture to good use, I think I will come up with some health education games for my consumers and teach the “game way” for a change.
It’s incredible how far we have come in our entertainment technology. And a little scary to think what’s in store for the future when I become old and set in my antiquated ways...although I feel like that now sometimes.
I agree with others in questioning our dependability on technology and wonder if we or our kids are going to one day become purely heuristic viewers with short attention spans.
Recently I watched my niece play video games on her mini laptop while we were on a family road trip. Its crazy how at four yrs.old, w/out any help, she knows how to access internet, search for her games or the next level game and then proceed to play. No way nice traditional play dough or hungry hippo can compete with these all senses blowing games. Also, I wonder if a lot of games can be played solo now, you don’t need to really call over friends; you can compete w/ online players or with the computer/video game. No real human interaction needed.
In any case, I think it’s great that we can use games for a public health purpose and engage kids and adults this way. And I’m thankful for Web 2.0 (although I can be old fashioned) and how easy it has made my life. I have so much information I can access and how much more is added and changed everyday. And I have way more to learn.
MySpace info was really eye-opening. Didn't realize there was sooo much going on eventhough heard about it. Games for health are really a great idea for kids especially when dealing with fear and anxiety and learning self-management skill. Surprised R.W. Johnson foundation is big on it but I can see the benefits with people dealing with a serious chronic disease. IT will be interesting to see what's in the future. Involvement conversion is a little unclear but assuming it relates to going from print media to Internet news.
So sad that I was unable to be in class this week. Sounds like it was a ton of fun!!
At first when I saw the topic of health games I was unsure there could be one that attracted teens. These days, the gaming industry is so incredibly profitable that I couldn't see a health game comparing to the graphics and/or clarity of the major games out there. But the one exampkle from class that addresses cancer, pretty much paralleled them. Thats something I would buy for my kids!
I wouldn't dare tell you you're wrong, Emily, especially because I, too, have a whale in my backyard pool! I do think it's amazing that if someone googled "whales, backyard pools" they might come across our blog where, now two of us have claimed to have raised shamu in the pool just outside the enclosed patio where I have also successfully raised two bengal tigers... It will be interesting to see as Web 2.0 upgrades to 3 and 4.0 how people will begin to manage all the information they can share and that which is available to them. I am even further excited to see how health professionals will use this resource to disseminate and collect health related materials. I imagine this tool could be invaluable in formative research...
Web 2.0 seems like a label that is bound to be outdated within a few years. That is what so daunting about technology it is seems to be updated every day—what seemed like the greatest thing will be obsolete within a couple of months. I guess that is the price of technology.
Post a Comment