com3704

Assignment 2
CSK Schmidt
COM3704
Assignment Number: 207941
28 Mar. 13

DECLARATION
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this is my own and personal work, except where the work(s) or publications of others have been acknowledged by means of reference techniques.
I have read and understood Tutorial Letter CMNALLE/301 regarding technical and presentation requirements, referencing techniques and plagiarism.

28 March .13

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 4
4 NEW MEDIA 4
4.1 New media used to improve teaching and learning 4
4.2 Users benefiting from the media 7
4.2.1 Organizations and new media 7
4.2.2 Communication among people globally 8
CONCLUSION 9
SOURCES CONSULTED 9
SELF ASSESMENT AND SELF REFLECTION 9

INTRODUCTION

This media is focussed on new media such as the internet. I will be discussing the way new media such as the internet has evolved and improved the way learning is in an open distance learning institution. The new media has helped many people globally and how the organization used new media such as internet to help and improve their organization is also discussed. It also tells us the way new media has evolved the way people communicate around the world.

4 NEW MEDIA
4.1 New media used to improve teaching and learning
New media such as the internet is very useful in an open distant learning institution such as UNISA. UNISA uses online communication to university students and lecturers as a "learning tool". Such as UNISA there are many distant universities that use the internet as a communication and learning tool to get through to the students.
Through the internet there are many things a student can do if registered with a distant learning institution. The students are allowed to hand in their assignments through the internet instead of posting it to the learning institution, thus making it easier for the students as well as the university. The students can also get involved in "discussion forums", blogs, to look at their academic results, look to see if there are any announcements and have access to exam time tables as well as past exam papers. These features will help the students to have an easier access to the information and through the "discussion forums" as well as blogs, they are able to connect to other students resulting in a less way of students being isolated.
Lee, Jor and Lai (2005) describe web-based teaching as "a learning environment for delivering interactive multimedia education using the World Wide Web (WWW) as a communication medium". Therefore this gives students and lecturers an advantage because they can both communicate to each other making it a "bi-directional (two way) interaction". There are many advantages to web-based teaching because it can be used for interaction, working together (students with each other and students and lecturers), it is gradually getting more advanced, and it's more composite and slowly progressing. Web-based teaching has a few advantages:
Its "flexible", students can choose when they want to study, when they can download the study material and they can choose when to interact with students and lecturers.
Its "learner-centred", the student is able to decide when they want to do the assignments and when and how they study. It all depends if the student is lazy or not.
It is best for subjects that use a lot of images.
It is best for content that isn't in a chronological sequence and order. Thus hyperlinks can be used so a student can go to one page or another just by clicking on a hyperlink.
It is cheaper therefore those students that are not able to go to a college with teachers et cetera, they just teach themselves all they need is a computer.
It expands the communication between the lecturer and the student and communication between the fellow students.
It can be connected to other things around the world.
Lach and Augusto (2009:596) says the "connection to practice, peer to peer learning, students have greater control of their learning, improved team work skills and critical thinking skills." Basically saying that students are more responsible for learning for learning and it increases the use of working in groups or together with a partner to study.
A lot of "South African tertiary" like UNISA uses a "student Internet portal" which is used for education. Deyer and Nel (2003) said that the "ICT program" that was developed can be used to aid students with their different ways of learning.
Graham, Cagiltay, Craner, Limana Duffy (2000) assessed online courses and it resulted to the significance of a "good teaching practice". According to their research the online courses on the distance learning supported "active learning" by giving the students assignments, just like UNISA the 1st assignments are usually an entrance to be able to do the examinations. Supports the students and lectures by providing lecturers contact details, just like UNISA. Supports students to have a say through discussion forums and blogs, just like UNISA.
The new media is needed in UNISA, it will help students connect, help their learning environment to be more advanced as well as pass rates will be higher. New media has brought involvement of students with each other and with lecturers to another level. It will improve the outcome of the students greatly.

4.2 Users benefiting from the media
4.2.1 Organizations and new media
Organizations use new media like the internet to show off and advertise their product and services, to communicate with customers and a way to introduce new products and services that is offered online for people to shop online.
The internet is worldwide therefore anyone around the world can use an organizations product or service through the internet making it a cheaper way of doing so. The internet can be used as a communication tool during meetings and conferences all around the world via Skype, Yahoo or Msn.
The internet can be a way to sell products online to sell to customers from anywhere in the world. SARS is now being connected so that people can do their e-filling on the internet which is easier and more accessible.
Newspapers and magazines are now online too; therefore people around the world can access the magazines which will attract more readers since the news is updated every time. Businesses can be advertised online through social media like twitter and Facebook without paying and that is accessible globally.
Tourism organizations can now post information et cetera, on their websites and tourists from around the world can now access their websites for information and can even make bookings for hotels or flights on these websites therefore the tourism organisation benefits from people globally.
The internet has given people access to job listings therefore the organizations have a better chance in hiring people on the internet. The internet is also a way into starting new businesses and selling personal things online like "E-bay".
4.2.2 Communication among people globally
Communication around the world has improved greatly due to the internet being globally. The internet is full of websites that offer communication to people around the world that is usually free at cost like Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail.
A person can therefore get an e-mail address for free without even owning a personal computer; they can access their own personal e-mail at work or internet cafe's. This gives people the advantage of being able to have admission to their e-mail on the internet basically anywhere around the world, no matter where you are living or if you move to another country your personal e-mail can still be attainable.
Using internet as a communication tool around the world is more cost effective than using a telephone and phoning internationally or by sending a letter overseas through the post. Even the "traditional communication media, such as radio and television" have been influenced by the internet in a good way. Radio and television shows can now also be viewed online anywhere around the world no matter where the radio station is situated. Magazines and newspapers have also been impacted by the internet and being reached by that communication anywhere in the world.
There are social networking like Twitter and Facebook which can be used for communication all over the world, you can meet new people from different countries and connect with them that way. The internet also has online chats which involve chat rooms where people can send messages in a group setting or privately. Comments are also used for communication when people comment on a certain topic or picture.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that through the internet the distance learning institution can benefit a lot as well as the students. Students are capable of handing their assignments online, have discussions with other students and contact lectures. It gives way to a two way communication which is more effective. Its more "flexible" cheaper as well as it expands communication between students and lecturers. Organisations can benefit from the internet by advertising so more people can see it around the world, can be used to sell products online so it is more accessible. The communication around the world has improved due to the internet by e-mails, chats online, blogging et cetera, thus making it more cost effective for people around the world instead of sending posts or making phone calls.
SOURCES CONSULTED
Lesame, Z (ed). Mbatha, B (ed). Sindane, S (ed). 2011. new media in the information society.Pretoria: Van Shaik Publishers.
SELF ASSESMENT AND SELF REFLECTION
1. I have learned the different ways that the internet is used by the organization, by educational organizations because it is a learning tool and by the communication made easier around the world, all due to internet.
2. How to use the internet in an organization as a learning tool and a way to communicate with people around the world.
3. To advertise my organization on the internet it's cheaper and more people will be able to see it around the world. To contact my lectures more often because distance learning offers it. To use the internet more to look at magazines and the news because it is more up to date.
4. There were no shortcomings for this assignment, I understood everything well enough to not have a shortcoming for this assignment.