OMDE601 Discussion thread

13.7:-? Cynthia to Thomas' intro


13.7.4 :-? Tea

Unfortunately you kill your own argument about knowledge being abstract or not when you say it would upset APPLIED MATH majors… Math is the abstract knowledge of numbers, APPLIED MATH is the use of that knowledge.

More to the point of the debate, however is the problem of viewing asynch conversation as simulated (your implieddefinition is not real ("Would you rather see…"). As opposed to being an entirely different form of communication. Evenonline bisynch, (now simple called synchronous) communication is not the same as face to face. Giving either type ofdiscussion or conversation weighted values of good, better, bad, worse is at best irrelevant. You are basically sayingthat and an apple is better then an orange.

Thomas asked us to decide if this course provides sufficient evidence that online conferences can produce equal orsuperior outcomes then discussions in traditional seminars. The question is quality, yes, BUT about the ability of a typeof discussion to produces productive content (as opposed to the value of the type of discussion – a rather hair splittingdetail, but I think an important one). Here in truth I think Anthony has said it best "the color is grey". While the quickand rapid free form of ideas that occurs in face to face is missing in async conversations, they do provide for possiblymore thoughtful , informative and detail oriented comments. Like most of things in life there is a bargain to be struck. Astudent must choose how productive to make either of these types of conversations. The decision on how toparticipate and how well they do participate depends a great deal on how the learn, and how they adjust their learningstyle to format presented.

Does this class provide sufficient evidence either way, not really. We don't know the results of this class and we do nothave access to a similar live seminar and its results to evaluate the results. Until we have that information, that data, thenwe are back to comparing apples to oranges, both are very real, both provide nutrition, both are considered healthful,and whether one works better then the other depends strictly on the user and the need.

Lastly, you imply that reality is always better – sometimes reality bites. 8^D

That's way fiction is so popular…????…

Tea

From Britiannica.com

Abstract, adjective

Main Entry: 1ab·stract

Pronunciation: ab-'strakt, 'ab-"

Function: adjective

Etymology: Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahereto pull, draw

Date: 14th century

1 a : disassociated from any specific instance <abstract entity> b : difficult to understand : ABSTRUSE <abstractproblems> c : insufficiently factual : FORMAL <possessed only an abstract right>

2 : expressing a quality apart from an object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>

3 a : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : THEORETICAL <abstract science> b : IMPERSONAL,DETACHED <the abstract compassion of a surgeon -- Time>

4 : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content <abstract painting>

American Heritage

ab-stract (ab-strakt, abstrakt)adj. Abbr. abs. 1. Considered apart from concrete existence: an abstractconcept. 2. Not applied or practical; theoretical: See Synonyms at theoretical. 3. Difficult to understand; abstruse:abstract philosophical problems. 4. Thought of or stated without reference to a specific instance: abstract words liketruth and justice. 5. Impersonal, as in attitude or views. 6. Having an intellectual and affective artistic content thatdepends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation: abstract painting andsculpture.n. (abstrakt). 1. A statement summarizing the important points of a text. 2. Something abstract.v. tr.ab-stract-ed, ab-stract-ing, ab-stracts (ab-strakt). 1. To take away; remove. 2. To remove without permission;filch. 3. To consider (a quality, for example) without reference to a particular example or object. 4. (abstrakt). Tosummarize; epitomize. 5. To create artistic abstractions of (something else, such as a concrete object or another style):"The Bauhaus Functionalists were ... busy unornamenting and abstracting modern architecture, painting and design"(John Barth).[Middle English, from Latin abstractus, past participle of abstrahere, to draw away : abs-, ab-, away. SeeAB-1 + trahere, to draw.]--ab-stract'er n. --ab-stract'ly adv