Tumblog Summary: The possibility space…

I write this summary with a mixture of sentiment. On the one hand, the finality of the exercise heralds the end of an interaction that has come to have a particular meaning in my life. On the other hand, I find that I am rejoicing in the wealth of knowledge and learning that the experience has provided. Bittersweet to say the least…

I chose the title The possibility space as for me it is just that. It represents and embodies all that is possible, a constant reminder of the value in holding an open mind and the infinite horizons of learning faced during the twelve week period and more importantly, beyond.

EDC course content found me regularly at head-scratching or hair-pulling points, depending on the topic of the moment. I felt as though my understanding of digital culture and human/technology interaction had been ripped apart only to be re-aggregated. Having a technological cushion where ponderings, musings and frustrations could be aired helped when thoughts became skewed, clouded or juxtaposed.

The possibility space embraces and promotes the collection and creation of digital content for presentation in a wide variety of forms. The multimodal structure provided me with the freedom to express my learning through text, image or sound. My learning and confidence grew in tandem with the blog time progression.  This new confidence witnessed the birth of a cyborg sonnet and the consideration of Blue Peter staples in a new light.

The Tumblog structure includes features such as Tag and Category fields. These have given the space a particular shape and supported access to the blog content through entry points. Specific colour and icon choices reflect my personal preferences and customize the interface.

Although The possibility space was visible to any Earth bound soul the sense of community, created through weeks of solid interaction between a group, intimate in number, sometimes shrouded this public accessibility. I constantly reminded myself that a balance of caution alongside imagination was key in the creation of this learning collage.

The Tumblog is socially constructed, established upon the ethos of participant interaction, comment and feedback. The community element was integral as an indicator on my learning path. The vast majority of topics covered in EDC were new to me and so the interactive community was a way of testing theories and posing questions in a safe environment.

Throughout the twelve weeks I expanded my experience with new technologies. Two EDC projects which I created have been placed as site pages on my Tumblog; my MOOC inspired digital artefact [dystopian frequencies] and my micro-ethnography which focused on a Nirvana / Grunge rock You Tube community. The group aspect of the space widened our contact with a wide range of technologies and through these projects we could see the benefits and pitfalls of using the various platforms. Diversity in our platform choices only reflected the ever-changing landscape of EDC.

In the beginning I found it difficult to ‘see’ what the possibility space was for…the role that it had to play. It was only in experientially becoming part of the Tumblog that its functionality became clear.  For me, its greatest value lies in recognising not just the content element of my future learning but the subsequent  interpretation and redistribution of this.