I had a fair idea that this subject would be relatively unconventional in it’s approach. The lecture conducted by Adrian confirmed my suspicions. The general theme of the lecture was an emphasis of self directed learning. Adrian made his point by highlighting the significant progress technology has made and the affordances we as students gain through the integration of the readily available technologies.

Adrian made the claim that when he was studying at university, what drove people to undertaking tertiary education was scarcity of facilities and tools one would require in a specific field. For example, Adrian stated that when he was studying cinema, the video camera was a bulky and expensive piece of equipment while the editing suit was essentially a large desk used to cut and splice reel to reel tape. In contrast, today our smart phones provide better video and editing software than what was previously available, and as such, we are no longer driven by scarcity.

This made me ponder why I decided to undertake tertiary study. I suppose the main reason would be to obtain a piece of paper that states a have a qualification in my field of study. Beyond this though, what drives me is a desire to refine and expand my ideas, skills and confidence through the funnel which is a structured degree.

This is why I am simultaneously scared and excited about Network Media. The lack of direction is relatively daunting and I can see myself floundering about trying to update this blog with interesting and relevant content. However, being forced to supply content of my own choosing forces me to take risks on my own initiative.

The concept behind the course seems to be a very organic method of teaching and learning and I look forward to seeing what I have produced an how I have improved by the end of the unit.