Recess week is brought earlier means there is a longer way to go in the 2nd half of the semester! Actually I prefer recess week is later, so my 2nd half of the semester is shorter.
Actually this sem really got a lot of opportunities... But time is limited, many things that I have to give up a few things that I want to learn and do. It is cos I want not to be just involve in something but be committed to it. And also I am the type that requires quiet time to be able to reflect, think or come out with new ideas.
Realized I have not been doing much during these few days of CNY... still reading this 700+ pages thick library book which I haven't finished... My reading speed needs to be improved :(
Pitching Session by External Parties
Among those things I heard during the session, I think these messages that are important to be take away with.
They are: 1) Entrepreneur spirit; 2) Market trend; 3) Facebook effect
1) Entrepreneur spirit
Looking out for opportunities to solve a problem. Just like the Module-review.com, the founder isn't a IT person but yet he is able to execute his idea n produce this website, which is already amazing. I have been to the website before to make reviews and feedback to him anonymously quite some time ago. He is quite efficient in his reply. I am glad I am of some help then.
I believe many people had already have this idea before him, just that no one did it. The idea is actually very simple, create a channel for students to highlight their frustrations about or love for a module. This is enough to get "customers" coming.
My thought is that the end of semester teaching feedback (to get general account points) is not sufficient cos it is really not the end of semester that we have to do this review, hence not accurate. What if I got to know more about this lecturer after the study week (I do sometimes), I cannot edit my feedback anymore. So Module-review is probably the place I can go and feedback. And because it is public, it brings the message to more people and faster. And it is not a means to get general account points, people do it more sincerely and probably accurately. One thing that cannot really avoid is spam, I saw once or twice that someone actually put spam reviews.
This website has potential to do better once it is connected with Facebook.The viral effect of social network!
2) Market trend
I think the presentation that left quite a lot of impact on us is the 6 Waves. This is especially so, cos it has shared with us the social games trend in detail. Then we got to learn about terms like Daily Average User (DAU) and Average Revenue per User (ARPU). It made us realise our game is actually under the lowest category. We wanted RPG last time (2nd best after Gambling which is not allowed in this module), but due to time constrains we were unable to implement it. Maybe we can level up the category in the final project? Yup, we still planning to make a game, but the type of game is still under consideration/discussion.
This module has succeed to bring my attention from the person who initiate something to the person who revamped it to made it big and from the person who provides the idea to the person who execute it. So again this famous message about "Ideas are cheap. Execution is the most important." worth to be mention again. However, there is one hidden implication that one may misinterpret this message as to it is ok to steal people's idea and use it as your own... but this is not meant to be what it initially wants to mean.
3) Facebook effect
Though Facebook is no longer new, but the fact that it is the growing increase in its popularity in marketing shows that social network effect is long term. Hence finding the right social networking platform for a kind of propaganda effect is really important in gaining popularity.
PS: I typed this blog before the CNY, but didn't really complete it then... if not after CNY, surely cannot rmb so much details...
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Can you define "entrepreneur spirit" more precisely? What exactly is it? Are you saying that Jace (Module-review.com guy) has entrepreneur spirit? Why is that? :-)
ReplyDeleteI am actually not familiar with business terms. But I thought was cos he initiated the execution of an idea and is able to market it. Furthermore he dares to venture (by maintaining a website even though he is not a IT person if not wrong). Tt's why the entrepreneur spirit.
ReplyDeleteI was not asking for a model-answer definition. Since you used this term, I just wanted to understand exactly what you mean.
ReplyDeleteSo to clarify: your definition of entrepreneur spirit = execution + marketing + daring to venture into new (scary?) things? :-)
Sort of... is there any problem with the definition? :S
ReplyDeleteIs there any reason why you think that there's a problem with the definition? :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, BTW, I don't think the "purpose" of module-review is to "create a channel for students to highlight their frustrations about or love for a module". I think the site is meant to help students choose their modules well --- and people contribute to the site mainly to help their juniors lah. I wouldn't recommend people posting there to get back to the lecturers. :-)
In any case, I believe there's a reason why the official teaching feedback is done before the Final Exams (but don't quote me 'cos I'm guessing here). I suspect they don't want the students' views to be coloured by the grades they got (or did not get). :-)
Is there any reason why you think that there's a problem with the definition?
ReplyDeleteBecause u kept asking me...
I think the site is meant to help students choose their modules well --- and people contribute to the site mainly to help their juniors lah.
True, i think i missed that point. But i think ppl who post there usually would have strong feelings regarding a module, love or hate.
I suspect they don't want the students' views to be coloured by the grades they got (or did not get).
Probably set the deadline for the feedback to be right after the final exams would be a better time. So students would view the module and lecturer with more accuracy, yet without knowing their grade. For eg. lecturer who turns unhelpful near exams, module which is very slack but exam is very tough, student getting a different view of the lecturer after gg for consultations...
The teaching feedback always ask us to predict our grade for that module... but w/o doing the final exam is very difficult to predict the grade logically.
Because u kept asking me.
ReplyDeleteThen perhaps I can clarify that I kept asking you because you did not articulate your views very clearly.
But i think ppl who post there usually would have strong feelings regarding a module, love or hate.
Hmm.... interesting point. Why do you think that's so?
So students would view the module and lecturer with more accuracy, yet without knowing their grade.
Perhaps, but then some folks might worry about setting hard exams and getting whacked by the students for it. :-)
lecturer who turns unhelpful near exams
Tell us more: how does a lecturer turn "unhelpful". What is a "helpful" lecturer near exams? :-)
The teaching feedback always ask us to predict our grade for that module... but w/o doing the final exam is very difficult to predict the grade logically.
I would tend to agree with you. I actually never quite figured out why students are asked to predict their grades.... How is that helpful for teaching feedback?
But I've noticed an interesting trend. My students are typically quite good at predicting their final grades over the last two years. For the first two years I was teaching, I think they are a little more pessimistic (since I set pretty hard exams, so I guess people should be grateful that there are no exams for CS3216.... but then again, I don't like to shortchange my students and I make up for the evilness in other ways). :-)
Hmm.... interesting point. Why do you think that's so?
ReplyDeleteCos it is voluntary, u will do it if u feel like doing it. Why will u feel like doing it? Cos u love or hate it... if u feel neutral abt a module, unlike u will review on it, cos the review is not graded or will get u some CORS points* :)
*Doesn't mean i do review for CORS pts, i actually enjoy doing end-of-sem teaching feedback (esp when i hv sth i really want to say)...
Tell us more: how does a lecturer turn "unhelpful". What is a "helpful" lecturer near exams?
I am glad I hv seen helpful lecturers/tutors more than unhelpful ones. "Helpful" to me is able to clarify my doubts effectively and efficiently. As in how a lecturer can turn "unhelpful"... for eg. discourage the student instead of encouraging her/him just 1 day before the exam and being alr difficult to reach during sch term before exams went MIA near exams.
I actually never quite figured out why students are asked to predict their grades.... How is that helpful for teaching feedback?
To compute the statistic whether this module cause student to feel more optimistic or pessimistic at the end of the semester, to understand the psychological impact of this module. It is actually part of a psychology experiment... Haha! :P
Actually the teaching feedback as a whole may not be helpful if the lecturer do not ponder on stuff students say abt him/her or the module. The authority can't do anything if only a small minority complain abt this lecturer/module too.
My students are typically quite good at predicting their final grades over the last two years.
That's good.
Predicting final grades is not easy. Besides using some intuition, it is usually more accurate after doing the final exam AND hearing feedback from classmates. It is relative one, so if u find the exam difficult, others find it so, u r saved. Sometimes if u feel good after doing a paper, it is possible that u land up getting only a B; whereas other time u feel bad after doing a paper u can get an A-. Some more it can in the case just cos of an "accident" u did badly in the final exam enough to pull down ur grade. So in a way, i think grades r not reliable to determine a student capability in a particular subject.