Virtually Absent

Created by Matt Pasiewicz (EDUCAUSE) on April 9, 2009

Over the last couple of years, I've filled my commute with lots of great information from a range of podcasts often tailored to my own personal interests ... that is until recently ... when my list of feeds somehow got corrupted (or otherwise disappeared). As a result, I've rediscovered public radio and have been tuning into my local station. One of these days I want to spend some time thinking about the pros and cons of my consumption habits, but for now, I thought I'd pass along a little gem that I recently discovered.

Colorado Public Radio's Ryan Waner recently sat down with University of Colorado at Boulder professor Diane Sieber to talk about how's she's working with students to manage digital distractions. In their interview, Dr. Sieber shared some thoughts on the results of an informal study about students who were "virtually absent" during one of her classes. Interestingly she established a feedback loop aimed at developing self-awareness about managing attention and the negative effects of being digitally distracted. She also shared some interesting thoughts about establishing social norms that helped students create a climate aimed at policing distractions born of peers using digital devices.

You can listen to the interview here
http://66.162.107.141:8787/comatters/20090324_01.mp3

I've been sitting on this blog entry for a while now as I've other priorities to manage, but this is one of the most interesting interviews that I've heard in quite sometime and I'd be interested in your thoughts on the topic. Frankly, I guess I'm glad this post was delayed, because Google just upgraded my GrandCentral account and I thought this would be a great time to see what it would mean to use Google Voice to collect some comments. Use the widget below, leave me a voice mail, and I'll try to post your comments (and the transcript) as soon as possible. 'Should make for an interesting experiment.

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Thoughts on the widget ...

Submitted by Matt Pasiewicz (EDUCAUSE) on April 9, 2009 - 8:43am.

Well, I thought I'd be the first to test the widget and here are the results ...

http://www.educause.edu/sites/default/files/podcasts/matt_test_response.mp3

Here's my own transcript .

This is a fun little experiment. I thought I'd be the first to test the widget by leaving a comment of my own. I've had a vision for doing this type of thing after running across some work by MIT's Leo Burd in 2006. He was using a combination of Asterisk, an open source PBX, and Drupal to help promote civic engagement among young people. I'll include links to his work in the text accompanying this comment. The prospect for pursuing Drupal and Asterisk integration is great because then I wouldn't have to rely on third parties like Google to provide this type of engagement and it could be completely automated. One of these days, I'm going to have to delve into that and see what I can produce. In the meantime, this was a low threshold mechanism for testing the waters ... and Google even provides automated text-to-speech transcripts of each voice mail, which helps in accessibility and SEO. It'll be interesting to see how it works. I'd also love to see something like a flash-based recorder akin to what Drupal's Mug Shot provides ... only for text, audio and even video. Until then, hopefully this will prove an interesting experiment that piques the interest in multi-modal communication and community engagement. Let me know what you think.

Now, for Google's transcript of my recording ...

hello this is final experiments just thought i'd be the first to test out the the widget by leaving at comments of my own i've had a vision for doing this type of thing since running across some work by my keys leo bird in two thousand six he was using a combination of of fast risk an open source pediatrics and drupal to help promote civic engagement among young people that al include leanne just his work in that text accompanying this comment the prospects for pursuing troop on asterix integration is great because i wouldn't have to rely on third parties like google to provide this type of engagement and you'll be completely automated dad i wanna he's days i'm gonna have to dell into that and see what i can produce but and the the meantime this is the low threshold mechanism for testing the waters and and couple even provides automated text a speech transcripts of city each voicemail which helps in accessibility and S E O it'll be interesting to see how it works and i'd also love to five something like a flash based recorder to know what scruples mugshot module provides only from tax audio and well even video i guess i until then hopefully this will prove uninteresting experiment that peaks and interest and mohel T-mobile communication and and community and each month and let me know what you think thanks bye

Heh, well ... that's interesting. Not quite there yet, but it should be fun to see what it looks like as others leave voice mail.

Links of interest:

		Virtually Absent Created by Matt Pasiewicz (EDUCAUSE) on April 9, 2009 Over the last couple of years, I've filled my commute with lots of great information from a range of podcasts often tailored to my own personal interests ... that is until recently ... when my list of feeds somehow got corrupted (or otherwise disappeared). As a result, I've rediscovered public radio and have been tuning into my local station. One of these days I want to spend some time thinking about the pros and cons of my consumption habits, but for now, I thought I'd pass along a little gem that I recently discovered. Colorado Public Radio's Ryan Waner recently sat down with University of Colorado at Boulder professor Diane Sieber to talk about how's she's working with students to manage digital distractions. In their interview, Dr. Sieber shared some thoughts on the results of an informal study about students who were "virtually absent" during one of her classes. Interestingly she established a feedback loop aimed at developing self-awareness about managing attention and the negative effects of being digitally distracted. She also shared some interesting thoughts about establishing social norms that helped students create a climate aimed at policing distractions born of peers using digital devices. You can listen to the interview here http://66.162.107.141:8787/comatters/20090324_01.mp3 I've been sitting on this blog entry for a while now as I've other priorities to manage, but this is one of the most interesting interviews that I've heard in quite sometime and I'd be interested in your thoughts on the topic. Frankly, I guess I'm glad this post was delayed, because Google just upgraded my GrandCentral account and I thought this would be a great time to see what it would mean to use Google Voice to collect some comments. Use the widget below, leave me a voice mail, and I'll try to post your comments (and the transcript) as soon as possible. 'Should make for an interesting experiment. digital distractions \| Faculty \| Google \| googlevoice \| group psychology \| mobile \| Teaching and Learning \| Technology-enhanced Classrooms \| world of warcraft Matt's blog Login or register to post comments 1114 reads Thoughts on the widget ... Submitted by Matt Pasiewicz (EDUCAUSE) on April 9, 2009 - 8:43am. Well, I thought I'd be the first to test the widget and here are the results ... http://www.educause.edu/sites/default/files/podcasts/matt_test_response.mp3 Here's my own transcript . This is a fun little experiment. I thought I'd be the first to test the widget by leaving a comment of my own. I've had a vision for doing this type of thing after running across some work by MIT's Leo Burd in 2006. He was using a combination of Asterisk, an open source PBX, and Drupal to help promote civic engagement among young people. I'll include links to his work in the text accompanying this comment. The prospect for pursuing Drupal and Asterisk integration is great because then I wouldn't have to rely on third parties like Google to provide this type of engagement and it could be completely automated. One of these days, I'm going to have to delve into that and see what I can produce. In the meantime, this was a low threshold mechanism for testing the waters ... and Google even provides automated text-to-speech transcripts of each voice mail, which helps in accessibility and SEO. It'll be interesting to see how it works. I'd also love to see something like a flash-based recorder akin to what Drupal's Mug Shot provides ... only for text, audio and even video. Until then, hopefully this will prove an interesting experiment that piques the interest in multi-modal communication and community engagement. Let me know what you think. Now, for Google's transcript of my recording ... hello this is final experiments just thought i'd be the first to test out the the widget by leaving at comments of my own i've had a vision for doing this type of thing since running across some work by my keys leo bird in two thousand six he was using a combination of of fast risk an open source pediatrics and drupal to help promote civic engagement among young people that al include leanne just his work in that text accompanying this comment the prospects for pursuing troop on asterix integration is great because i wouldn't have to rely on third parties like google to provide this type of engagement and you'll be completely automated dad i wanna he's days i'm gonna have to dell into that and see what i can produce but and the the meantime this is the low threshold mechanism for testing the waters and and couple even provides automated text a speech transcripts of city each voicemail which helps in accessibility and S E O it'll be interesting to see how it works and i'd also love to five something like a flash based recorder to know what scruples mugshot module provides only from tax audio and well even video i guess i until then hopefully this will prove uninteresting experiment that peaks and interest and mohel T-mobile communication and and community and each month and let me know what you think thanks bye Heh, well ... that's interesting. Not quite there yet, but it should be fun to see what it looks like as others leave voice mail. Links of interest: Leo Burd's PhD Thesis Defense Drupal Module providing Asterisk Integration Login or register to post comments
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