A Review of John Boykin's article, Stop Helping Me Google Calendar AutoSuggest #WTFUX

In John Boykin's article, Stop Helping Me Google Calendar AutoSuggest #WTFUX, published by UXMag.com, he states unequivocally that Google Autosuggest is a ridiculous tool to include in Google Calendar. His assessment appears to be an opinion piece based on personal preference and emotion. Luckily for the rest of us, Boykin does not work for Google and is only one very prolific stakeholder with an extensive online following. I disagree with Boykin's statements, but his article makes an excellent example of informal evaluation in the summative phase of assessment. The language used in this artifact is written for a broad audience, likely meant to provoke emotion and drama so that readers will comment and would not be considered an academic or facts-based article.

Evaluating a Product Based on Kirkpatrick's Training Evaluation Model

This model is not meant for evaluating anything other than education/training. I could see how a product could include the four levels. I'll write an example of how I see that it could be implemented, but would also love to see how you thought they could be implemented. 

Defining Evaluation II

I'm looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts on the definition of evaluation, thoughts on the required reading, and how they might be using these in real life.

"This week’s discussion is around other broad concepts in Evaluation. For example, what does evaluation mean? How to define evaluation? We are also looking at how to make distinctions about different terminology: Needs Assessment, Monitoring, Outcome Studies, Testing, Measurement, and Assessment."

-- Ana-Paula, Welcome to Week 3 Online Discussion

I highlighted pages 7 and 9 of Fitzpatrick, J., Sanders, J. & Worthen, B. (2011). Program Evaluation: Alternative Approaches and Practical Guidelines (4th ed.). They seem to define the word evaluation for the book. The book includes the dictionary definition, a research definition, and a methods-based definition for  evaluators with external stakeholders.

Defining "Evaluation"

Contents

1. Foreword
   • Note to class
   • Ana-Paula Quote
   • Fitzpatrick Book Reference
2. Definitions of 'Evaluation' by Various Resources
   • Google Definition of Evaluation
   • Wikipedia Definition of Evaluation
   • University of North Carolina Greensboro Evaluation Resources
   • Handbook of Human Performance Technology
3. Discussion Questions and Response
   • Question 1. How does Fitzpatrick, Sanders & Worthen (2011) define “evaluation”?
   • Question 1. How does Kirkpatrick (1998) define “evaluation”?
   • Question 1. How does Newby (1992) define “evaluation”?
   • Question 2. What are the differences and similarities in the meanings, contexts and scopes of their definitions?
4. Resources

Audible Enhancements Wish List

Every time anything bad happens to my app or it updates I lose my list of listened to books. With over 800 books, this means I also have a hard time telling which books are all of a sudden missing. It means that I'm not sure which books still need read and I must spend a hour or more figuring it out. I also have multiple tablets, ipad/android, with similar issues.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Jennifer Nicole Lee Fitness Model Diet: JNL's Super Fitness Model Diet: Secrets To A Sexy, Strong, Sleek Physique UNABRIDGED by Jennifer Nicole Lee

• "She's Yelling at Where You Could or Will Be"

  
  

  Overall

  

  Performance

  

  Story

  

  PODCAST REVIEW : Listen
  Jennifer Nicole Lee means well and is a very inspirational athlete, but this is a book that is hard to listen to (narrated). I had a few very inspirational moments from this book, which I mention in the podcast, but overall this is not a good audible book. It is probably a better read. Jennifer Nicole Lee is a motivational speaker, and an inspiration to many women. Watch her videos.Her voice never changes pitch, she yells at you the WHOLE TIME! She basically says she cares, believes in you and that you need to believe in yourself and be focused over and over and over and... OVER. I don't need her to motivate me, I want recipes, real tips, thoughts and feedback about training daily. Stuff I could of got for free off bodybuilding dot com, but thought would be good to listen to in a book. I'm glad she loves her job but she is a bit negative and condescending despite saying shes not.
  
  

AUTHOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS - A few Suggestions and A Couple Interviews Coming Soon #author #writing #books

Exciting News! Interviews Coming Soon...

As you may know from reading this blog, I have teamed up with a publishing company and book promotion company to get free books in exchange for honest reviews. Thanks to this relationship, I have an opportunity to speak with the publisher and share ideas for blog posts. 

You may wonder how authors start writing or why a book has a certain character, I know I do! So, I requested time for an interview with a couple of the authors whose books I'm reading. This opportunity will give you and me insight into the thoughts and background of published authors. 

I don't want to spoil too much, but figured other bloggers may be interested in what kinds of questions to write when prepping for an interview. My prep time for this was under ten minutes with a note pad and pen. I just started jotting down questions I had about writing, the author, their book, and how to contact them. These are the general questions. Then, I did a little research on my own. With a quick Google search you can read biographies from social networks, see other books the author wrote, and maybe skim their twitter feed to learn more about them.

REVIEW: Audible Addiction

Please note, I was not paid for this review. I'm an Amazon Seller and Affiliate but do not work for Amazon. This post is my honest feedback and probably needs significant revisions before it will be complete. If you click on any books or buy now links I do make a meager percentage of money after you purchase something, if you like my reviews and want to see more this shouldn't bother you - the amount I make is cents at best.

DIARY: PART 2: IS VICTORIA'S SECRET TOO SEXY FOR THEIR OWN GOOD?

Does Sex Sell?

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: IS VICTORIA'S SECRET TOO SEXY FOR THEIR OWN GOOD?

"We've so much gotten off our heritage ... too sexy, and we use the word sexy a lot and really have forgotten the ultra feminine," said Sharen Turney, Victoria's Secret's chief executive, in a call with industry analysts. -- ABC NEWS

We all have heard the term: "Sex Sells."  It's true that sex garners attention, but does it sell? Some would say no. That in many cases it just gives women a bad name or makes a brand look bad. Others might say, "Who doesn't like looking at 'attractive' people, and what does it mean to be attractive?" In this article let's explore the idea of beauty, how it relates to society, international standards, and build a baseline for a deeper conversation. For the purposes of this article let's set aside any discussion of weight as a factor, plenty of other authors have beat this topic into the ground, and it would too easy to lose focus on the deeper discussion points.