January 2009 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

looking for a collaborative real-time editor
by Kimberly Silk 28 Aug '09

28 Aug '09

Hello, I have 2 researchers who would like to work on the same document simultaneously, with the ability to see each other's edits in real time. Any suggestions out there? Thanks, Kim -- Kimberly Silk, MLS Data Librarian, Martin Prosperity Institute, University of Toronto President-elect, Faculty of Information Alumni Association, University of Toronto M: (416) 721-8955 kimberly.silk(a)gmail.com

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FINAL REMINDER [CFP | deadline: February, 1 2009] 9th International Conference of Sociocybernetics
by Fabio Giglietto 21 May '09

21 May '09

9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOCIOCYBERNETICS 'MODERNITY 2.0': EMERGING SOCIAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR IMPACTS URBINO, ITALY 29 JUNE - 5 JULY 2009 CALL FOR PAPERS In recent years, the Internet and other information and communication technologies have had great impacts on almost all aspects of human life, locally and globally. The extant of these impacts can be seen in the ubiquity of the use of the prefix 'e-', as in e-commerce, e-business, e-government, e-democracy, e-science, e-learning, e-entertainment and so on. Thanks to the cheaper prices and ease of use of these technologies, more and more people are able to access digital contents, as part of a mass audience, and more and more people are able to create and publish content off their own initiative. The Web has moved from being a one-way communication channel extending traditional media, to a complex "peer-to-peer" communication space with a blurred author/audience distinction and new ways to create, share and use knowledge in a social way. This establishes new global fora, started by a few, and sustained by millions of local acts. This change of paradigm is currently profoundly transforming most areas of our lives: our interactions with other people, our relationships, ways of gathering, creating and disseminating information, ways of developing social norms, opinions, attitudes and even legal aspects as well as ways of working and doing business. It also raises a strong need for theoretical, empirical and applied studies related to how people may interact on the Web, how they actually do so and what new possibilities and challenges are emerging in the individual, business and technology dimensions. It is not the first time in the history of social media that a new technology becomes suddenly available to a wider group of people due to a specific social, economical and historical context. The last time something similar happened, the availability and diffusion of the printing press, according to many authors, the opportunities for the rise of modern society emerged. We are probably facing a similar new extraordinary change that we can barely describe today. According to the law of accelerated return identified by Ray Kurzweil, this change is taking place at a much faster speed than before. This is a major challenge for social science in a world where 'internet time' now runs at a clock speed several orders of magnitude faster than that of academic research. In order to explore these possibilities and tackle the challenges, a more interdisciplinary scientific approach is required. The visionary founding fathers of cybernetics and systems theory urged for this new vision of the sciences as soon as they started working on teleological machines interacting with human beings during the Second World War. Not surprisingly, today, Sir Tim Berners Lee (the inventor of the World Wide Web) is developing a vision for new field of interdisciplinary study called Web Science. The goal of this conference is therefore to bring researchers and practitioners together to explore within a sociocybernetic approach the issues and challenges related to social aspects of the new communication technologies and especially the Web. Possible topics should include, but are not limited to: * Local issues with respect to a particular geographical region, political entity or cultural or ethnic group; * Global issues affecting all mankind in the 21st century; * Emerging technologies and the link between the micro and macro levels of individual actors and social institutions, respectively; * Social systems and economic models of the web; * Y Generation and participation on the web (politics, business and entertainment); * Culture, knowledge and social impact of the Semantic web; * e-Social Science; * Cyberculture, knowledge and local communities; * Teaching the digital natives in networked space; * The public/private distinction on the Internet; * Cybernetics and Web Science; * Social capital in social network sites (SNSs). Papers with a strong sociocybernetic orientation addressing other topics (conceptual, methodological, practical) are also welcomed ABSTRACTS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS Please submit a 500 to 1000 word detailed abstract for the review process and for assignment to a particular session. In addition, 250 word regular abstracts are needed for the Conference Programme and Abstracts booklet and for publication on the RC51 website. All abstracts should be sent to the Chair of the Abstracts Committee, Michael Paetau via the online abstract submission form: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/call/abstract-submission/. DEADLINES * February, 1 2009: 500-1000 word detailed abstracts * March, 1, 2009: Notification of acceptance * May, 3, 2009: 250 word regular abstracts * May, 24, 2009: Registration * June, 14, 2009: Full paper SESSION AND LANGUAGES The official language of the conference will be English. VENUE AND ACCOMMODATION The 9th International Conference of Sociocybernetics will take place in the Faculty of Sociology of University of Urbino "Carlo Bo". More info: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/logistics/. CONTACTS AND INFORMATION Official conference website: http://larica-virtual.soc.uniurb.it/rc51/. For any further questions and information, please consult the RC51 website at http://www.unizar.es/sociocybernetics/. You may also directly contact any of the members of the International Organizing Committee or the Coordinator of the National Organizing Committee. Please forward the Call for Papers to your friends and colleagues who may be interested in attending the conference.

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Digital Culture 2009
by Ben Light 07 May '09

07 May '09

2nd Digital Cultures Workshop: Social Media Publics 4-5 June, 2009 University of Salford, U.K. Call for Papers Organizers Ben Light and Marie Griffiths, University of Salford. Sian Lincoln, Liverpool John Moores University Steve Sawyer, Syracuse University. Confirmed Speakers Dr. Carsten Sørensen Information Systems and Innovation Group, Department of Management, London School of Economics Dr. Theresa Senft School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies, University of East London It is clear that the boundaries between the public¹ and the private¹ are becoming increasingly blurred within and amongst sites of home and work. Indeed, in the wake of reality television shows, national identity card schemes, increased social media usage and the like, publicity appears to be the order of the day. For this workshop we seek papers that discuss the issues raised for those living in environments where there is seemingly little room for privacy. As was the case last year, we intend for the workshop to be multi-disciplinary in nature, broad in the approaches participants take and issues they cover. If your work is about any aspect of digital culture, this is the workshop for you! The following are thus only indicative of potential topics that could be raised: ·How do people domesticate social media in their attempts to maintain a balance in publicity and privacy? Do they? Why do they, or don¹t they? ·What matters are raised by increased access to data about individuals and organizations? ·What does the blurring of boundaries between public and private mean for our knowledge and experiences of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and disability? ·How are ICT mediated spaces created and maintained at home, work and those spaces in between? For example, how are geek gamers¹ finding spaces to play now the only console in the house can be in the living room? ·How are ICT policies shaping public and private spaces throughout societies around the world? ·What privacy issues are presented by media convergence? ·What role are mobile and ubiquitous computing technologies playing in public and private spaces? ·How is the increased commodification of social media affecting our privacy? Following from the first workshop we continue to see this workshop having three purposes. First, we seek to give voice and structure to existing new media, ICT and technology related research which may not readily sit within conventionally accepted areas. Second, we wish to draw in research on new forms of digital technology, ICT, computing, organizing and social interactions. Third, we want to continue discussions regarding potential futures for ICT related research which combine research as related to the evolving forms and functions of work organizations and the changing boundaries and relations between these organizations and their social milieus. We seek abstracts (of up to 600 words) that focus upon some aspect of digital culture. We hope to have a special issue of a journal associated with the workshop as was the case last year (a special issue of the Journal of Information, Communication, Ethics and Society is to be published early in 2009). Abstracts should be submitted to Ben Light at: b.light(a)salford.ac.uk <mailto:b.light@salford.ac.uk> Important Dates Abstract Submission Date: 28 February 2009 Notification of Acceptance: 31 March 2009 Workshop Dates: 4 and 5 June 2009 Workshop Arrangements The fee for presentation/attendance at the workshop is £75. This will cover refreshments and meals throughout the workshop and a workshop dinner to be held on the evening of the 4th of June. There is no fee for PhD students, however they still need to register for the workshop. PhD student registration includes refreshments during the workshop but excludes attendance at the workshop dinner (This is subject to a £25 fee, payable upon registration). >From February 2009, you will be able to register for the workshop at: https://shop.salford.ac.uk Further details regarding the location of the workshop will be posted nearer the time at: http://www.iris.salford.ac.uk If you experience any difficulties regarding the workshop arrangements, please do get in touch with Nathalie Audren-Howarth at: n.audren(a)salford.ac.uk. Accommodation Delegates should arrange their own accommodation with their preferred hotel. Below are a few hotels in the area. Best wishes, Ben. Ben Light Professor of Technology and Society Director: IS, Organisation and Society Research Centre School of Media, Music and Performance University of Salford Adelphi House SALFORD M3 6EN Tel. +44 (0)161 295 5443 www.benlight.org www.smmp.salford.ac.uk www.isos.salford.ac.uk

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Re: [Air-L] Online Research Methods Texts
by Daren Carroll Brabham 28 Feb '09

28 Feb '09

I found this helpful in a recent study I did using IM interviewing. It covers other online methodological issues, too: Kazmer, M.M., & Xie, B. (2008). Qualitative interviewing in Internet studies: Playing with the media, playing with the method. Information, Communication & Society, 11(2), 115-136. db --- Daren C. Brabham Graduate Teaching Fellow Department of Communication University of Utah 255 S. Central Campus Dr., Rm. 2400 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 phone: (801) 633-4796 daren.brabham(a)utah.edu www.darenbrabham.com <http://www.darenbrabham.com/>

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Register Today to Get the Early Bird Rates for "YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle in the United States"
by Stuart Shulman 23 Feb '09

23 Feb '09

Please join us at the 1st Annual Journal of Information Technology & Politics Conference, "YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle in the United States," taking place April 16 & 17, 2009 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This conference brings together social and computer scientists to examine the electoral impact of user-created YouTube content and to demonstrate new technical and analytic opportunities associated with new media technologies and politics. Register on or before January 31 and receive an Early Bird discount. http://www.umass.edu/polsci/youtube/ The conference is pleased to feature two keynote speakers: Day 1: Richard Rogers, Chair in New Media & Digital Culture, University of Amsterdam. He is Director of Govcom.org, the group responsible for the Issue Crawler and other info-political tools, and the Digital Methods Initiative, reworking method for Internet research. Rogers is author of Information Politics on the Web (MIT Press, 2004), awarded the 2005 best book of the year by the American Society of Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). Current research interests include Internet censorship, googlization, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the Web, as well as the post-demographics implied by recommender systems. Day 2: Noshir Contractor, Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences in the School of Engineering, School of Communication and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. He is the Director of the Science of Networks in Communities (SONIC) Research Group at Northwestern University. He is investigating factors that lead to the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of dynamically linked social and knowledge networks in communities. Specifically, his research team is developing and testing theories and methods of network science to map, understand and enable more effective networks in a wide variety of contexts including communities of practice in business, science and engineering communities, disaster response teams, public health networks, digital media and learning networks, and in virtual worlds, such as Second Life. YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle is co-sponsored by the Departments of Political Science, Computer Science and Communication at UMass Amherst; the Center for Public Policy and Administration at UMass Amherst; Panopto; TubeKit; the National Center for Digital Government; the Qualitative Data Analysis Program; the Science, Technology and Society Initiative; the Journal of Information Technology and Politics; and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst and is supported by a grant from the Research Leadership in Action Program in the Office of Research and Engagement at UMass Amherst. Visit the conference website for more information: http://www.umass.edu/polsci/youtube/ Regards, Michelle Michelle Sagan Goncalves Conference Coordinator YouTube and the 2008 Election Cycle in the US 126 Thompson Hall UMass Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 Telephone: + 1 413 577 2354

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Fwd: Mellon Postdocs in Humanities at Tufts (fwd)
by Barry Wellman 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

Pls contact Prof Ennis, not me, if interested Barry Wellman _______________________________________________________________________ S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC NetLab Director Department of Sociology University of Toronto 725 Spadina Avenue, Room 388 Toronto Canada M5S 2J4 http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman fax:+1-416-978-3963 Updating history: http://chass.utoronto.ca/oldnew/cybertimes.php _______________________________________________________________________ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:28:40 -0500 From: James Ennis <jennis(a)tufts.edu> To: James Ennis <jennis(a)tufts.edu> Subject: Fwd: Mellon Postdocs in Humanities at Tufts Dear Colleagues and Friends, If you know a new- or soon-to-be-PhD who might be interested (say in sociology of art, or culture, or perhaps media) would you please pass this along? Needs to be able to pass as a humanist, but we did host such a person a a couple of years ago. If they are interested, have them contact me in the next week. Thanks and all best wishes... JE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ James G. Ennis Associate Professor of Sociology Eaton Hall 112 Sociology, Tufts University Medford, MA 02155 Office hours M 4:30-5:30, W 1:30-2:30 617 627 2473 --> my office 617 627 3561 --> department office 617 627 3032 --> fax ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Begin forwarded message: > From: Jillian Dubman <jillian.dubman(a)tufts.edu> > Date: January 23, 2009 8:44:57 AM GMT-05:00 > To: as-faculty(a)elist.tufts.edu > Subject: Mellon Postdocs in Humanities > > This message is sent on behalf of Andrew McClellan, Dean of Academic > Affairs for Arts and Sciences. > _______________________________________________________ > > Dear Colleagues, > > As many of you know, the Mellon Foundation generously agreed to > renew funding for the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in the > Humanities at Tufts for another six years. Advertisements (see > below) were placed in appropriate venues and applications are coming > in, against a deadline of February 1, 2009. An ad hoc committee will > be assembled to read files and select candidates. Though it is now > late in the day, should you know potential applicants please > encourage them to apply. Since the program calls for fellows to be > houses in departments and, ideally, paired with suitable mentors/ > collaborators on the Tufts faculty, we may be in touch with some of > you to ask about your possible interest in hosting or working with a > given applicant. We hope this year's pool of applicants will add two > exciting young scholars to our community beginning this coming fall. > As we have funding for the next years (and perhaps beyond), please > be on the lookout for talented young scholars who might be > interested in applying in coming years. Collaborative research > projects with our faculty are encouraged. > > "The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has generously provided Tufts > University with funding to bring two postdoctoral fellows to campus > each year to pursue new research projects in the Humanities. Two > fellows will be appointed in fall 2009. > > Fellows will be housed for two years in the Center for the > Humanities at Tufts and affiliated with the department or > interdisciplinary program most germane to their field of research. > Fellows will be expected to teach one course in the spring semester > of their first year and two in the second year of their residency > through their home department or program. It is further expected > that fellows will take part in the intellectual life of campus, > working with faculty and students, attending and helping to plan > events and meetings, etc. Applicants whose research will benefit > from the research environment and faculty at Tufts are especially > encouraged to apply. > > Applications will be competitively evaluated by the Mellon > Postdoctoral Committee. There is no requirement that the fellows be > U.S. citizens. Applicants for the fellowships must have received > their Ph.D. within the past five years. The stipend for fellows will > be $42,500 plus benefits, and a research allowance of $5,000 per year. > > Recipients of the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships will be appointed > by the Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences, upon the > recommendation of the Mellon Postdoctoral Committee. All > applications must be received no later than February 1, 2009." > > Thank you for your interest and support, > > Andrew McClellan > Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts & Sciences > Tufts University > Ballou Hall > Medford, MA 02155 > tel: 617 627-4230 > email: andrew.mcclellan(a)tufts.edu > >

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forwarding call for papers for International Journal of E-Politics
by Ronald E. Rice 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

CALL FOR PAPERS INAUGURAL ISSUE SUBMISSION DUE DATE: March, 15th, 2009 International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) Official publication of the Information Resources Management Association www.igi-global.com/ IJEP Editor-in-Chief: Celia Romm Livermore Published: Quarterly (both in Print and Electronic form) International Editorial Review Board: Advisory Board: Ada Scupola, Carol Saunders, Christine Williams, Lynne Markus, Philip Ein-Dor, Prashant Palvia, Robert Davison, Ron Rice, Shailendria Palvia, Shezaf Rafaeli, Steven Gordon Associate Editors: Andrea Calderaro, Arik Ragowsky, Cathy Urquhart, Christopher Reddick, Dave Oliver, Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic, Isaac Mostovicz, Jack Quarter, Joy Peluchette, Katherine Karl, Luciano Paccagnella, Myles Stern, Nada Kakabadse, Nava Pliskin, Nicolas Ducheneaut, Pippa Norris, Ramesh Srinivasan, Sandy Staples, Tim Roberts, Toni Sommers, Toru Sakaguchi MISSION OF IJEP: The primary objective of the International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) is to lay the foundations of E-Politics as an emerging interdisciplinary area of research and practice, as well as, to offer a venue for publications that focus on theories and empirical research on the manifestations of E-Politics in various contexts and environments. E-Politcs is defined as influence attempts facilitated by or related to electronic media or to the information technology field. As such, it is seen as interdisciplinary, encompassing areas such as information systems, political science, social science (psychology, sociology, and cultural studies), security, ethics, law, management and others. RECOMMENDED TOPICS: Topics to be discussed in this journal include (but are not limited to) the following: The politics of the IT function and its role in organizations a.. The political activities of members of the IT function vis-à-vis the rest of the organization b.. Changes in the power of the IT unit as a function of the diffusion of new technologies c.. The strategies used by members of the IT unit to influence others d.. The impact of global issues such as outsourcing, downsizing, political upheavals, etc. on the political role played by the IT unit within organizations. The politics of virtual communities a.. The use of electronic media for industrial relations and negotiations with employers b.. The use of electronic media for surveillance manipulation and harassment in commercial and non-commercial environments c.. The impact of status and authority on electronically enabled political maneuvering by management and the effects of culture, race, and gender on political activities within and between organizations. a.. The political dynamics of geographically based communities (community informatics) b.. The political dynamics of virtual communities of practice, including: learning communities, customers' communities, eDating communities, gaming communities, support group communities, social networking communities, etc. Party politics and social activism a.. eVoting and electronically enabled eGovernment b.. The role electronic media in political campaigns. Including their impact on political debate, information sharing, political decision making, fund raising, etc. c.. As electronically enabled party politicking is becoming a global phenomenon, the utilization of E-Politcs at all levels of governance, including the city, the state, the country and the global arenas. SUBMITTING TO IJEP: Prospective authors should note that only original and previously unpublished articles will be considered. INTERESTED AUTHORS MUST CONSULT THE JOURNAL'S GUIDELINES FOR MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSIONS at http://www.igi-global.com/development/author_info/guidelines submission.pdf PRIOR TO SUBMISSION. All article submissions will be forwarded to at least 3 members of the Editorial Review Board of the journal for double-blind, peer review. Final decision regarding acceptance/revision/rejection will be based on the reviews received from the reviewers. All submissions must be forwarded electronically to ak1667(a)wayne.edu by ****** NO LATER THAN March, 15th, 2009.****** PUBLISHER: The International Journal of E-Politics is published by IGI Global (formerly Idea Group Inc.), publisher of the "Information Science Reference" (formerly Idea Group Reference) and "Medical Information Science Reference" imprints. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit www.igi-global.com. All inquiries and submissions should be should be directed to the attention of: Celia Romm Livermore (PhD) Editor-in-Chief International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP) School of Business Administration Wayne State University Detroit, MI, 48202, USA E-mail address: ak1667(a)wayne.edu www.igi-global.com/IJEP ======================================================= Ronald E. Rice Arthur N. Rupe Chair in the Social Effects of Mass Communication Co-Director, Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television, and New Media President of the International Communication Association 2006-2007 Dept. of Communication, 4840 Ellison Hall University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4020 Ph: 805-893-8696; Fax: 805-893-7102 rrice(a)comm.ucsb.edu http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/rice.php http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/

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Psychology and communication online
by Richard Kunzmann 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

Dear Dominik, In 2002 I completed my dissertation on the role which frequent internet communication in cyber-communities may play when people with spinal-cord injuries want to re-affirm their self-concepts and expand their circle of significant others. If you want access to that dissertation, I can gladly send it to you. However, there were some texts and sites I found very helpful, particularly those with a strong psychological slant: John Suler's Website is an excellent starting point for confronting many of the issues currently affecting CMC as it applies to psychology Also, Wallace, P. (1999). The Psychology of the Internet. New York: Cambridge University press You might find some of the following articles and books good, though I'm sure a number of researchers might have produced more recent research articles that have taken Web 2 etc. into account: Baumeister, R.F. & Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529 Haythornthwaite, C.B., Wellman, B. & Garton, L. (1998). Work and community via computer-mediated communication. In J. Gackenbach (Ed.), Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal implications (pp. 199 – 226). San Diego, California: Academic Press Joinson, A.N. (1998). Causes and implications of disinhibition behaviour on the Internet. In J. Gackenbach (Ed.), Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal implications (pp. 43 – 60). San Diego, California: Academic Press Joinson, A.N. (2001). Self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication: The role of self-awareness and visual anonymity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31, 177-192 Williams, K.D., Cheung, C.K. & Choi, W. (2000). Cyberostracism: Effects of being ignored over the Internet. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 748-762 I hope this helps you head off in the right direction! Best, Richard Kunzmann _________________________________________________________________ Join the all-new Windows Live Messenger family http://get.live.com

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Last call: E-Learning CFP on globally networked learning in highereducation (Jan 31)
by Doreen Starke-Meyerring, Dr. 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

Dear colleagues, just a friendly reminder that the deadline for the special issue of the Journal of E-Learning on globally networked learning across the disciplines in higher education is fast approaching (Jan 31—next weekend). I would be glad to talk, email, or skype about proposal ideas informally. Best regards, Doreen -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Doreen Starke-Meyerring, Dr. Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:19 PM To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-L] E-Learning CFP on globally networked learning in highereducation (Jan 31) Dear colleagues, I hope you had a restorative break and the New Year has gotten off to a good start for you. This is just a brief reminder that the deadline for the special issue of E-Learning on globally networked learning in higher education is just around the corner (Jan 31). If you or your program are engaged in partnerships that use e-learning to link the students in your courses with peers, communities, NGOs, companies, and others across national boundaries or with local community partners to address issues of globalization in their courses or to provide a global perspective of their disciplines, this special issue is a great place to share your work. The goal of this special issue is to bring together contributors from different disciplines to explore what kind of disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning and knowledge making these partnered learning environments enable. So, if you know of colleagues in other disciplines engaged in this kind of work, please pass this CfP on to them. Naturally, it would be great to have proposals from internet studies colleagues, perhaps about networked courses that link students to study the implications of global intellectual property policies, internet regulation, or activism comparatively, etc.... I would be glad to talk, email, or skype about proposal ideas informally. Best regards, Doreen CALL FOR PAPERS: ****************************************************************************************** Special Issue of E-Learning on globally networked learning in higher education ****************************************************************************************** E-Learning, a peer-reviewed international journal directed towards the study of e-learning in its diverse aspects, invites submissions for a special issue on “Globalizing Higher Education Across the Disciplines: Innovative Partnerships, Policies, and Pedagogies for Globally Networked Learning Environments,” guest edited by Doreen Starke-Meyerring. Early national and global policy discourses around the role of the internet in higher education advanced utopian and dystopian understandings of the internet as a new global market for existing industrial-model, locally produced higher education courses and programs to be repackaged for global delivery and global trade online. As a result, hundreds of millions of public and private dollars have been spent on global internet-based higher education marketing consortia, many of which have since failed. As initial responses to digital technologies, these initiatives had largely tried to reproduce established institutionally bounded practices in digital environments, disregarding the networked nature and peer production potential of digital technologies, and therefore lacking pedagogical innovation to re-envision learning in a globally networked world. At the same time, however, many faculty across the disciplines in higher education have begun to develop alternative pedagogies and learning environments that take advantage of the globally networked nature of digital technologies. These globally networked learning environments (GNLEs) connect students with peers, instructors, professionals, experts, and communities from diverse contexts to help students develop new ways of knowledge making and learn how to build shared learning and knowledge cultures across traditional boundaries, especially with peers and communities that have been the most marginalized and disadvantaged in the emerging global social and economic order. However, such GNLEs are difficult to develop because they require robust partnerships, must negotiate a multitude of divergent national and institutional local policies, and as innovations, face challenges of institutional support infrastructures and policies designed around traditional local classrooms. The purpose of this special issue is to understand the current state of globally networked learning environments across disciplines in higher education and to advance insights into their development and sustainability. The special issue therefore invites both conceptual contributions that address larger questions surrounding GNLEs as well as research studies of GNLE development across disciplines, addressing questions such as these (among others): - What is the current state of globally networked learning in higher education? - How have GNLEs addressed issues of global and local social justice? - What kind of disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge making do GNLEs enable that would be difficult to achieve in traditional institutionally bounded classrooms? How? - What challenges do educators face in designing, implementing, and sustaining such partnered learning environments? How do they overcome them? - How do national and global policies regulating higher education as well as those regulating digital technologies (e.g. privacy, intellectual property, and censorship policies) enable or constrain the development of GNLEs? - How do local institutional policies, including policies regulating digital technologies, enable or constrain the development of GNLEs? - What institutional initiatives (e.g., task forces, innovator networks, centres for research and faculty support, integrated support networks) have emerged to support the work of faculty innovators? - What research is needed to advance globally networked learning environments in higher education? Schedule:  Proposals indicating the purpose, rationale, and possible approach of contributions (250-500 words): January 31, 2009  Submissions (full manuscripts): May 31, 2009  Accepted manuscripts revised for publication: September 1, 2009  Scheduled publication of issue: Winter 2010 Please direct inquiries and proposals to the guest editor: Doreen Starke-Meyerring doreen.starke-meyerring(a)mcgill.ca Please also contact the editor if you are interested in serving as a reviewer for this special issue. ****************************************************** Doreen Starke-Meyerring, Ph.D. Associate Director, Centre for the Study and Teaching of Writing Assistant Professor, Rhetoric and Writing Studies Department of Integrated Studies in Education McGill University 3700, rue McTavish Montréal, QC H3A 1Y2, Canada T: 514.398.1308 F: 514.398.4529 E: doreen.starke-meyerring @ mcgill.ca W: http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/group1/dstark1/web/starke-meyerring/ President, Canadian Association for the Study of Discourse and Writing/ Association candienne de rédactologie http://casdw-acr.mcgill.ca ******************************************************

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CFA: Facebook and Philosophy
by Dylan Wittkower 16 Feb '09

16 Feb '09

Although "philosophy" is in the title, we're looking for chapters from any theoretically-oriented disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective. Feb. 1st submission deadline. Thanks! -- Dylan Wittkower -------------------------------------------- Call for Abstracts Facebook & Philosophy Dylan Wittkower (ed.) d.e.wittkower(a)gmail.com Abstracts are sought for a new title in the Wiley-Blackwell series Philosophy for Everyone, under the general editorship of Fritz Allhoff. Never before has a single social forum played so central a role in so many people's lives. Facebook is quickly taking on roles previously served by telephones, town squares, televisions, student commons, board games, and much more besides. How does Facebook change our social existence, community activities, and self-identity? How does it add meaning to our lives? Transform us? And, for the better, or for the worse? Facebook is already an important part of our lives – but, even more significantly, it represents a kind of social media that will have an incredible impact on how we live. Facebook & Philosophy is an effort by philosophers, academics, and technology experts to make sense of what Facebook means for us; and to do so in an engaging and exciting way, reaching a broad audience. We solicit abstracts on the implications of Facebook from any philosophical perspective (analytic, continental, pragmatist, non-Western), or from theoretically-oriented interdisciplinary perspectives (especially but not only from Communications, Media Studies, STS, Sociology, Psychology, and Political Science). While any topic is welcome, we expect that primary topics of interest may be: Identity including authenticity online; race/ethnicity/gender issues; religious diversity and identity; relationship status; self-portraiture and profile pictures; and autobiography via mini-feed and microblogging. Friendship v. "Friending" including virtual/real splits, overlaps, and transitions; the effect of communications media on relationships; permanently online friends and the debatable importance of "actually" meeting people; the ethics of friending and unfriending; and the role of boredom and play in friendship. Community Formation including group identity; political affiliation; political debate; political organizing; causes and fundraising; the rise and meaning of a "notification society;" Facebook and the public sphere; and global friendship and cosmopolitanism. Facebook in Organizational Contexts including Facebook in education; Facebook as a resource for business; Facebook, employers, and privacy; Facebook as a business and free content/free access as a business model. Other elements of Facebook use that might be of interest include various applications (e.g. Scrabulous, PackRat, Pirates/Zombies, icanhascheezeburger); integration with mobile computing (inc. cellphones, twitter, iPhones, etc.); the effects of Facebook on our civil and moral rights (e.g. rights to privacy, property, speech, opportunity); and the role of Facebook in political campaigns, especially the 2008 election. Guidelines: The book is intended for a general readership. This does not mean that you can't say something serious or complicated; it does mean that you must be interesting, engaging, and lively. This is a great opportunity to contribute to an understanding of a new and emerging form of sociality, and the importance of this understanding goes far beyond academia. Please send abstracts (250-350 words) by Feb. 1, 2009. Notice of acceptance by March 23rd, 2009. Full chapters (4000-5000 words) due July 13th, 2009. Submit abstracts to facebook.and.philosophy(a)gmail.com To keep in touch with the volume, and for information about the book as it develops, join its Facebook fan page, here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Facebook-and-Philosophy/40232732873 For more information about Wiley-Blackwell's Philosophy for Everyone Series, or to propose a volume for the series, contact series editor Fritz Allhoff at fritz.allhoff(a)wmich.edu.

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