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

Re: [Air-L] Major/Major Report Plus: A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK
by Antonio A. Casilli 14 May '09

14 May '09

Hi Gerry, thanks for the precious link - be sure I fwded it around as much as I could. Was wondering if you, or anybody else in the list are aware of recent studies addressing the use of Twitter in the classroom from the perspective of how it may impact student/teacher interpersonal dynamics (through backchannelling, instant feedback and such). The case study and the resources featured the report are useful, but slightly out of focus. Any references on this? Cheers, Antonio ------------------------------------ Antonio A. Casilli Centre Edgar Morin Institut Interdisciplinaire d'Anthropologie du Contemporain (CNRS/EHESS) 22, rue d'Athènes 75009 - Paris (France) blog: http://www.bodyspacesociety.eu/ webpage: http://www.iiac.cnrs.fr/cetsah/spip.php?article26 On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 11:40 PM, McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] <gerrymck(a)iastate.edu> wrote: > Colleagues/ > > > > A Major/Major Report AND Case Studies ... > > > > /Gerry > > > > A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher > Education in the UK > > > > Shailey Minocha / January 2009 / Department of Computing / The Open > University / Walton Hall / Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK > > > > Executive Summary > > > > The term 'social software' covers a range of software tools which allow > users to interact and share data with other users, primarily via the > web. Blogs, wikis, social networking websites, such as Facebook and > Flickr, and social bookmarking sites, such as Delicious, are examples of > some of the tools that are being used to share and collaborate in > educational, social, and business contexts. The key aspect of asocial > software tool is that it involves wider participation in the creation of > information which is shared. > > > > This study examined the use of social software in the UK further and > higher education sectors to collect evidence of the effective use of > social software in enhancing student learning and engagement. In this > study, data from 26 initiatives, where social software tools have been > employed, has been collected, analysed and synthesised. The cases chosen > give a spread of tools, subject areas, contexts (parttime, full-time or > distance learning), levels of study, and institutions (higher and > further education). A case study methodology was followed and both > educators and students were interviewed to find out what they had done, > how well it had worked, and what they had learned from the experiences. > > > > This study provides insights about the: educational goals of using > social software tools; enablers or drivers within the institution, or > from external sources which positively influence the adoption of social > software; benefits to the students, educators and institutions; > challenges that may influence a social software initiative; and issues > that need to be considered in a social software initiative. Our > investigations have shown that social software tools support a variety > of ways of learning: sharing of resources (eg bookmarks, photographs), > collaborative learning, problem-based and inquiry-based learning, > reflective learning, and peer-to-peer learning. Students gain > transferable skills of team working, online collaboration, negotiation, > and communication, individual and group reflection, and managingdigital > identities. > > > > [snip] > > > > Effective Use of Social Software in UK Further and Higher Education: > Case Studies [125 pp.] > > > > Date uploaded > 02 February 2009 > Shailey Minocha > > > > The case studies or initiatives investigated in this study are > consolidated in this document. The 26 initiatives or case studies > investigated in this study cover a broad range of social software tools > such as discussion forums, wikis, blogs, podcasts, microblogging or > Twitter, photo-sharing (Flickr), Google Earth, 3-D virtual worlds, web > conferencing, social networking sites such as Facebook, and others based > on Elgg and Ning. > > > > The case studies are from a wide range of disciplines, at different > levels of study (undergraduate, post-graduate, vocational courses) in > part-time and full-time courses in further and higher education. The > mode of delivery is diverse: face-to-face, blended learning > (face-to-face and online learning), and distance-education. > > > > Select Case Studies > > [snip] > > 2 Using Wikis to Support Small Group Work 17 > > 3 Facebook as a Pre-induction Support Tool 22 > > 4 Community@Brighton: Social Networking at University of Brighton 27 > > 7 Social Networking through Ning on a Distance-learning Programme 40 > > 8 Using a Wiki for Developing a Portfolio and for Communication 44 > > 11 Collaborative Learning in a Wiki on a Software Engineering Course 59 > > 15 Develop Me! Social Networking at University of Bradford 77 > > 17 Blogs, Wikis and Social Bookmarking to Support Web-based Research 86 > > 18 Social Networking and Community-building in Dentistry Courses 90 > > 20 Social Networking: Connect-ing Students and Staff 99 > > 24 Supporting a Group of Distance-learning Students on Skypecast 116 > > 25 Using Twitter to Support Students and Their Projects 119 > > 26 Using Facebook to Obtain Student Feedback 122 > > > > All Appropriate Links Available From > > > > [ http://tinyurl.com/q9r2sk ] > > > > Thanks to The Caribbean Librarian for The HeadsUp ! > > > > Enjoy ! > > > > /Gerry > > > > Gerry McKiernan > > Associate Professor > > Science and Technology Librarian > > Iowa State University Library > > Ames IA 50011 > > > > gerrymck(a)iastate.edu > > > > There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor > Hugo > > [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] > > > > Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows > > [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ] > > _______________________________________________ > The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/ > >

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Major/Major Report Plus: A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 13 May '09

13 May '09

Colleagues/ A Major/Major Report AND Case Studies ... /Gerry A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK Shailey Minocha / January 2009 / Department of Computing / The Open University / Walton Hall / Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK Executive Summary The term 'social software' covers a range of software tools which allow users to interact and share data with other users, primarily via the web. Blogs, wikis, social networking websites, such as Facebook and Flickr, and social bookmarking sites, such as Delicious, are examples of some of the tools that are being used to share and collaborate in educational, social, and business contexts. The key aspect of asocial software tool is that it involves wider participation in the creation of information which is shared. This study examined the use of social software in the UK further and higher education sectors to collect evidence of the effective use of social software in enhancing student learning and engagement. In this study, data from 26 initiatives, where social software tools have been employed, has been collected, analysed and synthesised. The cases chosen give a spread of tools, subject areas, contexts (parttime, full-time or distance learning), levels of study, and institutions (higher and further education). A case study methodology was followed and both educators and students were interviewed to find out what they had done, how well it had worked, and what they had learned from the experiences. This study provides insights about the: educational goals of using social software tools; enablers or drivers within the institution, or from external sources which positively influence the adoption of social software; benefits to the students, educators and institutions; challenges that may influence a social software initiative; and issues that need to be considered in a social software initiative. Our investigations have shown that social software tools support a variety of ways of learning: sharing of resources (eg bookmarks, photographs), collaborative learning, problem-based and inquiry-based learning, reflective learning, and peer-to-peer learning. Students gain transferable skills of team working, online collaboration, negotiation, and communication, individual and group reflection, and managingdigital identities. [snip] Effective Use of Social Software in UK Further and Higher Education: Case Studies [125 pp.] Date uploaded > 02 February 2009 > Shailey Minocha The case studies or initiatives investigated in this study are consolidated in this document. The 26 initiatives or case studies investigated in this study cover a broad range of social software tools such as discussion forums, wikis, blogs, podcasts, microblogging or Twitter, photo-sharing (Flickr), Google Earth, 3-D virtual worlds, web conferencing, social networking sites such as Facebook, and others based on Elgg and Ning. The case studies are from a wide range of disciplines, at different levels of study (undergraduate, post-graduate, vocational courses) in part-time and full-time courses in further and higher education. The mode of delivery is diverse: face-to-face, blended learning (face-to-face and online learning), and distance-education. Select Case Studies [snip] 2 Using Wikis to Support Small Group Work 17 3 Facebook as a Pre-induction Support Tool 22 4 Community@Brighton: Social Networking at University of Brighton 27 7 Social Networking through Ning on a Distance-learning Programme 40 8 Using a Wiki for Developing a Portfolio and for Communication 44 11 Collaborative Learning in a Wiki on a Software Engineering Course 59 15 Develop Me! Social Networking at University of Bradford 77 17 Blogs, Wikis and Social Bookmarking to Support Web-based Research 86 18 Social Networking and Community-building in Dentistry Courses 90 20 Social Networking: Connect-ing Students and Staff 99 24 Supporting a Group of Distance-learning Students on Skypecast 116 25 Using Twitter to Support Students and Their Projects 119 26 Using Facebook to Obtain Student Feedback 122 All Appropriate Links Available From [ http://tinyurl.com/q9r2sk ] Thanks to The Caribbean Librarian for The HeadsUp ! Enjoy ! /Gerry Gerry McKiernan Associate Professor Science and Technology Librarian Iowa State University Library Ames IA 50011 gerrymck(a)iastate.edu There is Nothing More Powerful Than An Idea Whose Time Has Come / Victor Hugo [ http://www.blogger.com/profile/09093368136660604490 ] Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows [ http://alternativeenergyblogs.blogspot.com/ ]

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intercollegiate digital media tournament
by Bradley, Robert 13 May '09

13 May '09

Just a few days left (5.15 deadline) to enter your media in the DMSC Governor’s Challenge Academic Media Tournament. We are accepting audio, enhanced and video media in student and faculty categories in Course Concept, Feature and Service Learning areas. Media should be original works, be from 3-7 minutes and authors must be affiliated with higher education institutions. Media does not have to be created for this event: Can be pre-existing. Winners will receive gear from Microsoft and Targus, as well as a special limited edition certificate made especially for the event by world-famous Hatch Showprint of The Country Music Hall of Fame. Please e-mail rbradley(a)tnstate.edu and instructions will be sent on how to open up your own university’s channel on our host iTunes U site at East Tennessee State University. (If you need over the weekend to prepare, we can make arrangements). Judges can register at, as well as further details are available at: www.tnsandbox.com . If we can grow championship athletes, we can grow championship scholars! Thanks in advance, Robert R. Bradley Director of Technology Integration Communication and Information Technologies Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Parkway Nashville, TN 37209 cell: 615.579.7446 fax: 615.963.1371 rbradley(a)tnstate.edu Think. Work. Serve. www.tnsandbox.com

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reminder: CfP--ethics in cyberspace
by Robert Mason 13 May '09

13 May '09

A reminder: HICSS-43 January 5-8, 2010 As we undertake research and design information systems, we make implicit and explicit choices that have political and ethical implications. Papers (both empirical and conceptual) are requested for these sessions at HICSS that discuss the range of cultural behavior and decisions exhibited in an increasingly networked world. For more information about the scope and possible topics in this mini-track, see the following site or contact one of the co-chairs: http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_43/minitracks/os-ecc.htm Robert M. Mason rmmason(a)u.washington.edu<mailto:rmmason@u.washington.edu> Kevin Gallagher kevin.gallagher(a)nku.edu<mailto:kevin.gallagher@nku.edu> Antonino Vaccaro vaccaro(a)andrew.cmu.edu<mailto:vaccaro@andrew.cmu.edu> Important dates: Anytime before June 15: submit abstract to mini-track chair for feedback June 15: last day to submit full manuscript for review Aug. 15: notification of acceptances (at least one author must immediately make arrangements to attend) Sept 15: submission of final papers; at least one author must register Oct. 15: paper without at least one author registered will be deleted from proceedings On January 5, we also have a workshop on ethical research and design in cyberspace (Bob Mason, Elizabeth Buchanan, and Alpha DeLap): http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/hicss_43/43swt/ethical.htm For more information about the entire conference, with links to other mini-track descriptions, see the HICSS 43 homepage<http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/HICSS_43/apahome43.htm> (http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/HICSS_43/apahome43.htm )

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Re: [Air-L] Social network site nomenclature
by Caroline Haythornthwaite 13 May '09

13 May '09

Good point, and Nicole Ellison has pointed out to me that she and danah boyd use 'Social Network Site' precisely to get away from the 'working' part of it. Site or service -- don't know. /C ---- Original message ---- >Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 16:55:42 +0200 >From: Linda.Olsen(a)infomedia.uib.no >Subject: Re: [Air-L] Social network site nomenclature >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > >Hi Caroline. > >To me, your definitions make very much sense, and very nicely sums up >some of the throughts I have had on the subject myself, but have not >been able to articulate well enough. Well done. Personally, I see the >term SNS as reserved for online settings, though I realize it could >apply to offline settings as you mention. > >I do, however, have some issues with regard to the appropriate use of >the term SNS. Should the N stand for "networking" og "network"? Should >the last S stand for "site" or "service"? > >I have for many years used the term "social networking service" when >studying LinkedIn. To me this has made sense, as LinkedIn both >supports the explicit act of networking and acts as a service for this >purpose. As such, I have also used the term "social networking >service" when describing other SNSs such as Facebook. Some reserachers >have, however, argued that sites/services such as Facebook are not >primarily for networking, but for maintaining social networks and that >"network" therefore is more appropriate and would give a >broader/better description of such sites/services. I have given it >some thought and see the point that is being made. > >When it comes to the term "service" or "site", I have stuck with >service as I see LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. as providers of some >sort of extra service to their members, beyond that of ordinary >websites. > >I would love to hear yours, and others, throughts about this subject! > >:-) > >Linda > >Siterer Caroline Haythornthwaite <haythorn(a)illinois.edu>: > >> As one who tries to make a clear distinction between "social networks" and >> "social networking", let me see if this distinction makes sense to others. >> >> Social networks are created and maintained by ties between people. They are >> studied using social network analysis, a formal set of techniques now being >> more widely used and identified under the label of "network >> science". There is >> no online or offline separation for social networks -- they exist, emerge and >> are maintained based on ties between people whether these happen via online >> and/or offline means. >> >> Social networking I take to mean a deliberate, active pursuit of >> ties with other >> people -- from the business sense of social networking as something you do to >> make and keep business contacts, to the friend making in MySpace, Facebook, >> etc. >> >> Social networking sites (SNSs) are online sites which provide the technical >> infrastructure for social networking. While the term is used, and I'd say >> reserved for online sites, the concept of a social networking site could also >> apply to offline settings as well -- after all, what is a pub for if >> not a social >> networking site. >> >> And, yes, social networks emerge and are maintained through social >> networking via social network sites. The distinction is that social networks >> emerge in lots of ways, not *just* through the deliberate strategy of social >> networking, nor just through social networking sites. >> >> Comments please as I really do try to make these distinctions clear and bug >> people not to call my work 'social networking'! >> >> /Caroline >> >> >> ---- Original message ---- >>> Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 22:25:00 -0400 >>> From: Kevin Guidry <krguidry(a)gmail.com> >>> Subject: [Air-L] Social network site nomenclature >>> To: air-l(a)aoir.org >>> >>> All, >>> >>> Much of the available research refers to services such as Facebook and >>> MySpace as "social network(ing) sites/services (SNS)." Let's ignore >>> for the moment the differences between those four permutations as I'm >>> more interested in learning about why some researchers use "online >>> social networks (ONS)." SNS seems to be much more common, >>> particularly in the wake of the late 2007 JCMC special theme issue >>> focusing on SNSs. >>> >>> Given that both terms are still in use, is there some sort of subtle >>> cultural or discipline-based divide of which I am unaware? Or is this >>> just an oddity that isn't important or indicative of anything more >>> than personal preference? >>> >>> >>> Kevin >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >>> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >>> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >>> >>> Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >>> http://www.aoir.org/ >> >> -------------------------------------- >> Caroline Haythornthwaite >> Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, >> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 501 East Daniel St., >> Champaign IL 61820 >> haythorn(a)illinois.edu OR haythorn(a)uiuc.edu >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: >> http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org >> >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >> http://www.aoir.org/ >> > > >_______________________________________________ >The Air-L(a)listserv.aoir.org mailing list >is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org >Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > >Join the Association of Internet Researchers: >http://www.aoir.org/ -------------------------------------- Caroline Haythornthwaite Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 501 East Daniel St., Champaign IL 61820 haythorn(a)illinois.edu OR haythorn(a)uiuc.edu

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Re: [Air-L] And now for something not about the switch! (Jasmine Pues)
by Nik John 13 May '09

13 May '09

It would have been clever of me to post the link: http://www.sociothink.com/chap6.html Note to self: concentrate more. Nicholas -----Original Message----- From: Nik John [mailto:nikjohn@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 18:28 PM To: 'air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org' Subject: RE: And now for something not about the switch! (Jasmine Pues) I wrote a chapter of my PhD about how Hebrew letters are shown on computer screens. It's a kind of "behind the scenes" STS analysis of how Unicode came to dominate and what this means, say, for the globalization of culture. It's not exactly a "main work", but it probably refers to the main works. Nicholas -------------------------------- Dr. Nicholas John www.sociothink.com www.nicholasjohn.tel

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and now for something also not about the switch! (Freire/Boal and the Internet)
by Katherine Mancuso 13 May '09

13 May '09

Hi everyone, Anyone know any good works they would recommend applying Freire and Boal & the Theatre of the Oppressed to work in online communities, frameworks for applying them to technology, etc? I'm also interested in applications of other participatory theatre and community art methodologies focused on social justice in this arena. I found this essay though I have yet to get a copy of it (aah, interlibrary loan): Community-based software, participatory theater: models for inviting participation in learning and artistic production / Susan Claire Warshauer Virtual publics: policy and community in an electronic age. Beth E Kolko. Columbia UP 2003 http://books.google.com/books?id=cJt5MHLeHikC Still I present it as the parts I can read in Google Books appear to be an example of the exact kind of work I am interested in. thanks, Katherine -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Katherine Mancuso: crusader of community art, social technology, & disability Research: Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access (http://www.catea.org ) Georgia Tech, Digital Media (http://dm.gatech.edu) Community: The Vesuvius Group: metaverse community builders ( http://www.thevesuviusgroup.com) Gimp Girl Community Liaison (http://www.gimpgirl.com) Second Life Nonprofit Commons (http://secondlife.techsoup.org/) Alternate ROOTS: arts*community*activism (http://www.alternateroots.org) Contact in the web, the metaverse, the world: http://twitter.com/musingvirtual http://muse.dreamwidth.org http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathymancuso SL: Muse Carmona ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Re: [Air-L] And now for something not about the switch! (Jasmine Pues)
by Nik John 13 May '09

13 May '09

I wrote a chapter of my PhD about how Hebrew letters are shown on computer screens. It's a kind of "behind the scenes" STS analysis of how Unicode came to dominate and what this means, say, for the globalization of culture. It's not exactly a "main work", but it probably refers to the main works. Nicholas -------------------------------- Dr. Nicholas John www.sociothink.com www.nicholasjohn.tel

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Similar settings debate on Twitter
by Michael Zimmer 13 May '09

13 May '09

Also apropos the air-l debate over settings & community, a similar debate is occurring on Twitter, who recently made a "small settings update" where users no longer see public replies sent by friends to people they themselves are not following. (Fragmented conversations, they are called.) In the words on one commenter: "The new policy isn't something you have to opt-in to. It's not something you can opt-out of. It's true for people who use 3rd party Twitter clients to read their Tweets. It's more fundamentally closed than Facebook is; on that site I may not be able to view the profiles of strangers talking to my friends, but I can see that the conversations are happening and I can read the comments. This new Twitter policy breaks one of the fundamental rules of social activity streams: that I can discover new people by seeing who is conversing with the people I already know." Details here: <http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/twitter_puts_a_muzzle_on_your_friends_… > And you can follow the #fixreplies tweets here: <http://search.twitter.com/search?q=fixreplies > -mz -- Michael Zimmer, PhD Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies Associate, Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee e: zimmerm(a)uwm.edu w: www.michaelzimmer.org

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And now for something not about the switch!
by Jasmine Pues 13 May '09

13 May '09

Dear ladies and gentlemen of this fine list, what would you consider the main works of the study of language and the Internet? I'm interested in hearing your opinions. ^.^ Thank you, Jasmine Pues

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