October 2010 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-L] what should an introductory course cover in such a fast-changing field?
by Umar Ruhi 29 Oct '10

29 Oct '10

Hi Tery, Last year, I helped in the development of a similar course. Based on your description, I gather that your course is geared towards “creating” and “accessing” digital media. If that’s the case, then the skills-based components you’ve outlined make a lot of sense. The only additions I would make are: i) include a blogging component, either in an individual or a group context; and ii) include a content feeds (e.g. RSS) component. If you want ideas other than “creating” and “accessing” digital media, you can introduce “analyzing” and “evaluating” digital media as well. These dimensions will allow you to incorporate more skills-based components such as providing an overview of website and social media analytics (using tools such as google analytics), and also touch upon the media that you’ve deliberately excluded (microblogging, and virtual worlds) by way of asking students to perform short critical reviews and assessments. I understand if these dimensions are beyond the expectations in a first-year course. The course that I’ve based my suggestions on was a second-year course. Hope this helps. Best, Umar Ruhi Umar Ruhi, Assistant Professor, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa Management Consultant, Web/Enterprise 2.0 Website: http://www.umar.biz Email: umar(a)umar.biz > Message: 10 > Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:37:31 -0400 > From: Tery G <teryg93(a)gmail.com> > To: Air-L <air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org> > Subject: [Air-L] what should an introductory course cover in such a > fast-changing field? > Message-ID: > <AANLkTimEdzCXXs+6SUn+wJY_0or+_ykJhFqqULyNMqGE(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Hi all, > > I asked a while back about acceptable resources for one of my classes. I've > heard offline from a few people who are currently designing courses similar > to mine, and who asked what I covered. We thought that might be an > interesting question to ask on this list. > > Background on my course: I teach in a Media Arts department and the class is > called Digital Media Literacy. I designed it years ago, and I could not find > a single model for it, so it would be especially interesting for me to hear > now what people do or would do in this type of course. > > The course is designed to introduce our freshmen to both the concepts and > some of the tools we use to create digital media (so it's a 100-level > course). Some of the class is spent on tools, currently Audacity for sound, > Photoshop for images, Quicktime for video, and Keynote for presentations. I > introduce them to at least three browsers, so they stop thinking IE *is* the > web. There are a handful of other utilities that we use: file transfer > programs, SnapZPro, etc. We do a quick history of the internet and of the > web (including the internet gift economy, though it barely exists anymore). > We cover file compression, types of compression, and when and why they need > to compress files. > > The more I read about search engines, the more I want them to understand > about these tools that they use to gather the information they use to live > their lives, let alone write their papers. So, we cover search engines in > general, and Google in particular. Then we use the library databases. I'm > still following the controversy about whether and how PowerPoint affects the > way we think, so we read and talk about that. We look at copyright issues > and Creative Commons licensing. We look at net neutrality. I'm probably > forgetting something; I don't have my syllabus in front of me right now. > > I've been staying away from things that seem trendy to me, and that I have > not been able to see academic value to, like Twitter and Second Life. I > included each once, but didn't get enough out of it and you can't include > everything . . . > > Their final project is a multimedia presentation on a topic of their choice, > as long as it's related to digital media or media arts. They critique each > other's presentations as they build them, so this is a sneaky way of working > in more material while also giving them more practice with the tools we've > covered all semester. > > So the question from me, and some others on the list, is -- if you were > designing this type of course, what would you put in? > > Best, > Tery Griffin >

1 0

The end is nigh
by live 28 Oct '10

28 Oct '10

I'm slightly tongue in cheek with that subject line, however something has come to pass this week which may change everything. So for many years, security for typical online users has only been a passing thought, if a thought at all - so many users use the web via non end-to-end encrypted http. This week at Toorcon 12 (hacker conference), a developer Eric Butler release a Firefox add-on called Firesheep that has put many major site engineers in a tizzy. Using this quick, easy add-on a user can easily hijack the authenticated Facebook sessions of people sharing the same wi-fi network. Or any site's session, not just Facebook, if it's unencrypted. Basically, you can control another users Facebook account if they are logged into Facebook on the same wifi network as yourself. Or you can Twitter as them. Or be on Amazon or Google. All by downloading this little plug-in. Think your information's safe at the airport, using their wifi network? Think again. I've downloaded the plug-in and know that it works. So, my interest leads to these kinds of questions: how is this going to change our society's view on security? It only takes one incident in the news - say a tragic event befalls someone who had a stalker - before the lawsuits begin flying and no amount of tight legal EULA will stop this digital economy from slowing way down. Will Mom and Pop Wilson get to understand what an encrypted http is? Are we growing up in our society's education & understanding of technology? Would love some feedback on these thoughts. Firesheep can be found here: http://codebutler.com/firesheep Cheers, @SharonG [Non-traditional undergraduate student still looking for an Anthropology or Experimental, Applied, or Social Psychology graduate program to call home. Suggestions welcome.]

4 6

Digital and New Media Studies position at University of Wisconsin, Madison
by Jonathan Gray 28 Oct '10

28 Oct '10

I posted this a month ago, but just a reminder of my department's position in Digital and New Media, to be housed within our dept's Media and Cultural Studies area. This is one of four Digital Studies positions at UW this year, in fact, the others being in Art, English, and Library and Information Studies, and it represents a push in hiring and other resources on the part of the university towards more work on new media. The successful candidates in all four positions will be able to play a major role in directing the future of the Digital Studies initiative, so we welcome those with ideas for what such an initiative could/should look like, and with the enthusiasm to realize those ideas. The full posting is here -- http://commarts.wisc.edu/info/positions/index.php#digitalstudies Questions on the search can be directed to me, preferably at my non-listserv email: jagray3(a)wisc.edu Jonathan Gray Associate Professor, Media and Cultural Studies Dept of Communication Arts University of Wisconsin, Madison

1 0

Affective Fabrics of Digital Cultures: podcasts and presentations are now available to view
by Adi Kuntsman 28 Oct '10

28 Oct '10

Dear colleagues, 'Affective Fabrics of Digital Cultures: Feelings, Technologies, Politics' is a two day international conference that took place in Manchester, UK in June this year. We now have podcasts of all the plenary sessions, as well as texts of most presentations. Please visit the conference website to view/read/download/get inspired :) http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/ricc/events/digital_affect/index… Adi -- Dr. Adi Kuntsman Leverhulme Early Career Fellow Research Institute for Cosmopolitan Cultures The University of Manchester Second Floor, Arthur Lewis Building, room 2.007 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/ricc/index.html http://adi.kuntsman.googlepages.com

1 0

images of global politics (Game related)
by jeremy hunsinger 27 Oct '10

27 Oct '10

Hi everyone, Please respond to jeremy(a)tmttlt.com and i'll be willing to share the list with anyone that asks. I'm looking for the images of global, world, or international politics that are canonical to your mind. Keep in mind that these things can be intensely local, so I'm asking for as many thing as you can imagine that you think you would share with people from your community/ies as you imagine them. This is for a project that I'm working on in the Spring that will integrate video/images/texts/ and videogames into a course on global politics targeted at freshmen and sophomores. I've found that most of my undergraduate students haven't even seen the Tiananmen square tank video, images from the Bhopal disaster, the Challenger explosion, and a myriad of other highly symbolic videos that have influenced world events. Some have seen video of the fall of the Berlin wall, and such, but none had seen the canonical picture of President Richard Nixon and Elvis (which is sort of symbolic of the transformation of the role of global leaders in the media age). It doesn't have to be explicitly politics either, because media and civil society events have had significant effect too So if you would send me your list of images, televised, from newspapers, from the internet, or otherwise mediated to you. I don't need urls, i just need the Event. I would be most grateful. Note this project is for teaching, not research, the contents of your emails will be compiled and anonymized and shared with whomever asks for copies. As such, none of your personal information will be published or otherwise disseminated in any manner. Please send them to jeremy(a)tmttlt.com (it is actually a gmail address, so if you want to avoid sending things to gmail, don't send, i'm using it because it has better spam filters, not that you are going to send me spam, but that the address will be public and thus be spammed by spammers) Thanks and if you want a copy of the list ask off list. Jeremy Hunsinger Political Science Center for Digital Discourse and Culture Virginia Tech () ascii ribbon campaign - against html mail /\ - against microsoft attachments http://www.tmttlt.com You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. --Mark Twain

1 0

[Second call for contributions] 6th European Conference on Gender and ICT, March 8th-10th, 2011
by Anna Croon Fors 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

*Apologies for cross postings* On behalf of the organizing committee this second call for paper encourage you participate in an upcoming conference on Gender and ICT at Umeå University, Sweden in March 2011. Deadline for submission is November 15th, 2010 - We invite you to share your experiences! For further details see: gict2011.informatik.umu.se Second call for contributions: Feminist Interventions in Theories and Practices 6th European Conference on Gender and ICT Suggested themes are: Gender and Innovation; Social Media and New Frontiers; Digital Accountability; Feminist Theories; Visibility and Invisibility Confirmed Keynotes: Professor Susan Hekman, University of Texas Arlington, Texas, United States Associate professor Christina Mörtberg, Linneaus University, Växjö, Sweden/ Oslo University, Norway Professor Ina Wagner, Multidisziplinäres Design, Wienna, Austria Regards, Anna Croon Fors Conference Chair Department of Informatics Umeå University Sweden

1 0

FW: Page Center Funding for Social Media Research
by Denise Bortree 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Below is a call for grant proposals on ethics and social media. Feel free to email me with questions. Denise Bortree, Ph.D. Assistant Professor College of Communications Penn State University 814-865-1274 dsb177(a)psu.edu The Arthur W. Page Center at the Penn State College of Communications announces its annual Page and Johnson Legacy Scholar competition for the study of integrity in public communication. The Center will award up to $75,000 in grants of $1,000 to $25,000 each to support scholars and professionals making important contributions to knowledge, practice, or public understanding of ethics and responsibility in public communication. Given the high rate of social media use by the public, organizations are compelled to engage with key audiences through these outlets. Social media engagement requires organizations to actively participate with public groups, and this highly-interactive exchange raises a new set of ethical concerns for communicators. In this rapidly changing communications environment, the long-term implications of social media are uncertain and much research is needed to understand its impact on audiences and organizations. We are inviting proposals for research papers on all aspects of public relations that deal with ethics in social media. Possible topics include (but are not limited to): · Ethical use of social media to communicate with diverse audiences · Challenges of providing transparent communication through social media · Ethical measurement of social media · Building trust through social media dialogue · Corporate responsibility and social media · Ethics of engaging internal audiences through social media · Ethical public engagement · Ethical challenges with the international use of social media The research conducted from approved proposals will be evaluated for possible combined presentation in panel and/or book form (selected researchers will be invited but not required to participate in any such presentation). See the Page Center website for details (http://thepagecenter.comm.psu.edu/index.php/legacy-scholar-grant/rfp, submission is online this year). Questions should be directed to Dr. Marcia W. DiStaso at mwd10(a)psu.edu or (814)863-9874 or to Dr. Denise Bortree at dsb177(a)psu.edu or (814)865-1274. Please mark your proposal for the Project for the Ethics of Social Media in Public Relations Practice, Attn: Dr. Marcia W. DiStaso and Dr. Denise Bortree. Application materials must be submitted on or before January 10, 2011. Marcia W. DiStaso, Ph.D. Assistant Professor College of Communications Pennsylvania State University

1 0

live broadcast of the oxcars in barcelona 28. of october 2010
by Seda Guerses 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

there will be live broadcast on the 28. of october of the oxcars, the free culture event in barcelona. apologies if you have already received this information. best, s. Barcelona as World Capital of Shared Culture. Artists and performers from all areas of culture Spanish and international has take part in an awards ceremony with all kind of surprises, pooling their efforts to demand a stop to culture being treated as merchandise by royalty management organisations and cultural industry lobbies. Artists say “Not in my name” to the commercialisation of culture, “Not in my name” to Spain’s ‘canon digital’ (digital levy), “Not in my name” to limiting the potential of digital media. Civil society demands the ‘lost profits’ of all the knowledge that is being withheld and stolen from public use in the name of private profits. We don’t want to nurture generations of cultural parasites; we want culture to be alive and productive. http://oxcars10.exgae.net/en Disclaimer: http://www.kuleuven.be/cwis/email_disclaimer.htm

1 0

9 job opportunities in Multimedia
by Monica Murero 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Nine job openings for young researchers, visiting scientists, etc. from Columbia University, to Italy (Florence). http://www.scientificareers.com/ "ScientifiCareers is a project dedicated to job opportunities for young researchers in the field of Multimedia. ScientifiCareers is a free platform where professionals, industries and academic institutions can post their job requests in order to get in contact with young and talented researchers all over the world.The platform aims to promote the connection between companies and research labs, and to stimulate the exchange of expertise between different research teams." Monica -------------------- Monica Murero , Ph.D. AoIR Executive Committee, 2003-2009; AoIR Treasurer & Board of Directors 2005-2009 AoIR Lifetime Member www.aoir.or Director E-Life International Institute (Founder, University of Firenze) Associate Professor in Politics of e-Government and in Sociology of New Technology University Federico II Italy International Award Winner, Rientro Cervelli - Ministry of University and Research Association of Internet Researchers: http://it.linkedin.com/pub/monica-murero-ph-d/16/52/606 Inviato da iPad

1 0

cyberliteracy- test for students?
by Monica Murero 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Dear aoir friends and collegues, I have a disomogeneous and interdisciplinar group in my graduate class - starting next week. I'd like to ask your help to find a test that assesses the individual level of " cyberliteracy". The goal is to implement results in class , and tailor the course on the basis of student's limits and needs. Have you used or are you aware of a test/questionnaire that assess cyberliteracy? Thanks. Monica -------------------- Monica Murero , Ph.D. AoIR Executive Committee, 2003-2009; AoIR Treasurer & Board of Directors 2005-2009 AoIR Lifetime Member www.aoir.or Director E-Life International Institute (Founder, University of Firenze) Associate Professor in Politics of e-Government and in Sociology of New Technology University Federico II Italy International Award Winner, Rientro Cervelli - Ministry of University and Research Association of Internet Researchers: http://it.linkedin.com/pub/monica-murero-ph-d/16/52/606 Inviato da iPad

1 0