- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

OLPC vision versus reality
by Katy E. Pearce 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Via Metafilter, One Laptop Per Child Vision Versus Reality http://www.metafilter.com/82630/One-Laptop-Per-Child-Vision-vs-Reality The Metafilter discussion, as usual, is really great. >From the study itself: A UC Irvine study finds that "the vision is being overwhelmed by the reality of business, political, logistics, and competing interests worldwide." "...the OLPC organization (www.olpc.com/) struggles with key staff defections, budget cuts, and ideological disillusionment, as it appears to some that the educational mission has given way to just getting laptops out the door. In addition, low-cost commercial netbooks from Acer, Asus, Hewlett-Packard, and other PC vendors have been launched with great early success." This study attempts to "...review and analyze the OLPC experience, focusing on the two most important issues: the successes and failures of OLPC in understanding and adapting to the developing-country environment and the unexpectedly aggressive reaction by the PC industry, including superpowers Intel and Microsoft, to defeat or co-opt the OLPC effort." And, an interesting comment from a MeFite, allen.spaulding,: "When Negroponte announced the OLPC, I remember conversations where a number of people who'd spent years in the ICT for Development community rolled their eyes. Absolutely nobody at the time thought the problem was a lack of cheap hardware. Hell, anyone who'd spent any time in the field knew that there was no way that the project could work exactly as designed - created a magically intuitive and self-explanatory project that would let the children of the developing world explore on their own, etc. All of the hard questions of ICT4D were buried here, with a naive belief that good design could fix everything. The project's relative lack of focus on delivery, training, distribution, etc, was immediately apparent from the start. And then it turned out that having glossed over these extremely hard questions, the research team itself largely ignored them to focus on the things mentioned in the article above. If the project was half as good at its mission as Negroponte was at self-promotion, then maybe we'd have a massive success on our hands. Instead, this was always an ill-conceived boondoggle that misallocated resources and attention away from lesser-heralded ICT4D projects currently underway. Any gains it has made need to be seen relative to the missed opportunities that could have been accomplished had these resources gone to others at MIT, or to the ongoing projects at Cal, CMU, Stanford, and elsewhere."

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Fwd: CfP "Academia 2.0 and beyond - How Social Software changes research and education in academia" EXTENDED DEADLINE
by jeremy hunsinger 21 Jun '09

21 Jun '09

Begin forwarded message: > From: Isa Jahnke <isa.jahnke(a)TU-DORTMUND.DE> > Date: June 21, 2009 11:11:23 AM EDT > To: SOCIOTECH(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK > Subject: CfP "Academia 2.0 and beyond - How Social Software changes > research and education in academia" EXTENDED DEADLINE > Reply-To: Isa Jahnke <isa.jahnke(a)TU-DORTMUND.DE> > > CALL FOR POSITION PAPERS "Academia 2.0 and beyond - How Social > Software changes research and education in academia" > > WORKSHOP at E-CSCW, http://www.ecscw09.org, Vienna, September 7-11, > 2009 > > Organizers: > Michael Koch, Bundeswehr University Munich, michael.koch(a)unibw.de > Isa Jahnke, University of Technology Dortmund, http://www.isa- > jahnke.de > > NEW: Extended Deadline for submissions: June 28th, 2009. > > The Web 2.0 and Social Software is often attributed with a high > potential for addressing today's challenges in knowledge management > and > distributed collaboration. This development has already reached > industry. Using the term Enterprise 2.0, different possibilities to > use > Social Software in enterprises are researched. But also in academia, > cooperation to generate new knowledge, and to add it to the scientific > discourse may radically change under open Web 2.0 conditions. In > addition, teaching and learning scenarios might be moved towards > technology enhanced lifelong learning communities. The aim of this > workshop is to discuss the application of Social Software in academia > (research as well as teaching and learning) - and how these new kinds > of software might change the whole setting - make new ways of doing > research or teaching and learning possible or at least easier to do. > More: http://wiki.cscwlab.de/Main/Ecscw2009Ws > > > >

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PhD position Utrecht, the Netherlands Persuasive rhetoric in game design (GATE)
by Leurs, K.H.A. (Koen) 19 Jun '09

19 Jun '09

Dear list-members, Please see below for a PhD opportunity in Utrecht on rhetoric in game design. Kind regards, Koen Leurs | Aio / PhD student OGC (Research Institute for Culture and History)| Utrecht University, the Netherlands | Janskerkhof 13, 3512 BL Utrecht | # 2.02 | (+31) 30 253 78 59 | (+31) 6 13108803 | Current project: http://www.uu.nl/wiredup/ Please consider the environment before printing this email. -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: Raessens, dr. J. (Joost) Verzonden: vr 19-6-2009 16:36 Aan: MCW (Groep) Onderwerp: PhD position Persuasive rhetoric in game design (GATE) Dear Colleagues, please spread around to possible interested candidates the announcement for a PhD position within the GATE research project Design rules for learning through simulated worlds. PhD project: Persuasive rhetoric in game design This project investigates how the medium-specificity of computer games make them suitable for persuasive purposes and to what extent and in what ways persuasive rhetorical strategies can be designed to convince serious-game players of the veracity of a certain point of view - as in games for change - or the necessity of a behavioral change - as in health games. Although a project description <http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/ogc/vacatures/2009/GATEWP42DEFJR-2009-06.pdf> exists, candidates are also given the opportunity to develop a PhD proposal of their own. This project should fit into the research project Design rules for learning through simulated worlds. For more information check: http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/ogc/vacatures/2009/phd_researcher_GATE2.htm. GATE website: http://gate.gameresearch.nl <http://gate.gameresearch.nl/> . Project description: http://gate.gameresearch.nl/index.php?pageID=53. Candidates have to apply before 9 August 2009. Thanks, Joost Raessens Prof. dr. Joost Raessens | Professor of Media Theory | Department of Media and Culture Studies | Faculty of Humanities | Utrecht University | Muntstraat 2A | Room 1.06 | NL-3512 EV Utrecht | T +31 30 253 6270 / +31 611 340 241 | F +31 30 253 6167 | J.Raessens(a)uu.nl <mailto:J.Raessens@uu.nl> | www.raessens.nl <http://www.raessens.nl/> |

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question on how to identify email threads on listserv
by Dhanaraj Thakur 19 Jun '09

19 Jun '09

hey all, part of the research I am doing requires that I identify threads on a listserv for analysis. Threads consist of emails that are a series of responses to an initial email. of course the easiest way to do this is to sort emails by subject line. however as you might know this is not complete as, for example, some participants will change the subject for a variety of reasons while still remaining in the same thread. Thus one could analyze info in the email header to identify threads, but in my case this data is not always available. Alternatively, one could manually scan though the text of the emails - which is very time consuming when using a large email corpus. Therefore, what I need is a method (preferably automated) that can identify email threads by looking at the texts of the emails. I can imagine some software that does this and can create clusters of emails based on semantic similarities that I could equate to threads - but I haven't been able to identify any just yet... the units of analysis that I have described are fairly common and, I imagine, so is my problem. Thus perhaps people on this list can point me to existing methods/software/papers that have already addressed this issue? thanks Dhanaraj Dhanaraj Thakur Ph.D. Candidate School of Public Policy Georgia Institute of Technology

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Reminder: Maximising opportunities for young learners in the digital age conference @ Oxford, UK
by D.R.Brake＠lse.ac.uk 19 Jun '09

19 Jun '09

Maximising opportunities for young learners in the digital age conference Tuesday 14 July 2009, Said Business School, University of Oxford The deadline for registration is 29 June 2009 This conference celebrates the conclusion of the ESRC Seminar Series entitled "The educational and social impact of new technologies on young people in Britain". Agreed speakers include: Justine Cassell, Northwestern University: "Identity, community and emergent leadership among young people online" Ola Erstad, University of Oslo: "The learning lives of digital youth: beyond formal and informal literacies" Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics: "From page to screen? Critical reflections on the prospects for ICT in education" John Furlong and Chris Davies, University of Oxford: " Young people busy with technology: a snapshot of young lives today" Keri Facer, Manchester Metropolitan University: "Taking the 21st century seriously: challenges and opportunities for education in the next 20 years" Panel discussion, chaired by Neil Selwyn, Institute of Education, University of London To book a place, email seminarseries(a)education.ox.ac.uk. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. There will be a £10 charge to be collected at the door. For more information about the seminar series, and to download reports on the four seminars held over the last year, see www.education.ox.ac.uk/esrcseries/home/ Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm

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Re: [Air-L] Digital Divide
by Javier Pinzón 19 Jun '09

19 Jun '09

> Can anyone suggest an article or book with data that is as current as > possible on the digital divide? Hi Peter: In the book "Word Matters - Multicultural perspectives on information societies" there is a chapter on "Digital Divide" (May 2006) by Kemly Camacho. Find it here: http://vecam.org/article549.html I underline the following: "to talk about the digital divide and the strategies to face it, one should start out from the society we dream to be and not from the technology." Good luck, Javier -- http://funredes.org/javier

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Invitational Masters Student Institute (IMSI) application deadline June 29
by Jennifer Gibbs 18 Jun '09

18 Jun '09

Rutgers University is again hosting the Invitational Masters Student Institute (IMSI) in October. Masters students in areas of health communication, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, language and social interaction, persuasion, new media and technology, & media studies (including policy, cultural studies and politics) who are considering going on for Ph.D. study are encouraged to apply. IMSI 2009 will provide participants with travel grants up to $250 to get to the institute and will pay for most meals, hotel, and conference materials. Applications and faculty nominations can be submitted online at: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/ci/imsi/ DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: JUNE 29TH Jennifer Gibbs, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Communication Rutgers University 4 Huntington Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Tel: 732-932-7500 x8136 Fax: 732-932-6916 http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~jgibbs

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Duke U Library Digital Collections iPhone App
by McKiernan, Gerard [LIB] 18 Jun '09

18 Jun '09

Colleagues/ A Major/Major Development ! /Gerry >>Treasures Move From Library Shelves to the iPhone With New DukeMobile Applications New applications offer a range of university materials, services Durham, NC -- Scholars and students who once had to travel to museums or libraries to view collections of historic images can now do so by clicking on their mobile device instead. With the launch of DukeMobile 1.1, the Duke University Libraries now offers the most comprehensive university digital image collection specifically formatted for an iPhone or iTouch device. It includes thousands of photos and other artifacts that range from early beer advertisements to materials on San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury scene in the 1960s. Although a growing number of scholarly institutions offer images and other material online, Duke is the first to offer collections that take advantage of the iPhone's design, navigation and other features. Duke University Libraries offers mobile users digital materials from 20 collections -- about 32,000 images overall -- covering women's history, early American sheet music, Duke history and other topics. The libraries will add new collections regularly as they become available. "Making these collections available for the iPhone and similar devices is important not only to extend access to Duke's collections, but also as a milestone in the evolution of academic libraries from traditional print repositories to institutions that embrace new technology for sharing their rich resources with broader audiences," said university librarian Deborah Jakubs. "Duke believes in putting its knowledge in service to society, and we are making a major commitment to reach well beyond our campus by placing our collections literally into people's hands." << Access to The Full Press Release, Blog Entry, An Impressive YouTube Demo, and The App Are Available From [ http://tinyurl.com/n9nue7 ] BTW-1: IF You Or Your Library or Institution/Organization Have Developed A Mobile App (Or Two / Three / Four /Etc) To Access Your Local OPAC, Collections, Services, Etc., I'd Appreciate Learning About It / These; Please Note As A Comment On The Blog Entry [I Am Aware of Merideth Farkas's Most Excellent 'M-Libraries' Section in Her Library Success Wiki] BTW-2: Thanks To Sean Aery / Web Designer / Digital Projects Department / Duke University Libraries For The HeadsUp ! Thanks! /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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Internet research ethics - global perspectives
by Charles Ess 18 Jun '09

18 Jun '09

Dear AoIRists, Recently, Elizabeth Buchanan (chair of the AoIR ethics working group and one of our co-hosts/organizers for Internet Research 10.0 [!!] / AoIR 2009 in Milwaukee) and I had the privilege and pleasure of offering a workshop on Internet Research Ethics at the University of Washington, Seattle (21. May, 2009), followed by a research seminar at the UW Information School (22. May 2009 - funded by NSF SES grant 0646591). Our topics in the latter were the internet and changes in (conceptions of) Human Subjects and in internet research ethics. In response to a most spot-on question from Lori Miller, Director of the UW GenOM Project, regarding the possible role of virtue ethics, I tried to show some very large connections between internet research methodologies (ranging between the qualitative and the quantitative) (preferred/commonly used) ethical frameworks (virtue ethics - deontologies - utilitarianism) (i.e., in evaluating the ethical dimensions of such research) underlying assumptions/conceptions of the self (more community/relational - [modern] atomistic) underlying notions of and attitudes towards privacy, and, finally, "Eastern" and "Western" conceptions of self/community in order to argue that we may be seeing an emerging, "...shared sense of ethical norms, values, practices, etc. that will constitute a pluralistic and global information ethics, including internet research ethics as one particular component (Ess 2006, 2007). That is, as we converge towards more relational senses of self, this sense of self will bring in its train an increased emphasis on the sorts of virtue ethics appropriate to such selves." (A very long answer to a very simple question - but that's what one gets for asking a philosopher, I suppose ...) In all events, our hosts included Karine Barzilai-Nahon and Bob Mason, who kindly requested a written version of the lecture, which I happily provided. Karine, in turn, has posted the written version on her (otherwise most impressive!) website at <http://ekarine.org/2009/06/ethicshs/> I'm very grateful to Karine and her colleagues for their interest in making this material available to a larger audience in this way - and would welcome any comments, suggestions, criticisms, recommendations for additional resources, etc. that AoIR-ists may have time and opportunity to provide. Again, many thanks to Karine and all of our hosts at UW-Seattle - cheers, - c.

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Impact of translation of social software
by Daniel Jung 18 Jun '09

18 Jun '09

Hi I would need literature (in English, German, French, Scandinavian, Spanish) for a personal project: The internationalization/localization/translation of internet sites and their functions (communities) must use some form of common ground (greatest common divisor) for the cultural background of their participants. For example, if Facebook makes you choose "yes|maybe|no" as a predefined answer to a party invitation, and collects the answers in statistics, it implies (on behalf of the users who invite) that all invited users have the same notion of "maybe", and the same inclination to choose one option above the other, while this may differ across cultures, even if there are seemingly 1:1-translations of the words "yes|maybe|no". There may be cultures whose languages don't handle the choices exactly as intended, English does, and there may be differences in wide spread English speaking population, e.g., Indian and American) I want to look at what this kind of globalization does to the users and their culture, and the other way round: how different cultures (i.e., the programmers' knowledge about them) may impact the development of social software. Any help in finding suitable literature (and other input) is highly appreciated. Thanks - Daniel

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