- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Re: [Air-l] laptops and Internet access in class
by Suzana Sukovic 22 May '07

22 May '07

> >The experience also highlighted how difficult it was to sit BEHIND >someone who has graphical content on their laptop. I consider myself a >fairly animated speaker, but I apparently resemble an animated >character popular with undergrads these days, and it was distracting >for students to see that animation on screens several rows ahead. That >is, I have a feeling laptops are far more distracting to others in the >room then they are to the users. I've heard students repeatedly saying that they like full f2f engagement and technology used for particular purposes, but it may depend on a course. There are different levels of engagement while listening and taking notes or listening and multitasking, but lecturers can't control that. I agree that laptops can affect students who don't use them. Recently, I was sitting in a dimly lit room waiting for a public lecture when someone with a laptop sat in front of me. A glare of a small screen was quite unpleasant, especially that there was a large screen switched on to be viewed during the lecture. I had to move to another seat. I imagine that interesting things happening on someone's screen can be distracting to students. This is not to say that laptops and mobile phones can't be used successfully in the classroom. Sam's example shows a successful use of technology integrated in class activities and used by everyone. Has anyone tried to use mobile phones in the classroom? A couple of years ago mobile phones were successfully used at UTS to boost popularity of some very unpopular but compulsory 1st year finance courses. Students were asked to send answers to questions, which were diligently reviewed during a break and presented to the class. It turned to be a really good way to engage the students. Suzana Suzana Sukovic _________________________________________ Information & Knowledge Management Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007, Australia

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laptops and Internet access in class
by 'Gail Taylor 22 May '07

22 May '07

> Matthew Bernius wrote: Next year I will be banning cell > phone, ipods, etc. in my undergraduate classes. [snipped] > This ban extends to myself as well (unless unavoidable, > I'm going to rely on lecturing and white boards -- no more > ppt). As Alex suggested, my biggest issue with laptops is > the distraction that they cause to other students. Beyond > that (and outside of lab activities), I am increasingly > coming to the belief that they present a barrier to > students developing certain skills that will, down the > road, better allow those students to use those same > devices. And, at least for a school like RIT, that prides > itself on preparing it's students for the workplace, basic > technology etiquette needs to be stressed. The sad fact is > that a lot of the technology behavior I've seen isn't > appropriate for the workplace. I'm wondering whether Matt might expand on ideas introduced in this posting. In particular, suggestions that techology usage in classrooms doesn't translate into workplace settings. Choosing not to use the technology, as the instructor, is a contradictory practice as workplace educators are highly dependent on a variety of information and communication technologies in promotion of learning among employees in a variety of work settings. Employees also use ICTs to complete work tasks in automated work environments. What are some of the student technology usage practices that are not allowed in work settings? --------------------------------------- Gail D. Taylor, M.Ed. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Human Resource Education Ph.D. Student Educational Psychology Teaching Assistant Library & Information Science Research Assistant "Technology enables man to gain control over everything except technology." -- Unknown

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Re: [Air-l] Academic traditions
by Suzana Sukovic 22 May '07

22 May '07

Caroline, my doctoral study into the roles of e-texts in the humanities investigated some of these issues. I finished data-gathering and analysis, but this aspect of findings hasn't been published yet. I am still very curious about issues of academic tradition and change. My question for the list is a matter of interest and curiosity, not formal data-gathering. I hope that the list participants could provide a variety of answers and insights because Internet researchers may have different experiences from people who study religion and conduct part of their studies online, for example. I am coming to Urbana-Champaign to present some of my findings at Digital Humanities 07. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to continue this conversation. Cheers, Suzana At 11:34 PM 21/05/2007, Caroline Haythornthwaite wrote: >An interesting question. Can you give us some context -- more that general >curiosity -- for the questions. Do you have a particular incident that >generates >you question, or a research project? Is this information for a research >study or >for academic practice? Suzana Sukovic PhD Candidate _________________________________________ Information & Knowledge Management Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007, Australia www.hss.uts.edu.au/research/research_students/suzana_sukovic.html

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Re: [Air-l] Academic traditions
by Caroline Haythornthwaite 22 May '07

22 May '07

An interesting question. Can you give us some context -- more that general curiosity -- for the questions. Do you have a particular incident that generates you question, or a research project? Is this information for a research study or for academic practice? /Caroline ---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 21 May 2007 14:33:23 +1000 >From: Suzana Sukovic <suzana.sukovic(a)uts.edu.au> >Subject: [Air-l] Academic traditions >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > >We agree that we are all learners, that students may be experienced >practitioners, and practitioners experienced researchers. An "early career >researcher" may be a 20+ person out of school or 50+ who starts an academic >career. Career paths aren't straight any more. > >Academic traditions in the humanities and social sciences (to make it more >manageable) aren't straight either, if they ever were. Someone asked a >question about references to online sources and people mentioned a regular >evaluation as a way to go. However, there are indications that referencing >practices develop in a complex negotiation with tradition in some academic >fields. At the same time, traditional academic genres are shifting to merge >a line between academic-creative, visual-textual, rational-emotional, >dramatically in some fields, slightly in others. Do you have examples for >these and other shifts? What does Internet do to change academia and its >traditions? There is a fair bit written on the topic, but I am interested >in your perceptions. What is it in shifting traditions that affects you as >an academic in your daily work? > >Suzana > > >At 09:58 PM 18/05/2007, you wrote: >Jeremy Hunsinger >>I would also note that many members of this list are not either a >>professor or ph.d. student. We have many professionals and >>practitioners. >> >>In regards to the issues of the 'imposter syndrome' in academia. >>Which I've known people to express all the way through their >>careers. I know full professors who still don't think they 'belong', >>'know what they are supposed to', and/or feel like an imposter. > >Suzana >_______________________________________________ >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 Associate Professor Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 501 East Daniel St., Champaign IL 61820

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call for reviewers: resource center for cyberculture studies
by David M Silver 21 May '07

21 May '07

folks, * please feel free to forward, distribute, and cross-post * nearly each month, the resource center for cyberculture studies, or RCCS ( http://rccs.usfca.edu/ ), publishes book reviews related to the field of contemporary media and culture. these book reviews are free, open to the public, and available here: ( http://rccs.usfca.edu/booklist.asp ). if YOU are interested in writing a 1000-1500 word review and can write the review by the end of august 2007, please contact me. please include: a) the name of the book you wish to review, b) your professional affiliation, and c) a sentence or two about why you want to review this book. if selected, i will send you a free review copy of the book and ask you to send me your review by the end of august. if you already have many commitments for summer and do not think you can read and review the book by the end of august, please pass until next time. if YOU are an author/editor of a book related to cyberculture and contemporary media and you do not see your book on the list below, please send a review copy (or copies) to: David Silver/RCCS University of San Francisco Department of Media Studies 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117-1080 i am especially interested in reviewing books published outside the US and UK and books written in languages other than english. the following books are available for review. if interested, please contact me (dmsilver [ at ] usfca.edu) prior to JUNE 1, 2007. (because mailing lists/listservs often truncate/shorten long messages, the full version of this call for reviewers can be found here: http://silverinsf.blogspot.com/2007/05/new-books-ready-for-review.html ) Charles R. Acland, Residual Media (University of Minnesota Press, 2007) Mark Amerika, META/DATA: A Digital Poetics (MIT Press, 2007) Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas, Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics (Chelsea Green, 2006) Chris Atton, An Alternative Internet (Columbia University Press, 2005) Michael D. Ayers (Editor), Cybersounds: Essays On Virtual Music Culture (Peter Lang Publishing, 2006) Axel Bruns, Gatewatching: Collaborative Online News Production (Peter Lang Publishing, 2005) Axel Bruns and Joanne Jacobs (Editors), Uses of Blogs (Peter Lang Publishing, 2006) Manuel Castells, Mireia Fernandez-Ardevol, Jack Linchuan Qiu, and Araba Sey, Mobile Communication and Society: A Global Perspective (MIT Press, 2006) Annmarie Chandler and Norie Neumark, At a Distance: Precursors to Art and Activism on the Internet (MIT Press, 2006) Roy Christopher (Editor), Follow for Now: Interviews with Friends and Heroes (Well-Red Bear, 2007) Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Control and Freedom: Power and Paranoia in the Age of Fiber Optics (MIT Press, 2006) Andy Clarke and Grethe Mitchell (Editors), Videogames and Art (Intellect, 2007) Mia Consalvo, Nancy Baym, Jeremy Hunsinger, Klaus Bruhn Jensen, John Logie, Monica Murero, and Leslie Regan Shade (Editors), Internet Research Annual: Selected Papers from the Association of Internet Researchers Conferences 2000-2002 (Peter Lang Publishing, 2004) Steve Dixon, Digital Performance: A History of New Media in Theater, Dance, Performance Art, and Installation (MIT Press, 2007) Timothy Druckrey (Editor), Ars Electronica: Facing the Future: A Survey of Two Decades (MIT Press, 1999) Kathleen Fitzpatrick, The Anxiety of Obsolescence: The American Novel in the Age of Television (Vanderbilt University Press, 2006) Patrice Flichy, The Internet Imaginaire (MIT Press, 2007) Kirsten Foot and Steven M. Schneider, Web Campaigning (MIT Press, 2006) Anne Friedberg, The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft (MIT Press, 2006) Ted Friedman, Electric Dreams: Computers in American Culture (New York University Press, 2005) Alexander R. Galloway, Gaming: Essays On Algorithmic Culture (University of Minnesota Press, 2006) Alexander R. Galloway, Protocol: How Control Exists after Decentralization (MIT Press, 2006) Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, CODE: Collaborative Ownership and the Digital Economy (MIT Press, 2005) Tarleton Gillespie, Wired Shut: Copyright and the Shape of Digital Culture (MIT Press, 2007) Lisa Gitelman, Always Already New: Media, History, and the Data of Culture (MIT Press, 2006) Ken Goldberg (Editor), The Robot in the Garden: Telerobotics and Telepistemology in the Age of the Internet (MIT Press, 2001) N. Katherine Hayles, Nick Montfort, Scott Rettberg, and Stephanie Strickland (Editors), Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 1 (Electronic Literature Organization, 2006) Ken Hillis, Michael Petit, and Nathan Scott Epley (Editors), Everyday eBay: Culture, Collecting, And Desire (Routledge, 2006) Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York University Press, 2006) Caroline A. Jones, Sensorium: Embodied Experience, Technology, and Contemporary Art (MIT Press, 2006) David Joselit, Feedback: Television against Democracy (MIT Press, 2007) Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture's New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (MIT Press, 2004) James E. Katz and Ronald E. Rice, Social Consequences of Internet Use: Access, Involvement, and Interaction (MIT Press, 2002) Lori Kendall, Hanging Out in the Virtual Pub: Masculinities and Relationships Online (University of California Press, 2002) Martin Kevorkian, Color Monitors: The Black Face of Technology in America (Cornell University Press, 2006) Randy Kluver, Nicholas Jankowski, Kirsten Foot, and Steven Schneider (Editors), The Internet and National Elections: A Comparative Study of Web Campaigning (Routledge, 2007) Petra Kuppers, Disability and Contemporary Performance: Bodies on Edge (Routledge, 2003) Geert Lovink, Dark Fiber: Tracking Critical Internet Culture (MIT Press, 2003) Peter Lunenfeld (Author) and Mieke Gerritzen (Designer), User: InfoTechnoDemo (MIT Press, 2005) Milton L. Mueller, Ruling the Root: Internet Governance and the Taming of Cyberspace (MIT Press, 2004) Ned Rossiter, Organized Networks: Media Theory, Creative Labour, New Institutions (NAi Publishers, 2007) Nicholas Ruiz III, The Metaphysics of Capital (Intertheory, 2006) Fred Turner, From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism (University of Chicago Press, 2006) McKenzie Wark, Gamer Theory (Harvard University Press, 2007) David Weinberger, Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder (Times Books, 2007) Darren Wershler-Henry, The Iron Whim: A Fragmented History of Typewriting (Cornell University Press, 2007) Michele White, The Body and the Screen: Theories of Internet Spectatorship (MIT Press, 2006) Monica T. Whitty, Andrea J. Baker and James A. Inman (Editors), Online Matchmaking (Palgrave, 2007) Monica T. Whitty and Adrian N. Carr, Cyberspace Romance: The Psychology of Online Relationships (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006) Michele A. Willson, Technically Together: Rethinking Community Within Techno-society (Peter Lang Publishing, 2006) *** david silver http://silverinsf.blogspot.com/

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Re: [Air-l] laptops and Internet access in class
by Matthew Bernius 21 May '07

21 May '07

I come at this issue from both side: as a PhD student (at Cornell) and as professor teaching undergraduate classes (at RIT, btw, so I'm pretty familiar with the scenario Alex laid out). Next year I will be banning cell phone, ipods, etc. in my undergraduate classes. Laptops will be allowed for specific assignments, but otherwise not to be used as well (especially in Freshman classes). This ban extends to myself as well (unless unavoidable, I'm going to rely on lecturing and white boards -- no more ppt). As Alex suggested, my biggest issue with laptops is the distraction that they cause to other students. Geyond that (and outside of lab activities), I am increasingly coming to the belief that they present a barrier to students developing certain skills that will, down the road, better allow those students to use those same devices. And, at least for a school like RIT, that prides itself on preparing it's students for the workplace, basic technology etiquette needs to be stressed. The sad fact is that a lot of the technology behavior I've seen isn't appropriate for the workplace. As far as upper level undergrads, depending on the class makeup, I may allow it. But right now I'm more concerned about raising physical engagement rather than passively encouraging virtual engagement. Now for the possible hypocrisy -- I fully intend to use a laptop to take notes when I attend class. That said, if a prof doesn't allow it, I won't mind. And I'm confident that I'm at a point where I can use the laptop responsibly. - Matt -- ----------------------------- Matthew Bernius New Media and Customer Intelligence Strategist for Hire mBernius(a)gMail.com http://www.waking-dream.com

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Re: [Air-l] Trolls. Lurking. And the "we" that should move on
by William Bain 21 May '07

21 May '07

Steve Eskow wrote: "the matter may not warrant an extended discussion, but your message below deals with "malicious trolling," and "flaming," and I would certainly agree that those behaviors would warrant warnings and possible exclusion. Your proposal that we move on, however, was that "we" move on and leave behind a discussion of these matters: that is, if we had agreed your post below and this response would be out of order, since we are continuing the discussion." I agree with your points. The main ideas being talked about and whazt they represent will I suppose crop up from time to timeas a matter of course. i just read the recent exchanges as pretty much taking care or what i perceived As difficulties for the list. Best regards, Will William Bain PhD Student Comparative Literature Department of Spanish Philology Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona --------------------------------- Don't be flakey. Get Yahoo! Mail for Mobile and always stay connected to friends.

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Re: [Air-l] students on lists
by Suzana Sukovic 21 May '07

21 May '07

This is a research list, so people are identified as "a professor" or "a PhD student". Knowing a field of their expertise is useful. On the other end of the spectrum, anonymous participants don't identify their research credentials. I don't mind it, but I don't think it's appropriate on a list like this one. Authority is also established in writing by demonstrating one's knowledge or by sprinkling the writing with statements about one's authority. The last one is often felt as intimidating. Most people on the list have tools of discourse analysis, I assume, so this isn't really new. Cheers, Suzana At 12:20 PM 18/05/2007, you wrote: >Me too. AoIR has a lot or friendly, helpful and humble people on the list. > >I feel the need to say though, at the risk of getting into trouble, that >sometimes I read an email and feel that I shouldn't get involved in the >discussion. And it aint that anyone's claiming to be a top expert on the >topic, or that only academics in the specific field are allowed an opinion, >but just by the fact that an email is signed off with a Dr or Prof in front >of the name of the author, or that the email ends with a list of the >author's credentials. > >I'm not "put off" by the discussion or have negative feelings about the >email's author, and the author hasn't set him or herself up in a way that is >not welcoming of a response, but there's a little voice in my head that says >"Dr or Prof said such-and-such, so don't say anything". > >And I know that this issue is mine and only mine, and that only I have put >that little voice in my head, but I think many students like me also have >that little voice. I also fail to see the benefit of placing that Dr or Prof >in their email signature, and wonder why people do it (are they encouraged >by their university or bound by a protocol to do so?). > >paul teusner > > >-----Original Message----- >From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org >[mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Suzana Sukovic >Sent: Friday, 18 May 2007 12:03 >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org >Subject: Re: [Air-l] students on lists > >Intimidation factor is most often in a too visible authority and >patronising attitude. Sometimes it's worth remembering that PhD students, >especially in the humanities and social sciences, are often middle-aged >people with lots of professional experience. > >I agree that AoIR is a welcoming association on-line and off-line. >Cheers, >Suzana > >At 11:32 AM 18/05/2007, you wrote: > >I'm sure you're right, and it is regrettable. It does tend to suggest, > >however, that poor treatment of students probably isn't correlated with > >whether or not a list permits pseudonymity, and that the intimidation > >factor may well be negatively correlated. > >Best - Julie > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: air-l-bounces(a)listserv.aoir.org > >[mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Mary-Helen Ward > >Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 9:06 PM > >To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org > >Subject: [Air-l] students on lists > > > >I know from my PhD project that many students feel quite inadequate > >in the presence of Real Academics. Whether they should or not is > >another matter, but many have been treated quite badly in academic > >forums (or seen other people so treated). It can be really difficult > >for them to trust these forums, and it sometimes doesn't take much to > >send them scuttling for cover. > > > >This list always, in my experience, works hard to provide a safe and > >welcoming space. > > > >M-H > >_______________________________________________ >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/ Suzana

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Re: [Air-l] [Air-L] Research question: interviewing online subjects
by Erika Pearson 20 May '07

20 May '07

interesting points I used the word immoral as it has come up from time to time in the literature (and is what got me started thinking about this in the first place - what is 'immoral' in a religious discussion group may be grist for the mill on a slash fanfic mailing list!). In a similar vein, what is illegal in one country is not in another - I am reading this because I am thinking about constructing a project that involves looking at online material which is skirting in contested territory regarding copyright - how can I satisfactorily define what is 'illegal' and reportable behaviour for myself and for those my research brings me into contact with? What constitutes reportable behaviour, in which jurisdiction, and where, when and to whom should I report? Almost certainly the people I will be talking to will be under other systems of national law to me - do I have to familiarize myself with every legal system? (does grant money cover a legal team? *g*) Like you said, making these things clear and explicit is important for building trust and rapport, as well as (I would argue) part of good practice of being a researcher, so thanks for your reply, Paul, it's certainly added grist to the mill (or fuel to the fire!) erika ~~ Erika Pearson Dept. of Media, Film and Communication. University of Otago P.O. Box 56 Dunedin 9054 Aotearoa/New Zealand Ph: (+0064 3) 479-8680 E-mail: erika.pearson(a)otago.ac.nz

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country telecenter profiles wiki
by Jeremy Hunsinger 20 May '07

20 May '07

http://community.telecentre.org/en-tc/wiki/country_profiles has the history of telecenters by country... it is a little sparse in places, but it's a wiki so you can add what you know that is missing:) Jeremy Hunsinger Information Ethics Fellow, Center for Information Policy Research, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (www.cipr.uwm.edu) Words are things; and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. --Byron

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