Electronic Publishing in academic contexts: quality control and usage scenarios

Ziel der Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines qualitätsorientierten Beschreibungsmodells für Nutzungsszenarien in E-Publishing und E-Learning. Wichtige Trends wie die Transparenz und Offenheit von Formaten, Strukturen und Prozessen werden einbezogen (Open...-Bewegung), ebenso die Frage nach kollaborativen Ansätzen in der Wissenschafts- und Bildungskommunikation (Web 2.0 und Community-basierte Ansätze). Zentral ist dabei neben der qualitätsorientierten Herangehensweise vor allem die Erarbeitung eines integrierten Ansatzes für deren Unterstützung und qualitätsorientierte Entwicklung und die Identifikation verschiedenener Nutzungsszenarien. Zunächst wird ein detaillierter Blick auf das elektronische Publizieren und Lernen im wissenschaftlichen – vorwiegend universitären – Umfeld geworfen. Der Markt der Bildungsökonomie wird untersucht, Produktion, Distribution, Evaluation und Nutzung werden kritisch beleuchtet. Nach einer aktuellen Darstellung des Qualitätsbegriffs folgt die Entwicklung eines umfassenden und konsistenten Modells zur qualitätsorientierten Beschreibung und Bewertung von internetbasierten Publishing- und Learning-Services und -Produkten. Dieses wird dann angewandt auf diverse Nutzungsszenarien wie z.B. Blended Learning, Print-on-Demand, Collaborative Publishing, Digitalisierungsprojekte oder Sicherstellung der Langzeitverfügbarkeit. Dabei bettet die Arbeit das Thema breit in einen Rahmen aus Informationswirtschaft, Informatik, E-Business, Wissensmanagement, E-Learning, Wirtschaft und Qualitätsmanagement ein. Zentrales Ergebnis ist ein sehr breit anwendbares Beschreibungs- und Bewertungsmodell für digitale Content-Angebote und -Dienstleistungen. Ein abschließendes Kapitel entwickelt eine Typologie der Geschäftsmodelle einschlägiger Service-Anbieter und wirft einen Blick auf zukunfts- und konfliktträchtige Themen wie eScience und Grid, Plagiate oder mandatorische Open Access-Policies.The work's main purpose is the development of a quality-centered description model for usage scenarios in E-publishing and E-Learning. Important trends like transparency and openness of formats, structures and processes are integrated (Open...-Movement) as well as aspects of collaborative attempts in scientific and educational communication (Web 2.0 and community-based scenarios). Beside the quality-oriented approach, the central idea is the development of an integrated model for description and evaluation of digital content products and services, for their support and development, and the identification of different usage scenarios. At first a detailed look is directed at electronic publishing and learning in the scientific - mainly academic - sphere. The market and economic circumstances of higher education are examined, production, distribution, evaluation and reception are critically analyzed. A topical representation of the concepts of quality is followed by the development of a comprehensive and consistent model for quality-oriented description and assessment of internet-based publishing and learning services and products. This model then is applied to various usage scenarios such as blended learning, print-on-demand, collaborative publishing, digitization projects or long term preservation. The subject is examined on a broad basis, covering e-business, information business, knowledge management, e-learning and quality management, information technology and computer science. Central result is a very broadly applicable description and assessment model for digital content products, services and service providers. A final chapter draws a typology system of appropriate business models and looks at promising or controversial subjects like eScience and Grid, plagiarism or mandatory Open Access policies

OECD reviews of higher education in regional and city development, State of Victoria, Australia

With more than 5.3 million inhabitants Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Once a manufacturing economy, Victoria is now transforming itself into a service and innovation-based economy. Currently, the largest sectors are education services and tourism. In terms of social structure, Victoria is characterised by a large migrant population, 24% of population were born overseas and 44% were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. About 70% of the population resides in Melbourne. Victoria faces a number of challenges, ranging from an ageing population and skills shortages to drought and climate change and increased risk of natural disasters. Rapid population growth, 2% annually, has implications for service delivery and uneven development as well as regional disparities. There are barriers to connectivity in terms of transport and infrastructure, and a high degree of inter-institutional competition in tertiary education sector. The business structure in Victoria includes some highly innovative activities such as in biotechnology, but other sectors, especially those with high number of small and medium-sized enterprises, are lagging behind. Most of the larger manufacturing enterprises are externally controlled and there is uncertainty over the long term investments they will make in the state, as well as the place of Victoria in the global production networks

Digital curation and the cloud

Digital curation involves a wide range of activities, many of which could benefit from cloud deployment to a greater or lesser extent. These range from infrequent, resource-intensive tasks which benefit from the ability to rapidly provision resources to day-to-day collaborative activities which can be facilitated by networked cloud services. Associated benefits are offset by risks such as loss of data or service level, legal and governance incompatibilities and transfer bottlenecks. There is considerable variability across both risks and benefits according to the service and deployment models being adopted and the context in which activities are performed. Some risks, such as legal liabilities, are mitigated by the use of alternative, e.g., private cloud models, but this is typically at the expense of benefits such as resource elasticity and economies of scale. Infrastructure as a Service model may provide a basis on which more specialised software services may be provided. There is considerable work to be done in helping institutions understand the cloud and its associated costs, risks and benefits, and how these compare to their current working methods, in order that the most beneficial uses of cloud technologies may be identified. Specific proposals, echoing recent work coordinated by EPSRC and JISC are the development of advisory, costing and brokering services to facilitate appropriate cloud deployments, the exploration of opportunities for certifying or accrediting cloud preservation providers, and the targeted publicity of outputs from pilot studies to the full range of stakeholders within the curation lifecycle, including data creators and owners, repositories, institutional IT support professionals and senior manager

Education Workforce Initiative: Initial Research

The purpose of this initial research is to offer evidenced possibilities in the key areas of education workforce roles, recruitment, training, deployment and leadership, along with suggested areas for further research to inform innovation in the design and strengthening of the public sector education workforce. The examples described were identified through the process outlined in the methodology section of this report, whilst we recognise that separation of examples from their context is problematic – effective innovations are highly sensitive to context and uncritical transfer of initiatives is rarely successful. The research aims to support the Education Workforce Initiative (EWI) in moving forward with engaging education leaders and other key actors in radical thinking around the design and strengthening of the education workforce to meet the demands of the 21st century. EWI policy recommendations will be drawn from a number of country level workforce reform activities and research activity associated with the production of an Education Workforce Report (EWR). This research has informed the key questions, approach and structure of the EWR as outlined in the Education Workforce Report Proposal. Issues pertaining to teaching and learning in primary and secondary education are at the centre of the research reported here; the focus is on moving towards schools as safe places where all children/ young people are able to engage in meaningful activity. The majority of the evidence shared here relates to teachers and school leaders; evidence on learning support staff, district officials and the wider education workforce is scant. Many of the issues examined are also pertinent to the early childhood care and education sector but these are being examined in depth by the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative. Resourcing for the Education Workforce was out of scope of this initial research but the EC recognises, as outlined in the Learning Generation Report, that provision of additional finance is a critical factor in achieving a sustainable, strong and well-motivated education workforce, particularly but not exclusively, in low and middle income countries. The next stage of EWI work will consider the relative costs of current initiatives and modelling of the cost implications of proposed reforms. EWI aims to complement the work on teacher policy design and teacher career frameworks (including salary structures) being undertaken by other bodies and institutions such as Education International, the International Task Force on Teachers for 2030 and the Teachers’ Alliance, most particularly by bringing a focus on school and district leadership, the role of Education Support Professionals (ESPs) and inter-agency working

Complex regional innovation networks and HEI engagement the case of Chicago

This article considers how HEIs engage within local complex development networks in order to develop the urban metropolis, using the case of Chicago as a specific example. It focuses on three main issues: how collaboration occurs amongst regional stakeholders; how goals are set and how shared goals have been created; and the extent to which there exist conflicting views amongst stakeholders, and their capability to create solutions where there are disagreements and clashing purposes. Chicago is in the middle of making a paradigm shift, with at its core an open system approach that includes a variety of ways to engage citizen-users as co-creators, including through user-driven innovation and digitalised services. In the metropolitan area there is a widely shared goal amongst stakeholders to develop and improve novel approaches for regional engagement to enhance innovativeness and competitiveness. The paradigm shift in regional engagement from building co-operation clusters to one of organisational betweenness and open systemic thinking requires new skills in management and leadership centred on interaction, co-creation and sharing of knowledge

The changing face of innovation policy: implications for the Northern Ireland economy

No description supplie

Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: observation through a TPACK lens

This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today’s technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning

Teaching and learning in virtual worlds: is it worth the effort?

Educators have been quick to spot the enormous potential afforded by virtual worlds for situated and authentic learning, practising tasks with potentially serious consequences in the real world and for bringing geographically dispersed faculty and students together in the same space (Gee, 2007; Johnson and Levine, 2008). Though this potential has largely been realised, it generally isn’t without cost in terms of lack of institutional buy-in, steep learning curves for all participants, and lack of a sound theoretical framework to support learning activities (Campbell, 2009; Cheal, 2007; Kluge & Riley, 2008). This symposium will explore the affordances and issues associated with teaching and learning in virtual worlds, all the time considering the question: is it worth the effort