A Model to Identify Affordances for Game-Based Sustainability Learning

Sustainability learning requires the assimilation of domain-specific knowledge and the development of mindsets suitable to engage in complex system dynamics to foster sustainable action. There is a need for bespoke educational models and practical tools to foster sustainability learning. Digital games can answer such need, due to their remarkable potential to wholly engage players in sustainability-related contexts and problems entailing complex dynamics, and the advantages of intrinsically motivating game-based learning processes. However, there is evidence suggesting that such potential might be underexploited. To address this, in this paper we present a model for the identification and analysis of game-based sustainability learning affordances. Our model can be used to support the selection of games for educational purposes, or to facilitate the planning and introduction of game-based sustainability learning affordances when designing new games

Capturing Functional Affordances of Enterprise Social Software

Over the last decade, a plethora of Enterprise Social Software (ESS) has emerged in various shapes, yet difficult to compare what they enable or constrain their users to do. Neither the prior frameworks nor the ambiguous concepts shed light on the fine-granular similarities and differences among them. In particular, organizations can consciously design and adjust their ESS artifacts. Hence, it is relevant to assess the possibilities for goal-oriented action they offer and spot the differences among them. Following a structured method, we identify eight distinct dimensions with subordinate characteristics that enable the classification of functional affordances of ESS. This paper presents the resulting taxonomy that has been built and evaluated over six iterations. We contribute to practice by supporting practitioners to assess ESS, inspire the innovation of existing ESS and the development of future ESS. Furthermore, we build a foundation for future research to systematically develop and investigate ESS

What is an Analogue for the Semantic Web and Why is Having One Important?

This paper postulates that for the Semantic Web to grow and gain input from fields that will surely benefit it, it needs to develop an analogue that will help people not only understand what it is, but what the potential opportunities are that are enabled by these new protocols. The model proposed in the paper takes the way that Web interaction has been framed as a baseline to inform a similar analogue for the Semantic Web. While the Web has been represented as a Page + Links, the paper presents the argument that the Semantic Web can be conceptualized as a Notebook + Memex. The argument considers how this model also presents new challenges for fundamental human interaction with computing, and that hypertext models have much to contribute to this new understanding for distributed information systems

Sharing practice, problems and solutions for institutional change

This chapter critiques the roles of different forms of representation of practice as part of an institutional change process. It discusses how these representations can be used both to design and to share learning activities at the various levels of decision-making in a university. We illustrate our arguments with empirical data gathered on change processes associated with an institution-wide change programme: the introduction of a new virtual learning environment (VLE). In particular, we describe a case study of the introduction of the VLE tools in a business course. We focus on two particular forms of representations to describe the essence of the innovation: a pedagogical pattern and a visual learning design. We argue that pedagogical patterns and learning design have emerged as parallel approaches to describing practice in recent years. Despite their very different origins, both provide complementary representations, which emphasize different aspects of the practice being described. We are attempting to combine these approaches. We briefly outline the Open University Learning Design initiative, of which this work is part, and describe its key underpinning philosophies. We believe our approach provides a vehicle for enabling a better articulation of design principles and the discussion of issues concerning the re-use of educational resources and activities

Social Media in Practice: How Configurations of Affordances Change Business Practices

This paper aims to explain how configurations of affordances of social media and mobile technologies change and shape business practices. The study draws upon the concept of affordances and the more recent perspectives around it that emphasises the practice lens. The concept of affordances has been used to explain the entanglement of the social and the material. However, the recent theoretical works around the concept suggest that the study of affordances should go beyond the affordances of a particular technology in a specific situated context. In this regard, this paper focuses on the configurations of affordances based on a framework proposed by Lindberg and Lyytinen (2013). The findings based on ethnographic and netographic observations, in this stage of the research, suggest that the ‘organisation domain’ plays an important role in how the ‘infrastructure domain’ puts into practice as the community of businesses shape their social media practices

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

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

Employee Engagement, Voice Mechanisms, and Enterprise Social Network Sites (ESNS)

Effective organizational communication allowing a two-way flow of communication between subordinates and upper management can foster greater levels of engagement and productivity. This is often referred to as providing opportunities for direct employee voice. Understanding the influence and impact of ICTs on employee voice and engagement are critical for the success of modern organizations. ICTs can enhance the reach, speed, and interaction among employees, and between employees and management. Observing the success of social technologies for personal use, employers have been eager to capitalize on social technologies to engage employees by implementing enterprise social network sites (ESNS). Whether ESNS will be an effective tool in enhancing voice and engagement, and what potential drawbacks exist for employees and firms have yet to be fully studied. This article presents a review of the literature on the intersection of employee voice, engagement, and ICTs, and suggests a research framework to guide study of ESNS for organizational employee voice

Assessing the Effects of Communication Media Affordances and the Awareness of Media Security on Knowledge Sharing Behavior

Global Software Development (GSD) team members engage in intellectual activities that involve sharing business domain knowledge and technical knowledge across geographical areas, which is crucial to the successful development of software. In global software development, media choice may influence how virtual teams create and share knowledge. As digital technology advances and organizations become more digitally transformed, current communication theories for media selection lack the explanation to the complicated phenomena with the use of advanced media technologies. There have been many studies focused on the effectiveness of media, but they did not include user’s understanding of system security and its influence on knowledge sharing behavior. However, affordance theory explains the utility with both social actors and technical features. The use of media may be shaped by features of technologies and user’s perception on system security. The goal of this study was to empirically assess the effects of media affordances and media security awareness on knowledge sharing behaviors among GSD team members with the lens of affordance theory. In this study, data was collected through survey from 214 GSD employees, after inviting 1000 employees to participate. The survey data was analyzed to test the effects of communication media affordance and user’s awareness of media security on behavior in knowledge sharing. The analysis results show that awareness of media security had significant moderating effects on the relationships from some actualized media affordances to implicit knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed positive relationships between perceived media affordances and actualized media affordances. The results also showed that organization tenure had a significant effect on implicit knowledge sharing, and professional tenure had a significant effect on explicit and implicit knowledge behavior. This study contributed to the body of knowledge in organizational communication literature by providing new insights into how technology properties and users’ awareness on technology security shape team members’ knowledge sharing practice