Youth and Digital Media: From Credibility to Information Quality

Building upon a process-and context-oriented information quality framework, this paper seeks to map and explore what we know about the ways in which young users of age 18 and under search for information online, how they evaluate information, and how their related practices of content creation, levels of new literacies, general digital media usage, and social patterns affect these activities. A review of selected literature at the intersection of digital media, youth, and information quality -- primarily works from library and information science, sociology, education, and selected ethnographic studies -- reveals patterns in youth's information-seeking behavior, but also highlights the importance of contextual and demographic factors both for search and evaluation. Looking at the phenomenon from an information-learning and educational perspective, the literature shows that youth develop competencies for personal goals that sometimes do not transfer to school, and are sometimes not appropriate for school. Thus far, educational initiatives to educate youth about search, evaluation, or creation have depended greatly on the local circumstances for their success or failure

The Role of Libraries, Archives and Museums for Metaliteracy in Smart Cities: Implications, Challenges and Opportunities

The concept of smart cities is gradually gaining popularity within both academic and policy circles. Smart cities are intended to be self-sufficient via cutting-edge technologies, purposive innovations and inventions. However, while the technology is growing at an unexpectedly fast pace, one of the essential components of smart cities – humans –is lagging behind. The need for and scope of literacies to survive in smart cities pose challenges for their citizens. The evolution of human learning is not matching the pace of technology. There is a growing emphasis on developing learning capabilities through various ongoing literacies. This study aims to identify the range of literacies required in smart cities and the roles of libraries, archives and museums (LAM) in supporting citizen literacies for social and digital inclusion. The LAM sector is one of the major stakeholders in the digital transformation sphere and needs to work in collaboration with other stakeholders. Therefore, the LAM sector must identify the nature of required literacies, the roles and strengths of other stakeholders, and the opportunities to increase its presence in the process. This study systematically identifies and addresses these issues through a conceptual framework process and proposes future research directions for the LAM sector

Microworld Writing: Making Spaces for Collaboration, Construction, Creativity, and Community in the Composition Classroom

In order to create a 21st century pedagogy of learning experiences that inspire the engaged, constructive, dynamic, and empowering modes of work we see in online creative communities, we need to focus on the platforms, the environments, the microworlds that host, hold, and constitute the work. A good platform can build connections between users, allowing for the creation of a community, giving creative work an engaged and active audience. These platforms will work together to build networks of rhetorical/creative possibilities, wherein students can learn to cultivate their voices, skills, and knowledge bases as they engage across platforms and genres. I call on others to make, mod, or hack other new platforms. In applying this argument to my subject, teaching writing in a college composition class, I describe Microworld Writing as a genre that combines literary language practice with creativity, performativity, play, game mechanics, and coding. The MOO can be an example of one of these platforms and of microworld writing, in that it allows for creativity, user agency, and programmability, if it can be updated to have the needed features (virtual world, community, accessibility, narrativity, compatibility and exportability). I offer the concept of this MOO-IF as inspiration for a collaborative, community-oriented Interactive Fiction platform, and encourage people to extend, find, and build their own platforms. Until then and in addition, students can be brought into Microworld Writing in the composition classroom through interactive-fiction platforms, as part of an ecology of genre experimentation and platform exercise

Pastplay: Teaching and Learning History with Technology

In the field of history, the Web and other technologies have become important tools in research and teaching of the past. Yet the use of these tools is limited—many historians and history educators have resisted adopting them because they fail to see how digital tools supplement and even improve upon conventional tools (such as books). In Pastplay, a collection of essays by leading history and humanities researchers and teachers, editor Kevin Kee works to address these concerns head-on. How should we use technology? Playfully, Kee contends. Why? Because doing so helps us think about the past in new ways; through the act of creating technologies, our understanding of the past is re-imagined and developed. From the insights of numerous scholars and teachers, Pastplay argues that we should play with technology in history because doing so enables us to see the past in new ways by helping us understand how history is created; honoring the roots of research, teaching, and technology development; requiring us to model our thoughts; and then allowing us to build our own understanding

Reliving past architecture: virtual heritage and the reproduction of history through creative modes of heritage visualisation

Virtual heritage is a modern technological application that aims to transfer the experience of historic buildings, urban spaces and cities into an engaging experience of real-life quality for the ordinary people. Computer-simulated environments can simulate physical presence in places in the real world offering digital display of lost heritage that conveys inherent values in the education process for students in both pre-university as well as graduate education. For architecture and archaeological students, in particular, it virtually transfers them to another world where they engage with architectonics and quality of architecture. For conservators, historians and archaeologists, it helps develop a rich library and digital archive of details, information and data necessary in restoring historical sites, as well as heritage preservation where the 3D virtual models contain accurate data and help for restoration. This paper reports on recently completed research project on the development of virtual heritage platforms for medieval culture. It uncovers a conceptual framework for the development of virtual heritage platforms as a research, educational and engagement tool that brings historic spaces and buildings back to the recognition of the public eye of the ordinary user. It not only reproduces historical scenes through physical modelling of archaeological sites or data, but, more importantly, through serial narratives where life is explored and practised in motion, and where cultural-feed brings meaning, experiences and understanding to the socio-cultural context. The paper introduces a brief analysis of virtual heritage platforms that offer a variety of methods, techniques, contexts, and outputs that are suitable to different purposes and audiences. It offers a brief conclusion on how virtual heritage offer unique and unprecedented insights into historic architecture that would be otherwise invisible or unimaginable

The Gameful Museum: Developing a Location-Based Game Design Framework for Engagement and Motivation

The popularity of location-based games, which blend digital and physical gameplay in specific real-world locations, has been rising in recent years. Research in museum studies looking into these games as engagement tools has so far been limited to individual case studies or sporadic overviews of play and games that do not explore the relationship between game design, location, gameplay and the museum experience. This practice-led thesis addresses this gap through the development of a game design framework and guidelines to create location-based games in museums, combined with a study of the impact of the designed experiences on audiences’ motivation to visit and engage with museum content. The findings and framework proposed are relevant for museum professionals and game designers who are interested in developing this practice while benefiting from guidance grounded in real-world research. Methodologically, I supplemented a study of past experiences with a first-person gameplay analysis, the results of which informed the design and examination of case studies of games for Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) developed in collaboration with the museum staff and external game designers. Findings suggest that location-based games benefit museums by creating added motivation to visit, attracting new and existing audiences, increasing and diversifying engagement with the museum content, and to a lesser degree, supporting knowledge acquisition. Structuring visits into games limits the possible actions of players while offering agency within those limitations, making the players part of a story and giving them challenges to complete, encouraging visitors to become more active and invested in exploring the space and the content displayed. I conclude this thesis by proposing the concept of the gameful museum as a possible path for museums as institutions of learning and entertainment, offering the location-based game design framework as an instrument to work towards audience development and engagement and highlighting the field’s future potential

LANGUAGE USE AND PERCEPTIONS OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (EFL) LEARNERS IN A TASK-BASED CLASS IN "SECOND LIFE "

Situated in cognitive interactionist theory and driven by task-based language teaching (TBLT), this study employed a multiple methods design to better address research questions regarding EFL learners' language use and perceptions about their language practices during task-based interaction in Second Life (SL). Findings showed that students perceived SL as a viable platform for language learning. Nine adult EFL learners worldwide were recruited to participate in this virtual course and used avatars to interact with peers via voice chat in simulated real-life tasks. Quantitative results revealed that confirmation checks, clarification requests and comprehension checks were the three most frequently used strategies. Two strategies that had not been documented in previous SL research were found--metacognitive strategy and "spell out the word." Negotiation patterns were also identified: single-layered and multi-layered trigger-resolution sequences. Additionally, the interrelationship among task types, negotiation and strategies was established--jigsaw task prompted the most instances of negotiation and strategy use whereas opinion-exchange task triggered the least. Results also indicated that EFL students had a statistically significant improvement on syntactic complexity and variety as well as on linguistic accuracy across all measured levels. Three core themes emerged from qualitative data: 1) perceptions about factors that impact virtual learning experience in SL, 2) attitudes toward learning English via avatars in SL, and 3) beliefs about the effects of task-based instruction on learning outcomes in SL. SL was endorsed as a promising learning environment owing to its conspicuous features, simulated immersion, augmented reality, tele/copresence and masked identities via avatars. This study demonstrated that implementation of task-based instruction can be maximized by 3-D, simulated features in SL, as evidenced in that 1) convergent tasks with single-outcome conditions stimulate more cognitive and linguistic processes; 2) 3-D multimodal resources in SL provide additional visual and linguistic support; 3) pre-task planning can optimize the quality of learners' linguistic performance; 4) real-life tasks that capitalize on SL features, accommodate learners' cultural/world knowledge, and simulate real-life tasks can make a difference in their virtual learning experiences; and 5) avatar identities boost learners' sense of self-image and confidence

Roots Reloaded. Culture, Identity and Social Development in the Digital Age

This edited volume is designed to explore different perspectives of culture, identity and social development using the impact of the digital age as a common thread, aiming at interdisciplinary audiences. Cases of communities and individuals using new technology as a tool to preserve and explore their cultural heritage alongside new media as a source for social orientation ranging from language acquisition to health-related issues will be covered. Therefore, aspects such as Art and Cultural Studies, Media and Communication, Behavioral Science, Psychology, Philosophy and innovative approaches used by creative individuals are included. From the Aboriginal tribes of Australia, to the Maoris of New Zealand, to the mystical teachings of Sufi brotherhoods, the significance of the oral and written traditions and their current relation to online activities shall be discussed in the opening article. The book continues with a closer look at obesity awareness support groups and their impact on social media, Facebook usage in language learning context, smartphone addiction and internet dependency, as well as online media reporting of controversial ethical issues. The Digital progress has already left its dominating mark as the world entered the 21st century. Without a doubt, as technology continues its ascent, society will be faced with new and altering values in an effort to catch-up with this extraordinary Digitization, adapt satisfactorily in order to utilize these strong developments in everyday life

Proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET 2013)

"This book contains the proceedings of the International Workshop on EuroPLOT Persuasive Technology for Learning, Education and Teaching (IWEPLET) 2013 which was held on 16.-17.September 2013 in Paphos (Cyprus) in conjunction with the EC-TEL conference. The workshop and hence the proceedings are divided in two parts: on Day 1 the EuroPLOT project and its results are introduced, with papers about the specific case studies and their evaluation. On Day 2, peer-reviewed papers are presented which address specific topics and issues going beyond the EuroPLOT scope. This workshop is one of the deliverables (D 2.6) of the EuroPLOT project, which has been funded from November 2010 – October 2013 by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission through the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLL) by grant #511633. The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate Persuasive Learning Objects and Technologies (PLOTS), based on ideas of BJ Fogg. The purpose of this workshop is to summarize the findings obtained during this project and disseminate them to an interested audience. Furthermore, it shall foster discussions about the future of persuasive technology and design in the context of learning, education and teaching. The international community working in this area of research is relatively small. Nevertheless, we have received a number of high-quality submissions which went through a peer-review process before being selected for presentation and publication. We hope that the information found in this book is useful to the reader and that more interest in this novel approach of persuasive design for teaching/education/learning is stimulated. We are very grateful to the organisers of EC-TEL 2013 for allowing to host IWEPLET 2013 within their organisational facilities which helped us a lot in preparing this event. I am also very grateful to everyone in the EuroPLOT team for collaborating so effectively in these three years towards creating excellent outputs, and for being such a nice group with a very positive spirit also beyond work. And finally I would like to thank the EACEA for providing the financial resources for the EuroPLOT project and for being very helpful when needed. This funding made it possible to organise the IWEPLET workshop without charging a fee from the participants.

Navigating virtual heritage applications for historic cities in the Middle East

This paper discusses conceptual and practical framework for the development of virtual heritage platforms as a research, educational and engagement tool that brings historic spaces and buildings back to the recognition of the public eye of the ordinary user. It not only reproduces historical scenes through physical modelling of archaeological sites or data, but, more importantly, through serial narratives where life is explored and practiced in motion, and where cultural-feed brings meaning, experiences and understanding to the socio-cultural context. The paper first introduces a brief and summary database of case studies of examples of virtual heritage platforms and outputs that are suitable to different purposes and audiences. It, then, looks at the context and production of VH in Egypt, as an example of Middle Eastern cities with vast heritage sites and advanced technological provisions. It reports on the process and findings of an AHRC-funded project, Virtual Heritage Cairo, that aimed to investigate difficulties, technological and skill gaps amongst stakeholders and local start-ups that would otherwise enable VH in Egypt to become regional power