The potential of public participation geographic information systems in UK environmental planning: Appraisals by active publics

The paper draws on an empirical study of two workshops in which the issues that arise from the use of geographic information systems (GIS) as a planning tool in public participation settings were explored by local residents who take an active interest in local planning matters in their London borough. The paper demonstrates how issues concerned with the democratization of GIS and public participation GIS (PPGIS) informed the structure and conduct of the workshops and the qualitative analysis of the workshop discussions. Key themes raised by participants included: the potential of PPGIS as a means of extending knowledge networks; issues of data ownership and the responsiveness of data providers to public concerns; and the role that institutional norms and practices play in democratizing information availability and the transparency of the decision-making process. The paper concludes that the potential of PPGIS as a planning tool cannot be separated from public concerns about the legitimacy of the planning process or local government

Using ODL and ICT to develop the skills of the unreached: a contribution to the ADEA triennial of the Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning

Innovation in technology is occurring at rapid pace thus shrinking the distances and making information and knowledge more than ever accessible to everyone irrespective of where the person resides. This paper consists of four main articles. The first one deals with technological trends. The second one focuses on the deployment and use of open and distance education mode in rural areas by documenting initiatives that embrace information and communication technologies (ICTs). Due to challenges faced in rural areas only a few success stories/cases currently exist and some of these are cited in this article. The challenges faced in the deployment of ICT enhanced ODL have been highlighted as well as the potential of developing and delivering effective and relevant ODL programmes in rural areas in order to ensure that issues of educational equity and social exclusion rural communities are adequately addressed. ICTs in ODL are perhaps the greatest tool to date for self-education and value addition to any community’s development efforts, yet poor rural communities particularly in Africa do not have the necessary awareness, skills or facilities to enable themselves to develop using ICTs. Inadequate ICT infrastructures in rural areas remain a major source for the digital divide in Africa and for under-performance of distance learners. The third one analyses the support provided to ODL learners who often encounter difficulties in completing their studies through the distance education mode due to loneliness, uncertainties and de-motivation. ICT has not been able to sufficiently support distance learners in overcoming those obstacles efficiently. An investigation regarding those learning supports has been conducted in ten distance learning institutions, along with an intensive literature review with the aim of understanding the high percentage of dropout rates of distant learners. The learners’ interactions have been scrutinized through content analysis of their synchronous exchanges, during a completely online course. After taking into account the limited technical and human resources in Africa, a technological virtual environment along with a pedagogical framework has been proposed with the aim of giving adequate educational support to them. The fourth article has explored The Open University (UK) and its efforts to use new technologies to deliver online courses to difficult-to- reach learners in prison environments. The case study analysed here is an international course (called, B201- Business Organisations and their environments) which also touches an African cohort of learners. The implications for designing and delivering online ODL to the complex unreachable environments of prisons anywhere, and particularly in Africa, have been discussed

Media(ting) Between Generations: Common Sense and Perceptions of New Media by Young People and Teachers

The wide spread of mobile communication devices, the expansion of social media and participatory media platforms, the ease to edit, share and produce media content, indicate a trend of change in the media system that influences the production and consumption of knowledge and generates new paths for the young\u2019s identity construction. This raises necessary questions about the ways not only young, but also the education agencies \u2013 school in particular \u2013 relate to these transformations, starting from taking into account the production of common sense on the use, risks and opportunities of the media. Based on these considerations, in this paper, we will discuss the results of a qualitative case study carried out in the Veneto Region (Italy) on upper secondary school students and teachers in order to detect and compare the perception that young and educators have of the media, trying to identify boundaries or land on which to build exchange opportunities for dialogue between the generations

CHORUS Deliverable 2.1: State of the Art on Multimedia Search Engines

Based on the information provided by European projects and national initiatives related to multimedia search as well as domains experts that participated in the CHORUS Think-thanks and workshops, this document reports on the state of the art related to multimedia content search from, a technical, and socio-economic perspective. The technical perspective includes an up to date view on content based indexing and retrieval technologies, multimedia search in the context of mobile devices and peer-to-peer networks, and an overview of current evaluation and benchmark inititiatives to measure the performance of multimedia search engines. From a socio-economic perspective we inventorize the impact and legal consequences of these technical advances and point out future directions of research

Нова культура учіння? Інформаційні й комунікаційні технології (ІКТ) і компетенції у вищій освіті інженерів

З виникненням інформаційного суспільства та зростаючим впливом інформаційних і комунікаційних технологій (ІКТ) виникає потреба розвитку нової концепції учіння й культури навчання, особливо в галузі вищої освіти, через необхідність перегляду компетенцій і кінцевого результату технологічно - опосередкованого освітнього процесу. Нова технологія телекомунікації дозволяє моделювати, формувати й організовувати інтерактивне навчання шляхом використання мережевої технології. Тому мережа як середовище є простором не тільки для передачі інформації й знань, але й місцем для встановлення нових форм – або, можливо, нової культури – комунікації. Далі у статті розглядаються питання створення й оптимізації нової культури учіння, заснованої на відповідальному використанні нової ІКТ у формі е-учіння. Нарешті, у статті представлені нові дослідницькі підходи, у яких робляться спроби об'єднати е-учіння з методом інтегрованого вивчення змісту і мови (CLIL).With the emergence of information society and the growing influence of information and communication technology (ICT) there appears the necessity to develop a new conception of learning and teaching culture, especially in the fields of higher education, with the necessity to re-define the competences and final result of technologically mediated educational process. The new technology of telecommunication makes it possible to simulate, to form and to arrange interactive education by using network technology. Therefore network as a medium serves not only as a space of information and knowledge transfer, but it is also a space of establishing new forms – or perhaps new culture – of communication. In the following considerations the question is how to create and moderate the new learning culture basing on the responsible use of the new ICT in form of e-learning. Finally the article presents the new research approaches which try to combine e-learning with the GLIL-method

Using new assessment tools during and post-COVID-19

This work tackles the need to evaluate and identify fresh assessment techniques utilized in LIS education during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. It investigates the impact of digital media, feedback, formative assessments, and concerns such as cheating and authenticity, providing critical insights for future assessment practises in the post-pandemic period. Accordingly, there is a pressing need to employ new assessment tools post-pandemic to adapt to online and hybrid learning challenges. This qualitative study investigates complex social phenomena in higher education assessments by exploring behaviours, preferences, beliefs, customs, attitudes, viewpoints, and experiences. Twelve LIS instructors, 6 teaching and learning administrators, and 20 LIS students from South Africa and Nigeria were chosen using convenience sampling. Key informant interviews were conducted, with constructivist learning orientation-driven questions examining new assessment technologies, the role of digital media in student assessment, authenticity concerns in e-assessment, feedback and formative assessments. The research concludes that incorporating Computer-Based Learning (CLT) in e-assessments for LIS education enhances students’ knowledge construction and accessibility. Digital examinations offer benefits like instant feedback and personalized learning experiences, leading to improved problem-solving skills and decision-making. Future research should focus on larger, diverse samples and longitudinal approaches to evaluate intervention effectiveness and sustainability

Speaking Back to Structure: Critical Multimodal Media Literacy & The Politics of School Reform

This study explores the development of critical multimodal and media literacy skills in high school aged students against the backdrop of current state and national education policy. Following the progress of students in a semester-long writing course that focuses on critical multimodal and media literacy, the study examines how critical literacy skills develop within different modes and mediums – particularly those enabled by new media and digital technologies – and considers the implications of critical multimodal and media literacy skills for student engagement, agency, and achievement. The study further analyzes the impact at the institutional level of educational reforms incentivized by No Child Left Behind (2002) and Race to the Top (2009), and considers how current policy defines and measures literacy, achievement, and technology use. With a specific focus on issues of racial and socioeconomic equity, the I argue that critical multimodal and media literacies develop in students essential tools with which to forge personal, social, and educational change. Data collection and analysis employ largely qualitative research methods including the following: detailed ethnographic observations and fieldnotes; student interviews; analysis of student work; interviews with school staff; and analysis of relevant institutional and policy documents concerning technology and literacy. In order to better understand and address the complexity of factors impacting student literacy development, connections are drawn throughout between micro practices in the classroom, meso-level institutional factors, and the macro influences of education policy