Open ICT tools project

The paper will introduce a project titled the ‘Open ICT Tools’ which aims to explore and trial out ICT tools to facilitate a global collaborative and secured engagement with external business and community partners. The challenge is to facilitate a communication and multimedia data exchange between Northumbria University and participating external educational and business organisations without compromising the security of either Northumbria University IT infrastructure or that of the partner organisations. This is one of eight projects funded by the JISC infoNet from across the country under its Trialling of Online Collaborative Tools for Business and Community Engagement programme. The Open ICT Tools project is directly connected with the Global Studio, an innovative model of research informed teaching and learning. The Global Studio is a cross-institutional collaboration between Northumbria University and international universities based in the USA, Australia, UK and Korea as well as industry partners such as Intel, Motorola and Inverness Medical. The Global Studio was initiated by the School of Design three years ago and since then it included nearly 300 students from six international universities such as Hong-ik in Korea and RMIT in Australia. The aim of the Global Studio is to equip design students with skills for working in globally networked organisations particularly development of skills in intercultural communication and collaboration. To achieve this aim, students from the participating universities work together on industry led projects. However, attempting to use existing university technical infrastructure has been problematic. A particular problem relates to software licence agreements, which limit use of certain software and/or the virtual learning environment to a particular institution’s students. Attempts to use open source software has not been straightforward, for example using Skype for synchronous cross – institutional communication has often failed as students cannot log into a university’s technical infrastructure, begin a Skype based dialogue with students in another institution and simultaneously view a PowerPoint presentation. Online file sharing has often failed, primarily due to the file size. Therefore the aim of the Global Studio project is to build on the excellent ICT infrastructure at Northumbria and to identify and trial a diverse range of collaborative Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools that: (a) could support engagement between the university and its external collaborative business and community partners and (b) be embedded with the current university IT infrastructure. This paper explores how various ICTs are being trialled in the Global Studio to facilitate information and data exchange between students, teachers and industry partners and how this enables/constrains collaboration. The paper will explore the technologies that have been chosen as well as the rationale underpinning their choice

Information-sharing and evidence base within assistive technology: some current tools

Assistive technology is recognised as a specialism across the sectors (Department of Health, 2007; Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, 2005) and to this end it requires the acquisition and retention of specialist knowledge within a changing and progressive environment. A number of tools help practitioners and researchers to maintain and share this knowledge and these tools are growing and evolving with time. These can be divided into traditional tools, first generation ICT and second generation ICT. Traditional tools include journals (such as the one you are reading), conferences (such as the UK RAATE conference, www.raate.org.uk), paper-based literature searching and face-to-face meetings. First generation ICT tools include ‘static’ web pages, email lists and database-based literature searching. Second generation ICT tools include Web 2.0 style usergenerated content, including blogs, dynamic web, Wikis (peer-editable websites) and online and collaborative literature searching and publication

Analysis and Use of Information and Communication Tools in Economics of Climate Change

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the context of climate change is of great importance in the scientific community, but can also play an important role in the policy context. On the one hand, the results achievable for mitigation and adaptation are influencing the policy arena, and on the other hand these instruments represent an opportunity for decision-makers to apply innovative forms of public administration based on stakeholder involvement, which can reduce the existing gap between policy-makers and citizens (Oates, 2003). The paper provides an analysis of the main ICT tools and methods used in climate change economics by means of a questionnaire-based survey and focus group discussion with specific experts in this context. The issues addressed are related with the use and relevance of ICT in the different research area of climate change, the perceived usefulness of these tools, and their importance in the scientific, economic and policy contexts. The main problems and limitations of ICT are investigated, together with their potential role in future research.Climate change, Information and Communication Technologies tools (ICT)

Confidence in assessment decisions when using ICT

The central question addressed in this paper is: How can teachers and schools have confidence in their assessment decisions when using information communication technologies (ICT)? The answer centres on what makes quality assessment. Assessing and evaluating children’s achievement and progress is critical to development of sound curriculum programmes that focus on student outcomes. With the increasing use of ICT in schools and classrooms for a range of assessment purposes such as recording, data analysis and online activities, teachers and school leaders must be assessment capable in order to make informed decisions about assessment design, selection and modification that utilises ICT. Based on examining assessment purpose and the three principles of quality assessment (validity, reliability and manageability), this paper offers guidelines for classroom teachers, those with responsibility for student achievement and those who lead ICT policy and practice in schools to be critical consumers of ICT-based assessment tools, strategies and evidence. Vignettes of assessment practice using ICT are used to illustrate sound school and classroom practices in relation to validity, reliability, and manageability. Drawing from the work of assessment writers such as Crooks, Sutton, and Darr, the guidelines will assist teachers in the effective use of ICT for both formal and informal information gathering as well as for analysis and interpretation of information for summative and formative purposes. This knowledge is needed to underpin teacher confidence in their assessment decisions when using ICT towards ‘best fit’ for purpose

The on-line tutorial: developing and evaluating resources and disseminating experience

This is an ESCalate development project awarded to Kerry Shephard, University of Southampton in 2005. It looked at developing practical approaches to integrating a range of commonly available e-learning tools to facilitate wider use of the On-line Tutorial in staff development settings. The aim of this project was to implement and assess the value of an online tutorial within staff development scenarios which are themselves encouraging e-learning engagement. Four tutorials were developed, each one addressing a different issue relating to the use of ICT (information and communication technology) in teaching: factors that limit the use of ICT to support student learning in UK HE, use of ICT to support widening participation, teaching strategies for e-learning, and a simulation of online student assessment

The effect of new technologies on civic participation models

The development of new technologies will enable decentralization and freedom of communication for large numbers of people, by overcoming the barriers that once rendered direct participation of society unfeasible. The continued development of information and communication technologies (ICT) makes it possible for people to participate in political life. Today, the use of e-tools is becoming a way of adapting democracy to the needs of contemporary states and strengthening civil society. The aim of this paper is to answer questions about the essence of ICT and forms of civic engagement through electronic forms of participation. The author seeks answers to the following questions: How does ICT influence political processes? How do electronic communication systems create the conditions for the political engagement of citizens? Can the use of information technologies have a real impact on participation

Cognitive change in women's empowerment in rural Bangladesh

Rural women in Bangladesh have limited access to resources and public spheres due to socio-cultural restrictions. Women suffer from severe discrimination, due partly to a lack of access to information. Information and communication and technologies (ICT) are tools that potentially can reach rural women and address their knowledge and information needs. Considering this scenario, the aim of this paper is to examine the situation of rural women using ICT tools provided by non-government and government organizations, and investigate whether access to ICT has changed their lives in terms of socio-economic development. Using a structured questionnaire, data was collected from women in villages where two different ICT projects have been introduced. The change in women's awareness, skills and knowledge of the wider environment on various issues (including health, education, legal rights) is described. These cognitive changes were compared in women with ICT intervention and women who did not use ICT. The overall cognitive awareness of the women indicates more changes among women with ICT intervention than without. Therefore, ICT intervention in rural villages in Bangladesh is leading to empowerment

New trends in education: the use of ICT in different ways

In the 21st century and due to the exponential growth of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), people live in a technological age, in all areas and in all contexts, we have daily contact with technology, with access to Information. This dynamic requires a constant update of the services and technological tools that change the method that we study, work, communicate and socialize on an unprecedented scale. These constant changes force everyone, regardless of age, gender or profession, to possess a range of functional and critical thinking skills, such as information literacy, media literacy and technological literacy. The evolution of technologies, forces the promoters of education, to always be aware of the changes that society is introducing outside the classroom. Today, students don't have the same pattern as before, regardless of age, they are very active and are no longer the same introverted child who studied a few years ago in the classroom. According to this, students are eager for different forms of motivation inside and outside the classroom, they need the learning and teaching process to move along with changes in society and ICT. To ensure the success of today's students, it is important to provide them with the technological skills to make the correct use of ICTs, to perform tasks essential to their learning process, such as researching and selecting information, creating content, information sharing, use of collaboration tools or environment simulation tools. The main objective of this chapter is to show how ICT tools that can be used in educational environments to help students, helping them develop key skills in their training process, is also relevant to show how these tools can help teachers achieve these goals in daily activities with their students

Social Transparency through Recommendation Engines and its Challenges: Looking Beyond Privacy

Our knowledge society is quickly becoming a ‘transparent’ one. This transparency is acquired, among other means, by ’personalization’ or ‘profiling’: ICT tools gathering contextualized information about individuals in men–computers interactions. The paper begins with an overview of these ICT tools (behavioral targeting, recommendation engines, ‘personalization’ through social networking). Based on these developments the analysis focus a case study of developments in social network (Facebook) and the trade-offs between ‘personalization’ and privacy constrains. A deeper analysis will reveal unexpected challenges and the need to overcome the privacy paradigm. Finally a draft of possible normative solutions will be depicted, grounded in new forms of individual rights.Recommendation Engines, Profiling, Privacy, ‘Sui Generis’ Copyright