Towards a social learning space for open educational resources

We identify a number of meanings of “Open”, as part of the motivating rationale for a social media space tuned for learning, called SocialLearn. We discuss why online social learning seems to be emerging so strongly at this point, explore features of social learning, and identify some of the dimensions that we believe characterize the social learning design space, before describing the emerging design concept and implementation

Data Mining on the Crawl Frontier: Metaphor in Cybernetic Capitalism

This essay explores how the intangible operations of networked computing-machines are frequently described through tangible metaphors. After looking at their origins in military bureaucracies, this analysis steps through the material operations of Google’s famous search-engine, noting the various metaphors that are used to make sense of it, and the way they frequently draw on colonial and extractive imagery. I give an account of the company’s rise to power, emphasising how their immense profits became possible because of their control of intellectual property rights, as well as over the ‘terms and conditions’. Across this critical analysis, I show how these metaphors embody the dominant worldview of cybernetic capitalism and demonstrate how they serve as ways to cope with the extreme abstractions increasingly enmesh us

Assessing an Information Systems Master\u27s Curriculum Program: Revisiting the ACM\u27s MSIS 2006 Model Curriculum

The field of Information systems continues to change dynamically with the painful impact for reacting to those changes felt by both undergraduate and masters’ level programs. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a comparative selfstudy of one MSIS program as a measure to assess its competitiveness among a set of other comparable, competitive and aspirant masters’ programs. The focus of the study is determine the viability of one specific master’s curriculum used currently to prepare students for professional careers in information systems in order to meet the marketplace challenges created by the ever-evolving information systems business needs. The fundamental methodology used in this study is based on that which was employed in a previous study conducted to assess the ‘fit’ of 86 MSIS programs with the MSIS 2000 Model Curriculum (Vijayaraman, et.al.) Findings will be presented that reflect shared learning objectives, curriculum content, currency, and relevancy necessary to assess whether changes to the current curriculum are necessary to establish a more competitive position among the three categories of comparable, competitive and aspirant university MSIS programs. One benefit that resulted from this initiative is the recognition that there has been relatively little research directed at assessing the overall direction of current MSIS programs and the need to revisit the need for a new MSIS model curriculum. The last endorsed MSIS model curriculum was published in 2006 (Gorgone, et.al. 2006), almost 10 years ago. It is the hope of presenting the results of this study that a discussion can begin to address the challenge of maintaining a viable MSIS curriculum that meets the current and future demands of the business communit

Visual Displays of Information: A Conceptual Taxonomy

This paper creates a taxonomic model for visual information displays looking at three levels: information design (based on Edward Tufte’s work), information architecture, and information spaces. Special attention is paid to the use of spatial and navigational metaphors in visual systems as they affect the user’s experience. Especially interesting is how a user creates an “information space” – a mental model of what he has seen, how she keeps track of where she is within a system, and how these activities fit together with the data that is being sought. Mathematics is one area that holds promise for better understanding how people visualize information spaces. Vague terms like space, shape, and distance (all implied by the navigation metaphor) have far more refined conceptualizations within mathematics. By harnessing the descriptive powers of mathematics, we can more aptly describe and understand the process of metaphor creation. Secondly, studying comic books and how they are read (McCloud 1993) holds much promise for understanding how people navigate electronic systems. Comics are 2-D sequentially arranged (or at least juxtaposed) combinations of images and text, much like computer screens. People used to reading such visual constructions are better able to navigate through complex information systems. Finally, the use of spatial or navigational metaphors necessarily implies a temporal dimension as well, which leads to certain subtle, but important differences when comparing navigationthrough electronic environments as opposed to real world ones

Assessing the Design of the Library\u27s Discovery Interface and Online resources: A Case Study at the University of Maryland

This presentation was offered as part of the CUNY Library Assessment Conference, Reinventing Libraries: Reinventing Assessment, held at the City University of New York in June 2014

Threshold Concepts as Metaphors for the Creative Process: Adapting the Framework for Information Literacy to Studio Art Classes

With the revision of the ACRL information literacy standards into a metaliteracy framework, art librarians now have an opportunity to better adapt information literacy instruction for studio art students. By using the new information literacy threshold concepts as metaphors for the creative process, a Northern Illinois University art faculty member and an art librarian collaborated to help students in an advanced studio photography class recognize the importance of research and information literacy skills in the development of their artistic vision and to improve the quality of their work

Learning from Digital Natives: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning. Final Report

Overview This report suggests that students are increasingly making use of a variety of etools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) to support their informal learning within formalised educational settings, and that they use the tools that they have available if none are provided for them. Therefore, higher education institutions should encourage the use of these tools. Aims and background This study aimed to explore how e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) and the processes that underpin their use can support learning within educational institutions and help improve the quality of students’ experiences of learning in higher education (pgs 9-11). Methodology The study entailed: (i) desk research to identify related international research and practice and examples of integration of e-tools and learning processes in formal educational settings; (ii) a survey of 160 engineering and social work students across two contrasting Scottish universities (pre- and post-1992) – the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University – and follow-up interviews with eight students across the two subject areas to explore which technologies students were using for both learning and leisure activities within and outside the formal educational settings and how they would like to use such technologies to support their learning in both formal and informal settings; and (iii) interviews with eight members of staff from across the institutions and two subject areas to identify their perceptions of the educational value of the e-tools. (pgs 24-27). Key findings • Students reported making extensive use of a variety of both e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras) and social networking tools (such as Bebo, MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube) for informal socialisation, communication, information gathering, content creation and sharing, alongside using the institutionally provided technologies and learning environments. • Most of the students owned their own computer or had access to a sibling or parent’s computer. Many students owned a laptop but preferred not to bring it onto campus due to security concerns and because they found it too heavy to carry about. • Ownership of mobile phones was ubiquitous. • Whilst the students’ information searching literacy seemed adequate, the ability of these students to harness the power of social networking tools and informal processes for their learning was low. Staff reported using a few Web 2.0 and social software tools but they were generally less familiar with how these could be used to support learning and teaching. There were misconceptions surrounding the affordances of the tools and fears expressed about security and invasion of personal space. Considerations of the costs and the time it would take staff to develop their skills meant that there was a reluctance to take up new technologies at an institutional level. • Subject differences emerged in both staff and student perceptions as to which type of tools they would find most useful. Attitudes to Web 2.0 tools were different. Engineers were concerned with reliability, using institutional systems and inter-operability. Social workers were more flexible because they were focused on communication and professional needs. • The study concluded that digital tools, personal devices, social networking software and many of the other tools explored all have a large educational potential to support learning processing and teaching practices. Therefore, use of these tools and processes within institutions, amongst staff and students should be encouraged. • The report goes on to suggest ways in which the use of such technologies can help strengthen the links between informal and formal learning in higher education. The recommendations are grouped under four areas – pedagogical, socio-cultural, organisational and technological

Gathering Residue : A Literature Review of Arts-Based Research in Library and Information Studies

Arts-based research (ABR) encompasses the use of methodological tools including literary (e.g., poetry), performative (e.g., dance), visual (e.g., painting), and audiovisual (e.g., film) genres, and is used by researchers in the humanities and natural, social, and health sciences. Recent publications demonstrate diverse applications of ABR in Library and Information Studies (LIS) research. We have three aspirations for this article. First is to peer through a critical lens of literature reviews by asking ourselves: What are we doing (as activity, task, process) when we’re “literature reviewing”? We also consider metaphors we use to describe the role and application of literature reviews. Our second aspiration is to share an appreciation of the potential of ABR (in theory and in practice) to impact LIS and its transformational potential. Third, we aim to describe the generative potential of the frustrated efforts and gaps created when trying to research something differently. We share our reflections regarding positivism and practice of the literature review genre and include a summary of preliminary findings. This literature review culminates in an invitation to sit with the tensions between theory and practice, ambition and implementation, and time and energy

They’re Smart, but You Can’t Trust Them: Using Communication Principles to Help Scientists to Increase their Trustworthiness in Public Communication Situations

Scientists struggle with creating positive public perceptions with public audiences. This is true despite the generally positive view members of the public hold for science and scientists, including a positive view of the contributions of scientists to society. In fact, members of the public feel separated from scientists, stand in awe of scientists, and are intimidated by scientists (Jacobs, 2011). Rhetoricians and communication scholars can help, as they have been grappling with and refining ways of building trustworthiness, respect, credibility, and connection between speakers and their audiences for centuries, and the communication principles developed through their work are particularly applicable to the difficulties faced by scientists engaging public audiences