Co-authorship in the age of cyberculture: Open Educational Resources at the Open University of the United Kingdom

Locating Open Educational Resources (OER) as a phenomenon of cyberculture, this paper presents a reflection on the possibilities of co-authorship that are entailed in OER initiatives of different natures and settings within a large organisation. A selection of OER-related projects and activities carried out at the Open University of United Kingdom (UKOU) are examined from the perspective of a comparative framework proposed by Okada (2010). The framework identifies key features and differences between ‘Closed’ and ‘Open’ Education, that is, respectively, formal education, which takes place within the constraints of institutional Virtual Learning Environments, and informal education, which is gradually taking place more widely in cyberspace. The paper is introduced with a succinct discussion of the connection between cyberculture and the emergence of OER, followed by a presentation of the comparative framework adopted. The UKOU´s structure and methods are then presented, and various projects are discussed. The article concludes by proposing a brief commentary on the creative potential that is being unleashed at the very boundaries between formal and informal educational spaces that cyberculture is challenging

From the Arran to the internet : Sami storytelling in digital environments

This essay investigates the use of storytelling in the process of cultural and linguistic revitalization through specific contemporary examples drawn from the Internet. By examining instances of adaptation of Sami tales and legends to digital environments, I discuss new premises and challenges for the emergence of such narratives. In particular, within a contemporary context characterized by an increasing variety of media and channels, as well as by an improvement in minority politics, it is important to examine how expressive culture and traditional modes of expression are transposed and negotiated. The rich Sami storytelling tradition is a central form of cultural expression. Its role in the articulation of norms, values, and discourses within the community has been emphasized in previous research (Balto 1997; Cocq 2008; Fjellstrom 1986); it is a means for learning and communicating valuable knowledge--a shared understanding.Not

e-Archeo. A pilot national project to valorize Italian archaeological parks through digital and virtual reality technologies

Commissioned to ALES spa by the Ministry of Culture (MiC), the e-Archeo project was born with the intention of enhancing and promoting knowledge of some Italian archaeological sites with a considerable narrative potential that has not yet been fully expressed. The main principle that guided the choice of the sites and the contents was of illustrating the various cultures and types of settlements present in the Italian territory. Eight sites were chosen, spread across the national territory from north to south, founded by Etruscans, Greeks, Phoenicians, natives and Romans. e-Archeo has developed multimedia, integrated and multi-channel solutions for various uses and types of audiences, adopting both scientific and narrative and emotional languages. Particular attention was paid to multimedia accessibility, technological sustainability and open science. The e-Archeo project was born from a strong synergy between public entities, research bodies and private industries thanks to the collaboration of MiC and ALES with the CNR ISPC, 10 Italian Universities, 12 Creative Industries and the Italian National Television (RAI). This exceptional and unusual condition made it possible to realise all the project’s high-quality contents and several outputs in only one and a half years

Museums as disseminators of niche knowledge: Universality in accessibility for all

Accessibility has faced several challenges within audiovisual translation Studies and gained great opportunities for its establishment as a methodologically and theoretically well-founded discipline. Initially conceived as a set of services and practices that provides access to audiovisual media content for persons with sensory impairment, today accessibility can be viewed as a concept involving more and more universality thanks to its contribution to the dissemination of audiovisual products on the topic of marginalisation. Against this theoretical backdrop, accessibility is scrutinised from the perspective of aesthetics of migration and minorities within the field of the visual arts in museum settings. These aesthetic narrative forms act as modalities that encourage the diffusion of ‘niche’ knowledge, where processes of translation and interpretation provide access to all knowledge as counter discourse. Within this framework, the ways in which language is used can be considered the beginning of a type of local grammar in English as lingua franca for interlingual translation and subtitling, both of which ensure access to knowledge for all citizens as a human rights principle and regardless of cultural and social differences. Accessibility is thus gaining momentum as an agent for the democratisation and transparency of information against media discourse distortions and oversimplifications

Evaluation Strategy for the Re-Development of the Displays and Visitor Facilities at the Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove

No abstract available

Cultural matter in the development of an interactive multimedia self-paced educational health program for aboriginal health workers

Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander health workers are key providers of primary health services to Aboriginal communities especially in remote and rural areas. They are often overloaded with competing demands. There has been limited attention given to the maintenance and ongoing enhancement of their skills and knowledge following the completion of formal training. A culturally appropriated interactive multimedia self-paced health program as a mechanism to improve the accessibility and the use of scientific data and information for health purposes is proposed as a basic method for better supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care workers in their practice locations. This paper explores different approaches for the development of a culturally appropriate interactive multimedia educational health program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander health workers and it also explore cultural matters concerning program development in the light of existing literature

O audiovisual para promoção da saúde: caso da cessação tabágica

Mestrado em Comunicação MultimédiaThis project aims on the development of three videos which will function as a tool to used along with therapeutical treatment for individuals who intent to change their health behaviors. The videos were developed using experts’ therapeutic practical experiences and printed materials following certain, learning and communication theories such as Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Construtivism, Persuasion theory, Transtheoretical and Elaboration Likelihood models. A profound study on these theories and models helped to understand health behaviors facilitating thus the development of the videos which might contribute smoker’s efforts to alter bad health habits, bad addictive behaviours and shift to healthier lifestyle. The project took place at the University of Thessaly, Departament of Physical Education and Sports Science, at the city of Trikala, Greece. The conceptual model was elaborated with the influence of user centred design concepts from therapists specialized on this technique, originating the development of a prototype with audiovisual elements. Its assessment content was done between some experts in the fields of smoking cessation intervention program, media and smokers to evaluate certain of its aspects (design, quality, messages and others). This preliminary evaluation allow to the conclusion that audiovisual material might play an important role on smoking cessation interventions, since its usage might bring extra motivation for the smokers and present information through more interesting strategies.Este projecto consiste no desenvolvimento de vídeos que irão funcionar como materiais alternativos no tratamento terapêutico a indivíduos que querem alterar os seus comportamentos aditivos. Os vídeos foram desenvolvidos de acordo com experiencias nas práticas terapêuticas e materiais impressos, seguindo certas teorias de aprendizagem e comunicação, tais como, Behaviorismo, Cognitivismo, Construtivismo, Teoria da Persuasão e modelos Transteorético e de Probabilidade de Elaboração. Um estudo aprofundado destas teorias e modelos ira ajudar a compreender como o indivíduo pensa, facilitando o desenvolvimento dos vídeos que podem ajudar os pacientes. Este projecto é desenvolvido na área de utilização de práticas terapêuticas, aplicando à realidade grega através do audiovisual. O projecto teve lugar na Universidade de Tessália, Departamento de Educação Física e Ciência do Desporto, na cidade de Trikala, Grécia. O modelo conceptual foi elaborado com a influência de conceitos de design centrado em terapias especializadas com componentes audiovisuais. A sua avaliação de conteúdo foi feita por especialistas em programas de cessação tabágica, media e fumadores onde foram avaliados aspectos como o design, qualidade, mensagem, entre outros. Esta avaliação preliminar permitiu concluir que o uso do audiovisual pode ter um papel importante na luta pela cessação tabágica, já que o seu uso pode trazer motivação adicional para fumadores e apresentar informações através de estratégias interessantes