Narratives Countering the Democratising Ideal of Discourse in an Online Forum of a Higher Education Institution

This paper describes power inequalities among participants in an online forum at a higher education institution in South Africa. Critical poststructuralist theory informs the study as it investigates how hegemony influences the strategic interaction of participants. An interpretive analysis uncovered elements of a cyclic process of intensified exclusion, inequality and oppression. This took place within a virtual space which is theoretically idealized as an equalizer and promoter of freedom of speech. The process involved in the eliciting of voices is described and the interpretation of subjective accounts tells of the disillusioned experiences of a potential liberating form of technology. Instead of alleviating conflict, the potential of the online forum is subverted and intensifies the alienation of and animosity between participants. Proposals for moderation are made to change the forum to a democratic, inclusive space

Collective awareness platforms and digital social innovation mediating consensus seeking in problem situations

In this paper we show the results of our studies carried out in the framework of the European Project SciCafe2.0 in the area of Participatory Engagement models. We present a methodological approach built on participative engagements models and holistic framework for problem situation clarification and solution impacts assessment. Several online platforms for social engagement have been analysed to extract the main patterns of participative engagement. We present our own experiments through the SciCafe2.0 Platform and our insights from requirements elicitation

Immersion and Gameplay Experience: A Contingency Framework

The nature of the relationship between immersion and gameplay experience is investigated, focusing primarily on the literature related to flow. In particular, this paper proposes that immersion and gameplay experience are conceptually different, but empirically positively related through mechanisms related to flow. Furthermore, this study examines gamers' characteristics to determine the influence between immersion and gameplay experiences. The study involves 48 observations in one game setting. Regression analyses including tests for moderation and simple slope analysis are used to reveal gamers' age, experience, and understanding of the game, which moderate the relationship between immersion and gameplay experience. The results suggest that immersion is more positive for gameplay experience when the gamer lacks experience and understanding of the game as well as when the gamer is relatively older. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed at length in the paper

Online communities: utilising emerging technologies to improve crime prevention knowledge, practice and dissemination

Foreword: Online communities are increasingly being recognised as a way of sharing ideas and knowledge among different practitioner communities, particularly when practitioners are not able to meet face to face. This paper explores the considerations associated with establishing online communities for crime prevention practitioners, drawing on research from across the community of practice, online community and knowledge management sectors. The paper provides an overview of the administrative considerations of online community development, as well as the key barriers and enablers to practitioner engagement in an online community, and the potential implications for a crime prevention-specific practitioner community. As such, it is a useful tool for those in the crime prevention sector wanting to maximise the influence of an existing online community or to guide those contemplating the implementation of an online community of practice in the future

A comparative study of knowledge construction within online user support discussion forums in Chinese and English-language cultural contexts

Many IT companies like HP, Dell and Lenovo have established both English language and Chinese user support forums for their consumers to share and construct knowledge. The innovative knowledge generated in these virtual product user communities is valuable for companies enabling them to incorporate users’ innovative insights and problems solving skills. This research compares the knowledge construction processes within such forums in English and Chinese cultural contexts. The research adopts a method combining content analysis of discussion threads where technical problems are solved, complemented by observation and thematic analysis of interviews with forum members. The results show that the cultural and language differences do not cause a big change of users’ knowledge construction patterns. However, the character of Chinese language and culture can indirectly affect the process by including more social information to influence social interactions. The research suggests that more tailored facilitation strategies should be adopted in managing producer sponsored user support forums designed for different cultural regions

Chapter 9: Quality Assurance

The OTiS (Online Teaching in Scotland) programme, run by the now defunct Scotcit programme, ran an International e-Workshop on Developing Online Tutoring Skills which was held between 8–12 May 2000. It was organised by Heriot–Watt University, Edinburgh and The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. Out of this workshop came the seminal Online Tutoring E-Book, a generic primer on e-learning pedagogy and methodology, full of practical implementation guidelines. Although the Scotcit programme ended some years ago, the E-Book has been copied to the SONET site as a series of PDF files, which are now available via the ALT Open Access Repository. The editor, Carol Higgison, is currently working in e-learning at the University of Bradford (see her staff profile) and is the Chair of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT)

Sharing and Caring: The Giving and Receiving of Information in Online Chronic Disease Communities

Online chronic disease communities are part of a healthcare phenomenon that empowers people to self-manage their condition. This paper discusses the growth and structure of such communities to identify the ways in which the sharing of information contributes to improved health outcomes. We draw together findings to offer a research agenda that will inform further studies in this complex area

Knowledge Construction by Users: A Content Analysis Framework and A Knowledge Construction Process Model for Virtual Product User Communities

Purpose–The purpose of this study is to develop a content analysis framework and from that derive a process model of knowledge construction in the context of virtual product user communities, organization sponsored online forums where product users collaboratively construct knowledge to solve their technical problems. Design/methodology/approach–The study is based on a deductive, qualitative content analysis of discussion threads about solving technical problems selected from a series of virtual product user communities. This data is complemented with thematic analysis of interviews with forum members. Findings–This research develops a content analysis framework for knowledge construction. It is based on a combination of existing codes derived from frameworks developed for Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and new categories identified from the data. Analysis using this framework allows the authors to propose a knowledge construction process model showing how these elements are organised around a typical “trial-and-error” knowledge construction strategy. Practical Implications–The research makes suggestions about organizations’ management of knowledge activities in virtual product user communities, including moderators’ roles in facilitation. Originality/Value– The paper outlines a new framework for analysing knowledge activities where there is a low level of critical thinking and a model of knowledge construction by trial and error. The new framework and model can be applied in other similar contexts