Using wikis for online group projects: student and tutor perspectives

This paper presents a study of the use of wikis to support online group projects in two courses at the UK Open University. The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a wiki in supporting (i) student collaboration and (ii) tutors’ marking of the students’ collaborative work. The paper uses the main factors previously identified by the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a starting point to examine and discuss the experiences of these two very different user groups: students and tutors. Data was gathered from students via a survey and from tutors via a range of methods. The findings suggest that, when used in tandem with an online forum, the wiki was a valuable tool for groups of students developing a shared resource. As previous studies using the TAM have shown, usefulness and ease of use were both important to students’ acceptance of the wiki. However, the use of a wiki in this context was less well-received by tutors, because it led to an increase in their workload in assessing the quality of students’ collaborative processes. It was possible to reduce the tutor workload by introducing a greater degree of structure in the students’ tasks. We conclude that when introducing collaborative technologies to support assessed group projects, the perceptions and needs of both students and tutors should be carefully considered

Building capacity in climate change policy analysis and negotiation: methods and technologies

Capacity building is often cited as the reason “we cannot just pour money into developing countries” and why so many development projects fail because their design does not address local conditions. It is therefore a key technical and political concept in international development. Some of the poorest countries in the world are also some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Their vulnerability is in part due to a lack of capacity to plan and anticipate the effects of climate change on crops, water resources, urban electricity demand etc. What capacities do these countries lack to deal with climate change? How will they cope? What steps can they take to reduce their vulnerability? This innovative and high-profile research project was part of a larger project (called C3D) and conducted with non-governmental organisations in Senegal, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The research involved several participatory workshops and a questionnaire to all three research centres

Reviews

Mark Kerr, How to Promote your Web Site Effectively, London: Aslib/IMI, ISBN: 0–85142–424–4. Paperback, 87 pages, £13.99

A Media Librarian's Education: An Assessment of the Availability and Need for Specific Training in Media Librarianship Issues and Practice

This article articulates the findings of two research studies. The first, a national survey, explores the educational background and current job responsibilities of media librarians. The second, a web analysis, assesses media-related curriculum components of accredited library and information science programs. Conclusions support anecdotal evidence that media librarians receive the majority of their education regarding media-related issues on the job.published or submitted for publicatio

A review of the research literature relating to ICT and attainment

Summary of the main report, which examined current research and evidence for the impact of ICT on pupil attainment and learning in school settings and the strengths and limitations of the methodologies used in the research literature

D4 Strategic Project:Developing Staff Digital Literacies.Internal Scoping Report

This report is the second stage of the 2014-2015 TALI Strategic Project exploring Developing Staff Digital Literacies. The first stage was the external scoping report which identified a range of approaches taken by other HEIs alongside guidance from sector bodies such as Jisc and the HEA. This report focusses on the University of Huddersfield context by outlining and critically analysing how the issue has developed at the University. The report is discussing the methodology, findings, conclusions and recommendations. The finding section starts by discussion of the local context at University of Huddersfield then is structured around same sections as were used in the external scoping report. The categories are curriculum design, academic champions, centralised staff development courses, localised staff development courses, accredited courses, informal approaches, on-demand resources, specific events, student champions and institutional strategies. Relevant past projects that have a digital literacy focus, are then identified. This has enabled comparison between the rest of the sector and the provision at University of Huddersfield and has enabled us to identify strengths and omissions. The report concludes by making recommendations, and in particular identifies how the D4 project might develop. This next stage of the project involves undertaking a intervention with colleagues who have not traditionally engaged in digital practices, to help them to developing their digital capability