Use and perceptions of second life by distance learners: comparison with other communication media

Research has demonstrated that the use of communication media in distance education can reduce the feeling of distance and isolation from peers and tutor, and provide opportunities for collaborative learning activities (Bates, 2005). The use of virtual worlds (VW) in education has increased in recent years, with Second Life (SL) being the most commonly used VW in higher education (Wang & Burton, 2012). There is a paucity of information available on students’ use and perceptions of SL in relation to other online communication media available to the distance learner. Consequently, in the study described here, this area was explored with a group of students registered in a part-time distance education Master’s program at a large UK University open to international students. A self-completion survey was designed to assess students’ use and perceptions of using SL compared with other communication media. The majority of students rated SL lower than other forms of communications media such as email, WebCT discussion boards, Skype, and Wimba for facilitating communication, promoting the formation of social networks, fostering a sense of community, and benefiting their learning.  It is possible that the results of this study were influenced by the lower frequency of use of SL in this program compared to other work reported on this subject. Further work is required to evaluate the effect of frequency of use of SL and availability of alternative communication media on students’ use and perceptions of this virtual world

Beats and tweets:Social media in the careers of independent musicians

While mainstream accounts of the impact of internet technologies on the music industry have emphasised the crisis of the major-dominated mainstream recording industry, a more optimistic discourse has also been promoted, emphasising the opportunities that the Internet creates for independent musicians. These same new technologies, it is argued, enable artists to reach new global audiences and engage with them in ways that can facilitate more stable, financially self-sustaining independent careers. Little research has been conducted, however, on the effect of new Internet technologies on the careers and practices of independent musicians. This article, part of a pilot project on the working experiences of independent musicians, examines how musicians signed to small labels in the South-west of England use social media in their careers and discusses their understanding of its benefits and disadvantages. It concludes that social media use is an essential tool in the arsenal of an independent musician, and does provide advantages for them, but significant disadvantages have also emerged and thus the benefits of social media for independent musicians have likely been overstated. </jats:p

Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2009: data report - part 2, data analysis

This document sets out the details of the sampling processes and the methodology of the 2009 Schools Survey and the choices made in organising the analysis

Social Constructionism with a Twist of Pragmatism: A Suitable Cocktail for Information Systems Research

The Information Systems discipline is concerned with the identification, planning, development, implementation and management of information systems in organisations. Thus, it is in organisations that the events, happenings and stories of information systems are played out. Given this, the perspective that Information Systems researchers have of organisational reality is most important. This viewpoint affects and impacts upon researchers’ practice, from the identification and choice of the research question, right through the analysis of data to the writing up of the research. This paper explores a particular theoretical perspective on organisational reality. Social constructionism augmented by pragmatism, is described and explored in the paper, and the implications for research Information Systems are considered. It is argued in the paper that this theoretical orientation is particularly helpful in planning, conceptualising and executing relevant and practical research in the Information Systems discipline

Use and perception of second life by distance learners: the effects of orientation session timing

Evidence suggests that Second Life (SL) is well received by those studying at a distance; however, little has been done to evaluate how a structured orientation session may affect students’ use and perception of SL. Consequently, this study explored orientation timing and its effect on a group of students registered in a part-time distance education master’s degree program at a large UK University open to international students. An online survey was designed and administered to assess students’ use and perception of SL use and whether these variables changed based on the timing of orientation to SL and its subsequent use. A series of Likert-type scale items were organized to gather the following information: student demographics; and students’ experience with, and thoughts of, SL. Results indicated that the use of an orientation session close to subsequent use of SL for learning activities did positively affect students’ use and perception of SL. Consequently, recommendations from the current findings suggest that if educators foresee a pedagogical benefit to using SL then it is important to ensure that students are provided with a timely and structured orientation to prior to its utilization

Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2009: analysis report

The Harnessing Technology schools survey (HTSS) report presents the key survey findings from the academic year 2008-09 set out according to the five system outcomes against which impact of the strategy was measured. The HTSS was an annual national survey of ICT in primary, secondary and special schools. (The data report that accompanied this analysis provides further details of the sample and the characteristics of respondents and is listed separately.

Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2009: data report – part 1, descriptive analysis

This document, the data report, is a reference document which presents the data in tabular form for anyone who wants to examine the findings of the Harnessing Technology Schools Survey (HTSS) in depth, for example in relation to specific areas of technology or policy, or by school sector. The findings for each question are also set out by school sector by primary, secondary and special school sub-samples