Case Study: Using Cloudworks for an Open Literature Review

This case study is one of a series exploring the ongoing use and development of the Cloudworks site. This case study will focus on an expert elicitation Cloudscape established to support a literature review project led by the University of Exeter and funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA): "The positioning of educational technologists in enhancing the student experience". We will look in detail at the way the site was utilised by the project teams and other participants in the review, and evaluate the site's effectiveness in supporting this piece of research. We will make recommendations for the development of support resources associated with the site and suggest factors that might impact on the success of similar activities

Using Cloudworks to Support OER Activities

This report forms the third and final output of the Pearls in the Clouds project, funded by the Higher Education Academy. It focuses on evaluation of the use of a social networking site, Cloudworks, to support evidence-based practice. The aim of this project (Pearls in the Clouds) has been to evaluate the ways in which web 2.0 tools like Cloudworks can support evidence-informed practices in relation to learning and teaching. We have reviewed evidence from empirically grounded studies surrounding the uses of web2.0 in higher education and highlighted the gap between using web2.0 to support learning and teaching, and using it to support learning about learning and teaching (in an evidence-informed way) (Conole and Alevizou, 2010). We have reported on findings from a case study focusing on the use of Cloudworks by a community of practice - educational technologists - reflecting upon, and, negotiating their role in enhancing teaching and learning in higher education (Galley et al., 2010). The object of this study is to explore and evaluate the use of the site by individuals and communities involved in the production of, and research on, the development, delivery and use of Open Educational Resources (OER)

Neuroscience and CSR : using EEG for assessing the effectiveness of branded videos related to environmental issues

The majority of studies evaluating the effectiveness of branded CSR campaigns are concentrated and base their conclusions on data collection through self-reporting questionnaires. Although such studies provide insights for evaluating the effectiveness of CSR communication methods, analysing the message that is communicated, the communication channel used and the explicit brain responses of those for whom the message is intended, they lack the ability to fully encapsulate the problem of communicating environmental messages by not taking into consideration what the recipients’ implicit brain reactions are presenting. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of CSR video communications relating to environmental issues through the lens of the recipients’ implicit self, by employing neuroscience-based assessments. For the examination of implicit brain perception, an electroencephalogram (EEG) was used, and the collected data was analysed through three indicators identified as the most influential indicators on human behaviour. These three indicators are emotional valence, the level of brain engagement and cognitive load. The study is conducted on individuals from the millennial generation in Thessaloniki, Greece, whose implicit brain responses to seven branded commercial videos are recorded. The seven videos were a part of CSR campaigns addressing environmental issues. Simultaneously, the self-reporting results from the participants were gathered for a comparison between the explicit and implicit brain responses. One of the key findings of the study is that the explicit and implicit brain responses differ to the extent that the CSR video communications’ brain friendliness has to be taken into account in the future, to ensure success. The results of the study provide an insight for the future creation process, conceptualisation, design and content of the effective CSR communication, in regard to environmental issues

Community indicators: a framework for observing and supporting community activity on Cloudworks

Cloudworks (Cloudworks.ac.uk) is a social networking site designed for sharing, finding and discussing learning and teaching ideas and experiences. Design and development of the site has been based on an iterative analysis, development and implementation approach, underpinned by ongoing research and evaluation. To this end, we have been seeking to establish strategies to enable us to systematically position transactions and emerging patterns of activity on the site so that we can more reliably use the empirical evidence we have gathered (Galley, 2009a, Galley 2009b, Alevizou et al., 2010a, Conole et al, 2010). In this paper we will introduce a framework we have developed for observing and supporting community development on the site. In building our framework we have used empirical evidence gathered from the site, then related it to the literature from a range of disciplines concerned with professional and learning communities. We link research relating to distance learning communities with studies into Computer Mediated Communication (CMC), self-organising communities on the web, and wider research about the nature of learning organisations and continuous professional development. We argue that this framework can be used to capture the development of productive communities in the space (i.e. how far cohesive, productive groups can be said to be emerging or not) and also help focus futur

Facilitating new forms of discourse for learning and teaching: harnessing the power of Web 2.0 practices

When asked what they would find most helpful to enable them to use technologies more in their teaching, most teachers say "give me examples, in my subject area" and "point me to relevant people I can discuss these issues with". Web 2.0 technologies - with their emphasis on sharing, networking and user production - seem to offer a potential solution. However uptake and use of web 2.0 sites such as blogs, social networking and wikis by teachers for sharing and discussing practice has being marginal so far. This paper focuses on work we are undertaking as part of the OU Learning Design Initiative (http://ouldi.open.ac.uk) and the Hewlett-funded Olnet initiative (http://olnet.org). A key focus of our work is the development of tools, methods and approaches to support the design of innovative learning activities and Open Educational Resources (OER). In this paper I want to focus on one strand of our work; namely how to leverage technologies to promote better sharing and discussing of learning and teaching ideas and designs

Stakeholder engagement in the city branding process

This paper explores perceptions of stakeholder engagement in the city branding process from the perspective of two post-industrial cities: Sheffield, UK and Essen, Germany. This qualitative research utilises a multi case study approach, which allowed for semi-structure interviews and semiotics to be used. Preliminary findings highlight that there are four stakeholder ‘levels’. Each of these stakeholder groupings is involved in the city branding process to some extend. Findings suggest that the degree of involvement strongly depends on the primary stakeholders, who are seen as key decision-makers in the branding process. These primary stakeholders select other stakeholders that ‘can’ be involved in the branding process. Although this may be beneficial it is vital to provide more opportunities and incorporate stakeholders that are willing to participate in the branding process. Alienating stakeholders may also lead to losing parts of an identity that is based on heritage. The focus is on two cities with a highly industrialised background, thus findings may not be applicable to cities without this heritage. The paper looks at both stakeholder engagement and city branding, thereby proposing four layers of stakeholder involvement in the city branding process

Media literacies in transition? A review of practices within higher education contexts

Several scholars have addressed the centrality of media and internet literacy within what is commonly known as participatory media culture (e.g. Jenkins, 2006). For some, integration of social media within tertiary and post-tertiary curricula promises an unprecedented pedagogical potential, particulary focusing on peer-to-peer learning, cultural agency and digital creativity skills. Engagement with social media in an educational context, is influenced by several factors, including cultural perceptions regarding ‘learning’ and ‘information’, 'informal' and 'accredited'; perceptions regarding the value of resources and evaluation of information, but also competences involving critical reflection and communicative or negotiation skills (Livingstone, 2008; Metzer and Flanagin, 2008; Rieh and Hilligoss, 2008). Also important are the tensions associated with the blurring boundaries between production and use, ownership and authorship, expert authority and amateur creativity, openness and completeness, as well as formal and informal learning (e.g. James et al, 2008; McPherson, 2008). As educational instituions turn from transmission to more dialogic models in the production of learning materials, the discussion of media literacy can be further contextualised. Based on an extensive review of the evidence-based literature on the pedagogical uses of social media in higher education in four OECD countries, and an empirical investigation of volunteer 'learner-students' and 'learner-teachers' interacting in two non-formal, open educational contexts, the paper offers a workable typology of literacies focusing on: a) social and situated practices (including meaning making and situated cognition); b) technological and media literacies in creating, interpretting and reusing materials (including multimodal skills, information and critical literacy); c) and scaffolded and metacognitive literacies (including the pedagogies associated with mediated learning). It argues that while the discussion of media literacy is well situated within discourses and practices on life-long and self-directed learning, novel tensions surrounding the boundaries of self-representation, credit and expertise in digital spaces, make the implementation of learning literacies for the digital age more comple

Historical review and urban development of the city of Kalamata

164 σ.Η Καλαμάτα πόλη της νοτιοδυτικής Πελλοπονήσσου και πρωτευουσα του νομού Μεσσηνίας έχοντας υποστεί και ανακάμψει από πολλά δεινά όπως ο καταστρεπτικός σεισμός του 1986, συνεχίζει και διατηρεί τα συγκριτικά της πλεονεκτήματα που την καθιστούν μία από τις ομορφότερες πόλης της Ελλάδος.Kalamata, a town in southwestern Peloponnese and the capital of Messenia, having undergone and recovered from too many sufferings such as the devastating earthquake of 1986, continues to maintain and build upon its comparative advantages that make it one of the most beautiful cities in Greece. This paper’s effort is to concentrate concealed from the time historical elements of the city and to promote its modern features. It examines and studies the urban development of the first organized effort to develop the first draft of the city until the delimitation of the objectives of the last and very recent GIS of 2011. The aim of the paper is to present the characteristics of the city that reveal its importance, and to point out its evolution through out time from an urban development perspective along with (or taking under consideration) the crucial fact that contributed to the shaping of its current form and is no other than the earthquake of 1986. In particular, this research paper consists of 10 chapters. Initially, general information about the city of Kalamata is analyzed, in addition to the geographical and administrative definition and its history. Then, the urban planning over time with emphasis on events that changed its format as the redesign of the city after the earthquake of 1986 is examined. Additionally, there is a reference to the social, technical and cultural characteristics, its financial data and natural environment. Finally, some important urban and social problems of the region are identified and recommended solutions for upgrading the quality of life are proposedΑγγελική Π. Αλεβίζο

The hoarder, the oniomaniac and the fashionista in me: A life histories perspective on self‐concept and consumption practices

Increased negative media attention has focused on the environmental impacts the fashion industry has on the natural environment, thereby calling for solutions, focused on clothing purchase, use and end‐of‐life treatment. This research explores the relationship between consumers and their clothing consumption (from purchase through to disposal), through the lens of life histories, and thus exploring what impacts on end‐of‐life clothes treatment. The novelty of this study lies within connecting fashion consumption practices with the self‐concept in the context of clothing consumption (pre‐ purchase through to disposal), from an individual's life history perspective. This qualitative enquiry utilised life histories, thereby conducting 20 in‐depth semi‐structured interviews that were analysed through a grounded approach. Findings indicate that fashion consumption is heavily influenced by an individual's “self”, in that those that have a positive perception of themselves have reduced shopping habits, whilst those with a negative perception increase them. Our results show that our participants go through various consumption practices (hoarder, oniomaniac, and “fashionista”) that co‐exist within them and are influenced by the individual's self. Our study calls for more intergenerational research exploring fashion consumption and disposal