Supporting participation in communities of practice by scientists from developing countries — The case of high energy physics

Over the last decade, researchers have hypothesized that a new form of scientific organization, the “collaboratory” holds promise to greatly benefit scientists from developing countries by allowing them to reach remotely located experts, instruments, and databases. However, there have been no empirical studies to prove or disprove this hypothesis. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study examines how collaboratories affect one of the factors that purportedly lead to scientific productivity—communities of practice. Results of data analysis indicate that collaboratories bring about new opportunities for scientists from developing countries to access scientists from developed countries and their practices, but barriers also exist. The full value of collaboratories can be achieved only after the technologies themselves and the social practices surrounding the use of technologies are improved.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63070/1/1450450288_ftp.pd

Imperfect Partnership: Effects of Collaboratories on Scientists from Developing Countries.

In recent years, researchers have hypothesized that a new form of scientific collaboration--the “collaboratory”--holds promises to greatly benefit scientists from developing countries. It is argued that distributed collaborations enabled by various information technologies can allow scientists from developing countries to reach remotely located experts, instruments, and databases that their local institutions cannot afford. However, there have been no empirical studies to prove or disprove this. Prior studies of the impact of information technology on scientific work tend to focus on the correlation between technology use and scientific productivity as measured by publications and citations. This approach ignores the mediating factors affecting the relationship between information technology use and scientific productivity. Adopting a qualitative approach (interviews complemented by field observation), I explore how scientists from developing countries benefit from reaching remotely located resources and participating in communities of practice and networks of practice in the virtual organization of a collaboratory. I also demonstrate how the relation of resource dependency, the nature of collaborative work, geographical distance and cultural differences influence scientists’ participation in collaborataries. These factors affect the ability of scientists from developing countries to access resources of collaboratories, build relationships with other collaboratory members and learn knowledge and practice from their collaborators in the developed world. In addition, I show that collaboratories facilitate technology transfer from scientists from developed countries to those from developing countries. However, scientists from developing countries demonstrate an urgent need to build general competence in performing research. This kind of competence can only be achieved through long-term exposure to the practices of advanced laboratories from the developed world. Collaboratories failed to meet the need because of their project-oriented nature and their funding mechanism.Ph.D.InformationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58369/1/airongl_1.pd

Lessons Learned about Coordinating Academic Partnerships from an International Network for Health Education

Poster for Medical Education Day 2014https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149192/1/201404-mededday-poster-collablessons-4col-final-170909223007.pdfDescription of 201404-mededday-poster-collablessons-4col-final-170909223007.pdf : Poster (PDF

International partnerships in developing and deploying health open educational resources

Lack of training opportunities for new and practicing health care professionals constitutes a major barrier to patient care in many developing countries. Open Educational Resources (OER) hold the potential to provide more training materials and alternative learning opportunities for health professionals. OER are teaching and learning materials made freely and openly available for students, faculty, and self learners around the world. OER is not an online distance learning program. The focus of OER is on scaling up teaching and learning capacity in partner institutions by co-creating new learning materials and converting existing materials into OER. The context for which OER content is produced is often different from the contexts in which it is used. Thus, one of the major challenges of OER is to understand how to create a sustainable OER model to ensure that OER production and use fit different learning and teaching environments. The panel will share their perspectives on the following issues: - How are different types of OER created and packaged for delivery and use? - What are the challenges brought about by different contexts of knowledge creation and use? - How do we design new tools and leverage the existing tools (Sakai course management system, Adobe Connect and similar web conferencing systems, OpenCast and lecture capture systems) to facilitate the creation and use of knowledge? - How can we produce sustainable models of OER creation and use?Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78320/1/1450460148_ftp.pd

Fostering Cross-institutional Collaboration for Open Educational Resources Production

An editable version of this resource is available at http://open.umich.edu/education/med/oernetwork/reports/oer-collab-report/2010.Although there are over a quarter of a million open courses published by an increasing number of universities, it remains unclear whether Open Educational Resources (OER) is scalable and productively sustainable. The challenge is compounded when OER is examined in the light of its potential to allow both educators and learners in developing countries to contribute geographically bound learning resources in the context of varied infrastructural, technological and skill constraints. Between October and December 2009, 52 participants involved in various roles related to Health OER from five universities (one in the USA, two in Ghana and two in South Africa) were interviewed. The aim of the study was to investigate sustainability of OER based on possible cross-institutional collaboration as well as social and technical challenges in creating and sharing OER materials. The analytical framework was adopted from prior research in related areas: distributed scientific collaboration; cyber infrastructure; open source development; and Wikipedia. We adopted a qualitative approach for data collection, which included semi structured interviews and document analysis. The findings were analyzed and reported with many direct quotations included. The outcome of the data analysis is a model for productive, scalable, and sustainable OER based on cross-institutional collaboration. The report concludes with practical recommendations on how to the model can be operationalized.William and Flora Hewlett Foundationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94546/1/2010.12.08_oer_collaboration_report-final_0.pd

Collaboration between Developed and Developing Countries Offers Opportunities to Amplify Global Health Research

Slides for Ms. Omollo's portion of the panel are available at http://openmi.ch/sts13ahon.The complexity, scope and intensity of global health challenges demand international collaboration. Collaboration between developing and developed countries can be an effective strategy for tackling shared health issues. In recent years, government agencies and foundations have increased financial and human resources for international collaborative projects for health research and education. However, these international partnerships often encounter barriers such as resource, capacity, political and cultural differences which affect the motivations, balance of benefits, regulation of research, and ultimately outcomes of these programs. The current literature is resplendent with anecdotal reports, editorials and thematic introductions about attitudes and structural factors impacting partnerships between developing and developed countries. There is little research or documentation regarding systematic analysis of the social and technical factors that foster efficient, effective and sustainable international collaboration. The panelists will present three unique models of collaboration between developing and developed countries. They will examine the social, scientific, technological and organizational dynamics of these collaborations that must be aligned to effectively address challenges resulting from resource, capacity and power differences in the interaction of multiple organizational and national cultures. The lessons learned from these collaborations are intended to inform institutions and researchers who are engaged in multicultural and multinational health networks. The findings may also be a useful reference for policy makers and funding agencies for predicting and evaluating success of collaborative projects. The first panelist will present on the National Heart Lung and Blood – United Health Global Health Centers of Excellence (COE) Program (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/globalhealth/centers/index.htm). Each COE collaborates with a research organization in a developed country to develop research and training infrastructure and to build capacity to conduct population based or clinical research to monitor, control or prevent cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases (CVPD). The program includes an Administrative Coordinating Center that coordinates and manages network communication, tracks COE research, training and capacity building activities, and offers consultations related to methodology, outcome measures and data management for collaborative studies. The panelist will discuss mid-point process evaluation and how findings from the evaluation are guiding the direction of the program through the end of the funding period. The second panelist will present on University of Michigan Health Systems-Peking University Health Science Center Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research (JI) (http://www.puuma.org/). The JI is a virtual cross-institutional research platform destined to facilitate high-impact, collaborative research to advance global health. The panelist will focus on how to develop shared and individual institutional management structures, processes and technical infrastructure that supports and sustains successful cross-institutional collaboration. The third panelist will discuss the African Health OER Network (“the Network”) (http://www.oerafrica.org/healthoer), a collaborative project between University of Michigan, an NGO in Africa, two universities in Ghana, and two universities in South Africa. The objective of this project is to advance health education in Africa by creating and promoting free, openly licensed teaching materials by African academics to share knowledge, address curriculum gaps, and support health education communities. The panelist will present a collaboration model that involves an iterative process of action, assessment, and reflection. She will summarize the communication and management practices developed through the interactive process that enabled the Network to implement the shared values of transparency, collaboration, and active participation, to foster South-South as well as North-South exchanges, and to ultimately achieve project goals and sustainability.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102597/1/2013_Luo-et-al-SciTS_Cross-Cultural and International Team Science.docxhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102597/2/2013_Luo-et-al-SciTS_Cross-Cultural and International Team Science.pd

Digital Storytelling An Innovative Technological Approach to Nursing Education

This study investigated the impact of using digital stories in promoting deeper understanding in nursing students about palliative care concepts. Students (N = 134) created a 5-minute narrated digital story utilizing VoiceThread technology that synthesized and applied knowledge that had been presented in class and course readings. Postsurvey and focus group evaluation data revealed that through the writing and sharing of digital stories, students embraced the personal and complex nature of palliative care.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110783/1/Digital_Storytelling__An_Innovative_Technological.pdfDescription of Digital_Storytelling__An_Innovative_Technological.pdf : Articl

Recommended Guidelines for International Collaboration in Translational and Clinical Research

The field of translational research is relatively new, but the concept of research labs working side-by-side, albeit virtually, is even newer. This document Recommended Guidelines for International Collaboration in Translational and Clinical Research provides a collaboration model, outlining the most important building blocks for successful international collaboration both at the institutional and individual team level. It also presents typical challenges and offers solutions to those challenges. This document has been designed for future collaborative researchers and/or leaders. The insights provided in this guide are based on the research findings that have come out of the UMHS-PUHSC Joint Institute (JI), a virtual organization between the Peking University Health Science Center and the University of Michigan Health System (www.puuma.org).http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94530/1/2012-UMMS-Guidelines-for-International-Collaboration.inddhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94530/2/2012-UMMS-Guidelines-for-International-Collaboration.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94530/11/2012-UMMS-Guidelines-for-International-Collaboration--v2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94530/12/2012-UMMS-Guidelines-for-International-Collaboration-v2.ind

African Health OER Network Impact Research Plan

The goal of the evaluation research is to demonstrate the value and impact of the Network to funders, existing and potential institutional partners, OER creators and users, networks of African health education providers, and the international OER community. The successful 2010 Network grant proposal to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation included a preliminary logic model and proposed a set of indicators for the first two years of the Network. This working paper reflects a revised understanding of how to promote OER to support health education in Africa, how to demonstrate the impact of OER on the health education sector, and when to expect various outcomes.William and Flora Hewlett Foundationhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149179/1/2011.05.09_health_oer_network_impactresearchplan.pdfDescription of 2011.05.09_health_oer_network_impactresearchplan.pdf : Working Document (May 2011) (PDF

Towards a Sustainable Inter-Institutional Collaborative Framework for Open Educational Resources (OER)

Despite the potential benefits of a collaborative approach to OER production, sharing and distribution, little research has been directed to it. Furthermore, collaboration is not a panacea to the complex OER agenda, which is not limited to intellectual property rights, cost implications and academic concerns often evidenced through resistance to giving away educational resources for free. In this chapter, through examining the development of the Health OER Network, we focus on exploring how sustainable inter-institutional collaboration can facilitate OER production and sharing. This document may also be accessed at http://open.umich.edu/education/med/oernetwork/reports/collab-framework-oer/2013.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97764/1/2013-Ngambi-Luo-SustainbleCollabOER-pub_PS_OER-IRP_web-CC BY SA.pd