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Issues Forums and epanels workshop November 29, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : General , comments closed

In addition to everything else I’m attending a workshop on “Issues Forums & epanels” from Nov 28 - Dec 9, 2005. Do those dates ring a bell with anyone?

It’s run by Tim Erikson, in Minnesota, and Carol Hayward, Project Manager Local E-Democracy, Bristol City Council.

Issues Forums are geographically based online discussion groups, intended to empower communities to influence their local authorities, and epanels seem to be more like consultation exercises.

I’m likely to take a somewhat critical stance, but welcome the learning opportunity alongside others.

links: e-democracy

epanels and Issues Forums

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Commissioning Editor November 28, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : Action Research, Wiki , 3comments

last night I had dreadful journey across London with trains disrupted and buses too full to board, forcing me to do what Londoners often do after work in the early evening, spend a couple of hours in the pub before going home. I know, it’s a terrible burden and it meant I couldn’t do any work on the report I’m supposed to be finishing but never mind, there’s a fortnight of imitating the 14 day thesis to look forward to. Two pieces of good news though. The first response to my online pilot exhibition has appeared there, and I couldn’t wish for a better start. Now to test my theory that nobody much wanted to be the first to comment - come on the rest of you, there’s no excuse now.

The second piece of good news is a positive result from my initiative to commission a series of articles for publication on the cider wiki. The ukcider community of practice and newly created wiki were the subject of my first piece of Distributed Action Research last year. One of our small scale commercial cidermakers is a naturally talented writer whose contributions to the mailing list are a delight to read, as well as being stacked full of useful tips and insights into the country practice. I suggested that these writings deserved to be published on a dedicated blog for the business, but that didn’t appeal so instead I’ve obtained agreement to sift through the archives, past present and future, and edit them into a feature article, or series. What a delightful job for me, and I believe it will go a long way towards one of my longer term objectives which is to encourage the publication of more ’soft’ knowledge and expertise from amongst the COP onto the wiki to take it beyond the mere accumulation of hard data facts, lists, names and places.

The concept of ‘hard’ and ’soft’ knowledge is taken from “The duality of knowledge” by Hildreth and Kimble (2005)

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John Prescott’s Wiki November 25, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : Wiki , add a comment

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sponsored e-innovations programme has published a wiki, using the commercial application wiki known as jotspot.

WikiHome - e-innovations - JotSpot

It contains gems of quotations such as “Innovation is not absolutely necessary, but then neither is survival.”

Access problems? November 24, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : Action Research, tools , add a comment

I’ve just had an email from somebody who tried to access the site but couldn’t get in. I’m waiting for further details.
If the password protection is creating more of an obstacle than it needs to be then I’ll get rid of it. Why did I use password protection anyway - it’s not like me?

1) So I could develop the page incrementally without it being viewed unti it was ready .
2) Because it’s only a pilot, not a professional exhibition, so it’s very much a preview taste of a very incomplete work which isn’t yet suitable for general promotion.

In a chat recently with one invitee it was mentioned that the login didn’t work unless cookies are enabled. That could be it, but I would expect most internet users to have cookies enabled these days - or do they?

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Planning a pilot exhibition November 22, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : Action Research , add a comment

Planning a pilot exhibition proved to be a messy business. Because of the complicated structure which I designed my research plan around, the timing wasn’t ideal, but there’s not a lot I can do about that. I’ve performed two cycles of phase one research, which is a good start, but the results from that need to be extracted onto the Wiki as well as making the data and process explicit so that my pilot attendees will have some chance of understanding what it is I’m hoping to achieve out of this.

Holding the pilot really marks the premature start of phase 2, (phase 1 will resume after December 9th).

For me it’s as much an excercise in trying to find an audience and testing the technique of online exhibition as it is a trial of one data collection method. The data collection method itself is not straightforward, and it may be difficult for me to explain. The diagram in the proposal is probably the clearest I’ve managed so far.

let me know if you’d like to be a test pilot by the way, there may something in it for you too.
What’s the digital equivalent to chocolate cake?

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Seymour Papert and the $100 Laptops November 18, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : General , add a comment

Ross Mayfield highlights the less well publicised aspect of a scheme which is gathering momentum to provide millions of cheap hand powered laptop computers to third world children.

100_laptop.jpg

quoting David Kirkpatrick:
Can $100 Laptops Save the World?

Negroponte’s team is seeking not only a technological breakthrough but also a teaching breakthrough. They believe that illiterate kids can, with a little instruction, learn to use computers on their own and then use the laptops to teach themselves to read. After that comes math, history—you name it. Alan Kay, a Xerox Parc veteran, is working with MIT mathematician and educational theorist Seymour Papert to build software that “watches” each student and makes suggestions. Papert’s “constructionist learning” approach encourages children to reach conclusions through trial and error.

I think there’s a bit more to contructionism than just trial and error, but Ross is onto something when he says “This breaks known conventions for education and technology, which could have a far greater impact than the commoditization at play.” It would be nice to think so anyway.

Seymour Papert is the inventor of “Logo” the system which encourages children to learn through programming and is one of the few worthwhile activities left in the UK National Curriculum for ICT .

Constructionism vs. Instructionism

In the 1980s Seymour Papert delivered this transcripted speech by video to a conference of educators in Japan.

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approaching the action research methodology November 14, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : distributed research, Action Research , add a comment

Having completed 2 small cycles of the action research I am now appreciating the advantage of using an emergent and iterative approach to the methodology itself. By starting with a plan which is loose and flexible, as I learn more about action research methodology and the practical implications for my own research project, I can refine each of the small cycles in turn so that they approach further and further towards my own developing understanding of how action research should ideally be conducted.

In practical terms what this means is that when it comes to planning cycle 3 I will try to increase the emphasis a little more on qualitative data and collaboration.

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Second small cycle November 5, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : Action Research , comments closed

I’ve begun a second small Action Enquiry today, and this is some of what I learned from the first cycle:

4) What did I learn about DAR? ( reflection on process)

I was reminded about the time shift illusion in web boards - and possibly all asynchronous discussions. Coming along later and reading through past discussions is not the same as experiencing them as they unfold.

The power of the link in a sig ( and nickname)

Relatively new members can make enthusiastic advocates.

5) What did I learn about this Research project?

As proof of concept, it seems to work.
Need to write up findings and reflections promptly
It was difficult to tell when the cycle ended.
A better reflection model might help.

So one change which I’m implementing this time is to set a strict endpoint and stick to it. The cycle ends next Saturday and on Sunday I will reflect upon the findings.

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The Psychology of Cyberspace - Blog November 5, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : General , comments closed

Here’s somebody doing internet research from a psychology background, and who has a blog (see sidebar links) The free downloadable book is very readable.

The Psychology of Cyberspace - Home Page/Table of Contents

The Psychology of Cyberspace Blog Companion: As a companion reader to this online book, I use my blog to give readers an inside view of a cyberpsychologist’s life and the day-to-day issues we deal with. What is it like to study how people behave online? What issues are my colleagues and the media talking about?

Tag Cloud November 1, 2005

Posted by Andy Roberts in : General , add a comment

This was an experimental ‘tag cloud’ which is meant to represent the articles in some 200 odd RSS feeds to which I am subscribed.

Hmm, well the code sort of works here, (except the links break) but it doesn’t look as good as on the website which generated it.

tag cloud beta is from tagcloud.com