Group items tagged

"Our Space is a set of curricular materials designed to encourage high school students to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their participation in new media environments. Through role-playing activities and reflective exercises, students are asked to consider the ethical responsibilities of other people, and whether and how they behave ethically themselves online. These issues are raised in relation to five core themes that are highly relevant online: identity, privacy, authorship and ownership, credibility, and participation. For more information, download the Introduction to Our Space [pdf], FAQ [pdf], and Road Map [pdf]. All curricular units and lessons are free and available for download below. The full casebook [pdf - 133MB] can be downloaded using the link at the bottom of the page." Critiqued by @downes for not addressing the issue properly "This is "a set of curricular materials designed to encourage high school students to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their participation in new media environments." The content divides into five major subject areas: participation, identity, privacy, credibility, and authorship and ownership. I'm not sure these are the top five things I would list when thinking of ethical dimensions of new media environments. While it's useful that there is a section on flamers, lurkers and mentors I think there should be something about hate, racism and bulling. And while a section on credibility is a good idea, it should be based on the principles of reason and inference, not outrageously bad definitions like this: "Networking-the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information." And this: "Collective intelligence-evidence that participants in knowledge communities pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal." Wow, those are just wrong. Maybe I need to review this and criticize it more closely."

"Focusing on the ethical issues that arise in social media research, we looked at issues around understanding digital identities, the ethics of platforms and public and private data. This is the first in a series of posts detailing the discussions we held as part of the breakout session. "

"So you buy the hardcover and then pirate a homebrew e-book ...the interesting question isn't one of law, it's one of ethics"

First of 2 blog posts on plagiarism vs iterative innovation in the gaming industry. Has some good discussion on the ethics and principles of re-using others work and the implications for creativity and innovation. Other post at http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AndySchatz/20110815/8198/Fishing_the_iOS_Clone_market_and_PatentCopyright.php

"Within a week of the emergence of Occupy Wall Street, a library surfaced in the midst of the protest. Staffed by volunteers and comprised entirely of donated materials, the People's Library offers books and media to the public, provides basic reference assistance and has built an online catalog of their holdings. In this paper, I analyze the People's Library in terms of larger discussions of libraries, technology and activism. Drawing on personal experiences volunteering at the Library as well as text from the Library's blog, I argue that the People's Library offers two counter arguments to conventional claims about the public library: first, that libraries are being existentially threatened by the emergence of digital technologies and second, that a library's institutional ethics are located solely or predominantly in the content of its collection. Using the People's Library as a kind of conceptual case study, I explore the connections between public libraries, digital technologies and activist ideologies."

"Some might argue that the analytics tools at our disposal are currently mainly used for boring purposes, such as improving processes and making money. In this paper we will try to define learning analytics and their purpose for learning and education. We will ponder on the best possible fit of particular types of research methods and their analysis. Methodological concerns related to the analysis of Big Data collected on online networks as well as ethical and privacy concerns will also be highlighted and a case study of the use of learning analytics in a Massive Open Online Course explored."

Details of the secret iPhone Apps agreement that developers aren't allowed to talk about.

"Digital Information Fluency (DIF) is the ability to find, evaluate and use digital information effectively, efficiently and ethically.  DIF involves Internet search skills that start with understanding how digital information is different from print information, knowing how to use specialized tools for finding digital information and strengthening the dispositions needed in the digital information environment.  As teachers and librarians develop these skills and teach them to students, students will become better equipped to achieve their information needs."

Post arguing that teachers should keep a professional distance from their students. I think I profoundly disagree with this post, not around the act of staying distant but about the power differential built into his argument. Acting ethically and modelling good and realistic practice in life is more fundamental to a useful educational stance. This post refers I think to non-adults and emotional transference is something that teachers need to be conscious of. I'm not arguing that teachers should friend all their pupils online, rather that his reasons for this are flawed.

2nd of 2 posts on plagiarism vs iterative innovation in the gaming industry. 1st is at http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/EvanJones/20110815/8195/Radical_Plagiarism_The_Ethical_Lessons_of_the_Gamenauts_Controversy.php