Electronic Forum Research Articles

Crossing media boundaries

It is necessary to continuously review the definition of the book moving from one bound by its material form to one determined by its function as a means of communication. The book’s social function as the high status vehicle for communicating new ideas and cultural expressions is being challenged by sophisticated systems of conveying meaning in other media. In this article, we report on two projects: electronic book (e-book) publication and reader forum for Nature Mage and the transmedia augmented reality (AR) fiction Sherwood Rise, which investigate these issues. Claudio Pires Franco’s work is based on the adaptation of a source work: Duncan Pile’s Nature Mage. The project aims to develop the book from e-book to a fan-produced enhanced digital book. Through this practice-based research, Franco investigates the definitions and classification of the e and i forms of the book and adaptation in new media; the role of the author in creative collaboration with readers through online forums; the extension of the story world through creative collaboration and reader participation while respecting and safeguarding creative properties. One remove from the traditional book, David Miller’s Sherwood Rise, research the user experience with AR to examine narrative problems and explore new storytelling aesthetics. These new media forms define the outer borders of the book system within which content is formed and moulded, and around which society is shaped.

Awakenings: The Emergence of White Supremacist Ideologies

Scholarly treatments of white supremacy have tended to focus on groups over individuals, examining belief systems, framing mechanisms, and operational dynamics. White supremacist discourse and dialogue often include descriptions of the processes through which one “awakens” to support these ideologies. This article considers how individuals report discovering their affinity for white supremacist belief systems. Data are culled from personal accounts available on Web pages, postings to electronic discussion forums, literature published by white supremacist groups, and biographical/autobiographical works. The authors discuss the common themes emerging from accounts of personal “awakenings” to better understand how adherence to white supremacist ideologies emerges within the individual. Implications for broader understandings of white supremacy are discussed.

Conceptos de calor y trabajo en un foro electrónico. Efectos de la autoeficacia computacional

Concepts of heat and work in an electronic forum. Effects of computer self-efficacy The purpose of this study was to describe the activity performance in an electronic forum on the concepts of work and heat, and their relationship with computer self-efficacy and other variables, with the aim of providing tools that incorporate the use of ICT in the teaching of thermodynamics. Thirty four university students who were in the course of Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology participated in the study. We used the Computer Self- Efficacy Inventory (IAC) adapted by Peinado and Ramirez (2010). Significant relationships were found between performance on the electronic forum and computational efficacy subscale and between basic skills and performance in the electronic forum. The results suggest the need to consider the knowledge on electronic resources held by students to reinforce knowledge or training in new technologies, given that the more able to feel, they get better results in activities that involve the use of the computer.

Tomas Tranströmer’s stroke of genius

This column explores the links and synergies between medicine and literature. What roles can literature play in reflecting and influencing good practice, and what sorts of images of doctoring are to be found in drama, poetry, fiction, biography, electronic fora and film? The editors would be pleased to receive short papers, ranging from 500–1,000 words, on relevant topics. Those interested in contributing should email brian.hurwitz@kcl.ac.uk or neil.vickers@kcl.ac.uk

Enabling quality improvement in systemic cancer treatment through a collaborative approach.

88 Background: The Regional Systemic Treatment Program at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) aims to ensure the highest quality of systemic treatment is available to Ontarians, as close to home as possible. CCO initiated a provincial collaborative with the aim of improving the safe delivery of parenteral chemotherapy from orders through preparation, to administration, for patients, and providers. Methods: From April 2011 to March 2012, interdisciplinary hospital teams across Ontario followed multiple Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles to perform QI projects focusing on safe delivery of systemic treatment. Over this period, three in-person sessions educating participants on improvement methodology were held. Monthly teleconferences and an electronic discussion forum encouraged a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration. Results: 113 participants from 26 teams participated in a total of 81 improvement initiatives. 96% of participants surveyed indicated that the collaborative provided a valuable opportunity to network with peers, share ideas, and discuss lessons learned. During the collaborative, teams reported their progress on a scale of 1-5. At May 2011, teams averaged a self-assessment score of 1, indicating no progress had been made. By February 2012, this increased to an average score of 4, indicating significant progress and achievement of at least one improvement objective/goal. CCO has leveraged the foundations built by the collaborative to develop a Regional Quality and Safety Network. This network provides a regular forum for health care providers and administrators to share knowledge and collaborate on strategies for improving quality and safety in the delivery of systemic treatment. Conclusions: The collaborative demonstrated that the use of a formal quality improvement model is a successful mechanism for regional engagement; that provides the foundation necessary for building a provincial network with common goals and understanding regarding quality improvement. By educating participants, supporting local efforts and enabling knowledge transfer and exchange, the collaborative showed that shared ideas and even small changes can lead to large-scale improvements for patients and providers.

Raven-II: An Open Platform for Surgical Robotics Research

The Raven-II is a platform for collaborative research on advances in surgical robotics. Seven universities have begun research using this platform. The Raven-II system has two 3-DOF spherical positioning mechanisms capable of attaching interchangeable four DOF instruments. The Raven-II software is based on open standards such as Linux and ROS to maximally facilitate software development. The mechanism is robust enough for repeated experiments and animal surgery experiments, but is not engineered to sufficient safety standards for human use. Mechanisms in place for interaction among the user community and dissemination of results include an electronic forum, an online software SVN repository, and meetings and workshops at major robotics conferences.

Educators Engage Digital Natives and Learn from Their Experiences with Technology

Integrating technology engages students in their learning.Advocates of the middle school concept have long espoused the importance of being developmentally responsive to the unique nature and needs of young adolescents (National Middle School Association, 2010). While these efforts have resulted in numerous successes over the years, too many schools have not kept pace with the growing needs of students in one particular area: technology. Middle grades students are drawn to 21st century technologies more than any other age group; 11- to 14-year-olds spend 230% more time on non-school computer use than do 8- to 10-year-olds. The largest share of this time is spent on social networking sites such as Facebook (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010).Middle grades students are drawn to these technologies precisely because they meet many young adolescent needs. The use of Facebook, for example, responds directly to students' need for affiliation. The immediate and autonomous access to information available on the Web responds to their desire for both competence and awareness. Opportunities for social activism through various Web 2.0 tools offer many ways to meet young adolescents' need for an ethical sense of self; and being entrusted to interact with a world-wide authentic audience and to oversee expensive hardware responds directly to their desire for responsibility.As middle level schools strive to respond to the developmental needs of young adolescents, they should view students' technologies as an effective means to meet these needs. What happens when educators embrace and learn from young adolescents' preferred technologies as a way of engaging students? How and to what extent are middle grades students engaged in technology-rich classrooms?The purpose of this article is to provide a glimpse of our six-year journey into middle grades students' engagement in student-centered, technology-rich classrooms. We begin by describing the engagement needs and expectations of native students (Prensky, 2001, 2010). We then describe the schools with which we have worked and the strategies we applied. Next we share student, teacher, principal, and parent perspectives, derived from interviews and ongoing participant observation. In particular, we highlight the attributes of technology integration that students find most engaging. Finally, we consider the challenges and opportunities that arise when implementing this kind of school change.The 21st century young adolescentThe challenge of engaging young adolescents in classroom learning has never been greater. Today's digital natives expect more from their teachers than did students in decades past. Students in this net generation (Tapscott, 1998, 2008) learn best through trial and error, process information quickly, connect with graphics before text, and require relevance in their learning (Deubel, 2006; Glasser, 1998; Prensky, 2001). They have grown accustomed to flashy, high-definition graphics, constant multitasking, and the excitement of gaming. Eighty percent of middle grades students own iPods or MP3 players, 69% have their own cell phones, 69% possess handheld video game players, and 27% own personal laptops (Rideout et al., 2010).When faced with questions, students today find answers within seconds using Google or other search engines. When they want to acquire a new skill, they watch a YouTube video to learn it. When requiring further consultation, they tap into an electronic forum or social network that provides them access to myriad others who share their interests. Familiar young adolescent patterns of learning have been transformed by readily accessible technologies. Kids hang out daily with dozens of friends through Facebook, texting, and online games; mess around by making digital videos for YouTube and exploring endless collections of music; and geek out by modding (modifying) games or pursuing their favorite hobbies online with avid youth and adults far from home (Ito et al. …

The Making of the 2011 Revision of the Integrating Resources Manual

This installment of Electronic Journal Forum describes the steps taken to revise Integrating Resources: A Cataloging Manual, which was first published in 2003. The revision reflects recent changes in MARC 21 coding and Program for Cooperative Cataloging practices, including provider-neutral record guidance. Examples in the manual were reviewed and purged of inconsistencies in coding.

The Making of the 2011 Revision of the Integrating Resources Manual

This installment of Electronic Journal Forum describes the steps taken to revise Integrating Resources: A Cataloging Manual, which was first published in 2003. The revision reflects recent changes in MARC 21 coding and Program for Cooperative Cataloging practices, including provider-neutral record guidance. Examples in the manual were reviewed and purged of inconsistencies in coding.

Participatory Agent-Based Simulation for Renewable Resource Management: The Role of the Cormas Simulation Platform to Nurture a Community of Practice

This paper describes how the Cormas platform has been used for 12 years as an artefact to foster learning about agent-based simulation for renewable resource management. Among the existing generic agent-based simulation platforms, Cormas occupies a tiny, yet lively, place. Thanks to regular training sessions and an electronic forum, a community of users has been gradually established that has enabled a sharing of ideas, practices and knowledge, and the emergence of a genuine community of practice whose members are particularly interested in participatory agent-based simulation.

Prioritizing WHO normative work on maternal and perinatal health: a multicountry survey

BackgroundWHO develops evidence-based guidelines for setting global standards and providing technical support to its Member States and the international community, as a whole. There is a clear need to ensure that WHO guidance is relevant, rigorous and up-to date. A key activity is to ascertain the guidance needs of the countries. This study provides an international comparison of priority guidance needs for maternal and perinatal health. It incorporates data from those who inform policy and implementation strategies at a national level, in addition to targeting those who use and most need the guidance at grassroot level.MethodsAn online multi-country survey was used to identify WHO guidance priorities for the next five years in the field of maternal and perinatal health. WHO regional and country offices were requested to respond the survey and obtain responses from Ministries of Health around the world. In addition, the survey was disseminated through other networks and relevant electronic forums.ResultsA total of 393 responses were received, including 56 from Ministries of Health and 54 from WHO/UN country offices. 75% of responses were from developing countries and 25% from developed countries. Guidance on strategies focusing on 'quality of care' issues to reduce all-cause maternal/perinatal mortality was considered the most important domain to target, which includes for instance guidance to improve access, dissemination, implementation of effective practices and health professionals' education.ConclusionsThis study provides a panorama of international priority guidance needs for maternal and perinatal health. Although clinical guidance remains a priority, there are other areas related to health systems guidance, which seem to be even more important. Overall, the domain ranked highest in terms of greatest need for guidance was around quality of care, which included questions related to educational needs, access to and implementation of guidance.

Exam 2 Strategy

After students take their first exam in an accounting course, tax accounting and intermediate accounting in this case, their reactions to their test scores may be varied. This is their first major assessment of how they have performed in the class. The students in the class near the high end of the grading scale are going to be satisfied with their score. Yet the overwhelming majority of students should be thinking about how they can do better on the next exam or an Exam 2 strategy. This paper describes a process which allows students to develop a strategy or action plan for their next exam. This process provides students a way to earn bonus points while developing their communication skills and showcasing their writing skills in a convenient electronic forum. Thus students develop their own strategy and benefit by considering the collective wisdom of the top ten strategies posted on the course web site. Detailed instructions are provided below to implement an Exam 2 strategy assignment which provides students an action plan to better their next exam scores.

Isolation in time: a cause of suffering in the elderly. Lessons from Krapp's last tape

This column explores the links and synergies between medicine and literature. What roles can literature play in reflecting and influencing good practice, and what sorts of images of doctoring are to be found in drama, poetry, fiction, biography, electronic fora and film? The editors would be pleased to receive short papers, ranging from 500–1,000 words, on relevant topics. Those interested in contributing should email brian.hurwitz@kcl.ac.uk or neil.vickers@kcl.ac.uk

Editorial: State of the Journal

Editorial: State of the Journal

Interação virtual e a autoria de artigos científicos: nos bastidores da produção acadêmica

Este artigo trata de uma experiência com o gênero digital fórum educacional na disciplina Leitura e Produção do Texto Acadêmico (LPTA), do curso de Letras da UFC, cujo propósito foi desenvolver habilidades de compreensão e produção de textos acadêmicos, em especial o artigo científico. Para isso, os estudantes, em aulas presenciais, aprenderam sobre o gênero artigo científico e seus movimentos retóricos mais comuns. A partir dessas aulas, começaram a produzir seu próprio texto e, nesse momento, o fórum serviu como ferramenta didática para a apropriação de saberes em torno do artigo. Como resultado, a aprendizagem sobre o artigo foi bastante significativa e colaborativa, pois os alunos usaram, satisfatoriamente, os recursos multimodais disponibilizados pelo fórum, bem como analisaram os textos dos outros estudantes da turma, com um olhar mais crítico, afirmando perceber falhas e acertos e, desse modo, estar mais atentos às suas próprias produções.

“You're Invading the World and You Don't Even Know Where Slovenia Is!” An Analysis of an Online Forum Among American, Australian and Slovenian University Students

This paper is about an international electronic forum set up among university students in the United States, Australia, and Slovenia. It seeks to (a) develop a richer understanding of how Americans view themselves in relation to a globalizing world, (b) examine how American, Slovenian and Australian university students use an interactive online context to advance and challenge particular points of view within, and across, domestic boundaries, and (c) reflect on the ways in which the participants, in particular the American participants, might be said to have been moved, or not moved, to reassess their (national) views on various issues of global significance.

Electronic Meal Experience: A Content Analysis of Online Restaurant Comments

This article presents a content analysis of 2,471 customer comments regarding three hundred London restaurants on an online restaurant guide. Favorable comments far outnumbered negative reviews. The study’s chief purpose was to identify the factors that are most salient in a guest’s evaluation of a restaurant. Although food is established as the king of the meal experience, as found in other studies, the starter is cited as a highly memorable item in many consumers’ comments. A preference structure model emerges suggesting that customers consider food, service, ambience, price, menu, and decor (in that order) when reflecting on their experiences. Contrary to expectations, the model remains relatively constant when tested in times of economic plenty and economic crisis. Depending on how management monitors and responds to them, comments on electronic guides and in social media can destroy a restaurant or help secure the business’s longevity. Restaurant managers who respond successfully to comments in electronic forums can turn an unsatisfied customer to a loyal one. The study provides a comparison of comments made during times of favorable economic conditions and times of economic recession.

Dr Winkel’s crucifix – moral ambiguity in The Third Man

This column explores the links and synergies between medicine and literature. What roles can literature play in reflecting and influencing good practice, and what sorts of images of doctoring are to be found in drama, poetry, fiction, biography, electronic fora and film? The editors would be pleased to receive short papers, ranging from 500–1,000 words, on relevant topics. Those interested in contributing should email brian.hurwitz@kcl.ac.uk or neil.vickers@kcl.ac.uk

Leavers and stayers discuss returning home: Internet discourses on migration in the context of the post-communist transformation

There is a significant difference between previous waves of Polish migrants and the massive outflow of people from Poland after the EU expansion. Information technologies enable post-accession migrants to participate actively in an ongoing dialogue with those who stayed in the home country about, among others, various social issues related to the process of the post-communist transformation. This paper discusses an electronic newspaper forum as an example of transnational space of participation in a recreated civil society. Recently there has been an on-going debate in the Polish media about a possible return of the post-04 migrants. Newspapers and magazines emphasise the economic (very strong Polish currency) as well as the political arguments (change of a government for the more liberal one) in order to explain that a mass return might happen. Both migrants and ‘non-migrants' make comments on the issues and they post their views on Internet fora of a number of e-papers. Anchoring the study in narrative and discourse analyses, I shall describe topics and linguistic forms of the participants’ entries to the fora. I shall also comment on the interactional function of the selected data. In doing so I hope to shed light on the role of such Internet sites as translocal platforms of a new form of involvement in the public sphere. The data come from approximately 500 entries on an Internet forum triggered by newspaper reports and articles in the electronic version of the Gazeta Wyborcza between January and March 2008.

Editorial: Topics in learning technologies

The author reflects on a survey in which members of the British Journal of Educational Technology's editorial board and a reviewer panel were asked to select their top five topics in learning technology from a list comprised of 41 possible choices, including adaptive systems, corporate learning, and learning styles. The results of the survey, which include the input from members of an electronic forum, called Instructional Technology Forum (ITForum), are presented.