Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

Christian Sandvig: Is A&R the new R&D?

Young programmers may be the new rock stars, if digital media allow anyone to make their own software and content.  Is it true that the next big thing on the Internet can be “scouted” and “harvested,” rather than “developed”?

Steve Anderson: Future of Digital Education Panel

How is higher education evolving to accommodate digital technologies in the classroom, changing sensibilities among students and new forms of knowledge, learning and expression? A panel discussion in Second Life takes on these questions in order to think about the future of digital education.

Justine Cassell: Disempowering Girls as Users of Technology

Girls’ use of technology threatens the established social order.  That’s the real reason behind the fear of girls using social networking sites.

Ellen Seiter: Why Santa Brings Playstation, instead of a PC

There is a gaping home technology divide in this country.  And Santa knows that one Christmas present can’t fix it, no matter how generous.

This week’s theme: innovative uses and unexpected outcomes

Once upon a time not so long ago, one of the largest, most active groups of innovators in technological communications weren’t scientists or corporations but everyday citizens and amateur system operators.

Tara McPherson: How Literate Are You?

Traditional notions of literacy focus on reading and writing, but, in a digital era, full literacy means competency in a range of media.  While media literacy isnÌt a new concept, the term has traditionally focused on interpreting mainstream media messages.  ThatÌs a good first step, but we need to push toward a multimedia literacy that includes creating media.  We also need to develop curriculum to support such a definition.

Kate Wittenberg: Shifting from Publisher Authority to Participation

The vast amount of information now available can be either a benefit or an obstacle to effective learning.  Already, online social networks use a different system for credibility than the academic world.

Woolsey:  Credibility Does Persist Online, but Needs New Tools

Most suggest that credibility dissolves in the digital domain.  I think the opposite is true.  Traditional lineages persist, and we can respond to concerns by limiting access or further developing the net.

Deanna Kuhn: What develops?

Both children and adolescents exhibit weakness in evaluating evidence and in the metacongnitive ability to assess their own knowledge.

Ronald E. Rice: increasing the diversity of “credibility signals”

The indicators of credibility operate at two levels: first that of content, and second of the medium itself. Both are directly affected by the sheer scale of the Internet.

Kate Wittenberg: who will create new models for establishing credibility?

Mechanisms for establishing credibility are undergoing rapid change in the digital environment. It is unclear, however, who will guide these new credibility mechanisms.  Here, I consider one hypothetical publisher.

Woolsey:  Credibility is a Human Issue

Humans continue to be the major source for credibility judgements, even as tools are better and better.  Both the young and the old contribute to the problem.

This Week’s Theme: Credibility in Digital Media

Spotlighting voices drawn from the MacArthur Series online dialogs on credibility conducted earlier this month.

Credibility Online is Important and Difficult

The editors of the MacArthur Series volume on Credibility break down the issue for contemporary youth.