Learning in Communities (eBook)

John M. Carroll is Edward M. Frymoyer Chair Professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include methods and theory in human-computer interaction, particularly as applied to networking tools for collaborative learning and problem solving, and design of interactive information systems. Carroll serves on several editorial and advisory boards and is Editor-in-Chief of the ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interactions.  He received the Rigo Award and the CHI Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Silver Core Award from International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP), and the Goldsmith Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He is a fellow of the ACM, the IEEE, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Preface 6
Community Inquiry and Informatics: Collaborative Learning Through ICT 17
The Participant-Observer in Community-Based Learning as Community Bard 20
Learning in Communities: A Distributed Intelligence Perspective 24
Distributed Intelligence: Transcending the Individual Human Mind 24
Social Creativity 24
Exploiting Diversity and Distances by Making All Voices Heard 25
Spiders in the Net: Universities as Facilitators of Community-Based Learning 30
Designing Technology for Local Citizen Deliberation 34
Supporting the Appropriation of ICT: End-User Development in Civil Societies 37
Introduction 37
Active Support for Technology Appropriation 38
Supporting “Virtual Communities of Technology Practice” 39
Developmental Learning Communities 40
Introduction 40
Examples of Learning Communities 41
Supporting Developmental Learning Communities 42
Final Words 43
Social Reproduction and Its Applicability for Community Informatics 45
Introduction 45
Social Reproduction Theory 46
Breaking the Reproductive Cycle 48
Communities, Learning, and Democracy in the Digital Age 50
The Historical Importance of Access 50
The Challenge of Achieving Access in the Information Age 50
The Components of Access: Context, Connectivity,Capability, and Content 51
Context 51
Connectivity 51
Capability 52
Content 52
Lifelong Learning – The Persistent Challenge of Access 53
Radical Praxis and Civic Network Design 54
Local Groups Online: Political Learningand Participation 63
Introduction 63
Prior Research 65
Local Groups and Community Participation 65
The Role of Opinion Leaders 66
Group Communication and Involvement 67
Research Method 68
Sampling and Stratification 68
Survey Variables and Constructs 69
Statistical Analyses 72
Results 72
Demographics and Background 72
Opinion Leaders: Bridges vs. Nonbridges 73
Communication in Different Types of Groups 75
Changes in Local Participation and Internet Use 77
Expressive Groups 77
Instrumental Groups 78
Discussion 78
Community-Based Learning: The Core Competency of Residential, Research-Based Universities 82
Introduction 82
Conceptual Frameworks 83
Communities: Transcending the Individual Human Mind 84
Communities of Practice and Communities of Interest 85
Communities and Networks of Practice 85
Communities of Interest 86
Comparing CoPs, NoPs, and CoIs 87
Social Capital 89
Social Creativity 90
Metadesign 90
Approaches to Community-Based Learning 91
University of Colorado 91
Structure and Description of the Local Context 91
Courses-as-Seeds 92
Learning to Be: Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program 93
Transdisciplinary Education 94
Social Networks: Lifelong Learning 95
University of Siegen 96
Structure and Description of the Local Context 96
Courses in Practice: Enculturation of Students into Regional Industries’ CoPs 96
Learning to Be: Enculturation of Students into Faculty Research CoPs 98
Transdisciplinary Education: Interdisciplinary Courses for Students from Different Backgrounds 99
Social Networks: Regional Learning Between Academia and Different Firms 99
Complementary Approaches to Community-Based Learning 100
Empirical Findings 101
University of Colorado 101
Cultural Change and Risk-Taking 103
Student Reactions to the “Community-of-Learners” Concept 104
University of Siegen 106
Research Methods 106
Courses in Practice 106
Regional NoPs 109
Discussion 110
Conclusion 113
Sustaining a Community Computing Infrastructure for Online Teacher Professional Development: A Case Study of Designing Tapped In 118
Introduction 118
Related Work 119
Methodological Approach and Research Methods 122
Data Collection 123
Data Analysis 124
Data Evaluation 125
Background of Tapped In 125
Case Description and Analysis 126
Contact and Bug Forms 127
Needed Features Group 130
Task List 133
Help Desk Volunteers and Long-Standing Members 136
Summary 138
Discussion 138
Expert Recommender: Designing for a Network Organization 146
Introduction 146
Technical Support for Second-Generation Knowledge Management 147
Setting 150
Research Methods 152
Empirical Findings 154
Working for Member Companies 154
Tools for Expertise Sharing 155
Obstacles to Expertise Sharing 156
Requirements for Technical Support 157
Basic Requirements 158
Indicators for Expertise 158
Privacy Issues 160
Feedback Component 160
Bringing It All Together 161
Expert Recommender for NIA 162
Expert Finding Framework 163
Software Architecture 164
Matching Keyword Profiles 165
Matching Personal Data and User Feedback 166
User Interface 166
Searching for Experts 167
Creating the User Profile 169
Conclusion 171
Patterns as a Paradigm for Theory in Community-Based Learning 179
Introduction 179
Informal Developmental Learning 181
Problem: Lack of Control Over IT 181
Context: American Society and the Internet 182
Forces: Lack of Resources and Rich Social Capital 183
Solution: Informal Developmental Learning 184
Resulting Context 186
Example: Spring Creek Watershed Community 187
Scaffolded Documentation 188
Problem: Managing Tacit Knowledge Held by Nonorganizational Stakeholders 189
Context: Technology Sustainability Through Participatory Design 190
Force: Volunteer-Driven Workforce 190
Solution: Lightweight Knowledge Management 191
Resulting Context 192
Example 193
Discussion and Program 194
Architecture, Infrastructure, and Broadband Civic Network Design: An Institutional View1 201
Introduction 202
Background to the Research 207
Architecture and Infrastructure 210
Infrastructure 212
Infrastructure: An Institutional View 214
The Services Reference Architecture (SRA) 216
The Demonstration/Trial Program 219
Microsocial Architecture 223
Conclusion 225
Supporting Community Emergency Management Planning Through a Geocollaboration Software Architecture 231
Introduction 231
Studying Local Emergency Management 233
Local Emergency Management Planning Activities 235
Exercise Planning 236
Post-Incident Planning 238
Awareness Presentations 238
Tabletop Exercises 239
Staging Area Planning 239
Summary 240
Geocollaboration Scenarios in Emergency Management Planning 240
Geocollaboration Scenarios in Staging Area Planning 241
Geocollaboration Scenarios in Awareness Presentation 242
Geocollaboration Scenarios in Tabletop Exercises 243
Summary 244
Geocollaborative Feature Requirements for Emergency Management Planning 244
Enhancing Staging Area Planning Activities 246
Enhancing Plan Dissemination and Awareness 248
Enhancing Tabletop Exercise Activities 249
Supporting Different Activities with Similar Geographic Locations 250
A Comparison to Existing Software 250
Geocollaborative Software Architecture 251
Geospatial Data 252
Awareness 253
Building Blocks of Geospatial Activities 254
Applying the Architecture in a Multiple Role Geocollaboration Tool 255
Related Work 257
Conclusions and Opportunities for Geocollaboration in Emergency Planning 259