Humpback whales: "Information Technology, the Network Society and the Global University," an open, online, free course this autumn 2014 at MIT OCW-centric World University and School

"Information Technology, the Network Society, and the Global University" -

an open, online, free course meets this autumn 2014 at wiki CC MIT OCW-centric World University and School ... on Saturdays from 11am-1pm Pacific Time.

(See, too - http://worlduniversityandschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/information-technology-network-society.html).

"What is information technology, broadly conceived? How did it develop? Who did it? What has been the process of its diffusion into the economy and society? How and why did the Network Society take shape? What of the implications of networks in the Information Age? In this course, we’ll analyze the interaction between society and contemporary information technologies, in a multicultural and comparative perspective. In doing so, we’ll examine what data and evidence are in the social sciences, how they're used, and how they're interpreted."


In the second half of the course, we'll explore starting an all-language, MIT OCW-centric university and school, World University and School, asking further (in the context of the first half's focus on how the information revolution emerged), and in terms of questions about agency (from a Castellian perspective), in what ways to grow this universities-generating conversation remarkably and flourishingly vis the internet? In what ways can WUaS build on great universities in innovative ways? And what are some of the inter-lingual implications of this? We'll also problematize the 12 main areas below at WUaS - http://worlduniversityandschool.org/.  And we'll develop your questions into course themes.


Courses: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Courses
Subjects: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Subjects
Languages: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Languages
Library Resources: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Library_Resources
Nation States: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Nation_States
You at World University: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/You_at_World_University
Educational Software: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Educational_Software
Museums: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Museums
Research: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Research
Hardware Resource Possibilities: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Hardware_Resource_Possibilities
World University Music School: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Music_School
World University Foundation: http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/World_University_Foundation

This class is synchronous ... 

on Harvard's virtual island (get an avatar)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Berkman/105/63/25

and in Google + group video Hangouts at WUaS (get a G+ Profile)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108179352492243955816/+WorlduniversityandschoolOrg/posts

on Saturdays for 2 hours from 11a-1p (Pacific Time) beginning Saturday, September 20th, to get familiar with the two main information technologies, and with the course conversation beginning on September 27th.

This course will only meet in the autumn at World University and School.

[If people are interested in distant time zones, we'll explore changing the course's scheduling].

See this link for this course -
http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2014/09/humpback-whales-information-technology.html


Come join the "Information Technology, the Network Society, and the Global University" conversation!

Email worlduniversityandschool@gmail.com for further information.

All the best,
Scott

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Dear Scott,

I am a PhD student at the University of Bonn (Bonn, Germany) and I am fascinated by this idea of a world university! I'd like to take part in your initial course with the hope that there will also be courses on methods in social media.

In my opinion there is a huge deficit in the scientific methods to collect and analyze data from social media. Mailing groups such as AoIR are providing alternatives as illustrated by a recent GoogleDoc created and shared by a very helpful member here. The document detailed programs that can be used to extract information from social networks for research purposes.

Best regards,

Joan


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Hi Joan,

Great. Let's meet tomorrow, Sep. 20th, on Harvard's virtual island in Second Life at 11am (Pacific Time) for which you'll get an avatar, and in a Google + Hangout at noon (Pacific Time) just to meet everyone; the course itself will begin on the 27th. Please invite your colleagues at Uni-Bonn -
can you send an email invitation to everyone?

In terms of methods and vis-a-vis Medienwissenschaft, have you seen thisfrom Harvard researchers, Rob Faris and Rebekah Heacock - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2353457? I've added this reference to http://worlduniversity.wikia.com/wiki/Media_Studies at WUaS.

Beyond methods, what are your particular interests, - field site, particular texts/books you enjoy, professors, questions - especially as you think through planning for your Ph.D.?

All the best,

Scott

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