Digital Economy USRG

Digital Literacy Workshop

Avatar photoJune 26, 2012
by Lisa Harris

4th July 2pm – 4pm Digital Literacy Workshop: Social Media for Researchers, facilitated by Nicole Beale, in 32/3077. You can book tickets here

This workshop aims to provide an introduction to social media as an essential part of every researcher’s toolkit.

With the increasing adoption of social media by university staff and students within an academic context, there is also an increasing need for advice on how to manage our online identities. If you’ve been thinking about using social media as part of your research practice, or would like to use the web to participate in networks of researchers in your area of expertise, this is the workshop for you! This workshop is aimed at researchers who already use social media and would like to see how to join up all of those different platforms into one extended research profile.

There are many social tools and platforms for planning and sharing data, aimed at researchers and students. This workshop will talk about those different possibilities for using social media as a researcher. We will begin with an overview of the current situation in universities, then spend some time looking at different tools and platforms, discussing different combinations to adopt, and providing honest frank advice about the importance of informed management of our online selves. Participants in this workshop will also be contributing to a project to produce a mini-website which will provide advice for researchers within our university who are using social media as part of their practice.

Nicole Beale is a PhD candidate in the Web Science DTC. Her research focuses on changing professional practices in the cultural heritage sector. She is examining trends such as semantic web technologies, microblogging, cloud-computing, crowd-sourcing, augmented reality to create improved dialogues between users and their (and others’) heritage.

Web Science Conference 2012 in Chicago #websci12

Avatar photoJune 25, 2012
by Lisa Harris

Summary of discussions and links hot off the press from Chicago:

Humbled, Troubled and Inspired in Rio

June 20, 2012
by Sotonde

By Professor Guy Poppy

Director of Multidisciplinary Research at the University of Southampton

Guy Poppy at Rio+20 Earth Summit 'Looking down on Rio De Janeiro - a city of contrasts in so many ways. I've been humbled, troubled and inspired in Rio'

I write this blog sitting in a hotel lobby in Copacabana as the staff prepare for the arrival of the world’s political leaders. I’ve already seen the retinue around the King of Sweden, the red carpet treatment at waiting and the bouquets of flowers which are ever present as those in a position to make historic decisions arrive in Rio. So why does this trouble me? The Rio+20 Earth Summit is about equality and justice for the poor as much as it is sustainable development and the environment. The move from poor and clean often rises through rich and dirty before it can become rich and clean. We realise that sustainable development means trying to climb this curve without going over the top – somehow trying to tunnel through to the richer and cleaner society. Rio is a city full of contrasts – the super rich live next to those in the favelas and the dangerous side of Rio involves both communities who often blame each other for the crime statistics. Returning to my hotel lobby, it is interesting to see the powerful people of the world arriving to make decisions which affect the poor of the world. Let’s hope the huge transformation in the business world represented here in Rio sends a message that economic growth and prosperity can go hand-in-hand with sustainable development!

Being in Rio has been a humbling experience for me in many ways. I have met and listened to brilliant people who have really made a difference and the younger generation seems to be even more engaged in the debate and search for solutions. Mohan Munasinghe has been a monumental figure in sustainable development and coined the term sustainomics at Rio 92 and was also awarded the Nobel Prize with Al Gore for his role as Vice Chair of the IPPC AR4.  I was fortunate to share the stage with Mohan and felt humble in his presence. I spoke about Global Food Security and introduced our new Assets project which will try to deliver food, nutritional and ecological security to over 2 million people in Colombia and Malawi. I am so energised to really make this project deliver world-leading science which makes a real difference to people across the world.

The session was held in the opulent botanical gardens and included the CEO of Vale and the Brazilian Minister of Science and the Minister of the Environment, both of whom gave excellent and passionate speeches. The sessions also included many people from the green cross, the global reporting initiative and other bodies/fora in any list of influential bodies concerning global environmental issues. These inspirational people are showing leadership and are generating the solutions the world needs. Yet, they are going home now as the political leaders and their retinues arrive. The sign of good leadership is to do right things and to offer solutions and not just mention the challenges.  Let’s hope the people called leaders show leadership in the same sense as those now leaving Rio prior to the summit itself.

I return to Southampton and the UK inspired to generate solutions. In the words of Professor Munasinghe “We cannot solve the problems of the 21st Century using the tools of the 20th century”.  During the reception, Mohan and I shared our experiences of undertaking multidisciplinary research and he has agreed to visit me in Southampton – I will ask him to give one of our multidisciplinary research seminars we are launching in the autumn 2012. Science has much to offer, especially multidisciplinary approaches.  My new role as Director of Multidisciplinary Research at Southampton has made me proud that our university has shown leadership in promoting multidisciplinary research and the creation of the University Strategic Research Groups has already generated solutions, impact at many levels and a community embracing the world’s grand challenges.  A University like ours is best placed to undertake research and education which will generate the solutions and personnel able to make a difference. Our political masters are looking to us as much as we are looking to them to make the right decisions. Let’s hope there will be no need for a Rio+40.

Follow me on twitter @GuyPoppy1

Related research projects- ESPA Assetsproject ‘Attaining Sustainable Services from Ecosystems.

@GuyPoppy1 tweets from Rio+20

June 19, 2012
by Sotonde

Blog posts from Guy Poppy at Rio+20 are available here.

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The Road to Rio

June 19, 2012
by Sotonde

By Professor Guy Poppy

Director of Multidisciplinary Research at the University of Southampton

Having the opportunity to attend events at the Rio+20 Earth Summit is both exciting and worrying. It has been twenty years since Rio 92, which set the stage for many of the major targets, goals and policies we see in the world relating to the environment and poverty. So where are we now twenty years later and what will Rio +20 achieve which does not require/necessitate a Rio +40? These thoughts and questions were filling my mind as I flew to Rio late on Saturday night. Taking part in such a potentially important meeting in human history was an honour for me after years of undertaking pure academic research and now realising that applying this work to the ‘Grand Challenges’ was the best way in which Universities can really contribute to civil society, government and business.  That is what we are doing at University of Southampton in our university strategic research groups and I am pleased that important progress is being made in this exciting new part of the University’s strategy.

Guy Poppy at the Rio +20 Earth Summit

On my journey to Rio, the plane was full of people coming to Rio+20 and we engaged in discussions about the summit itself and whether our political leaders will rise to the challenge to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want. Whilst the view is pessimistic about our politicians, the civil society and business delegates at Rio will make a difference. It is in these meetings where knowledge, ideas and the pressure will grow. We are all in this together, but we as individuals can make a difference. It is worth looking at your personal consumption and lifestyle and telling others how they can help – our leaders will then not be able to ignore our thoughts and beliefs and will do what is right, even when it involves tough decisions. This is the sign of good leadership.

On arriving into Rio early in the morning, I decided to walk along Copacabana beach to get some sunlight. What a beautiful place with such beautiful people! Rio is the perfect setting to discuss protecting the earth and ensuring that mankind lives within its boundaries.  Since Rio 92, the population has grown by 26% and today stands at a staggering 7 billion. That presents a huge environmental problem for our limited planet.  We currently need 1.5 earths to support our consumption and that is growing towards three!

Today, I have been given a t-shirt and hat from a union parade representing the Brazilian people. This was a great experience and reminds me of the importance of civil society. Unfortunately, I cannot understand the commentary but the music and passion is evident and I am reminded again of the power of human spirit. I thus return to my hotel optimistic and keen to play my part in a potential turning point in society – as UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon has said – Rio+20 Earth Summit is too important to fail.

Follow me on twitter @GuyPoppy1

Related research projects- ESPA Assets project ‘Attaining Sustainable Services from Ecosystems.

Digital Literacies Conference #sotondiglit

Avatar photoJune 17, 2012
by Lisa Harris

Conversations from last week’s event are still ongoing, but an evolving Storify can be linked to below:

And photos continue to be posted:

And video from SUSUtv is now available on Vimeo :-)

Digital Literacies – SUSUtv from SotonCite on Vimeo.

DE Lunch Social Media in Live Events (#SMiLE) 10.07.2012

There will be three short presentations:

1. Social Media in Live Events (SMiLE)

Nicole Beale, Graeme Earl and Lisa Harris will discuss the findings so far of this action research project which is exploring the dynamics of the relationship between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ communities in the context of a major academic conference. We monitored the use of a range of established and experimental social media tools to track how they were utilised before, during and after the event. Delegate online activities using these tools included information recording and sharing, network building, profile raising and development of a sustainable community of practice. We are now investigating how recent developments in social network visualisation and analysis can enable valuable insights to be generated from this data for the benefit of event organisers and community developers. We are also developing a code of conduct for the ethical collection, curation and archiving of social media data with Oxford e-Research Centre. Measuring the importance of social media marketing in the charitable domain

2. Chris Phethean from the Web Science DTC  will discuss his PhD research on the evaluation of social media marketing effectiveness which has recently been presented at the Web Science Conference in Chicago

3. Graeme Earl will discuss the recent AHRC Digital Transformations workshop and opportunities for DE members from this scheme.

Other forthcoming events of interest:

4th July 2pm – 4pm Digital Literacy Workshop: Social Media for Researchers, facilitated by Nicole Beale, Lisa Harris and Fiona Harvey, in 32/3077. You can book tickets here

10th August is the deadline for abstract submission to the 3rd Annual Digital Economy All Hands Conference, Aberdeen 23-25th October. We do have funding to support staff/students who wish to present a paper/workshop at this event. Please let us know if you are interested in finding out more.

 

 

 

 

Digital Literacies Conference #sotondiglit – Video and Tweets

June 13, 2012
by Sotonde

The live streaming of the Digital Literacies Conference will be accessible here. You can also follow the #sotondiglit tweets below.

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Digital Literacies Conference #sotondiglit

Avatar photoJune 5, 2012
by Lisa Harris

Due to popular demand additional tickets have now been released for the Digital Literacy Conference in Garden Court, Highfield Campus all day on 14th June. There will be un-keynote sessions led by Steve Wheeler, Cristina Costa, Sue Beckingham and Doug Belshaw, as well as contributions from a number of Southampton University staff and students who are engaged in various Digital Literacy activities.

The programme is confirmed as:

9.00 Coffee & registration

9.30 Opening – Professor Hugh Davis (Director of CITE)

10.00 First ‘unkeynote’ – Associate Professor Steve Wheeler & Cristina Costa

11.00 – Coffee

11.20 Presentations (10 minute slots)

12.30 Lunch

1.15 Second ‘unkeynote’ – Dr Doug Belshaw & Sue Beckingham

2.15 Presentations – (inc.Tools & Techniques)

3.15 – Tea

3.35 – Panel (Joy Moloney, Chair)

4.30 – Closing session

There will be extensive use of social media at this event. The Twitter tag is #sotondiglit Questions for the panel can be posted using Twitter (remember to include the #sotondiglit)

Resources will be available via Delicious

We are encouraging all participants to record their conference by using Storify.

Photographs from the event can be shared via Flickr