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Professor Livingstone’s discussion follows on from our NetworkED seminar with Dr Leslie Haddon on children’s use of phones, and is timely considering the announcement from the BBC today that that ‘more than half of children in the UK have done something “risky” or anti social online’ based on results from the BBC Learning Poll of 2,000 11-16 year olds.
As professor Livingstone outlines below: “The widespread use of social networking sites (SNSs) by children and young people has significantly reconfigured how they communicate, with whom and with what consequences. Drawing on cross-national interviews and informed by the tradition of research on media literacy, I will discuss the idea of social media literacy. The empirical material reveals a social developmental pathway by which children learn to interpret and engage with the technological and textual affordances and social dimensions of SNSs in determining what is risky and why. Their changing orientation to social networking online (and offline) appears to be shaped by their changing peer and parental relations, and has implications for their perceptions of risk of harm.”
Reserve your place on the staff training and development system or by emailing imt.admin@lse.ac.uk. All our talks are live streamed for those who can’t attend and a link to the live stream will be available on this blog.
Professor Livingstone discussed her work on children’s rights in the digital age with the department of Media and Communications you can view the Q&A on the Media Policy Project blog.
Watch a video interview with Professor Sonia Livingstone below.
Many thanks to everyone who attended our event with Leslie Haddon. For those of you who missed it and want to rewatch it, we are providing a full recording below.
Children’s experience of phones: for better or for worse.
To kick start the LTI NetworkED seminar series for 2015 Dr Leslie Haddon will be reporting on the findings from the Net Children Go Mobile project on children’s use of smartphones and tablets. The seminar will take place on Wednesday 28 January 2015 at 3pm in R01.
NetworkED seminars are free to attend but places are limited so will need to be reserved via the staff training and development system or by emailing imt.admin@lse.ac.uk. All our talks are live streamed and recorded for those who can’t make it and a link to the live stream will be available on the blog shortly.
Ahead of his talk we asked Leslie some questions about the impact of mobile technology on children.
Q: Some argue that smartphones change our experience of the online world because the internet is now ‘always at hand’. Are children also finding this?
While mobile devices, especially tablets and smartphones, are clearly becoming more prevalent among children, that particular claim as well as the one that they can use the devices ‘anytime, anywhere’ is an overstatement, and definitely not so true of younger children. The findings from the Net Children Go Mobile project highlight the fact that children’s use of such devices, even more so than adults, is subject to many social constraints. As dependents there are often limits on how much children and young people can spend on smartphones, be that in terms of paying for downloaded apps or the running costs if their ISP package has limits. In addition, some parents worry about children having too much screen time, some feel that time using the smartphone takes time away from the family, or some simply feel that the smartphone is distracting children from their homework – which it sometimes does. So parents often ration the use of smartphones, for instance, only allowing it after homework has been completed, of ban the use of the device at certain times, for example, at dinner times or after bedtime.
Q: Did the location of access have a significant effect on children’s use of smartphones?
Yes, this was yet another constraint. In the UK many junior schools and for some years in secondary schools smartphones are banned. In this respect there is cultural variation with far less regulation of smartphones in Danish schools. In fact, in many schools Danish children can also use them in conjunction with the school Wi-Fi. Basically, it seems they are seen more negatively, as disruptive or anti-social, in British schools, having little educational merit and that is also a perception in some other countries. At least the Danish case shows that one does not automatically have to take that stance. The other thing to add about location is that as very expensive items one of the key risks for parents and teachers is that the smartphone might be stolen. Hence there is pressure on children not to use these phones in certain public spaces, like when on the way home from school. Small wonder that the main location in which children use smartphone is actually in the home, also making use of the free Wi-Fi there, rather than when they are on the move.
Q: Did the Net Children Go Mobile project find that smartphones changed children’s behaviour in any way?
For better or for worse these devices have the power to enhance experiences. This can be true for the risks we discussed with them in interviews but interestingly one of the key areas commented on in some depth by children was in relation to communication. They noted how It was now far easier to communicate, some felt that it has enabled them to be more sociable with their peers, and there was now a greater sense of always having someone one could talk to because of the greater array of (often ‘free’) channels at their disposal. But the downside of this is in many respects the same as for adults – for many older children especially there is far more incoming communications, which many felt obliged to check, but which many also felt were irrelevant. Even the children sometimes admitted that this overload could be a distraction and it could also, in children’s eyes, be too much of a temptation. So even when they are generally positive about smartphones, as most children are, some ration themselves because of this – they put the phone aside at time or else decide not to engage in certain online options. And they sometimes acknowledge that, especially because it’s easy to respond quickly, there is the danger of sending messages that are interpreted in the wrong way. So while we may ask what is specific to and an issue for children, in many respects it is the more banal communication dilemmas, sometimes similar to those faced by adults, that attract their attention, that provoke comment, more than the risk agenda.
These drop-in sessions are open to all LSE staff and students, will cover data management, data protection, and research ethics. Sessions will be held fortnightly, beginning Tuesday 13 January 2015, and will take place in room LRB R.08 from 1-2pm. Bring along any questions you have regarding:
Data protection: the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts
Funder requirements for sharing data
Intellectual Property and licensing data use and re-use
Managing safe and secure storage
Records management for data
Writing and implementing a data management plan
When and how to complete a research ethics application
Sessions can be booked via the training portal (search ‘ethics’) but you can still just drop in on the day – please note those who have booked a place will be seen first. Please email research.ethics@lse.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like to book an alternative time.
January 23rd, 2015|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Data management, data protection, and research ethics drop-in sessions|
The LTI (learning technology and Innovation) NetworkED seminar next Wednesday 28 January at 3pm in R01 will be from Dr Leslie Haddon on Children’s experience of phones: for better or for worse.
Dr Haddon from the Media and Communications department will be sharing the findings from the Net Children Go Mobile project on children’s use of smartphones and tablets. The two year project carried out quantitative and qualitative research in 7 countries to investigate access and use, risk and opportunities of mobile internet for children in the European context.
Students As Producers projects – students can be asked to work collaboratively to create content. Using technology specifically designed for group collaboration enables students’ to work online and in their own time. LTI have limited numbers kits containing iPads, iPad mini’s, podcasting equipment and Digital SLR camera’s which can be applied for as part of LTI grants projects. You can also ask students to bring in their own laptops/phones/tablets or other devices or to create collaborate documents and platforms such as Padlet and Paperli. More ideas can be found on our Padlet and from the recent NetworkED talk given by the UK National Teaching Fellow Helen Keegan. Building on TLC’s note on introducing more creative forms of assessment the completed content could count towards an assessment (formative or summative) and depending on how far you want to take the project could be combined with peer marking – with students commenting on each other’s projects. For example Social Policy carried out peer assessment using WebPA and Teammates and more details can be found in a video with Dr Irene Papanicolas.
Flipped lectures – Ask your students to prepare for week 6 by watching pre-recorded lecture or alternative resource. The contact time is then used to get students to do something more interactive. LTI run a course on flipping lectures, and places can be booked online
E-Assessment – Use the new academic year structure to rethink how you approach assessment and feedback. LTI are currently running an E-Assessment pilot project with various departments. We would be interested in working with departments to trial new technology for exams in week 0 or in the summer term, and to work on E-Submission and E-Assessment. To hear some ideas from other academics at LSE and elsewhere, watch the Show and Tell event on E-Assessment we hosted in November this year.
LTI Grants – we offer Learning Technology and Innovation Grants to encourage individuals and departments to explore the use of new technologies in teaching and learning. We are seeking applications under the three strands of “E-Assessment”, “Students as Producers” and “Innovation”. We will hold a third run of grants at the start of the Summer term which will invite applications to be planned over the summer for the 2015/16 academic year.
We look forward to discussing your ideas well in advance of next academic year. Email LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk.
Our NetworkED seminar with Marieke Guy on 26 November was on open data in education. Marieke gave a broad overview of the topic of open data, discussing the different ways that open data is currently being used, who is using it and how it could be used in the future. Marieke gave lots of interesting examples of projects that have used open data and pointed out various open data tools such as Histropedia which allows users to timeline and tag data from Wikipedia or equipment.data which allows HE institutions to sharing educational equipment and facilities.
One of the most interesting aspects of the talk for me was the idea that we should be doing more with open data in the classroom. Marieke advocated using real data sets in teaching and learning as a way to engage students and get them to apply concepts, theories and critical thinking to real world issues and to help them develop their digital literacy skills. This leads in nicely to our upcoming NetworkEDGE seminar with Professor Matthew Connelly which will be on ‘hacking the archive’.
Professor Connelly will be talking about his course ‘HY447 – Hacking the archive’, which uses big data from various International History databases and teaches students new tools and techniques to explore various the vast array of material available online. Students are encouraged to rethink historical research in the digital age as older primary sources are increasingly becoming available online alongside newly declassified information and ‘born digital’ electronic records. Interdisciplinary research is becoming more essential with academics collaborating across disciplines and with the broader public in order to mine extensive amounts of online data.
Matthew will be speaking at NetworkEDGE on Wednesday 14 January2015, at 5pm
The event is free to attend but places are limited so will need to be reserved via the staff training and development system or by emailing imt.admin@lse.ac.uk. All our talks are live streamed and recorded for those who can’t make it.
LTI Innovation grants Last academic year seven applicants were successful in their bids to be awarded grants to develop teaching and learning with technology. Some of the winning projects detailed below, demonstrate the variety of ways that individuals are rethinking traditional teaching models by flipping lectures and gamification, and getting students to think about lecture content through the use of social media. 2013 Awards included:
A project to examine the use of mobile devices as inclusive accessible technologies for students with disabilities. http://tinyurl.com/pzmlb2n Simon has developed surveys for students and teachers asking them about student use of mobile devices for learning. Questions asked include how students currently use technology to help them organise their studies and how teachers regards the use of technology in the classroom by students. The survey is currently open and ongoing. Along with Sebastiaan Eldritch-Boersen, Simon has developed a short course comprising of four sessions that will start at the end of October, finishing with a revision and review session in the lent term. More details can be found on the training and development system: http://tinyurl.com/LSEHappyAppy
Business Transformation and Project Management
Dr Susan Scott and Dr Ela Klecun – (Department of Management)
Dr Scott and Dr Klecun enhanced the MG208 course through the use of a flipped-lecture format, computer-based simulation,scribing (collective note taking which was collated along with photos of concept map discussions) and self-assessment via Moodle quizzes. They produced a series of filmed interviews with industry experts, which were delivered to students in advance of taught sessions as preparation for structured Q&A’s with the invited speakers. A class field trip to the Level39/Innotribe innovation lab at Canary Wharf was filmed for the benefit of future cohorts.The various teaching approaches that were tried were evaluated by capturing student feedback. If you are interested in flipping your lectures LTI run workshops on Flipping, go to the Training and development system to book see when the next session is planned and book your place: https://apps.lse.ac.uk/training-system/ More information on flipping can be found here: http://youtu.be/4a7NbUIr_iQ/
Developing video resources for active learning in MY421: Qualitative Research Methods
Dr Flora Cornish & Dr Elena Gonzalez-Polledo – (Department of Methodology)To bring vivid practical examples to the lecture theatre, Dr Cornish & Dr Gonzalez-Polledo, with the help of LTI technical expertise, created videos for students to observe and analyse. Following the course theme of urban environments, they made a film of customer interactions at a fruit and veg stall at Ridley Road Market, Hackney. This provided material for a student exercise on making observations and writing participant observation field-notes. Further footage was also recorded of participant interactions in research focus groups. Both films have been used in taught sessions on MY421 and the intention is to continue with, and further develop, their use.The success of the project has meant that further work is planned to capture a short interview with the market stall holder from Ridley Road.
December 2nd, 2014|LTI Grant Winners|Comments Off on Celebrating innovation – LTI Grant winners from 2013/14|
You can watch the video recording of the Marieke Guy NetworkED seminar on our LTI Youtube channel and a Q&A with Marieke can be found below
Marieke Guy from Open Knowledge
Ahead of her NetwokED seminar talk on Wednesday 26 November Marieke Guy answered some questions for LTI on open data in education. Q1. How would you define ‘open data’? How does this relate to ‘open access’ and ‘open education’ ?
We’re very lucky to have an excellent definition of open data from Open Definition, which specifically sets out principles that define “openness” in relation to data and content:
“Open means anyone can freely access, use, modify, and share for any purpose (subject, at most, to requirements that preserve provenance and openness.”
So we are talking about data that is available for people to access and can be reused and redistributed by everyone. One of the important points to make is that openness does not discriminate against commercizal use. Open data is definitely a friend of open access and open education! Publicly funded research publications should not only be open access but the data behind them should also be shared and openly available. At the Open Education Working Group we see open education as a collective term that is used to refer to many practices and activities that have both openness and education at their core. Open data is an important area, along with open content, open licensing, open tools, open policy and open learning and teaching practices. This is becoming even more the case with the rise in online learning, MOOCs and the use of learning analytics.
Q2. Who typically uses open data and what does it get used for?
Anyone can consume open data as an end-user benefitting from openness, but there are two main groups who have a specific interest in dealing with open data. Data providers (such as the government or your institution) may be interested in releasing and sharing data openly. Data handlers are interested in using the data available, maybe by developing an app or service around the data, or by visualising the data, or by asking questions of the data and mining it in some way. A nice easy example here is the Great British Toilet map,
The Great British Toilet Map
where government data was combined with ordnance survey and open street map data to provide a public service app that helps us find the nearest public convenience. You can also add toilets you find to the map, allowing the data that is available to be improved on.
Obviously people who want to get their hands messy with data will need to be data literate. One of our core projects at Open Knowledge is School of Data. School of Data works to empower civil society organisations, journalists and citizens with the skills they need to use data effectively in their efforts to create more equitable and effective societies.
Q3. What are the pros and cons of open data?
The main benefits for using open data are around transparency (knowing what your government and other public bodies are doing), releasing social and commercial value, and participation and engagement. By opening up data, citizens are enabled to be much more directly informed and involved in decision-making. This is about making a full “read/write” society, not just about knowing what is happening in the process of governance but being able to contribute to it.
Opening anything up makes organisations more vulnerable, especially if they have something to hide, or if their data is inaccurate or incomplete. There is also a cost to releasing and building on data. Often this cost is outweighed by the social or economic benefit generated, but this benefit can develop over time so can be hard to demonstrate. Other challenges include the possible misinterpretion or misrepresention of data, and of course issues around privacy.
I personally see open data as being in the same space as freedom of speech with regard to these challenges. We know that open data is the right way to go but there are still some subtleties that we need to work out. The answer to a ‘bad’ use of open data is not to close the data, just as the answer to a racist rant is not to remove our right to freedom of speech.
Q4. Do you have any examples of projects that have involved using ‘open data’ and if so what advantage did ‘open data’ bring?
Earlier this year Otavio Ritter (Open education data researcher, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Brazil) gave a talk to our Open Education Working Group. He mentioned a case in Brazil where the school census collects data about violence in school area (like drug traffic or other risks to pupils). Based on an open data platform developed to navigate through the census it was possible to see that in a specific Brazilian state 35% of public schools had drug traffic near the schools. This fact put pressure on the local government to create a public policy and a campaign to prevent drug use among students. Since then a collection of initiatives run by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have made a huge impact on the drug traffic levels near schools.
Q5. What does Open Knowledge do?
Open Knowledge is a worldwide non-profit network of people who believe in openness. We use advocacy, technology and training to unlock information and enable people to work with it to create and share knowledge. We work on projects, create tools and support an amazing international network of individuals passionate about openness and active in making, training and promoting open knowledge. Our network is global (we have groups in more than 40 countries and 9 local chapters) and cross-domain (we currently have 19 working groups that focus on discussion and activity around a given area of open knowledge).
Marieke Guy will be talking at LSE on Wednesday26 November at 5pm in NAB2.06. To book your place go to the staff training and development system or (for those without access to the system) email imt.admin@lse.ac.uk
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Business Transformation and Project Management
