Conference by Richard M. Stallman at the First International Conference Free Knowledge, Free Technology - Education for a free information society in Barcelona (Spain), 15 July 2008, on the production and sharing of free educational and training materials about Free Software.
Stephen Downes, Institute for Information Technology’s Internet Logic Research GroupThe Future of Education
The Public in Public Education
Public education, education for everyone, is an important concept not for the “education” part, but for the “public” part, as its impact goes far beyond the acquisition of knowledge, but the shaping of the whole society.
Stephen Downes presents gRSShopper. Besides the most evident uses of the tool as a resource harvester, the main purpose being...
Conference by Richard M. Stallman at the First International Conference Free Knowledge, Free Technology - Education for a free information society in Barcelona (Spain), 15 July 2008, on the production and sharing of free educational and training materials about Free Software.
Richard M. Stallman, president of the Free Software FoundationFree Software and Beyond
Free Software is about giving freedom to the user and respecting the work done by the community of programmers.
The analogy with cooking recipes is clearly the best way to help people understand the four freedoms of Free Software.
Electronic book readers are evil
The key to promote Free Software is not software in itself, the possibility to be able to “cook”, but: as long as software is needed to do more and more things...
In
Cyberlaw, governance, rights,
free software,
fsf,
richard stallman,
rms,
meetings,
Open Access,
FLOSS,
Education & e-Learning,
stephen downes
Enrique Canessa and Marco Zennaro — both from the Science Dissemination Unit of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics — have collected a a compendium of selected literature on Open Access in their new book Science Dissemination using Open Access.
The book is part of the effort that the ICTP Science Dissemination Unit is doing to promote Open Access as a driver for development (including the Using Open Access Models for Science Dissemination seminar), being a means to enable knowledge diffusion within, towards and from developing countries, by leveraging the potential that open access specially brings to science both at the institutional and individual levels.
The book’s concept is to be a practical tool to steward the open access paradigm with real...
e-STAS is a Symposium about the Technologies for the Social Action, with an international and multi-stakeholder nature, where all the agents implicated in the development and implementation of the ICT (NGO’s, Local authorities, Universities, Companies and Media) are appointed in an aim to promote, foster and adapt the use of the ICT for the social action.
Here come my notes for session V.
Subjects
Free software
Accessibility and usability
Linguistic diversity
Educational programmes
New content programmes
Debate
(random ideas, slightly sorted/grouped)
Muhammad Yunus proposes a new kind of enterprise where the focus is on stakeholders and not on shareholders, where no profit is seek, but only social benefit.
Low cost computers/devices are converging with mainstream infrastructures....
In
knowledge management,
Participation, Engagement, Use, Activism,
ICT4D,
Cyberlaw, governance, rights,
meetings,
Open Access,
Digital Literacy,
Education & e-Learning
The World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008 is out. In my opinion, it does not bring any surprises, but reinforces some trends that we’ve been seeing lately:
The increasing strength and importance of wireless technologies to get connected to the Network
A gradual shift of the research focus from quantitative/economic impact analysis towards more qualitative/social impact analysis
Hence, the realization that ICTs are much more than (information) productivity tools, and they have a role in socialization (through communication), mediated by digital literacy
Part of the Global Information Technology Report gets its data from the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey, which, conducted annually, captures the perceptions of the leading...
I am imparting a short, informal seminar about the Open Paradigm (Open Access, Open Science, Open Educational Resources, Open Source Software, etc.). To support my speech — and prepare the audience — I draw a simple diagram and collected some suggested readings. Here they come. As always, all comments are welcome.
Map/Diagram
Flash plugin or Javascript are turned off.
Activate both and reload to view the mindmap
Click and drag to move the map. Click on tags to expand. Click here to open in full new window
Readings
Free Software Foundation. (1996). The Free Software Definition. [online]: Free Software Foundation
Benkler, Y. (2002). “Coase’s Penguin, or Linux and the Nature of the Firm”. In
The Yale Law Journal, 112(3), 369–446. New Haven: The Yale Law Journal...
Lady Virginia Mugarra VelardeEducation for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases prevention
The role of ICTs to educate about sexually transmitted diseases prevention, especially to educate educators.
An important aspect of such education is to ease the communication between the physicists and their patients.
Goals
Train educators about these diseases… and how to educate about them
Sensitize youngsters about prevention
Mobilize policy makers
The main successes are, above all, the speed and spread of information and training, with a strong focus on prevention, which is where information can actually make a difference.
Tools: a platform with three axes (1) content (2) spaces for debate (3) online assistance
María Jesús MedinaCybervolunteering at Iníci@te Programme
[note: in...
In
Digital Divide,
Online Volunteering,
development,
nptech,
Telecenter,
ICT Infrastructures,
Nonprofits,
Telecentre,
cybervolunteer,
ICT volunteer,
ICT4D,
meetings,
Open Access,
Digital Literacy,
Education & e-Learning
Royal D. Colle wrote in 2005 an article that I now recovered: Building ICT4D capacity in and by African universities and that reminds me of my last experience with telecenters.
Colle’s thesis is quite simple, which does not mean that it is hence less true: reflection and practice, practice and reflection, must go hand in hand. Colle states that telecenters can function in at least three ways for universities:
A means for reaching beyond their “ivory tower” to extend their knowledge and learning resources
A laboratory for faculty and researchers
A learning environment for students
The first point is interestingly ambiguous: on one hand, it means that universities should open their output, content, knowledge outside of their academic environments and revert or bring back...
Conference by John Seely Brown at UOC headquarters in the framework of the University’s Innovation Forums.
John Seely Brown: Creating a Culture of Learning. Leveraging and Extending Open Educational Resources
How to go beyond course material in the field of Open Access. Is there anything more in “open” and learning than Open Educational Resources?
Understanding is socially constructed.
Social software, especially social networking sites, are making possible more and better networks, groups to build understanding, knowledge together.
Michael Polanyi’s dimensions of knowledge: learning about (explicit) vs. learning to be (tacit). Normally, the flow is from explicit to tacit, but we should be able to reverse this flow, and first learn how to be and shape, then,...
After some Skype sessions — and the invaluable of a friend in common (thanks again, Edgar) — I’ve been invited to be a guest lecturer at the Open Seminar 2.0, coordinated by Cristóbal Cobo and John Moravec, organized by the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, FLACSO-México, FLACSO-Ecuador, and FLACSO-Chile.
The syllabus of the seminar is terrific and one of the one’s you’d like to be taught, so I’m doubly thrilled in taking part in it. The format is also interesting: onsite sessions at both Mexico and the US, virtual asynchronous lectures by means of videos and presentations, and online synchronous sessions using VoIP and other devices and joining all the participants in the same virtual space, thus highly enriching...
Third of my three seminars imparted at the he Rich-Media Webcasting Technologies for Science Dissemination Workshop, organized by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics Science Dissemination Unit.
Main aspects
Seminar fundamentally based on my article The personal research portal: web 2.0 driven individual commitment with open access for development, also presented at the Web2forDev Conference, and split in two parts:
Part I: conceptual presentation of the Personal Research Portal
Part II: practical workshop based on the building and managing of my own research portal, ICTlogy.net
Live recording of the session
Part I: view, download ( 127.01 Mb)
Part II: view, download ( 126.97 Mb)
See, also, the rest of the workshop presentations
Slides
Click here to download,...
First of my three seminars imparted at the he Rich-Media Webcasting Technologies for Science Dissemination Workshop, organized by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics Science Dissemination Unit.
Main aspects
Introduction to the Web 2.0, stressing the fact that the web is the platform, that putting up content to the web has been made quite easy — caveat: provided you have access to a computer and good bandwidth —, the power of RSS, the challenge of filtering and content quality.
Conferences are one dimensional: content delivered at one time and one place
Conferences should shift from information exchange to knowledge exchange
Before conferences: data and information sharing through websites, blogs, social networks
During conferences: knowledge sharing through...
In
conferences,
science diffusion,
abdus salam,
sdu,
social software,
web 2.0,
Digital Divide,
ICT4D,
ictp,
meetings,
Open Access,
Digital Literacy
Next December 3, 4 and 5 I’ll be in Trieste at the Rich-Media Webcasting Technologies for Science Dissemination Workshop, organized by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics Science Dissemination Unit.
The whole set of names is quite eerie — for a social scientist like me — but once read you realize this is a very interesting workshop on scientific diffusion in developing countries, being ICT4D a deepest commitment of the organizers.
As you can see in the programme, I’ll be teaching two seminars and a workshop, namely:
Conferences 2.0: Scientists and Web 2.0, where I’ll speak about the change of paradigm in scholarly communication, mainly inspired by my Conferences 2.0 article in July
Web 2.0 and the Digital Divide, where I will try to...
In
scientific blog,
trieste,
science diffusion,
web 2.0,
Digital Divide,
development,
knowledge management,
ICT4D,
ictp,
open science,
meetings,
Open Access,
Digital Literacy
When preparing my speech about The Web 2.0 and the role of the University for the UOC UNESCO Chair in Elearning Fourth International Seminar: Web 2.0 and Education, I gathered a good bunch of references to prepare what I wanted to say. You can find all the references I used — and some more, added after — after this words. But as this is an evolving selection, the up-to-date version of this list can always be consulted here: A Reader on Web 2.0 and Education. Feel free to write back to me with proposals for inclusion in the list and/or corrections for found errors.
The collection is far more than just “Education” or “University” or “Web 2.0″ but pretends to give a framework comprehensive enough to approach the Education 2.0 phenomenon. I personally...
One of the recurring debate topics during the Web2forDev Conference was the increasing broadband divide, i.e. the divide that comes not from “those having and those who have not”, but those who can access the web in optimal conditions and those who do it with poor infrastructures and, above all, with poor connectivity. As it can be easily understood, more and more applications demand good connectivity quality, thus creating a (new) barrier to those that still connect to the Internet with lowband connections such as modem over fixed lines.
Even if most Web 2.0 technologies are really low-power demanding ones, one of the promises for knowledge diffusion to developing countries is still quite high-power demanding: teleconferencing and/or audio and video broadcasting. Yes,...
Brian Lamb, Department of Emerging Technologies & Digital Content, University of British Columbia (Canada)
Brian Lamb: It’s all coming apart
Originality is overrated: Glenn Gould, William Shakespeare, Rick Prelinger… in one way or another have faced the fact of originality… or if there’s none.
Being open is not a matter of altruism, but a good practice for your self and your own efficiency.
Use information as a flow, not like a thing, Stephen Downes in managing information overload.
The power of positive narcissism: you discover interesting content, people by just tracking back your content, what it’s been told about you, etc.
There’s a problem with that lot of different licenses, confusing the user/creator. And people not using them...
Call it synchronicity: in the last 10 days three major events have taken place in the field of Open Access:
Berlin 5 Open Access: From Practice to Impact: Consequences of Knowledge Dissemination
Open Education 2007: Localizing and Learning
Web2forDev - Participatory Web for Development
Not surprisingly, people such as Peter Suber or Scott Leslie have already noted that there were some connections between those three conferences, some crossover interests.
After having attended the Web2forDev Conference and being right now preparing my speech for the UOC UNESCO Chair in Elearning Fourth International Seminar: Web 2.0 and Education, I can’t help but think on equal terms: open access is — will be… should be — the main axis of Science, Education and Development.
I think that...
Two questions launched to the audience. Gathered on the fly, some might be redundant:
The most inspiring thing that you will take home from the conference
So much going on
All about people
Discovered progress achieved in Africa
Interdisciplinarity, so many people engaged/interested in these issues
RSS feeds to unlock the information on websites
The Web 2.0 allows the dissemination of content
Some people have already implemented some Web 2.0 applications
But there’s still a lot of work to be done, and you have to work hard
Even if there are strong barriers to Web 2.0 implementation, most people in developing countries believe that once you have infrastructures (computers, connectivity) the remaining barriers (literacy, change of mind…) will be easily overcome
These...
Michael Saunby
Climate Change Mashups
Climate change: not a change in the climate but (also) a change in the variability of the climate.
By looking at the map applications, it is easier to see where e.g. there’ll be water stress in the (nearest) future, or human health crisis due to high ozone levels.
Mashups are about e.g. enough people collecting, reusing and distributing public sector information on already existing (commercial) online applications — e.g. Google Earth — so anyone can contribute again and close the loop — and make the scope of diffusion way wider.
It’s possible to mashup news RSS feeds with Google Earth so you can geolocate where the news took place.
To my (provoking) “concern” that you might be putting all your eggs in one basket, and...
Giacomo Rambaldi
The Story of Web2ForDev
Used DGroups, Website, Google Analytics, Blog, Wiki, Social Bookmarking, Google Coop, Facebook… and many more.
We were technologically not ready when the whole thing began, not even had proper microphones for skype conferences, but they’ve caught up at tremendous speed. Keeping up-to-date with fast changing technologies.
Different work style and attitudes required by innovative appraoch and “new” technologies.
Rules and regulations within institutions, such as security concerns.
Getting to the minimum level of equipment (low investment)
Main outputs of the online effort:
Trust and respect
A virtual community based on DGroups
ITrainonline
Blog, Wiki, Social bookmarks, RSS
Participatory Learning Action and EJISDC articles
A...
Ethan Zuckerman
Web 2.0: Simple Tools & Smart People
It’s not about technology — which, by the way, is quite old —, it’s about people. People have always found ways to communicate through the Internet by using features of applications that were not designed to do so, e.g. chating by using an online chess game.
The mobile phone is the biggest revolution in telecommunications — not laptops, not handhelds… — because it changes all the rules of the game. e.g. in Kenya you can pay a taxi with your mobile phone… but you can’t in the United States.
Interactive Radio for Justice: radio + mobile phone project.
Mobilemonitors.org, to make elections more transparent thanks to mobile enhanced monitoring.
Manal and Alaa’s bit bucket, using blogs as a...
Tobias Eigen
Wikis, Blogs and Online Profiles for African NGOs at Kabissa – Space for Change in Africa
Empower civil society so they can better act as change agents.
African organizations are using web 2.0 but not actively in support of their mission, mostly because of lack of understanding of the tools due to poor access, and, sometimes, because they get misled by technical (unnecessary? geeky? cool? trendy?) terminology (buzz? hype?).
So, keep it simple, keep it useful, keep it understandable.
Caleb Wall
Cairo Concept: Village to Village Knowledge Sharing
It’s going to be successful it the user finds it useful. Accessible, easy… is just not enough.
Set up a Virtual Development Neighborhood, to design together, with the future/potential user, how the network, the...
Alioune Thioune, Fatou Dieng Sarr
Dispositif de Collaboration et Partage de Données pour la Communauté Scientifique: Cas du Système d’Information Scientifique et Technique (SIST) du Sénégal [Collaboration and Data Sharing Device por the Scientific Community: Senegal’s Scientific and Technical Information System case]
Twofold goal: make available information about Senegal for everyone and make accessible information from developed countries for Senegal researchers.
Find information: syndicated search
Exchange: discussion fora, wikis
Know and let know: e-mail subscriptions, RSS feeds
More info:
Thierry Helmer - L’accès à l’Information Scientifique et Technique: Dispositif SIST [Access to Scientific and Technical Information: SIST Device on a previous session on the...
Armelle Arrou
Open Training Platform
Open Training Platform to share training materials. Open solutions allowing localization of the resources.
Content provided by UN agencies, development agencies, NGOs, foundations, associations… and in contact with Knowledge Centers, City Learning Centers, Civic Media Centers, IT kiosks, etc.
Avoid duplications, maximize existing resources circulation.
Prince Deh
Promoting Information and Knowledge Sharing through Vlogging
Vlogging requires low expertise or digital literacy, and there are plenty of (free) (online) tools to create, edit and upload your videos.
Major challenges
On the other hand, the major challenges are connectivity and/or access
the difficulty to get people share information and knowledge
Cost of equipment: camcorder,...
Thierry Helmer
L’accès à l’Information Scientifique et Technique: Dispositif SIST [Access to Scientific and Technical Information: SIST Dispositive
Strong bet for open archiving.
Meta search engines for syndicated search:
A single question to ask several databases, open access archives, websites, RSS feeds, etc.
A single RSS format for results representation.
Systematic access to the original source of data.
SIST also serves not only as a search engine, but also as a way of monitoring news and everything that’s happening on the Internet.
More info
Piece of news about CIRAD’s SIST
Mark Davies
Agric Market Information Systems 2.0: Making it Private, Profitable and Peer2Peer
Tradenet is open source software product to manage information: realtime SMS uploads from...
Luz Marina Alvaré, Nancy Walczak
Web 2.0 and IFPRI: Looking out and Looking in
Reach Internet users potentially interested in IFPRI’s work and engage them in a dialog.
Goal: extend web presence beyond institutional website
Goalk: establish dialogue on food policy issues: Blog World Hunger
Goal: help dispersed teams work more effectively: CGVlibrary
Goal: Quickly and collaboratively crate a list of best resources, e.g. by using del.icio.us
But also looking inside
Goal: increase participation, open communication, and create community: Let’s blog IFPRI, a blog on IFPRI’s intranet
Goal: to simplify the entry of content into IFPRI’s Intranet: using wikis as a content management system, avoiding bottlenecks, fostering initiative on the content creator/responsible...
Juha Hautakangas
Global Partnerships for Sharing Forest Related Information through the GFIS-Gateway at www.gfis.net
GFIS: information service that stores metadata on forestry “under the same roof”, providing accurate search results and reliable information.
The system interacts with other databases all over the world using RSS format, and using the Open Search specification as a standard interface for search engines.
Multilingual search aggregator, where content comes from RSS feeds generated through searches.
Ismael Peña-López
The personal research portal: web 2.0 driven individual commitment with open access for development
There is unchallenged evidence that both researchers and research interests in developing countries are underrepresented in mainstream academic...
Amit Dasgupta
Leveraging Web 2.0 to Develop Better Applications for Rural Communities
Despite the progress in technology in India, the benefits have not reached the agricultural community — 60% of India’s population. Mostly because of lack of access to information and knowledge.
But:
Without a large user base, difficult to justify cost
Large user base only if regional variations and localization needs are addressed
Web 2.0 can help:
Improve quality of information by linking information from multiple data sources
Reducte cost of content creating and deployment
Better access through multiple devicesw
Richer content using collective intelligence
Effective information exchange and knowledge management across geography through collaborative platforms
Besides the well known blogs...
Keynote Speech: George Ritzer
Theorizing Web 2.0
While there are quite new things in the Web 2.0, they are not taking place in the larger society.
There’s quite a consensus that Web 2.0 is about consumption, buying… And a central issue is the collapse among consumption and production, the concept of the prosumer. Also the blurring distinction between the professional, the expert, the amateur.
Is prosuming that new? Marx already stated that production implied consumption. And in the McDonald’s model you also have the consumer as producer. And this is good for the owner: less costs, higher fitting of needs. From a marxian point of view, the consumer that produces produces nothing but surplus value, among other things because he does it for no pay.
In the Web 2.0 it looks...
Keynote Speech: Ian Forrester
Beyond the broadcast (trends and patterns moving forward)
Web 2.0 is not user generated content, but also the social, interactivity, the collective intelligence.
The BBC worked with projects and trials just as BBC Blogs, Feed Factory, Creative/Open Archive, Podcasts, Data Feeds, Data Apis, etc. The BBC Backstage wanted to stimulate creativity. Backstage is community: lively discussion lists, suggestions, social events, etc.
Backstage is also transparency: how in touch is the BBC with its audience.
Backstage is the Wild West: an opportunity to move prototypes onwards, to try out new technologies, to work with internal BBC staff directly, to shape the future of the BBC… and it’s changing the BBC: co-working, open coffee/lunch, grassroots support,...