[publication] Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?

Our article on „Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?“ was published in the Open Access Online Journal Future Internet.
Abstract:

This paper describes a follow-up Web 2.0 approach to a technology enhanced master course for students of Graz University of Technology. The lecture “Social Aspects of Information Technology” has a long tradition for using new didactical scenarios as well as modern e-Learning technologies. After using a blogosphere one year ago, this year microblog channels helped to expand the traditional lecture. Students choose (on a voluntary basis) whether they want to participate in a blogging/microblogging group instead of using conventional methods called Scientific Writer/Scientific Reviewer. This study addresses the question whether this method can change the learning outcome into a more reflective one. Furthermore, peer-reviewing groups judge the quality of essays and blog contributions. In this paper we examine if microblogging can be an appropriate technology for assisting the process. This publication comes to the conclusion that an amazing potential and a new way to work with information is opened when using microblogging. Students seem to be more engaged, reflective and critical in as much as they presented much more personal statements and opinions than years before.

Reference: Ebner, Martin; Maurer, Hermann. 2009. „Can Weblogs and Microblogs Change Traditional Scientific Writing?.“ Future Internet 1, no. 1: 47-58.

The History of the Internet

e-MailEs ist doch immer wieder interessant darüber nachzulesen, wie das Netz der Netzt entstanden ist. Hier gibt es einen schönen Überblick über die Entstehungsgeschichte und manche Bilder lassen einen wirklich schmunzeln. Treten e-Mails und e-Moticons relativ früh auf, sind das WorldWideWeb und Google vergleichsweise noch sehr, sehr jung.

Gastvotrag: Digitale Lernumgebungen an Universitäten – wo ist das Ende?

Ich bin eingeladen worden vom Medienzentrum der TU Dresden am nächsten Montag (23.11.2009) einen Gastvortrag zum Thema „Digitale Lernumgebungen an Universitäten – wo ist das Ende?“ zu halten und dabei ein wenig unsere Erfahrungen im Einsatz von Web 2.0 Technologien in Zusammenhang mit traditionellen Lernmanagementsystemen zu schildern.
Abstract meines Votrages:

Der Lernende von heute besitzt einen PC, einen Laptop, ein Mobiltelefon, einen MP3-Player, Breitband- und einen mobilen Internetanschluss. Zumindest zeigen dies die aktuellen Untersuchungen an Erstsemestrigen an der TU Graz. Nun kann die berechtigte Frage gestellt werden, welche Auswirkungen diese zunehmende Digitalisierung auf eine Bildungsinstitution hat. In welcher Weise können die vorhandenen technischen Möglichkeiten genutzt werden um das Lehr- und Lernangebot zu optimieren.
Im Vortrag wird das Konzept der TU Graz näher vorgestellt bzw. das Zusammenspiel von vielen Systemen aufgezeigt und näher diskutiert. Warum der Ansatz einer heterogenen Landschaft durchaus Vorteile bietet, vor allem in Bezug auf die Umsetzung adäquater Lehr- und Lernszenarien, soll beantwortet werden, sowie auch die Frage nach einer zukünftigen Lösung.

Hier gibt es nähere Informationen – freue mich auf die Diskussion.

Call for Papers: Social Software Engineering 2010

I am happy to announce the 3rd International Workshop on Social Software Engineering (SSE2010) that is co-located with the Software Engineering 2010 conference in Paderborn, Germany (February, 22-26 2010). The workshop will take place on February, 24 2010.

„Social Software Engineering“ (SSE) focusses on the development of systems in highly uncertain domains, with evolving goals, frequent changes and much user involvement. SSE systems can often (but not exclusively) be found on the web. Related technical concepts are user feedback, mashups, perpetual beta. However, beneath technical expertise developing social software systems requires competency from other disciplines as diverse as psychology, organizational science or economics. Besides the advent of social software applications, software engeering research recognized in recent years that effective collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential in order to guarantee successful software development and maintenance. Methods and tools that support development teams must be based on interdisciplinary research efforts that investigate technologies, tools, processes and human factors in a holistic manner.
While both directions – engineering social software and dealing with social aspects in the software engineering process – receive considerable attention, we think that ultimately, both might confluence into a new software engineering paradigm. This workshop provides a forum for discussing high quality research on the social aspects of software engineering and the engineering aspects of social software, as well as a meeting place for the community that is currently distributed over several research domains (software engineering, knowledge management, web 2.0, human computer interaction).

Here the detailed call as well as the related Homepage: