Online Course: Intro to Community Informatics - and Dadamac Community May 24, 2010
I saw your announcement (in the email below) about presenting the online course "Introducton to Community Informatics" again in the Winter Semester.
As you can see from the highlighting in the email, various words and phrases leaped out at me - such as.... empower local as well as virtual communities ...
Practical examples... developing world contexts .... digital divide ... rural development practice and theory,... on-line communities ... an analysis of a specific implementation or practical application... Learners will.... choose their own project groups or .... undertake individual projects.
I'm writing to you in the context of those highlighted words and in the spirit of bridging the divide between academia and practice. I am wondering if any of your students would like to undertake projects related to activities in the Dadamac community (and if you think that might be relevant). Obviously I don't know how much time they will have to devote to that part of their studies (so I don't know what I might be letting myself in for through this suggestion) however I imagine we could find some win-win way to do it. Perhaps, for instance they will simply need an invitation to some online meetings with people in the Dadamac community, plus suggestions of where to look for background information, and in return Dadamac will start to develop links with the Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development and Training,Vancouver, CANADA.
Is this suggestion of any interest?
Pamela
-----original message-----
From: Michael Gurstein <gurstein@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 24, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Subject: [ciresearchers] Online Course: Introduction to Community Informatics
Colleagues,
As per the attached I'll be presenting the online course "Introducton
to Community Informatics" again in the Winter Semester (starting Jan.
1 through April 2011) as part of the Masters in Communicatons program
at the University of Alberta. The course will be available for
transfer credit as per the attached information.
Send me an email if you would like a copy of the detailed course
syllabus and reading list. For all practical purposes this course is
the same as the f2f course I've been offering for several years
through the Masters in Information program at the U. of Toronto.
Additional registration related information can be obtained either
from susan.petruszczak@ualberta.ca or (Prof.) marco.adria@ualberta.ca
the Director of the Program.
Mike
Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
Director: Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development and Training
Vancouver, CANADA
http://www.communityinformatics.net
CA tel. +1-604-602-0624
Online Winter 2011 Elective
EXT 597: Community, Communication, and Organization: An Introduction
to Community Informatics
An Elective Course developed for Communications and Technology
Instructor: Dr. Michael Gurstein
Course Description and Objectives
This course will provide an overview and introduction to the emerging
field of Community Informatics (CI) which is concerned with the use of
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to enable and
empower local as well as virtual communities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_informatics.
The course will present CI from a variety of perspectives including --
social, economic, policy, theoretical and technical. Practical
examples and cases will be addressed in the Canadian, OECD and
developing world contexts. Topics covered will include CI and
community networking in Canada and globally; CI and community
practice; CI and the digital divide; CI and virtual communities/social
networking; and CI and economic and social development in rural and
remote communities. Students completing the course will have an
understanding of CI in relation to other areas of communications for
development and a good background should they wish to pursue
additional studies, research or practical activities in community
development or community informatics. The course will interest
students pursuing specializations in librarianship in the community,
rural development practice and theory, technology policy, and on-line
communities, among others.
The course project encourages the learner to integrate and
operationalize the concepts acquired from the discussions, text and
readings to an analysis of a specific implementation or practical
application perhaps drawn from the learner’s current work activities.
An individual (20% of overall) and a group (15% of overall where
appropriate) grade will be assigned to the project. Learners will be
expected to identify their individual contribution to the project for
assessment unless this is waived by mutual agreement. Learners will,
with mutual agreement, be allowed to choose their own project groups
or to undertake individual projects. Each learner will also be asked
to prepare one brief 1-2 page document on one or another aspect of
Community Informatics as applied to a specific organization or
community or as agreed with the instructor as well as 6 short
exercises overall (1-2 pages) in response to questions identified for
each module.
Delivery Format and Resources
This course will be offered in Winter Term, from January to April
2011. Materials will include a readings package. Online articles and
reference to relevant web sites will be provided. Pre-reading will be
required. Through Open Studies you can take university-level credit
courses on a part-time basis without following a specific degree or
diploma program. Registration through Open Studies will require you to
apply for admission by a deadline date earlier than the Communications
and Technology deadline. Please see below for details about Open
Studies.
For more information, contact: Susan Petruszczak at (780) 492-1538 or
susan.petruszczak@ualberta.ca/ mact@ualberta.ca
Enrollment is limited to 20. Early registration is suggested due to
delivery format. Closed to telephone registration.
Open Studies at the University of Alberta
Through Open Studies you can take university-level credit courses on a
part-time basis without following a specific degree or diploma
program. Open Studies students can take up to six units of course
weight in each term. Many courses from a wide variety of subject areas
and disciplines are available to students who choose this option.
People of any age and varied educational backgrounds choose Open
Studies. It allows students the opportunity to develop skills useful
to their profession, to upgrade their postsecondary qualifications,
and to take courses purely for personal interest.
Admission Requirements
Normally documents are not required because there is no competition
for admission. Students require only an interest in the courses and,
in some cases, there may be course prerequisites to be met. Official
documents are usually required only to establish evidence of English
language proficiency and/or in cases where a student has previously
been required to withdraw from a postsecondary institution.
Students must submit an Application for Admission by the appropriate
deadline for the term in which they wish to begin taking courses.
Previously Required to Withdraw
Students who have been required to withdraw from any postsecondary
institution because of unsatisfactory academic standing must provide
official transcripts. A minimum of 15 units of transferable course
weight with a GPA of 2.0 or better must have been completed since
having been required to withdraw. Students who have been required to
withdraw (or equivalent by University of Alberta standards) more than
once from any postsecondary institution or program are not eligible
for admission to Open Studies.
English Language Proficiency
Because the U of A wants you to succeed, our admissions policy ensures
that all students, regardless of citizenship, have the language skills
they need to understand, participate and learn in our classes. The
primary language of instruction in our classes, with the exception of
those at the Facultý Saint-Jean, is English. For more information on
the English Language Proficiency policy refer to the U of A Calendar.
Information on writing ELP examinations is also available.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.registrar.ualberta.ca/ro.cfm?id=69