Collaborative Knowledgebase and Glossary

Who: University of York What: Wikis and Blogs

Objective: Explore a range of sociological influences in the realm of new media including the internet, mobile telephony, and digital communication technologies; and, acquire a critical understanding of how sociologists theorize the emergence of these technologies within the context of debates about broader sets of social transformations.

Process: A combination of lectures, workshops, and online communication and collaboration tools were used to deliver course objectives. Campus Pack wikis and blogs worked in tandem with the lectures and workshops, and were used to inspire reflection, group collaboration, and peer feedback. Within the class blog, each student was asked to publish weekly entries and comments, including web links to informative articles and resources. Two class wikis were created; the first hosted a collaborative glossary of new media concepts while the second was used to post and comment on weekly student-developed presentations.

Results: Within the class of 43, student logins were frequent across the module. Each student contributed an entry to the "Mediapedia" glossary wiki, and there was an extensive range of entries to the course blog, which reflected individual research. To learn more, access the University’s New Media and Society case study here.