The Association of Research Libraries has been researching new kinds of scholarly works that challenge traditional publication models. The ARL initiated a study in 2008 to describe these new-model publications. The study had two segments: the first phase, a field study, engaged librarian volunteers in arranging structured conversations with faculty members at their institutions to learn about new model publications that are currently in use by scholars and researchers, while the second phase consisted of interviews with selected managers of new model works and the preparation of a study report. 

Over 300 librarians participated in the field study phase and interviewed hundreds of faculty members from across the disciplinary spectrum. They contributed records of more than 300 new kinds of scholarly works that are currently in use in a broad range of disciplines. 

Both the study report and a searchable collection of new model resources gathered during the study are now freely available. The report provides a detailed picture of the patterns and trends that have emerged to date. Emergent genres, disciplinary patterns, and peer review practices are all described. The accompanying searchable collection offers 206 examples of new model works along with descriptive information gathered for the study.

Technorati’s annual survey provides a look at writing/blogging on the web, including stats, demographics, quotes and stabs at defining the phenomenon of blogging. The Report was released over a series of days, covering these topics.

• Introduction
• Day 1: Who Are the Bloggers?
• Day 2: The What And Why of Blogging
• Day 3: The How of Blogging
• Day 4: Blogging For Profit
• Day 5: Brands Enter The Blogosphere 
  

  Who Are the Bloggers?

Readers may be interested in a recent article Grainne Conole, Professor of e-learning The Open University published entitled New Schemas for Mapping Pedagogies and Technologies.

The piece focusses on the apparent disjuncture between the rhetoric of web 2.0 and current educational structures/systems and suggests some new approaches the Open Learn team has been trying to develop to address this mismatch and better map good pedagogy to potential use of tools. It is an interesting look at shifting models of learning and the tools that may support them.

Knowledge Works Foundation www.kwfdn.org and the Institute for the Future  www.iftf.org, have created a “conversation catalyst” called the Map of Future Forces Affecting Education years 2006 to 2016. The map is divided into the drivers of change and the basic forces (family, community, markets, institutions, etc.) along with the trends, hotspots and dilemma that they see for the future of education. For example, one named driver of change is the “Urban Wilderness” and the challenge is “how will people’s needs and strategies adapt in extreme cities” and how will the future “reshape urban schools”? You can download a printable copy at their web site, www.kwfdn.org/map. Map of Future Forces Affecting Education

While you or may not be library staff, you might still appreciate an opportunity to participate in a self-paced exploration of some of the cool features of Web 2.0. It could be the perfect summer learning task. The tutorial, developed by the California School Library Association, provides 23 Things for you to do. Each Thing will show you one more web tool. There are many places for you to explore, experiment with, and think about creative ways to use this in your own work. If you are interested, visit http://schoollibrarylearning2.blogspot.com/ and get started exploring.

The  Pearson Foundation Digital Arts Alliance has produced a thought-provoking video on the direction that our education system needs to be moving in. You can check it out on YouTube. (thanks to Anne-Marie for the link)

Alan Levine, one of the better known digital pioneers in higher education, put together a great tour of 50 different tools that can be used to tell a narrative tale with pictures and more online. A narrated slideshow walks you through them, and a wiki points you to the sources discussed. Very interesting…

The Connexions clearinghouse at Rice University offers a wide variety of open learning content. One very useful jumping off point for faculty and students interested in the growing wealth of shared learning content is the online course Introduction to Open Educational Resources. 

Developed by Judy Baker, the course walks the user through the major topics in the OER world, namely Open Courseware, Fair Use and Copyright, Finding Sources (including discipline-specific ones), Public Domain Textbooks, Primary Sources, Development of OER resources, and mechanisms for the Delivery, Storage and Organization of free content. Plenty of links and examples provide a quick entrance into an exciting area of growth for instructors at all levels of our educational system.

While this isn’t exactly about teaching and learning in the traditional sense, conference blogs provide an important resource for staying up-to-date on the latest information in your field. At our Virtual Citizenship conference for instance, WSU faculty member Kevin Deegan-Krause did an impressive job covering both the speakers and audience participation. Just in case you are going to a conference and want to try blogging about it, or if you are hosting an event and want to encourage blog coverage, you may want to have a look at this idea-packed 6-page booklet presenting Tips for Conference Bloggers developed by Ethan Zuckerman and Bruno Giussani. Here’s the direct link to the  PDF.

Join us this Thursday, January 3rd for a workshop on Blogs and Wikis in Academia. We will explore the use of these tools in academic contexts. UPDATE: Slides from the session now available  http://www.slideshare.net/warters/blogs-and-wikis-in-academia/ 

Here are the details:

• Thursday, January 3rd
• 1:30 – 3:30 pm
• 150 Purdy Kresge Library
• (TRC Instruction Lab)