social media Archives | Research & Innovation

Celebrate digital culture at research event on Dec. 6

muellerm — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Explore digital cultures research at a celebration co-hosted by six of 91��ɫ’s Faculties in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation on Friday, Dec. 6.

The event highlights the research of five 91��ɫ professors, a University Librarian and a former graduate student on topics ranging from sound, affect and digital communities, copyright in the digital domain, augmented reality storytelling, social media and oral culture at Ugandan heritage sites, digital technology design and librarian and information systems.

“This research celebration provides an opportunity for members of the 91��ɫ community to learn more about the breadth of Digital Cultures research at the University,” said Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation. “Throughout the upcoming year, we will continue to highlight research in the five areas of opportunity for the strategic development of research, as described in the new Strategic Research Plan, Building on Strength.”

Students, faculty and staff are invited to the celebration, from 2 to 4pm in the CIBC Lobby, Accolade East Building. The event will feature mini-research byte presentations followed by Q&As from the audience.

Featured presenters are Faculty of Fine Arts Professor Caitlin Fisher, Canada Research Chair in Digital Culture; Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Carys Craig; Faculty of Education Professor Mary Leigh Morbey, associate director of the Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, with Mary Pat O’Meara; Stacy Allison-Cassin, associate librarian, 91��ɫ Libraries; Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professor David Cecchetto; and Lassonde School of Engineering Professor Melanie Baljko.

Caitlin Fisher

Fisher will speak about “Augmented Reality Storytelling: Emerging Tools and Practices.” Her talk will explore expressive tools for augmented reality content creation, both custom tools developed in 91��ɫ's AR Lab and a new generation of easy-to-use commercial tools, workflow for the production of immersive and handheld augmented reality stories, and showcase some of the augmented reality storytelling projects being created by Dr. Fisher and her students.

Carys Craig

Craig will present “Copyright, Communication and Culture in the Digital Domain.” Copyright law appears to stand at a dangerous crossroads, forced to choose between maximizing the potential of the digital revolution and reinforcing the norms of the analog world. This is a false dilemma. Digital culture should not be regarded as threat to the copyright system or the public purposes it serves; rather, the copyright system should be viewed as a threat to our developing digital culture.

Mary Leigh Morbey, with Mary Pat O’Meara

Morbey will present “Social Media Engages Oral Culture at Ugandan Heritage Sites,” with Mary Pat O’Meara, the videographer on the Uganda National Museum Social Media project. Uganda in East Africa possesses 100 heritage sites illustrating the rich culture of Uganda: little known by Ugandans and the world. Collaboration between the Uganda National Museum and a 91��ɫ Institute for Research on Learning Technologies research team is capturing the heritage sites through video and photograph, and stories of older people living in the shadow of the sites through videoed interviews in English and Luganda. The collected data situated in a Social Media structure centered in the museum website, preserves potential lost heritage.

Stacy Allison-Cassin

Allison-Cassin will explore “Disconnecting connections: librarianship and information systems.” Her talk will highlight recently published and current research exploring the frictions present in the philosophical underpinnings of traditional librarianship in relation to technology, with a particular aim to expose how assumptions about information systems and the bodies of librarians impact our ability to forge alternate pathways in the digital environment.

David Cecchetto

Cecchetto will discuss, “Sound, Affect and Digital Communities.” His research takes hold at the crossing of aurality, digitality and critical posthumanism. Cecchetto’s talk begins by describing the claims of critical posthumanism, and proceeds to briefly discuss a practice-inclusive research project that works from this position to demonstrate—practically and theoretically—the innovative potential of bringing aurality to bear on digital technologies.

Melanie Baljko

Baljko will present, “Digital Technology Design in the GaMaY Lab.” Her presentation will provide an overview of several research projects underway in the in the Lassonde School of Engineering. The presentation will describe and discuss some of the threads that are common to these works, which include: critical reflection on the hidden assumptions and values underlying the design of digital technologies; accessibility and barriers to digital technologies; obstacles in the small-scale production and development of digital technology; and harnessing modes of knowledge mobilization.

Organizers ask that interested participants register their by Dec. 5.

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Professor Myriam Mongrain's psychology study on kindness attracts media coverage

fmaquito — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000

There is karma in kindness. It seems that the Biblical adage of doing unto others, as you’d have them do unto you, pays off in happiness, reported the Toronto Star May 17:

A 91��ɫ study found that – every day for five to 15 minutes for a week – increased their happiness and self-esteem.

After six months, many were still actively helping others and were reporting that their happiness and self-esteem levels were still up, according to the study, which will be published in the spring edition of the , an international scientific quarterly available online through Springer science and business media.

Myriam Mongrain, associate professor of psychology in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health and lead author for the study, says 700 people from across Canada were recruited online at the end of 2007 through a Facebook ad and then directed to the survey site, . The age group of respondents ranged from 18 to 73 with 80 per cent women and 20 per cent men.

The data collected on the original respondents – before they had started the compassion exercise – showed that the majority were “depressed,” says Mongrain.

Of the original 700 recruits, 458 people completed the first week’s exercise which required them to help or interact with another person every day – it could be someone they knew or a stranger – “in a supportive and considerate’’ way. The positive effects on their happiness and self-esteem were “very strong,” says Mongrain.

After three months 260 responded, with the majority saying that they were still performing acts of kindness – one to three days a week – and feeling the same positive effects. After six months, which was the end of the study, there were 179 responses with most still doing a good deed one to three days a week and feeling happier for it.

Despite the high drop-out rate, the results indicate that the exercise of performing acts of kindness “sustained increases in happiness and self-esteem,’’ says Mongrain, who had help analyzing the data from co-authors of the study, [91��ɫ researchers] Jacqueline Chin and Leah Shapira.

The study, funded by the , was also covered May 17 in the London Free Press and Toronto Sun and May 18 in The Globe and Mail and on 680 News in Toronto.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Professor Robert Latham speaks to CBC about exploring Middle East protests in the classroom

fmaquito — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Professor Robert Latham, director of the 91��ɫ Centre for International & Security Studies, spoke to CBC Radio's Metro Morning about the challenges inherent in using the developing situation in the Middle East as a teaching example in the classroom, including the role social media is playing in Egypt, Libya and other places in the Middle East.

The clip runs over six minutes and is available on .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Professor Alan Middleton: Small businesses should emphasize in-person contact over social media

fmaquito — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Experts on entrepreneurs and marketing say there is no substitute for personal contact when launching a small business, and many successful business owners agree, wrote :

While Internet technology and social media such as Twitter and Facebook allow businesses to manage contacts and nurture important professional relationships, it’s the initial “handshake” that makes a lasting impression with retailers and consumers.

. . .

In fact, in-person interactions are the “single most powerful marketing medium,” says , marketing professor and executive director of 91��ɫ’s Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC). “Research in the business-to-business world suggests the No. 1 reason for selection of a supplier is the personality of the sales team or seller. This is above the technical specs, marketing form, anything else,” Middleton says.

Deliver on your promises, or risk tarnishing a business relationship built on trust. Enter your new contacts into a customer relationship management system, such as Salesforce, suggests Middleton, and follow up with e-newsletters, blogs, updates or even webinars.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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