Media Literacy: just for the fun of it?

By Harry van Vliet on 3 January 2011

Based on some current conferences and publications it doesn’t take too much effort to conclude that there are currently three dominant views on media literacy in the Netherlands. The first one is the view that media literacy first and foremost is about protecting innocent children against all the bad things happening on the Internet: internet filters, special browsers, parental control, crash courses for parents and teachers on how to monitor children on Habbo Hotel, World of Warcraft or whatever social medium they are using. This is media literacy as the guardian angel of the fragile soul of children against the evil empire of bad taste flooding the Internet. (The immediate inclination to state ‘nothing wrong with that’ is there, but I beg to differ, although this is a somewhat different discussion. Another remark though: in a peculiar sense this contradicts the ‘digital natives ideology’ of Don Tapscott and his followers: is not their believe that children/youngsters are completely media savvy and can see through for instance all online marketing scams? So why do they need protecting? And if they do, are ‘digital immigrants’ the most logical candidates to teach them online self-defence?).

tagged with: fun, digital natives, media literacy

Wikileaks and Cablegate

By Rogier Brussee on 21 December 2010

In front of the Golden Wall where people are teeming in the raucous chaos of everyday life, it is all messy improvisation. That not everything runs afoul is due to the mysterious world behind the Golden Wall.  There lies the world of power, like the eye of the hurricane, in mysterious silence. Restrained, reliable, as meticulously organized as a chess board, it is like a purified world of platonic ideas. At least, such is the impression of the powerless. It is reinforced by the black suites, the noiseless limousines, the guards, the protocol, the perfect organization, and the velvety quietness in the palaces and ministries. […] Once you break through the Golden Wall, what do you see? Nothing special: the ado of ordinary people, neither more interesting, nor qualitatively different from the practices of the powerless. Unlike what the powerless think, they do not yield their power in “powerful”, inescapable ways as if proceeding with mathematical certainty, but just as messy and improvised as the powerless mind their own business. Mildred and Guy, formed a cabinet over dinner, Churchill and Stalin divided up the Balkans with a stiff drink. 

tagged with: crossmedia, politicians, internet, wikileaks

Video: Merry Xmas!

By Matthijs Rotte on 17 December 2010

tagged with: gelukkig nieuwjaar, vakantie, holiday, xmas, chrismas, kerst

Learning is a transforming experience

By Harry Smals on 14 December 2010

Crossmedia is the solution, but what is the problem? That an organization wants to send the same message through several media? I don’t think so. Getting rid of a message is never a problem. It’s like getting rid of garbage. There’s always a way to push it out.

tagged with: blended learning; learning; experience; transformation; teaching factory; crossmedia.

So, which trend is really dangerous?

By Yvonne Buma on 11 December 2010

The big discussion in the media this weekend is: how dangerous are the groups of hackers attacking credit card sites or sites of the police. Yes, yes, you are right. It is against the law and it should not be permitted. But… I have the faint feeling that clever spin doctors are diverting our attention from something much more threatening. Something that has (or could have) much more influence on our lives and our rights as civilians. And that is: financial institutions, internet providers and social media deciding for us, without court decisions, which causes we can support. Now there you have something that, in my opinion, is much more threatening to free speech and civil rights than actions of groups of people reacting in their own way to these actions. Yes! I agree. What these hackers do is unlawful, but let’s remember it is their reaction to very questionable and unlawful actions by financial institutions and social media.

tagged with: free speech, wikileaks, media

EDUCA 2010

By Pim Schonk on 7 December 2010

Last week was the EDUCA 2010.  This congress is the largest international platform for exchanging ideas and experiences on ICT-supported education and training in Europe. During this congress several students of the University of applied Science Utrecht had a job to registrate the sessions with our weblecture-system Prestentations2Go. Two of the students (Faye van der Bos and Martin Doornekamp) participated in a forum about cross media and how they want to use ICT in there own educational environment. Of course their presentation and the debate is also captured and to see at presentations2go.

tagged with: ict, educa 2010, presentations2go, education

A trip down memory lane

By Erik Hekman on 30 November 2010

Last week the faculty of communication and journalism organized a staff trip to see the movie ‘the social network’ in Pathé Rembrandt Utrecht. The movie focuses on the creation of Facebook, a popular social network site (for those who lived in a cave the last seven years).
At first I was reluctant to go to the movie at all assuming it was a mere movie about sex, drugs and rock and roll with a Silicone Valley touch. I was wrong… It was techno-music. The faculty asked me to participate in a panel discussion about social media and social networks afterwards so I had to go. Forming a panel could and should be a movie on itself but eventually a panel was formed. With little expectation I entered the movie theater.

tagged with: stick-it, social network sites, facebook, business models

Is neuroscience telling us how to vote?

By Yvonne Buma on 16 November 2010

Last week Fastcompany published two articles on the use of neuromarketing during the 2010 elections. It seems by the way that the Republicans aren’t that conservative. They were the ones using it! But as usual they are not admitting they are using this technique. Too controversial, it might seem socialist…

tagged with: neuroscience, poitical marketing, Marketing

What happened to the political Tweeps?

By Michiel Rovers on 12 November 2010

A few months ago I wrote about the use of Twitter by politicians. It was election time. Politicians all wanted to influence the public opinion by posting tweets, and they did. Tweets and retweets followed each other rapidly. During some debates on national television, the debate itself was the subject with the largest number of followers on Twitter worldwide. Meanwhile, the battle for the votes was fought and a government has been formed. Our new prime minister Rutte was one of few politicians who didn’t use Twitter during election time. Will he be using Twitter? And how active are the other politicians at the moment?

tagged with: policy, twitter, politicians, social media

A compass to help museums develop crossmedia services

By Harry van Vliet on 10 November 2010

‘Museumkompas’ is a research proposal submitted for a RAAK grant (www.innovatie-alliantie.nl) that will start in the spring of 2011 and will run for two years. The project will be implemented by the Crossmedialab in collaboration with several museums, Erfgoed Nederland, DEN, and an expert agency in the field of information management in the public sector (BMC).

tagged with: crossmedia, business models, cultural heritage