Archive of ‘information technology’ category

18
Feb
2021

Media Literacy for GLST 195

categories: Digital literacy, educational technology, information literacy, information technology, media literacy

Information Media and Digital Literacy for GLST 195: Global Society & Citizenship    

Instructor: Prof. Chuks Ugochukwu   Per Syllabus:

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The course meets Liberal Education Program (LEP), Goal Area 8: Global Perspective; and Goal Area 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility objectives
Goal Area 8: Global Perspective. Objective: Develop a comparative perspective and understanding of one’s place in a global context.

Students will be able to:

  1. Describe and analyze political, economic, and cultural elements which influence relations of states and societies in their historical and contemporary dimensions.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of cultural, social, religious and linguistic differences.
  3. Analyze specific international problems, illustrating the cultural,economic, and political differences that affect their solution.
  4. Understand the role of a world citizen and the responsibility world citizens share for their common global future.

Goal Area 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility Objective: Understand and evaluate ethical or civic issues and theories and participate in active citizenship or ethical judgment

OUR HUSKY COMPACT

Our Husky Compact is a bond shared by St. Cloud State University and its students that a SCSU education will prepare students for a life of growth and fulfillment – intellectually, professionally, and personally. When students graduate with an SCSU education, they will:

  • Think Creatively and Critically
  • Seek and Apply Knowledge
  • Communicate Effectively
  • Integrate Existing and Evolving Technologies
  • Engage as a Member of a Diverse and Multicultural World
  • Act with Personal Integrity and Civic Responsibility

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Week ???: Information – Media and Digital Literacy

Most students can’t tell fake news from real news, study shows
Read more: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/28/fake-news-3/

Module 1
video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks

https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/GLST+195+Module+1/1_32242qua

  1. Fake News / Misinformation / Disinformation
    1. Definitions
      1. Fake news, alternative facts
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=fake+news
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=alternative+facts

Mini-Assignment: After reading the information from the links above, take a minute to write out your own definition of 1. Fake News 2. Alternative Facts

      1. Misinformation vs disinformation
        https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2018/02/18/fake-news-disinformation-propaganda/

Mini-Assignment: After reading the information from the links above, take a minute to write out your own definition of 1. Misinformation 2. Disinformation. What are their main characteristics? How do they differ?

        1. Propaganda

Mini-Assignment: What is Propaganda? How do misinformation, disinformation, fake news and alternative facts fit into the process of propaganda?

        1. Conspiracy theories
          https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=conspiracy+theories

Mini-Assignment:  Using the information from the links above, can you establish the connection between conspiracy theories, propaganda, mis- and disinformation, fake news, alternative news and social media?

          1. Bots, trolls
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/11/22/bots-trolls-and-fake-news/
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/04/30/fake-social-media-accounts-and-politicians/
            https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/01/20/bots-and-disinformation/

Mini-Assignment: using the info from the links above and/or information you have collected, can you define the role of bots and trolls in social media in regard to propaganda and conspiracy theories?

        1. Clickbait
          Filter bubbles, echo chambers
          (8 min) video explains filter bubbles
          https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter

Mini-Assignment:: based on your own information and experience, as well as the information offered in the links, can you define your own resistance to clickbaits?

Assignment: which challenges do you identify with?
The Challenge of Teaching News Literacy:
https://soundcloud.com/edsurge/the-challenge-of-teaching-news-literacy

25 min podcast.

In a short paragraph, identify the issues you see as important to address in order to improve your own news literacy.
time to accomplish the assignment: ~45 min (including listening to the podcast).

  1. Why is it important to understand these processes?

Assignment: why is it important:

In a short paragraph, share your initial feeling about Fake News / Misinformation / Disinformation. 1. Do you think, it is important at all? 2. If yes, why; if not, why. 3. If yes, what is the importance, the impact?
time to accomplish the assignment: ~5-10 min

  1. How to deal with these processes
    1. how do we apply hands-on critical thinking to withstand these processes?
      1. What is critical thinking

disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/critical-thinking

  1. Ability to research

Ability to find reliable information

  1. Popular media

How to spot fake news:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/15/fake-news-bib/
Can machines create fake news?
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2019/10/24/fake-news-generator/
Can machines “clean up” fake from real?
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2020/11/16/identifying-fake-news-by-90/
What can humans do to distinguish fake from real? Consider these five factors:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/06/26/fake-news-real-news/

Considering the second factor (who published it), here is a scale to consider when evaluating the veracity of your sources:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/08/13/library-spot-fake-news/
(can you find your favorite magazine/newspaper on the graphic?)

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/12/14/fake-news-2/

(can you find your favorite news organization on the graphic?)

Factcheckers/Factchecking Organizations:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/03/28/fake-news-resources/

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/12/14/fake-news-2/

  1. Peer-reviewed literature

Similarly to the assessment of popular information sources, academia requires vigorous vetting if the sources you will be using for your academic work. In the 21st century, your ability to find information in peer-reviewed journals might not be sufficient to assure accurate and reliable use of information from those resources for your research and writing. After your selection of peer-reviewed literature, you must be able to evaluate and determine the veracity and reliability of those sources.
How do you evaluate a source of information to determine if it is appropriate for academic/scholarly use. There is no set “checklist” to complete but below are some criteria to consider when you are evaluating a source.

Here is a short (4 min) video introducing you to the well-known basics for evaluation of academic literature:
https://youtu.be/qUd_gf2ypk4

  1. ACCURACY
    1. Does the author cite reliable sources?
    2. How does the information compare with that in other works on the topic?
    3. Can you determine if the information has gone through peer-review?
    4. Are there factual, spelling, typographical, or grammatical errors?
  2. AUDIENCE
    1. Who do you think the authors are trying to reach?
    2. Is the language, vocabulary, style and tone appropriate for intended audience?
    3. What are the audience demographics? (age, educational level, etc.)
    4. Are the authors targeting a particular group or segment of society?
  3. AUTHORITY
    1. Who wrote the information found in the article or on the site?
    2. What are the author’s credentials/qualifications for this particular topic?
    3. Is the author affiliated with a particular organization or institution?
    4. What does that affiliation suggest about the author?
  4. CURRENCY
    1. Is the content current?
    2. Does the date of the information directly affect the accuracy or usefulness of the information?
  5. OBJECTIVITY/BIAS
    1. What is the author’s or website’s point of view?
    2. Is the point of view subtle or explicit?
    3. Is the information presented as fact or opinion?
    4. If opinion, is the opinion supported by credible data or informed argument?
    5. Is the information one-sided?
    6. Are alternate views represented?
    7. Does the point of view affect how you view the information?
  6. PURPOSE
    1. What is the author’s purpose or objective, to explain, provide new information or news, entertain, persuade or sell?
    2. Does the purpose affect how you view the information presented?

In 2021, however, all suggestions above may not be sufficient to distinguish a reliable source of information, even if the article made it through the peer-reviewed process. In time, you should learn to evaluate the research methods of the authors and decide if they are reliable. Same applies for the research findings and conclusions.

Assignment: seeking reliable information

From your syllabus weekly themes: 1. Food; 2. Health; 3. Energy; 4. Environment; 5. Security, chose a topic of your interest.
For example: Food: raising cattle for food contributes to climate changes, because of the methane gas, or Health: COVID is the same (or not the same) as the flu; or Energy: Fossil energy is bad (or good) for the environment; etc.
Please consult with me (email me for a zoom appointment: pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu), if you need to discuss the choice and narrowing down of the topic.
Once you decide on the topic, do the research by collecting four sources of information:

The first couple of sources will be from popular media, whereas each of the two articles will be having an opposite approach, arguments and understanding of the issue. For example, one article will claim fossil energy is bad for the environment and the other one will argue fossil fuel has insignificant impact on climate change. You must be able to evaluate the veracity and the leaning of each source. The source can be a newspaper or magazine article, video (TV or Social Media), audio (podcasts, TV, etc.), presentations (PowerPoint, SlideShare, etc.).
Having troubles finding opposing resources? Feel welcome to search for your topic among these news outlets on the conservative side:
https://www.conservapedia.com/Top_Conservative_news_websites
and the https://aelieve.com/rankings/websites/category/news-media/top-liberal-websites/
In the same fashion, you will evaluate the second couple of sources from peer-reviewed journals. Each source will have different approach, argument and understanding of the issue and you must evaluate the robustness of the research method.

time to accomplish the assignment: ~30 min

Module 2 (video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks)

  1. Digital Citizenship, Global Citizenship and Multiculturalism
    1. Definitions
    2. Global Citizenship
      seek global sources:

start reading:
e.g. start following and reading several news outlets from other countries and with time, you should be able to detect differences in opinions and facts presented at those outlets and your current sources for information:
Spiegel International (German, left-leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/spiegelinternational
Le Monde Diplomatique
https://www.facebook.com/mondediplo
El Pais (Spanish, left leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/elpaisinenglish

Moscow Times (Russian, left leaning)
https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes
The Epoch Times (Chinese, far-right)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/

Start watching (smart phone, laptop) news feeds, live or vlog (video blog):

Africa News
https://youtu.be/NQjabLGdP5g
Nigeria Live (you can seek any other country on YouTube by typing the name of the country adding “live”)
https://youtu.be/ATJc9LyPZj8
Al Jazeera in English
https://youtu.be/GXfsI-zZO7s

Deutsche Welle
https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish

BBC
https://www.youtube.com/user/bbcnews

Russia Today
https://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday

China Today
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBOqkAGTtzZVmKvY4SwdZ2g
India News
https://www.youtube.com/user/IndiaTV
you can also follow specific people’s vlogs, e.g.
Alexei Navalny’s vlog has English subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/user/NavalnyRu

France 24 Live
https://youtu.be/HeTWwH1a0CQ

 

Start listening (smart phone, laptop):
BBC
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.bbc.android.iplayerradio&hl=en_US&gl=US (Android app)

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bbc-sounds/id1380676511 (iOS app)

Deutsche Welle
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.exlivinapps.deutschewelleradioappde&hl=en_US&gl=US (Android app)

https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/deutsche-welle/id305630107 (iOS app)

 

Assignment:
Global Citizenship and Multiculturalism and Information and Media Literacy

Study the following tweet feed
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2021/02/18/facebook-google-australia/
If the information from the tweet feed is insufficient, research the issue by seeking reliable sources. (In a short paragraph defend your choice of reliable sources).
What do you see as more important issue: the Facebook stance that it can be a subject of Australian law or the Australian government stance that Facebook is interfering in Australian life with its news delivery? Is Facebook a news outlet or a platform for news outlets? Does Facebook need to be regulated? By who; each country do have to regulate Facebook or Facebook needs to be regulated globally?

time to accomplish the assignment: ~30 min

 

Module 3 (video to introduce students to the readings and expected tasks)

  1. Assistance for work on the final project / paper

 

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Here a list of additional materials and readings on Fake News
https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter

16
Feb
2021

RealMax Qian AR

categories: Digital literacy, educational technology, gamification, information technology, instructional technology, mobile learning, technology literacy

RealMax Qian review: wide FOV AR is amazing!

RealMax Qian(乾) is the second iteration of the Realmax augmented reality glasses (the first one was the Realmax 100). These augmented reality devices are manufactured by Chinese company Realmax and are characterized by a very wide field of view. While many other AR glasses (like Nreal Light or HoloLens 2) have a Field Of View in the 50° ballpark, RealMax glasses have always had ones above 100°, for a more immersive augmented experience. This makes the RealMax quite unique in this field, considering that the only other headset that is able to offer such a feature is the Project North Star, which anyway is not standalone like this device.

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more on AR in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=Augmented+reality

16
Feb
2021

Parler new web host

categories: Digital literacy, information literacy, information technology, media literacy

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/15/968116346/after-weeks-of-being-off-line-parler-finds-a-new-web-host

SkySilk, a Web infrastructure company based outside of Los Angeles, is now hosting Parler, SkySilk’s chief executive, Kevin Matossian, confirmed to NPR in an interview.

Matossian refused to comment on the terms of the arrangement, or under what conditions SkySilk will do business with Parler, which was heavily used by the rioters in connection with the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

In new content guidelines released by Parler on Monday, the company says it will deploy a “privacy-preserving process” using an algorithm and human moderators to police content that threatens or incites violence.

Additionally, Parler says there will be a “trolling filter” in which content that attacks someone based on race, sex, sexual orientation or religion will be covered up. Yet those who want to view the content will be allowed by clicking through the filter.

Mark Meckler, one of the early creators of the Tea Party movement and now Parler’s interim CEO, said the platform has been rebuilt on independent technology and is “not reliant on so-called ‘Big Tech’ for its operations.”

Indeed, Parler has turned to Web infrastructure companies that have welcomed extremist and hate-filled websites, including Epik, a firm based outside of Seattle that supports Parler’s domain, as well as sites including InfoWars, BitChute and Patriots.win, previously known as The Donald.

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more on Parler in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=parler

16
Feb
2021

campus wide infrastructure for immersive

categories: AR, Digital literacy, gamification, gaming, information technology, instructional technology, VR

Cabada, E., Kurt, E., & Ward, D. (2021). Constructing a campus-wide infrastructure for virtual reality. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 0(0), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691316.2021.1881680

As an interdisciplinary hub, academic libraries are uniquely positioned to serve the full lifecycle of immersive environment needs, from development through archiving of successful projects. As and informal learning environment that or discipline neutral and high traffic, the academic library can serve as a clearinghouse for experimentation and transmission of best practices across colleges.

these founda­tional questions:
1. What VR infrastructure needs do faculty and researchers have?
2. Where is campus support lagging?
3. What current partnerships exist?
4. What and where is the campus level of interest in VR?
As marketing for workshops and programs can be challenging, particu­larly for large institutions, data was collected on where workshop partici­pants learned about Step Into VR. The responses show that users learned of the workshops from a variety of ways with email ( 41 % ) as the most cited method (Figure 4). These marketing emails were sent through distributed listservs that reached nearly the entire campus population. Facebook was called out specifically and represented the second largest marketing method at 29% with the library website, friends, instructors, and digital signage rep­resenting the remaining marketing channels.
While new needs continue to emerge, the typical categories of consult­ation support observed include:
• Recommendations on hardware selection, such as choosing the best VR headset for viewing class content
• Guidance on developing VR applications that incorporate domain-spe­cific curricular content
• Support for curricular integration of VR
• Recommendations on 360 capture media and equipment for document­ing environments or experiences, such as the GoPro Fusion and Insta360 One X
• Advice on editing workflows, including software for processing and ren­dering of 360 content
Alex Fogarty
p. 9
While many library patrons understand the basic concepts of recording video on a camera, 360 cameras present a large divergence from this pro­cess in several primary ways. The first is a 360 camera captures every direc­tion at once, so there is no inherent “focus,” and no side of a scene that is not recorded. This significantly changes how someone might compose a video recording, and also adds complexity to post-production, including how to orient viewers within a scene. The second area of divergence is that many of these devices, especially the high-end versions, are recording each lens to a separate data file or memory card and these ftles need to be com­bined, or “stitched,” at a later time using software specific to the camera. A final concern is that data ftles for high-resolution 3 D capture can be huge, requiring both large amounts of disk space and high-end processors and graphic cards for detailed editing to occur. For example, the Insta360 Pro 2 has 6 sensors all capable of data recording at 120 Mbps for a grand total of 720 Mbps. This translates into 43.2 gigabytes of data for every minute o
15
Feb
2021

AT&T and Internet

categories: Digital literacy, information technology, technology, technology literacy

You shouldn’t have to publicly humiliate AT&T to get usable internet

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/12/22280964/att-provides-fiber-after-newspaper-ad-media-coverage

Earlier this month, Aaron Epstein spent $10,000 to buy an ad in The Wall Street Journal to tell AT&T’s CEO he wasn’t happy with his internet service — service that was limited to a paltry 3Mbps (via Ars Technica). Now, AT&T has him hooked up with a fiber connection, and he’s getting over 300 Mbps up and down. All it took was getting interviewed by Ars, the ad going viral on Twitter, and a Stephen Colbert mention.

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more on netneutrality in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=netneutrality

15
Feb
2021

China hackers

categories: cracker, Digital literacy, educational technology, hacker, information technology, technology literacy

https://soundcloud.com/bloomberg-business/the-big-hack-part-1-read-aloud

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-10-04/the-big-hack-how-china-used-a-tiny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies

Nested on the servers’ motherboards, the testers found a tiny microchip, not much bigger than a grain of rice, that wasn’t part of the boards’ original design. Amazon reported the discovery to U.S. authorities, sending a shudder through the intelligence community. Elemental’s servers could be found in Department of Defense data centers, the CIA’s drone operations, and the onboard networks of Navy warships. And Elemental was just one of hundreds of Supermicro customers.

interdiction, consists of manipulating devices as they’re in transit from manufacturer to customer. This approach is favored by U.S. spy agencies, according to documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The other method involves seeding changes from the very beginning.

In emailed statements, Amazon (which announced its acquisition of Elemental in September 2015), Apple, and Supermicro disputed summaries of Bloomberg Businessweek’s reporting.

The Chinese government didn’t directly address questions about manipulation of Supermicro servers, issuing a statement that read, in part, “Supply chain safety in cyberspace is an issue of common concern, and China is also a victim.” The FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, representing the CIA and NSA, declined to comment.

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more on hackers in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=hacker

12
Feb
2021

Cancel Culture

categories: Digital literacy, information literacy, information technology, media literacy, social media

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/965815679/is-cancel-culture-the-future-of-the-gop

Six or seven years ago, the idea of “canceling” someone was largely used among younger people online, particularly on Black Twitter, as Vox’s Aja Romano has explained.

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more on cancel culture in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cancel+culture

11
Feb
2021

global upskilling and universities

categories: academic library, Digital literacy, information technology, instructional technology, technology literacy

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210129110449887

Upskilling for Shared Prosperity predicts that upskilling and reskilling could propel the transition to an economy where human labour is increasingly complemented and augmented – rather than replaced – by new technology, thus improving the overall quality of jobs.

Inertia in educational systems

The new Davos report points out that education systems – in particular secondary and tertiary education – must act and embrace this to play a central role in a comprehensive upskilling agenda.

Several higher education areas urgently need addressing:

• Curricula:
• Technology:
• Education providers:
• Qualifications, experiences and recognition:
• Connectivity:
• Credentialing:

Role of universities

“New arrangements – shorter, modular, part-time, with mixtures of in-person teaching and asynchronous self-directed learning – have to be developed. And to do that in a high-quality manner requires an enormous investment.”

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more on 4th industrial revolution in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=industrial+revolution

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