This is an archive of the Dadamac.net website, as it was in 2015, it is no longer being updated.

Blog posts about academia

Design-reality gap: development projects and ICT

Submitted by Pamela on 2 July 2013 - 10:35pm
I'm constantly baffled and bewildered by the gap that exists between what I read on the Internet about ICT4D, and the reality that I meet on the ground. I long to help bridge the gap between academics and practitioners. I was therefore delighted to discover a student exploring the topic, and saddened, but not surprised at his difficulties. He wrote: I'm currently writing my thesis in the field of ICT4D, it's actually about design-reality gap issues of development projects related to implication of ICT. Since even my professors are not really into this topic, I would like to share some...

UK Free University Network

Submitted by Pamela on 11 April 2013 - 11:59am
Interesting news via Fred Garnett about Gary Saunders UK Free University Network. Relevant to recent blogs on Experiences of Invisible College in Action and Learning - Invisible College, Virtual Academia and Established Academia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am currently working on a public map that offers a counter-cartography to mainstream higher education (see link: http://goo.gl/maps/V7yrC ). This counter-cartography is part of a militant/-research project that is attempting to link groups that are thinking critically about higher education provision and offer alternative models. I have started to provide information in collaboration with some of the groups that provide free higher education, although groups...

Learning - Invisible College, Virtual Academia and Established Academia

Submitted by Pamela on 4 April 2013 - 2:36pm
1 - What and how I've been using the Internet for non-forrmal, peer-to-peer learning and collaboration since 2000. I'm not just interested in what I'm learning. I'm also deeply interested in how I learn i.e. the opportunites that have been opening up thanks to the Internet. I care about inclusion, about the impact (actual and potential) of digital technologies on the roles of teachers and learners, the opportunities for knowledge creation, and much more besides. I don't just "care" about these things. I do stuff, I think deeply about what I do, and I explore ideas with others. 2 -...

CDE, Alternative Academia, and me.

Submitted by Pamela on 29 March 2012 - 11:50pm
I have benefitted greatly, in my thinking and knowledge, through attending the lunchtime seminars organised by CDE (the Centre for Distance Education) at London University. This week it was a workshop: Finding and Evaluating Open Educational Resources. If the topic of OERs interests you then the link is well worth clicking. It includes a useful slide share of the presentation that happened before we did our practical. Definition If you want a good definintion of OERs see slide 3. I was glad to see it includes the wonderfully wide ranging "resourcss contained in digital media collections from around the world"...

Dadamacadamy–dream or reality–an action research project

Submitted by Pamela on 23 April 2011 - 6:09pm
My dream for the Dadamacadamy is that it will become a centre for research and learning. This is already starting to happen in a small way. The Dadamacadamy will not provide taught courses. It will do three interrelated things: Provide an environment for practice-based learning and reflection. Create a repository of knowledge. Make available its knowledge and networks through collaborative research and consultancy. Provide an environment for practice based learning and reflection. People who have shared concerns will cluster together in the Dadamacadamy to consider what they're doing, and to share what they are learning. The Dadamacadamy will enable peer-based...

Bridge building - academics and practitioners

Submitted by Pamela on 26 April 2010 - 1:03pm
Dear Ismael Thank you for your rapid response to my initial comment on your blog. I am glad that you know first hand the differences in the two cultures (ie of academics and of practitioners). I agree completely that “bridging these two realities (which they are) is usually not an easy thing to do”. If there are to be any bridges it seems we have to be active bridge builders. I feel that, like you, I am sometimes in one culture and sometimes in the other, and at present my journeys between the two realities have to be made without...

Connecting with Community Informatics

Submitted by Pamela on 21 March 2010 - 9:56pm
I was delighted today to read Mike Gurstein's blog Thoughts on Research as an Element in Telecentre Community Informatics Practice and so I commented on it. I was encouraged because I am always looking for opportunites to close the gaps between academics and practitioners - and he is keen to do that too. Genuine collaboration In his blog Mike Gurstein writes about Community Informatics research and makes a plea for researchers to link more closely with practitioners in a genuinely collaborative way. He points out that they should recognising the value of local knowledge and networks in academic research -...

Development Partners in Higher Education

Submitted by nikki on 13 February 2010 - 6:52pm
On Tuesday, Pam alerted the Dadamac UK and Nigeria Teams (plus a few of her contacts in Higher Education) that: "The UK Government's Department for International Development ( DfID ) is investing up to £3 million a year in a new Development Partnerships in Higher Education programme (DelPHE), which will run for a seven year period, from June 2006 to March 2013. The programme will provide funding to support partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) working on collaborative activity linked to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)." Several emails followed; and the next day, at the weekly UK-Nigeria Dadamac meeting,...