Free e-book on educational technology research methods

“Over the past thirty years, there has been much dialogue, and debate, about the conduct of educational technology research and development. In this brief volume, Justus Randolph helps clarify that dialogue by theoretically and empirically charting the research methods used in the field and provides much practical information on how to conduct educational technology research. Within this text, readers can expect to find answers to the following questions: (a) What are the methodological factors that need to be taken into consideration when designing and conducting educational technology research? (b) What types of research questions do educational technology researchers tend to ask? (c) How do educational technology researchers tend to conduct research? (d) What approaches do they use? What variables do they examine? What types of measures do they use? How do they report their research? (e) How can the state of educational technology research be improved? In addition to answering the questions above, the author, a research methodologist, provides practical information on how to conduct educational technology research–from formulating research questions, to collecting and analyzing data, to writing up the research reports–in each of the major quantitative and qualitative traditions. Unlike other books of this kind, the author addresses some of research approaches used less commonly in educational technology research, but which, nonetheless, have much potential for creating new insights about educational phenomena–approaches such as single-participant research, quantitative content analysis, ethnography, narrative research, phenomenology, and others. Multidisciplinary Methods in Educational Technology Research and Development is an excellent text for educational technology research methods courses, a useful guide for those conducting (or supervising) research, and a rich source of empirical information on the art and science of educational technology research.”

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Special issue of darkmatter journal exploring questions of race &

A materialist turn in the humanities and social sciences has revitalized work in feminism, science and technology studies, critical social theory and phenomenology. Nonetheless, we want to ask what’s at

stake when ‘race’ is grasped from a materialist standpoint? Is the focus on materiality able to track and unravel the manifold neo-racisms of contemporary globalization? Does it supersede the

limitations of social constructionist accounts of race? And could a materialist ontology of race transform and invigorate anti-racist praxis?

http://www.darkmatter101.org/site/category/issues/race-matter/

New book: Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery

“Cosmetic surgery is everywhere: we are surrounded by altered, enhanced, skinny and stretched celebrities, in a hyped media culture that focuses increasingly on the body beautiful. Once only associated with the rich and famous, cosmetic surgery is now widely available, advertised in magazines, doctors’ surgeries, and even on television. In some parts of the world it has become an aesthetic and cultural norm, yet remains deeply troubling for many.

Skintight argues that cosmetic surgery is the most provocative and controversial aspect of a new ‘makeover culture’. Shows such as Ten Years Younger and Extreme Makeover demonstrate that ‘fixing’ the body is a way to improve lifestyle and uncover true identity. Meanwhile, celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Jocelyn Wildenstein demonstrate the horrors of extreme surgical alteration.

Presenting a multidisciplinary approach, and examining a wide range of popular culture case studies from women’s magazines, television, architecture and the Internet amongst others, Skintight dissects the realities of cosmetic surgery and culture.”

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FCC mulls net-neutrality rules

Agency says it’s ready to curb undisclosed traffic management by internet service providers

“In a move with significant implications for how easily researchers, educators, students, and others can transfer large files online, federal regulators on Feb. 25 said they are ready to discipline internet service providers who secretly favor certain types of data traffic, such as web surfing, over others, such as file sharing. ”

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