my research community

The other day I was asked where I'd like to see the UW-Madison ECT program going. I said:

digital presence: I'd like to see our web presence evolve into/beyond something like Stanford's d.school. Our current site is less compelling (to be kind). I think/suspect that much of "presence" (being seen and known) in Academia is shifting to online space and content. A big part of being accessible is having a logical and easy way to get to your stuff. I think the ECT program here should have that, with links to our projects, papers, giving us an identity as part of a local (Madison) CoP, but also identifying us as part of a larger (International) net-connected CoP. Let's be a hub.

physical space: physically locate us together. This will reinforce the web, email, and chat connections we already have -- but add the benefits of physical clustering, which I'm not sure we're ready to dismiss (at least I am not).

classes offered: I'm very interested in online communities, but more interested in bridging virtual space, identities, and communities with RW space, identities, and communities. (tying my camp passion with digital learning technologies). But a more practical thing for students in ECT (I think) would be to get them in the habit of creating and maintaining online presence (identifying as online member, making a site/blog, etc. exploring space, doing a Wiki, keeping pace, etc.). I'd like to learn Flash so I can better illustrate some of my ideas, but I'm not sure Flash is the best way to go. One of the things Kevin Leander said at Rebecca's session was that we need to learn how to communicate more (academically/scholistically) in these other mediums. I don't think he knows how. I certainly don't, but I'm very interested in exploring this.

research programs: my ideas are still forming on this.

What I didn't say, but now I think I'd add is: I'd like a class where we're reading and actively discussing the newest latest coolest ideas. Like the impact of blogging on business. Mostly, the readings will not published papers. Probably all online readings. I envision discussions taking online forms. I envision us taking a look at them from a critical perspective (since that's a big strength of Madison, and imho, an important persepctive to be able to see). I envision each student having an online presence with content in various stages of gestation, like an online notebook and brainstorm book, to actual finished "scholarly papers" (loosely defined to include any meaningful media representations that we'd stand behind).

I really think we need to explore what it means to research in a "digital world" -- to take that phrase beyond it's impersonal machine-based roots, and look at the "living" social/intellectual elements that are thriving in it.