Information School News

 A new article has been published today in the Journal of Social Media for Learning, authored by PhD student Paul Fenn and Senior Lecturer Dr Paul Reilly. The article, entitled 'Problematising the use of Snapchat in Higher Education Teaching and Learning' can be found here:  https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/index.php/JSML/article/view/383 Abstract: There has been relatively little research exploring how Snapchat can be used within Higher Education teaching to date. In this viewpoint, we draw on extant empirical data to explore the strengths and weaknesses of using the Instant Messaging (IM) app to support student learning and teaching within universities. We conclude by considering whether it is appropriate to fully integrate apps like Snapchat into Higher Education in light of the revelations of data misuse by these platforms. The growth of ‘surveillance realism’, whereby citizens feel increasingly powerless at their personal data being repurposed by these companies for financ...

New Book Review: "The Deep Learning Revolution"  Our IT Manager and PhD Student, Paul Fenn, has had a book review published   by the ICS Journal online and will be in print format in the next issue. The Deep Learning Revolution is a guide to the past, present and future of deep learning. Sejnowski gives a very personal account of the key advances in Deep Learning during the past 40 years, with a specific focus on the community of researchers responsible for these innovations. The book is split into three sections: Part I, Intelligence Reimagined; Part II, Many Ways to Learn; Part III, Technological and Scientific Impact. A useful timeline of important events is included at the beginning of each section for the reader. You can read the review here.

ICT Manager and PhD candidate Paul Fenn  will be presenting at the Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference on the 9th January. Social media is now part of “the mainstream” but in terms of Higher Education it is the mainstream of marketing and selling education or an integral part of the mainstream of learning and teaching through developing digital confidence, capabilities and critique.  The SocMedHE18 conference provides open spaces to share, discuss and develop notions of what and why we currently do, what we could do and what should we do next with social media within an Higher Education learning and teaching context. Paul's session will be titled 'Exploring the impact of institutional policies on the use of social media in UK HE teaching'. 'The above will focus on my PhD, started Jan 2019', says Paul. 'At the conference presentation I will be discussing my research objectives, research methods and discuss part of my PhD research in ...