Call For Proposals: Web 2.0 at Metropolitan Universities

Posted by on October 17, 2010

Call For Proposals: Web 2.0 at Metropolitan Universities

Metropolitan Universities (http://muj.uc.iupui.edu/index.htm), a quarterly journal funded by the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (http://www.cumuonline.org), is soliciting article proposals for an upcoming  issue that will examine how universities are using Web 2.0 technologies to educate students, collaborate with community members, and work more efficiently. The journal is especially interested in quality articles which address how Web 2.0 is being used in the context of metropolitan universities (e.g., student life, retention, commuters, part-time students, diverse language and cultural backgrounds, first-generation student, budget reductions, etc.).

This issue will be published in 2012, and the guest editor is Roger Munger, Professor of English, of Boise State University.

Web 2.0 refers to the collection of interactive Internet-based technologies such as wikis, social networking sites (e.g., Facebook), blogs, micro-blogs (e.g., Twitter), video-sharing (e.g., YouTube), and social bookmarking sites. Collectively, these new features enable people to collaborate, share, link, and generate content in ways that traditional Web sites offering static content do not allow. The result is an Internet that can harness the collective intelligence of people in your community and around the globe.

Universities no longer deliver content using static print and Web 1.0 pages. Instead, universities use Web 2.0 technologies to connect and communicate with students while simultaneously helping them move up to a more advanced level of knowledge. Online course materials now not only delivers the how-to but also helps students collaborate with each other. Blogs review and publicize courses, events, and services. Twitter delivers up-to-the-minute instruction and help as well as providing a window for universities to gauge stakeholder satisfaction. YouTube plays videos showing students how to use a tool, solve an equation, or understand a concept. Wikis contain the best practices of instructors and students alike. Social media sites connect university stakeholders and community members. Administrators apply social networking technologies to improve internal processes as well as student learning outcomes. Faculty and staff use cloud computing services such as real-time screen sharing. As a result, the use of the social web has created new opportunities for metropolitan universities to educate their students, work efficiently, and connect with the community.

Possible Topics for this Themed Issue

The guest editor invites proposals for articles on applied research or theory, case histories/studies, and/or tutorials that address some of the following issues:

+ What challenges do urban and metropolitan campuses face when implementing Web 2.0 technology and concepts on campus?

+ How should faculty integrate Web 2.0 in their curriculum? What models are proving to be successful?

+ What are the links between Web 2.0 and research opportunities for students, faculty, and communities?

+ In what ways has Web 2.0 fostered greater synergy between campuses and their communities?

+ How can we evaluate the impact and value of new social technologies in higher education?

+ How can administrators use Web 2.0 technology and concepts to further the mission of a university?

+ How can metropolitan universities use Web 2.0 technologies to enhance connections with community stakeholders?

+ How can metropolitan universities incorporate social networking technologies with internal processes to improve efficiency and communication?

Articles exploring related topics are welcome as well.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should be 300-500 words in length. All proposals should include submitter’s name, affiliation, 100-word bio, and email address as well as a working title for the proposed article. Final manuscripts should be 4,000-7,000 words in length.

Production Schedule

The schedule for this issue is as follows:

7 January 2011: 300-500 word proposals due

18 February 2011: Guest editor returns proposal decisions to submitters

15 July 2011: Draft manuscripts of accepted proposals due (This gives contributors about five months to write their articles.)

15 August 2011: Guest editor returns drafts with suggestion for revision

15 October 2011: Final manuscripts due

Contact Information

Completed proposals or questions about either proposal topics or this issue should be sent to Roger Munger at rmunger@boisestate.edu.