OpenChambanaCloud Technologies for Media Literacy

and Community Development

Introduction• Cloud Technology for Communities

• Media Literacy

• Resource Management Systems

o Content Management System (CMS)

o Learning Management System (LMS)

• Social Network

• Focus on:

o Security

o Accessibility

o Community Outreach

Past Technologies• Virtual Private Server

o Virtualization Virtual Machine

o Cloud Server Superuser access Linux Virtual Servers (Linode.com)

• 1GB RAM - 16 RAM

• 48- 96 GB solid state drive storage

• 8+ CPUs

• Content Management Systemso Data management (both the content and metadata)o Manage user access

Open Source Software Movement

“Free as in Freedom” Software

• Community of developerso Supporto Preservation of code librarieso Updates

• Ethical considerations for the use and distribution of software

• GNU General Public License

• MIT License

Cloud Technologies• Cloud

o More Accessible Required: Internet Connection Recommended: Hardware

o Rapidly Provisioned Open source software

• OpenSource CMS: Wordpress, Buddypress, Joomla

o Fewer initial costs Hosting and Storage Established frameworks and libraries

Cloud Technology and Literacy

“An explosion in the availability of web content along with a proliferation of web-based applications universally available that serve as tools for engaging with, building upon and remixing that content invite questions around what in education terms now constitutes knowledge, what have become the necessary conditions for citizens of the twenty-first century to genuinely “know” something and what are now the skills and literacies that will best enable learners to build knowledge in the new millennium [321]

For many, the cloud metaphor is simply a way of referring to a singular entity when describing the shift of data storage from the individual device of a vast number of internet-connected servers around the world…”[325]

Michael Stevenson and John G. Hedberg, “Head in the Clouds: A Review of Current and Future Potential for Cloud-enabled Pedagogies,” Education Media International 48 (2011) 4: 321-333.

Media Literacy

“Within North America, media literacy is seen to consist of a series of communication

competencies, including the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, and

COMMUNICATE information in a variety of forms, including print and non-print

messages.

Media literacy empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an

increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound. It is the skillful

application of literacy skills to media and technology messages.” (link)

--National Association for Media Literacy Education

BuddyPress

• Extension of Wordpress CMS

• Capabilities for Social Networking

• Media sharing

BuddyPress: Easy Albums

• Add photo, video, music

• Automatic Video Transcode

• Domain Lock to Protect Videos

• Full HTML5 and mobile support

Design Principles

• Accessibility

• Usability

• Inclusivity

• Security

Accessibility

• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Style Guideso Keyboard mapping

Section 508 Complianceo Designing for Inclusion

• Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM)

Accessibility and Web Accessibility Initiative

Keyboard Mapping

“When keyboard access to a programs' controls and features is provided, a person who cannot use a mouse or other pointing device will still be able to run the product. For example, a person with a disability that affects dexterity may find it impossible to move or hold a pointing device with enough accuracy to activate desired features. A person who cannot see the screen, therefore relying on assistive technology, may have no problems moving the pointer but will be unable to determine what is being pointed to. Users without a pointing device need to be able to activate form controls and links (including the links in a client-side image map).” (link)

Accessibility and Section 508

Accessibility: Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM.org)

Accessibility Training

Accessible Site Certification

Evaluation and Reporting

Related Articles

Web Resources

Usability

• User-oriented Design

• User Feedback• Wordpress Polls

• Iterative Design

User-oriented Design

Respond to users’ needs:● User studies● User feedback● Iterative and Responsive

Design Principles

First process in iterative design is to create a basic prototype that features the main, designed functionalities in relation to the resources available.

Prototyping can consist of wireframing, rapid and paper prototyping, and user experience analyses.

InclusivityW3C WAI: Designing for Inclusion“Designing for InclusionInclusive design, design for all, digital inclusion, universal usability, and similar efforts address a broad

range of issues in making technology available to and usable by all people whatever their abilities, age, economic situation, education, geographic location, language, etc. Accessibility focuses on people with disabilities — people with auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual impairments. The documents ...explore some of the overlaps between inclusive design and web accessibility, and help managers, designers, developers, policy makers, researchers, and others optimize their efforts in these overlapping areas.” (link)

Inclusion through Community Outreach• Commotion Wireless

• Independent Media Center

• Meetups

(link)

Community ResourcesIndependent Media Center

Grassroots Organizations

Media Production and Distribution

Social and Economic Justice

Foster creation and distribution of Media, Art, and Narratives

Underrepresented voices

Empowerment and Expression through Media and Arts Education

Community ResourcesChampaign-Urbana Wiki

Community Information

Collaborative

Creative environment

Fosters community development

Community ResourcesMeetups

Meetups of all types: cooking, language, learning, writing, makerspace, etc.

Fosters Community Participation

Collaborate with volunteers for design project

E-Learning ResourcesCoursera

E-Learning ResourcesKhan Academy

E-Learning ResourcesDIY.org

Security

• Wordpress HTTPS

• Wordfence o Data Encryptiono Firewallo User Authenticationo Scans for Malware, Backdoors, and Malicious

IPs

Benefits

• Accessibility

• Promotes Media Literacy

• Community Development

Limits

• Security

• Cost

• Persistenceo Digital Preservation

• Copyrighto Author has sole copyrighto Monitor for infringement?

Ethical Considerations● Media Uploads

○ Privacyo Copyrighto “Community-friendly” media

ALA Code of Ethics Wordpress Terms of Use

• Accesso Broadband access in CU

UC2Bo Access to free computing and wifi

Champaign-Urbana Wiki • Public Computing Page