Rediscovering Post-modern perspectives in IT: Deconstructing Voithofer and Foley

My original paper, “Toward a Post-Modern Agenda in Instructional Technology” (Solomon, 2000), was an interdisciplinary review of the literature and offered multiple perspectives of the subject, a post-modern approach sometimes referred to as multivocality. I found several themes inherent in the literature, which I presented as eight general assumptions about post-modernism for consideration, discussion, and adoption. Then, I concluded the paper with a discussion about the potential contributions of post-modern concepts in instructional technology. In a reaction to my paper, Voithofer and Foley (this issue) misinterpreted some of the purposes and assumptions expressed, by seeing my view as an effort to construct a model of a post-modern agenda, which could not be further from my original purpose. This paper serves to clarify my position as a sequel to their response. David L. Solomon is Creative Director in Training Operations at PentaMark Worldwide. He is also Research Fellow at the Learning Development Institute Author's note: I was introduced to post-modernism during a group project in one of Rita Richey's graduate classes at Wayne State University. My interest in the subject flourished, and post-modernism became the focus of my dissertation research. Clearly, I found a problem to solve: No one I knew could explain post-modernism, and almost everyone I encountered in the field had no idea what it was. Gary Morrison was a member of my doctoral committee and introduced me to the classic works of Morris (1946), Knowlton (1964;1966), Stevens (1969; 1970), and Cassidy (1982). Under his guidance, I submitted my work to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and was awarded the 2000 ETR&D Young Scholar Award. Richey and Morrison encouraged me to explore this topic with rigor and clarity and I am grateful for their support.     

Are teachers techno-optimists or techno-pessimists? A pilot comparative among teachers in Bolivia,Brazil, the Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Finland,Poland, Turkey,and Uruguay

The aim of the article is to highlight the key elements related to the implementation of new technologies in education from the perspective of the opinions and experiences of educators in the field in Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Poland, Turkey, and Uruguay. The text compares issues related to attitudes towards the use of new media in education, experiences with different forms of e-learning, and the level of restrictions on the use of smartphones in school. These variables are juxtaposed with the self-assessment of digital competence and how cyberspace is used. The survey was conducted using a standardised survey questionnaire translated into the relevant national languages in the first half of 2019, and involved a sample of 873 teachers representing eight countries. On the basis of the pilot studies it was noted that: 1) Teachers from LAC and EU like to use digital media - this is a constant trend independent of geographical location; 2) Teachers note that new technologies are not always better than analogue didactic aids; 3) Teachers from selected countries (the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Turkey, and Uruguay) have much greater techno-optimism in themselves than teachers from Bolivia, Poland, Finland and Turkey in terms of the impact of ICT on student motivation and engagement; 4) In all countries teachers prefer free online courses (the different forms of e-learning are used most often by those in the Dominican Republic, and the least often in Bolivia and Poland); 5) In each country teachers who highly value their own digital competences and have a positive attitude towards new media use ICT much more actively; 6) There is also a global trend in that the extensive use of cyberspace (typical e-services) appears in combination with the extensive use of various forms of e-learning; 7) Teachers from Ecuador are most likely to want to ban the use of smartphones in schools. The most liberal approach in this respect is taken by the Uruguayans; 8) The knowledge of the conditions related to restricting the use of smartphones goes beyond the analyses related to the style of use and attitude towards new media. This article is the result of pilot studies conducted within the framework of the SMART ECOSYSTEM FOR LEARNING AND INCLUSION project carried out in selected Latin American, Caribbean (LAC) and European (EU) countries.

     

Direct diagnosis ofMycobacterium tuberculosis in blood samples of HIV infected patients by polymerase chain reaction

We have developed a simple, economical and reproducible method for processing blood samples from HIV infected patients for diagnosis of tuberculosis. The procedure was validated on 55 samples selected for tuberculosis based on clinical criteria. 52 patients had radiological changes indicative of pulmonary tuberculosis of which only 28 were positive for AFB in sputum (sensitivity 54%) and 27 for tuberculin (sensitivity 52%). 26 HIV positive patients who showed positive X-ray did not react to tuberculin. The genus PCR probe missed 3 samples (sensitivity 94%) compared to X-ray.M.tuberculosis was detected in the blood of all X-ray positive cases by PCR using TB400 probe (sensitivity 100%) and another probe forM. tuberculosis, IS6110, missed 6 of them (sensitivity 88% compared to X-ray and 89% compared to TB400). It is proposed that this simple sample processing method could be used to screen all blood samples quickly for mycobacteremia using the genus PCR and only those positive for mycobacteria need to be tested forM.tuberculosis. This would save the scarce resources and time by reducing significantly the number of samples to be screened for species confirmation.     

Oral narrative extension of sportmedia: an experience with an English premier league soccer audience community in Eldoret,Kenya

This article is based on a cultural practice that has developed in the context of the interaction between Eldoret-based audiences of European football with the television medium through which they access this football. It is a practice that I will refer to here as the oral narrative extension of media. I describe and interpret it in the light of two conceptual frames; media practice theory and oral narrative performance. Two main arguments are developed. First, that the electronic reconfiguration of Eldoret-based fans of European fans of European football is not a closed event of mediation but rather an open-ended practice that provokes the artistic figuration and re-viewing and metaphoric coherence that constitutes extended narratives which create a mediaworld. Secondly, that this narratively performed mediaworld demonstrates the artistic process of individual performers and dynamic contexts (in)forming their performances.     

International trends in health science librarianship part 15: West Africa (Ghana,Nigeria, Senegal)

This is the 15th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. It is the third of four articles pertaining to different regions in the African continent. The present issue focuses on countries in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal). The next feature column will investigate trends in North Africa. JM