Brandeis University
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Program in Sustainable International Development (SID)
Pro-Seminar:
Digital Media for Community Development (DMCD)
SYLLABUS
Francisco Rolfsen Belda, PhD (Visiting Scholar)
October 27-29, 2017
Heller Room: (to be indicated)
Course description:
The DMCD Pro-Seminar proposes a practical perspective on new challenges and opportunities related to the role of digital media technologies in community development, offering an introductory conceptual basis, selected international case studies, and, mainly, practical training in multimedia content recording, editing, publishing and distribution. The core objective is to demonstrate possible uses of digital media tools and techniques which can be applied in communication efforts on education, health, agriculture and bio-conservation along with non-governmental organizations or directly among people in poor communities, including schools and neighborhoods that lack technological infrastructure.
The course begins with a brief presentation of theoretical and conceptual approaches linking communications strategies and technologies to poverty reduction and community empowerment, based on the required (and recommended) readings. In the next step, the group will consider how these approaches are being applied in real situations, through documented examples of effective community-based communication projects and related initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with particular focus on Brazil. Then, in the major part of the schedule, the participants will be invited to explore and experiment with a very simple and affordable set of media applications and devices, including audio and video recording, live webcasting, image editing, blogging, crowdmapping, and multimedia storytelling, among others. As a result of this "hands on" perspective, participants will be able to develop their own digital communication skills and adapt them to different social settings.
About the Pro-Seminar Leader:
Francisco Rolfsen Belda is a Brazilian journalist, professor and researcher, with expertise in editorial management, scientific journalism and in the use of digital media and technologies for education and local development. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, a Masters degree in Communication Sciences from the University of São Paulo (USP) and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, also from USP, with the thesis "A structural model of educational content for interactive digital television". Prof. Belda is currently a Visiting Scholar at The Heller School and an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Arts and Communication (FAAC), at the São Paulo State University (UNESP), where he develops teaching, management, research and community extension activities. He also collaborates as a member of the Brazilian Institute for the Developing of Journalism (PROJOR). Before joining UNESP, he was the director of a regional newspaper company in the city of Araraquara, having been responsible for the development of its digital platform. Previously, he created, at the Institute of Advanced Studies at USP, in São Carlos, a social communication agency dedicated to improve education in public schools with participatory use of digital media.
Course methods:
● Readings, which provide useful information to participate in class discussions and to better understand the case studies (see required and recommended readings);
● Short lectures and discussion on the impact and application of ICT and digital media in community empowerment and development;
● Presentation and discussion of selected international case studies, using videos, stories and testimonies of people involved;
● Practical training in multimedia recording, editing, publishing and distribution with an affordable set of digital media apps and devices (see Note 1, below);
● Final paper, to be concluded after the seminar, on the use of digital media to address a concrete problem in community development (see Note 2, below)
Note 1: To take a better advantage of the practical training activities, participants must bring their own portable computing devices, such as laptops and mobile phones, with their respective connecting cables. Many of the resources involved are accessible, affordable, or even free, and most can be installed as applications on smartphones and tablets. Students who have these devices may install the apps and test them directly (in some cases, participants may be asked to pay a few dollars for special apps at Google Play or Apple Store). Those who do not have the devices, or do not want to download the apps, can follow the teacher's demonstration on a large screen.
Students can find a preliminary list of these resources, with its respective links, at the end of this syllabus (see list of resources). A questionnaire will be distributed in advance of the course addressing their previous experience with these digital media tools.
Note 2: Participants will be required to submit as the final paper, a draft project proposing an ingenious and creative way to use digital media to help people solve a concrete problem related to community development. The idea can possibly be inspired by one of the case studies included in the syllabus, or, even better, it can be designed from the participants' own professional background and life experiences, combining previous skills and knowledge with the practical inputs obtained in the ProSeminar. The project will consist of: (1) Introduction, describing the problem addressed and its social context; (2) Hypothesis, considering how a creative use of digital media could possibly help that community; (3) Materials and Methods, indicating a specific set of tools and platforms that would be used, and what skills, techniques, processes and resources are required for their operation; (4) Deployment Plan, suggesting how different groups of people, and their leaders in their respective communities, would take part in the effective distribution of these resources, and what would be, in general, the main costs involved; and (5) Expected Results, trying to foresee the project’s impacts and explaining how the expected social benefits could be measured. The draft must have a title and can be formatted as a regular text document, with no less than three pages and no more then five. Authors are invited to use figures, photographs, tables, links, and other editing resources to better illustrate the ideas presented. References and citations must be identified, in accordance to academic standards.
In order to receive course credit, the paper must be submitted for evaluation no later than 3 weeks after the Pro-Seminar, on November 20th.
Course requirements:
● Readings, in advance of the seminar
● Attendance at all sessions
● Engaged participation in discussions and practices
● Submission of the final paper (Project draft)
Grading:
● Participation (30%)
● Project draft (70%)
Schedule:
Day / Time / Action / Class timeFriday
Oct 27th / 06:00 PM
07:00 PM
07:30 PM
09:00 PM / Welcome and introduction
Dinner
Short lecture and discussion
Closing / 3 hours
Saturday
Oct 28th / 09:30 AM
10:00 AM
12:00 AM
01:00 PM
03:00 PM
03:30 PM
05:30 PM / Coffee
Case studies
Lunch
Practical training 1
Break
Practical training 2
Closing / 6 hours
Sunday
Oct 29th / 10:00 AM
10:30 AM
12:00 AM
12:30 PM
01:30 PM / Coffee
Practical training 3
Evaluation of practice
Lunch
Closing / 3,5 hours
Course outline:
DAY 1, Friday, Oct 27th
Activities:
• Introduction to the Seminar Program: Objectives, topics covered, practices, course design and assignment requirements.
• Introduction of the Participants: (names, backgrounds, concerns); comments on their previous experiences with the use of digital media.
• Short lecture: Impact and application of ICT and digital media in community empowerment and development.
• Conceptual approaches: ICT4D, ICTD, development informatics, communication for social change, participatory communication, radical media, civic media, community media, citizen journalism etc.
• Short video and discussion: How and to what extent can new communication practices and digital media resources further the development of a community?
DAY 2, Saturday, Oct 28th
Activities:
• Case studies: Introduction and contextualization
o Text and audio messages: (a) FrontlineSMS: Text messages to tackle violence against children in Benin; (b) CGNet Swara: A voice-based portal to India's tribal communities.
o Video recording and distribution: (c) VideoVolunteers: a network of community correspondents; (d) Digital Green: low-cost video to improve agriculture extension services; (e) CiênciaWeb: low-cost video to improve science education in Brazilian public schools; (f) Mídia Ninja and Pós-TV: spreading live stories right from the streets in Brazil.
o Crowdmaps: (g) InfoAmazônia: a map to track the deteriorating environment of the forest; (h) Ushahidi: use of collaborative maps in Kenya's referendum.
• Discussion: How can NGOs and other grassroots organizations use digital media to address local communities? How can local communities use these tools to address their own communication needs? How can digital media be used to improve communities’ relations with broader society, local governments and international agencies?
• Practical training 1: Devices, platforms, accessories and applications -- building a simple and affordable digital media toolkit applied to community development. Exploring file organization, image capture, retrieval and editing, text writing, and blogging.
• Practical training 2: Exploring audio and video recordings, editing, and distribution through on demand repositories and live webcasting; the use of text, music, soundtracks and effects in postproduction.
DAY 3, Sunday, Oct 29th
Activities:
• Practical training 3: Exploring interactive maps and multimedia storytelling platforms.
• Complementary techniques: Technology roadmaps, business modeling and cost planning frameworks for sustainable and evolving deployments of digital media resources.
• Clarification and guidance for the preparation of the final paper.
• Questions and answers.
Required readings:
Dassin, J. & Belda, F (2017). International education in an interactive virtual learning environment: experimenting with digital media applications for community-based development. Revista Ibero-Americana de Estudos em Educação, 12 (3): Jul./Set., 2017.
Available at: http://seer.fclar.unesp.br/iberoamericana/article/view/10019
Gumucio-Dragon, A. (2003). “Take Five: A handful of essentials for ICTs in development”. In: The One to Watch: Radio, New ICTs and Interactivity. Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, 2003.
Available at: (HTML) http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y4721e/y4721e05.htm#bm05
(PDF) http://orecomm.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/take-five-gumucio.pdf
Kentaro Toyama (2010). Can Technology End Poverty?, Boston Review, November, 2010.
http://bostonreview.net/forum/can-technology-end-poverty
Smith, M.L.; Elder, L.; Emdon, H (2017). Open Development: A New Theory for ICT4D. Information Technologies and International Development. Cambridge, v.7, n.1, p.iii-ix, Spring 2011. Available at: http://itidjournal.org/index.php/itid/article/view/692/290.
Zuckerman, E. (2014). "New Media, New Civics?". Policy & Internet, 6: 151–168.
DOI: 10.1002/1944-2866.POI360 (Adapted from “New Media, New Civics?” a Bellwether lecture delivered December 6, 2013 at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford.)
Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1944-2866.POI360/abstract
(PDF pre-press version) http://ethanzuckerman.com/papers/newmedianewcivicsprepress.pdf
Recommended readings:
Adera, E.O., Waema, T.M., May, J., Mascarenhas, O., and Diga, K. (2014). ICT Pathways to Poverty Reduction: Empirical Evidence from East and Southern Africa, Rugby, UK: Practical Action Publishing. (Chapters 1, 10)
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3362/9781780448152.
Available at: http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Resources/Publications/openebooks/539-7/index.html
AMARC; SDC; UNESCO; CFSC. (2008) Fighting Poverty: Utilizing Community Media in a Digital Age - Practitioners’ reflections from an interactive roundtable at the World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD). World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; SDC, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; CFSC, Communications for Social Change Consortium.
Available at: http://www.amarc.org/wccd/text/WCCD_doc_hi.pdf
Gao, H., Barbier, G., Goolsby, R. (2011). "Harnessing the Crowdsourcing Power of Social Media for Disaster Relief". IEEE Inteligent Systems. pp.10-14.
DOI: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/MIS.2011.52
Available at:
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA581803
Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Allen, Danielle (2014). Youth New Media, and the Rise of Participatory Politics. YPP Research Network Working Paper #1, March 2014.
Available at:
http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/sites/default/files/publications/YPP_WorkinPapers_Paper01.pdf
Mizukami, P., Reia, J., Varon, J. (2013). Maping Digital Media: Brazil. Open Society Foundations, 30 October 2013.
Available at: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/mapping-digital-media-brazil
Peruzzo, C. M. K. (2013). "Social movements, virtual networks and alternative media in June when the giant awakened”. Matrizes. v.7, n.2, Jul/Dec, 2013. São Paulo. pp.1-26.
Available at: http://www.revistas.usp.br/matrizes/article/viewFile/69407/71977
Scolari, C. A., Aguado, J. M., Feij, C. (2012) "Mobile Media: Towards a Definition and Taxonomy of Contents and Applications". In: International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies. Vol. 6, nº 2. pp.:29-38. ISSN: 1865-7923. Austria.
DOI: http://online-journals.org/i-jim/article/view/1880
UNDP (2006). Communication for Empowerment: developing media strategies in support of vulnerable groups - Practical Guidance Note. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bureau for Development Policy, Democratic Governance Group. (Chapters 2, 3, 5)
Available at:
http://www.communicationforsocialchange.org/pdfs/communicationforempowermentfinal.pdf
Zuckerman, Ethan. (2013). “Cute Cats to the Rescue? Participatory Media and Political Expression." Chapter in Youth, New Media and Political Participation, Danielle Allen and Jennifer Light, editors. (under review, MIT Press)
Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78899
List of resources:
1. Media apps for mobile devices*
iOS (iTunes Store) / Android (Google Play)Camera Recording / ProCam XL ($ 1.99)
VideoPro ($ 4.99)
Rockie (Free)
8mm ($ 1.99)
Slo Pro (Free)
You Tube Capture (Free) / Camera FV-5 Lite (Free)
A Better Camera (Free)
Cartoon Camera (Free)
Camera Awesome - iTunes Store (Free) | Google Play ($ 2.99)
Video Editing / Magisto (Free)
VideoPad (Free)
Pinnacle Studio ($ 12.99)
Videocraft ($ 1.99)
iMovie ($ 4.99)
Video Distribution / YouTube (Free)
Vimeo (Free)
USTream (Free)
Livestream (Free)
Audio Recording
and Editing / Hokusai (Free)
iSaidWhat ($ 3.99)
CaptureAudio ($ 2.99) / Easy Voice Recorder (Free)
RecForge Lite (Free)
Audio Evolution Mobile ($ 7.49)
Photo Editing / Adobe Photoshop Express (Free)
Photo Editor - Aviary (Free)
Pic Collage (Free)
Adobe Photoshop Touch ($9.99) - iTunes Store | Google Play
Photo Editor (Free)
PhotoCandy ($ 3.99)
Pic Jointer (Free)
Color meter
and palette / ColorSay (Free)
ColorMeter RGB ($ 1.99)
Palette (Free) / ColorMeter (Free)
Color Picker (Free)
Real Colors (Free)
Color Reference (Free)
* Some of these links may be tied to the Brazilian version of iTunes Store and Google Play. If so, please, search for them in the web or at the app stores. Also, consider that the landscape of media apps changes so fast — so stay tuned and keep looking for the next next!
2. Tools and applications for digital publishing, content storage and distribution: