Digital Participation Through Social Living Labs: Valuing Local Knowledge, Enhancing Engagement

Digital Participation through Social Living Labs connects two largely separate debates: On the one hand, high speed internet access and associated technologies are often heralded as a means to bring about not only connectivity, but also innovation, economic development, new jobs, and regional prosperity. On the other hand, community development research has established that access by itself is necessary but not sufficient to foster digital participation for the broadest possible range of individuals.

Edited by leading scholars from the fields of education, youth studies, urban informatics, librarianship, communication technology, and digital media studies, this book is positioned as a link to connect these debates. It brings together an international collection of empirically grounded case studies by researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds. They advance knowledge that fosters digital participation by identifying the specific digital needs, issues and practices of different types of communities as they seek to take advantage of access to digital technologies. Collectively, these cases propose new ways for enabling residents to develop their digital confidence and skills both at home and in their local community, particularly through a ‘social living labs’ approach. The book is organised around key focus areas: digital skills enhancement, youth entrepreneurship, connected learning, community digital storytelling, community-led digital initiatives and policy development.

• Highlights that high speed internet is necessary that high speed internet access is necessary but not sufficient to resolve digital divides and foster social inclusion;
• Brings together international, empirically grounded case studies to identify digital needs, issues and practices of different communities, and contextualises these with expert comment;
• Presents contributions from multiple disciplines, with most chapters incorporating more than one disciplinary background;
• Gives insight on the place of the digital in contemporary society;
• Illustrates the innovative potential of social living labs to foster digital learning and participation in a variety of community contexts.

Michael Dezuanni is Deputy Director of Queensland University of Technology’s Children and Youth Research Centre, and member of QUT’s Digital Media Technology Research Centre. undertakes research and teaching in the field of digital cultures and education, which includes film and media education, digital literacies and Arts education. The aim of both his teaching and research is to explore the most effective, productive and meaningful ways for individuals to gain knowledge and understanding of the media and technologies in their lives.

Marcus Foth is founder and director of the Urban Informatics Research Lab, i/Director of the QUT Design Lab, and Professor in Interactive & Visual Design, School of Design, Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. Marcus’ research focuses on the relationships between people, place and technology. He leads a cross-disciplinary team that develops practical approaches to complex urban problems.

Kerry Mallan is a Research Professor in the Faculty of Education at QUT. Her work is cross-disciplinary with a focus on children’s literature, youth and popular culture, digital media texts and practices. Kerry was the founding director of the Children and Youth Research Centre at QUT.

Hilary Hughes is Coordinator for the MEd (Teacher-Librarianship) at QUT. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on information experience and informed learning in culturally diverse contexts and learning space design. In 2010, she was Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at University of Colorado Denver, where she supported librarians and academics in developing informed learning strategies.