Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies

The rise of social software and the proliferation of social networking tools represents a relatively recent cultural phenomenon. The attitudes and behaviors of virtual communities and social groups goes beyond the distributed technological platforms being deployed and requires new conceptualizations and understandings of communities and their corresponding ontologies. The Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies examines the impact of new technologies and explores how social software and developing community ontologies are challenging the way we operate in a connected, distributed, and increasingly performative space. Through authoritative contributions by a vast group of international experts in this subject area, this book provides important new insights into where new social technologies and emergent behaviors are leading us.

Stylianos Hatzipanagos is an academic working at Kings College London. He contributes to the development and delivery of KLIs (Kings Learning Institute) graduate and undergraduate programmes. As leader of the e-learning function in the Institute he contributes to the design and development of learning, teaching and research activities that focus on e-learning and the pedagogy of information and communication technologies. He has a first degree in physics and MScs in physics education and in information technology (artificial intelligence); his doctoral research was on the design and evaluation of interactive learning environments. His research portfolio includes: innovation in learning and teaching, formative assessment in higher education, e-assessment, usability and evaluation of e-learning environments and microworlds, computer mediated communication and computer supported collaborative work, social software and social networking in an educational context.

Steven Warburton is an eLearning manager at Kings College London and a Fellow of the Centre for Distance Education at the University of London where he chairs the research strategy group. He moved from his initial research background in the area of neuroscience to one that now encompasses a range of research projects in technology enhanced learning. His fields of expertise include: the impact of digital identities on lifelong learning; the use of social software in distance education; pattern languages for Web 2.0; design for learning with multi-user virtual environments; feedback loops in formative e- Assessment; and support for communities of practice in user innovation and emerging technologies. His interests are varied but focus largely on the meaning of identity in online learning, the potential impact of virtual worlds on education, social presence and social networks, and the changing nature of change.