Friday 29 February 2008

School of Information Studies FM

Roy Sanders and Jake Wallis were broadcast live on 2AAAFM being interviewed by Jenny Knowles about how the School has evolved since its inception in 1974; from hand written essays to word processed assignments, from letters to e-mail and online foums, from on-campus students to distance education with students all over the world (from the Middle East to Malta!).

Missed it? Now problem, you can listen to or download the audio here and relive the moment!

Monday 18 February 2008

The future of education and research in information

Dean Emeritus and Professor of the University of Washington Information School, Dr Mike Eisenberg offered some reflections on the workshop process and outcomes;

"The future of education and research for the information field is clearly in the form of 'ischools'. And, CSU is ready to make the major leap to becoming a full ischool with a rich and impressive array of teaching programs, meaningful scholarship, and outreach to the information field and to a range of applied professions. I was particularly intrigued by the possibilities of teaming up with health professions, agriculture, education, and sustainable environment. Lastly, it was fantastic to see the entire staff come together in full agreement that this was the right and desirable thing to do—to move aggressively to become an ischool."

Thursday 14 February 2008

Building Australia's national iSchool


Originally uploaded by CSU Information Studies.

A three day workshop at Charles Sturt University has produced a vision for a national iSchool. A cross-section of expertise from the information industry worked with staff from the School of Information Studies to define a shared vision of what information education in Australia might look like in 2020.

The iSchool model is being applied across many of the most prestigious universities in the United States, the world's most advanced post-industrial economy, and is appropriate given the Australian government's thinking on the nation's development as a digital economy.

Dean Emeritus and Professor of the University of Washington Information School Mike Eisenberg travelled round the world specifically to be involved in re-envisioning information education in Australia. Professor Eisenberg provided invaluable expertise in assisting the group to formulate this vision, having been through such transformative processes in the United States.

Additional expertise came from information and knowledge industry leaders from across Australia, including Nerida Hart (Land & Water Australia), Robert McEntyre (Robert McEntyre & Associates), Kay Harris (Vista Information Services and Solutions), Sally Dallas (Zenith Information Management Services), Suzette Boyd (Scotch College, Melbourne), Anne-Marie Schwirtlich (State Library of Victoria) and Dean Mason (Enakt Consulting).