Meeting minutes

Added by Karen Smith, last edited by Anonymous on Sep 23, 2008  (view change)

Sept. 15, 2008

1. welcome, introductions.

In attendance:

Chair: Jim Slotta (CTL)
Barbara Soren, KMD CP Coordinator

  • KMD CP Program Committee: Megan Boler, Adriana Ieraci
  • KMD CP Students: Danielle Lottridge (MIE); Karen Smith (FI); Vanessa Peters (CTL); Kate Sellen (MIE); Cheryl Madeira (CTL); Mehdi Ravandi (MIE); Hedieh Najafi (CTL); Mike Tissenbaum (CTL); Lysanne Lessard (FI); Alison Benjamin (FI); Marie-Eve Bélanger (FI); Denise Pinto (ALD); Monica Resendes (CTL); Michelle Lui (CTL); Joseph Ferenbok (FI)
  • Alumni: Dave Kemp (Visual Studies); Joel Alleyne (FI)
  • Prospective KMD CP students: Dori Reich (FI); Rafael Pascual-Leone

2. Context and goals - Jim

  • We are a 'community,' and could be stronger; student intellectual energy is the most important part of KMDI.
  • The KM domain is emerging so fast it is hard to keep on top of the curve but we are on the breaking edge; students are the voltage - the KMD student energy is palpable in courses and the KMDI community.
  • We needed a wider community, beyond CP courses, so we started student organizational meetings last year and acknowledged the KMD community at our first meeting last September as highly important and with the potential to grow.
  • Committee dimensions that we formed last September are about ideas, an engine that we want to keep running.

KMDI update: SGS does not want to manage interdisciplinary centres and institutes and wanted KMDI to move to another unit by June 2008. KMDI has been given one more year to find a home that reinforces and supports the Institute.
KMD CP update: We also are in transition. We are taking stock of what is and is not working but we want a KMD tag on Masters and PhD degrees and we want a sense of community.

  • Faculty from collaborating departments and faculties who are not currently teaching CP courses could be interesting to CP students but their units do not allow them to teach KMD courses.
  • Program requirements for the KMD CP are currently heavier than requirements for other CPs (when the KMD CP began in 2002, KMDI was asked to develop six courses - a full year core course, which became two half-year core courses, and four electives). As a result, students from some of our collaborating units are not able to complete our requirements.
  • We want this community to socialize and build a digital layer of identity.
  • The portfolio could be something that you complete when you are finished the KMD CP, and build it as a result of being here in the Program. We would like to shift the portfolio from an admission to completion requirement in order that students can present their graduate work through a KMD lens to others during an interactive, research fair at the end of the academic year.
  • One important consideration in making changes to the current CP program will be options for students who have been admitted to the CP but not yet completed requirements to have choices between old and new requirements.

3. Committee reports and discuss

A. Curatorial:

How can we present student products (e.g., for courses, conferences, and-or work-related)? Is the online gallery in Facebook effective? What functionality do we want?
Current Leader, Danielle Lottridge:

  • How we define KMDI can arise from the artifacts we create for existing and future students and create a more flexible platform for the gallery? Students can academically and professionally benefit from digital dissemination.
  • The current Curatorial online gallery is part of the KMDI Facebook group where CP students have added posters from KMD 2002: Technologies for Knowledge Media and KMD-related personal projects. Outcomes can be that students' social networks on Facebook can become more aware of individuals' KMD projects (e.g., an employee from Microsoft came to the KMD 2001 poster display last year and has featured Danielle's poster in the Facebook gallery on the Microsoft employee's blog).
  • Danielle does not feel that her skill set is properly matched to developing a technology platform for of KMD student products.

B. Student experience:

Attendance? Consistent time and place?; 'The symbolism' of attendance (i.e., sign up to commit your attendance on encorewiki)
Current Leader, Karen Smith:

  • Karen has organized several student talks for 2008/2009 including Colin Furness and Adam Fiser (KMDI graduate Fellows and doctoral candidates from FI), Karen, Lysanne Lessard, and Joel Alleyne (doctoral candidates from FI), and Danielle Lottridge (doctoral candidate from MIE).
  • Should we combine student talks with a social event, or have a brown bag lunch? Should these talks be promoted beyond the CP to all interested or limited to CP students?
  • Round table: students who have attended consortium can present and share (e.g., Karen, and Danielle)
  • Karen will continue to do the scheduling but she would need help with logistics

C. Social:

What kind of social events? How frequent? What times? Combine with student talks - go out to pub after? Organized events? Larger party after an end-of-year student research fair?
Current Leaders, Cheryl Madeira and Hedieh Najafi:

  • Last year Cheryl and Hedieh organized a small and fun Christmas party.
  • Pre-set dates, doing an event such as an end-of-course event and a culminating event at the end of the year, connecting with people, supporting academic and alumni talks are all possibilities.
  • What are the things that people are interested in (e.g., Outdoor activities).
  • Plan a major event in the beginning of the academic year and one at the end of the year.
  • Combine social meetings with academic ones (alumni meetings and students meetings).
  • More connections and more synergy between Committees are important.

D. Professional/alumni:

Alumni talks; conferences, workshops, symposia, and events (e.g., IBM Cascon conference); How to access alums? Facebook? LinkedIn?; How to access professionals in related fields (e.g., internships)?
Current Leader, Kate Sellen:

  • Last year there were three very successful alumni talks by Dave Gillis (employee at Teehan+Lax, teehanlax.com, a user interface/web design shop in Toronto in interaction design and information architecture, Stuart Bailey (Information and Information Technology Policy Advisor in the Office of the Chief Information and Privacy Officer with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services in the Government of Ontario), and Cathy Salyn (Sr. Business Transformation Consultant for the Project Management Centre of Excellence, Modernization Division, Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services).
  • New research related to KMD is of interest to both alumni and students and alumni hope that friends might be at their talk.
  • Alumni were really interested in taking part in these talks; unfortunately attendance was low at each talk in spite of very good promotion and successful talks in terms of content and presentation.
  • What is a format that offers more incentive to student to attend?
  • Opportunities are for students to, for example: attend the IBM Cascon conference for free and participate in poster sessions or give talks; learn about recruitment for small to mid-size businesses that are trying to stay on top of latest trends with Adriana Ieraci's contacts; develop a Special Topics Course similar to last year's Design Research Seminar Series to present work to a range of people, attract more PhD students, and engage affiliated faculties (Peter Coppin and Lysanne Lessard are interested in planning a Visual Thinking series); learn about internships; meet industry people interested in what KMD students are doing.

E. IT:

How can we push on recruitment (e.g., online recruitment)?; How to connect to search engines?; What goes into our digital world (e.g., an online gallery)?; What functionality? What content? What systems?
Current Leader, Sean McDonald

  • A digital layer should help to lead the Media Design experience.
  • How can we increase digital presence to attract more students?

increasing digital presence to attract more students.

4. Student Experience Program

  • $1,000 awards to sponsor KMD CP student research projects over one year, and build in a social aspect with an end-of-year social event. There will be a Call for Proposals and more details in October.
  • How could professional connections come into play?

Concluding remarks: Jim

  • Alumni want to connect back to academic KMD community.
  • Many KMD students have come to U of T for KMDI. It is "up to us" to make something happen.
  • We would like to expand enrollment - double the current size of the CP. It has been an elite group to date. We want to invite others in.
  • A KMD Annual Student Research Fair, perhaps in May rather than our traditional June graduation event, with a party reception would be a great way to bring alumni and industry in to see student products.

Next steps:

  • Two more Student Organizational meetings in December and February.
  • Students who sign up for Committees will make decisions about things they would like to accomplish and actions each Committee will take during 2008-9.

Feb. 29 08 student organizational meeting minutes

In attendance -
Chair: Jim Slotta (CTL)
Sean Bittle (MIE)
Danielle Lottridge (MIE)
Karen Smith (FIS)
Vanessa Peters (CTL)
Kate Sellen (MIE)
Jamy Li (MIE)
Cheryl Madeira (CTL)
Mehdi Kashani-Ravandi (MIE)
Hedieh Najafi (CTL)
Rebecca Hughes (CTL)
Mike Tissenbaum (FIS/CTL)
Barbara Soren (KMD CP)

Agenda:

Jim - opening remarks recap of the U of T KMDI 5-year review (SGS)
Professional Development with KMDI is seen as valued

Alumni Events: graduate connection is also seen as important

KMD is a unique Collaborative Program. Where some graduates will go into academia, many will go into industry. And as industry alumni, they will connect back to the University.

1. KMD CP Alumni Talks - In-Practice (Kate Sellen)

2007-2008 talks to date:

  • December 6, 2007: Dave Gillis, Teehan+Lax
    Dave works as an interaction designer and information architect at Teehan+Lax (teehanlax.com), a user interface/web design and consulting shop in Toronto
    *January 31, 2008: Stuart Bailey and Cathy Salyn, Government of Ontario
    Stuart Bailey is Information and Information Technology Policy Advisor and Cathie Salyn is Senior Business Transformation Consultant.
    Because of the time taken to organize each event it was disappointing that more students were unable to attend.
    Teleconferencing - e-presence is a possible way to run an alumni talk where people can still attend remotely.

2. KMD CP Graduate Student and KMDI Graduate Fellow Talks: In Process (Karen Smith)

  • November 29, 2007: Joseph Ferenbok, KMDI Graduate Fellow and PhD candidate, FIS
    • Masters students, as well as PhD students, would find these talks interesting.
    • A Sakai site could be set up as one site where everything is organized with a wiki where talks can be posted.
  • KMD CP course instructors need to announce upcoming events (i.e., there is poor communication at this time, and information is not reaching all students taking KMD CP courses, many of whom are not CP students).
  • A Tangible Calendar, perhaps through Google or Sakai, would be helpful.

3. Listserv - Google Groups (Hedieh Najafi)

  • A Digital Home(Facebook site was set up by Sean McDonald and Dan Kurtz; students could join through Karen Smith)
    • Facebook allows people to see that active community of students and could help to recruit students.
  • Wiki
    • Minutes should go onto a Wiki.
  • KMDI Website
    • Digital community on the website should link to Facebook site and wiki site (see notes below) as active areas of interaction.
    • No community will be created on the website
    • If there is a listserv, people should use it (e.g., Google groups digest mode).
    • Our website could provide parameters for discussion and interaction with links for KMDI student community.

4. Digital Space Curation (Danielle Lottridge)

  • For consistent artworks and projects, for example:
    • PDF of posters for Technologies for Knowledge Media (KMD 2002)
    • Open Source KMDI gallery
    • Facebook or wiki site for this is possible.
  • Digital Home Next Steps:
    • Sean and Dan should add Facebook and wiki links on the KMDI website.
    • A wiki's contribution is photos, text and attachments, social tags, and an index to content (Sakai, developed first in Michigan and then at Stanford, will have an improved wiki soon).
    • Everything should come through Google groups.

History of KMDI and Future

  • Gale Moore's term as Director of KMDI ends at the end of the year and a 5-year KMDI Review is currently in process. Key questions for the Review Committee are: Should the Institute continue to exist? Where should it be housed? Who will be the next Director? If KMDI moves out of SGS and becomes part of a faculty or department, it may become more departmental.
  • How should the KMD Collaborative Program work? What changes are needed? Application and Program requirements are difficult. Why aren't Instructors of Collaborative Program affiliate courses from partner home units more involved in courses?
  • Invite students to enter the KMD Collaborative Program by making the applicant process more inviting (e.g., 2 rather than 3 letters of reference) and having students produce a portfolio at the end of the Program, which could be presented at a student conference or poster session.
  • Could KMDI fund volunteers as an award for helping out KMDI (e.g., helping to promote an event by producing a poster)?

Design Research (KMD CP 3000, Readings in Knowledge Media course)

Gale Moore is working with Danielle Lottridge, Kate Sellen, Karen Smith, and Joan Touzet throughout 2007-2008. The Design Research Seminar Series launches Thursday March 6th. Speakers are from a range of disciplines. They will distribute their papers in advance so students can familiarize themselves with their work, present in a seminar format, and engage participants in discussion.

Social Ideas (Cheryl Madeira and Hedieh Najafi)

  • Coordinating a social event in early April with Karen Smith's In-Process talks at:
  • Grad House (open source - event also possible)
  • Trinity, which has a place to house an event
  • OCAD as a visit and/or Open Mic.
  • A ski trip (discussed for March 19th but did not really meet with enthusiasm).

AOB:

KMD CP Program Committee meeting, Tuesday March 11, 3-5 pm, Rm. 7231

Invite students to attend for open discussions regarding the program.

Sept. 23, 2007- Student Community Organizational Meeting

Recommendations

  • Special topics course (required) - or portfolio
    • Extending and expanding (or finishing!) a project from a previous core course.
  • Possible officers
    • Sean McDonald - information
    • Karen Smith - Academic - See the In-process student talks page
    • Industry Link - Joel Alleyne
    • Social - Cheryl Madeira,
      • Hedieh Najafi, Barbara
    • Professional - Kate Sellen
    • Curator - Danielle Lottridge
      • Nina Czegledy?
    • Alumni - Dave Kemp

Brainstorm priorities

  • become accredited. gain professional acumen
  • Mobilizing knowledge
  • To talk about new and innovative ideas with media
  • To add disciplinary connections to our work
  • WHat is the self image of KMDI?
  • What are the priorities for training?
  • Needs to offer things beyond just courses.
  • Reason to come to the program is not to participate in courses.
    • What I really want to see in the program is to get involved in somethig that lasts. Maybe a paper, or somethig that enriches my experience.
  • I am here more for the people than for the courses.
    • It was at the courses where I met the people
    • facilitating collaboration and publications

Vision of

experience

  • Do stuff - get hands on. not just the academy
  • Meet people!
  • Possible Salons, or parties with themes and posters
  • Movie nights

Good things right now

  • Orientation was great - meeting others. don't underplay that.
  • Coffee with a friend (maybe a voucher)
  • Leadership comes to first day of courses

some things that aren't working

  • just intending to get together is not enough.
  • need a critical mass
  • courses aren't coherent
    • projects are the norm; methods are not the focus
  • can't propose new courses
    • talented CP students could potentially be teaching courses
  • Needs to be a greater recognition of what people's previous backgrounds have been, before coming into KMDCP
    • It is quite possible - particularly the two core courses - to find yourself taking a course that is redundant with your background.
  • Projects also can be seen as trivial or unrelated

possible means and mechanisms

  • need a facebook group
  • need a wiki
  • human factors student group: - activities beyond coursework. some professional development. teaching HS students. meetings once every two months.
    • guest presenters - mixed success, Don Norman was popular.
    • social nights have been a mix
    • web site is pretty good. hfact
    • people automatically added
  • Need some kind of space - where students can sit and talk, etc.
  • Rotating Gallery space
  • Can we form a club?

Possible structure for KMD CP

  • Portfolios - do a project?
    • Connect to an existing effort,
    • collaborate with a peer
    • extend a class project?
    • If the final phase was to hold a public forum.
    • COuld incorporate a poster
    • KMD CP projects are a rich aspect of student experiences.
  • Need to use cases - rich cases that are available as teaching mechanism

Social life

we can organize events, hold social gatherings, etc

  • Potlucks are good.
  • students taking our courses are the core group we should look at - not KMD CP students.

Intellectual life

  • we can hold salons, coordinate exhibits
  • lecture series
    • Dave Kemp: invite alums!
    • Make inroads to industry
  • write grant proposals, review one another's work, etc.

Professional life

we can network with each other and members of the wider professional community; we can define a role for ourselves as alumni of this group, etc.

  • Consulting group (where KMDI students connect to existing research projects - inside the campus)
    • reduce the risks and liabilities
    • could matchmake, with the community of research and other partnerships in the university, with talented students who could participate in a coherent program.

Digital life

We should be evolving some kind of digital layer that complements our physical community - a place, most likely a wiki, for us to coordinate events, resources, links, networks, etc. I am willing to participate in creating this digital layer - although it will be for the stupendous talent within our community to really make it sparkle.

Student officers

  • possible approach: individual students volunteer or are nominated to serve as officers in various dimensions - social, scholarship, professional network, digital community - we can discuss this idea.
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