The governance of online expression in a networked world:free-speech, surveillance and censorship

In recent years, we have witnessed the mushrooming of pro- democracy and protest movements not only in the Arab world, but also within Europe and the Americas. Such movements have ranged from popular upheavals, like in Tunisia and Egypt, to the organization of large- scale demonstrations against unpopular policies, as in Spain, Greece and Poland. What connects these different events are not only their democratic aspirations, but also their innovative forms of communication and organization through online means, which are sometimes considered to be outside of the State’s control. At the same time, however, it has become more and more apparent that countries are attempting to increase their understanding of, and control over, their citizens’ actions in the digital sphere. This involves striving to develop surveillance instruments, control mechanisms and processes engineered to dominate the digital public sphere, which necessitates the assistance and support of private actors such as Internet intermediaries. Examples include the growing use of Internet surveillance technology with which online data traffic is analysed, and the extensive monitoring of social networks. Despite increased media attention, academic debate on the ambivalence of these technologies, mechanisms and techniques remains relatively limited, as is discussion of the involvement of corporate actors. The purpose of this edited volume is to reflect on how Internet-related technologies, mechanisms and techniques may be used as a means to enable expression, but also to restrict speech, manipulate public debate and govern global populaces.

A sphere of resonance for networked learning in the ‘non-places’ of our universities

The logic of ‘time’ in modern capitalist society appears to be a fixed concept. Time dictates human activity with a regularity, which as long ago as 1944, George Woodcock referred to as The Tyranny of the Clock. Seventy years on, Hartmut Rosa suggests humans no longer maintain speed to achieve something new, but simply to preserve the status quo, in a ‘social acceleration’ that is lethal to democracy. Political engagement takes time we no longer have, as we rush between our virtual spaces and ‘non-places’ of higher education. I suggest it’s time to confront the conspirators that, in partnership with the clock, accelerate our social engagements with technology in the context of learning. Through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) I reveal an alarming situation if we don’t. With reference to Bauman’s Liquid Modernity, I observe a ‘lightness’ in policy texts where humans have been ‘liquified’ Separating people from their own labour with technology in policy maintains the flow of speed a neoliberal economy demands. I suggest a new ‘solidity’ of human presence is required as we write about networked learning. ‘Writing ourselves back in’ requires a commitment to ‘be there’ in policy and provide arguments that decelerate the tyranny of time. I am though ever-mindful that social acceleration is also of our own making, and there is every possibility that we actually enjoy it.

Networked gentrification:placemaking strategies and social networks of middle class gentrifiers in Istanbul

This chapter explores how gentrifiers in Istanbul mobilise their social networks and social capital during the gentrification process, and how their networks are constructed through processes of “ place making” and belonging. In addition, this chapter aims to demonstrate how social capital and social networks work in practice during the gentrification process. It also examines place making and claiming strategies of gentrifiers by focusing on the following questions: (a) What are the spatial strategies of the new middle class, and what is the importance of these strategies?; (b) How are class and spatial boundaries designated in gentrified neighbourhoods?; (c) What kinds of networks and relationships play a role in developing certain housing dispositions or belonging patterns

Networked governance and the regulation of expression on the Internet:the blurring of the role of public and private actors as content regulators

This editorial provides an overview of the themes of network governance and content regulation that are expanded upon in the subsequent articles, identifying key issues and concerns that are prevalent in the literature in this field. In particular, this text considers governance not as an Internet-specific phenomenon, but as a global phenomenon, identifying and discussing literature pertaining to governance both online and offline, and providing examples of theories that seek to explain these forms of governance. Focusing on the interaction between public and private actors in content regulation, this editorial highlights that content regulation is a complex and contested issue that cannot be separated from its social and cultural contexts, and provides an overview of the articles contained.

Fibrous Aerial Robotics: study of spiderweb strategies for the design of architectural envelopes using swarms of drones and inflatable formworks

La tesi approccia in modo transdisciplinare biologia, architettura e robotica, con la finalità di indagare e applicare principi costruttivi attraverso l’interazione tra sciami di droni che depositano materiale fibroso su strutture gonfiabili di supporto. L’attenzione principale è nello sviluppo (attraverso un workflow computazionale che gestisce sciami di agenti costruttori) di una tettonica che integra struttura, spazio e ornamento all’interno dello stesso processo progettuale, il quale si sviluppa coerentemente dall’ideazione fino alla fabbricazione. Sono stati studiati modelli biologici quali le colonie di ragni sociali, i quali costruiscono artefatti di grandi dimensioni relativamente a quelle del singolo individuo grazie ad un’organizzazione coordinata ed emergente e alle proprietà dei sistemi fibrosi. L’auto-organizzazione e la decentralizzazione, insieme alle caratteristiche del sistema materiale, sono stati elementi indispensabili nell’estrapolazione prima e nella codificazione poi di un insieme di regole adatte allo sviluppo del sistema costruttivo. Parallelamente alla simulazione digitale si è andati a sviluppare anche un processo fisico di fabbricazione che, pur tenendo conto dei vincoli economici e tecnici, potesse dimostrarsi una prova di concetto e fattibilità del sistema costruttivo. Sono state investigate le possibilità che un drone offre nel campo della fabbricazione architettonica mediante il rilascio di fili su elementi gonfiabili in pressione. Il processo può risultare vantaggioso in scenari in cui non è possibile allestire infrastrutture costruttive tradizionali (es. gole alpine, foreste). Tendendo conto dei vincoli e delle caratteristiche del sistema di fabbricazione proposto, sono state esplorate potenzialità e criticità del sistema studiato.

Reconstructing direct and indirect interactions in networked public goods game

W.-X.W. was supported by NNSFC under Grant No. 61573064 and Grant No. 61074116, Beijing Nova Programme, China, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. Y.-C.L. was supported by ARO under Grant W911NF-14-1-0504.

Unraveling networked learning initiatives: an analytic framework

Networked learning happens naturally within the social systems of which we are all part. However, in certain circumstances individuals may want to actively take initiative to initiate interaction with others they are not yet regularly in exchange with. This may be the case when external influences and societal changes require innovation of existing practices. This paper proposes a framework with relevant dimensions providing insight into precipitated characteristics of designed as well as ‘fostered or grown’ networked learning initiatives. Networked learning initiatives are characterized as “goal-directed, interest-, or needs based activities of a group of (at least three) individuals that initiate interaction across the boundaries of their regular social systems”. The proposed framework is based on two existing research traditions, namely 'networked learning' and 'learning networks', comparing, integrating and building upon knowledge from both perspectives. We uncover some interesting differences between definitions, but also similarities in the way they describe what ‘networked’ means and how learning is conceptualized. We think it is productive to combine both research perspectives, since they both study the process of learning in networks extensively, albeit from different points of view, and their combination can provide valuable insights in networked learning initiatives. We uncover important features of networked learning initiatives, characterize actors and connections of which they are comprised and conditions which facilitate and support them. The resulting framework could be used both for analytic purposes and (partly) as a design framework. In this framework it is acknowledged that not all successful networks have the same characteristics: there is no standard ‘constellation’ of people, roles, rules, tools and artefacts, although there are indications that some network structures work better than others. Interactions of individuals can only be designed and fostered till a certain degree: the type of network and its ‘growth’ (e.g. in terms of the quantity of people involved, or the quality and relevance of co-created concepts, ideas, artefacts and solutions to its ‘inhabitants’) is in the hand of the people involved. Therefore, the framework consists of dimensions on a sliding scale. It introduces a structured and analytic way to look at the precipitation of networked learning initiatives: learning networks. Successive research on the application of this framework and feedback from the networked learning community is needed to further validate it’s usability and value to both research as well as practice.

Unraveling networked learning initiatives: an analytic framework

Networked learning happens naturally within the social systems of which we are all part. However, in certain circumstances individuals may want to actively take initiative to initiate interaction with others they are not yet regularly in exchange with. This may be the case when external influences and societal changes require innovation of existing practices. This paper proposes a framework with relevant dimensions providing insight into precipitated characteristics of designed as well as ‘fostered or grown’ networked learning initiatives. Networked learning initiatives are characterized as “goal-directed, interest-, or needs based activities of a group of (at least three) individuals that initiate interaction across the boundaries of their regular social systems”. The proposed framework is based on two existing research traditions, namely 'networked learning' and 'learning networks', comparing, integrating and building upon knowledge from both perspectives. We uncover some interesting differences between definitions, but also similarities in the way they describe what ‘networked’ means and how learning is conceptualized. We think it is productive to combine both research perspectives, since they both study the process of learning in networks extensively, albeit from different points of view, and their combination can provide valuable insights in networked learning initiatives. We uncover important features of networked learning initiatives, characterize actors and connections of which they are comprised and conditions which facilitate and support them. The resulting framework could be used both for analytic purposes and (partly) as a design framework. In this framework it is acknowledged that not all successful networks have the same characteristics: there is no standard ‘constellation’ of people, roles, rules, tools and artefacts, although there are indications that some network structures work better than others. Interactions of individuals can only be designed and fostered till a certain degree: the type of network and its ‘growth’ (e.g. in terms of the quantity of people involved, or the quality and relevance of co-created concepts, ideas, artefacts and solutions to its ‘inhabitants’) is in the hand of the people involved. Therefore, the framework consists of dimensions on a sliding scale. It introduces a structured and analytic way to look at the precipitation of networked learning initiatives: learning networks. Successive research on the application of this framework and feedback from the networked learning community is needed to further validate it’s usability and value to both research as well as practice.

Designing networked learning for innovation: A dimension perspective

In her presentation, Emmy discusses a case study where a teacher group is followed in its innovative attempt to start up a new curriculum. Searching for guidelines to facilitate knowledge-creating teacher groups, the ‘Dimensions of Social Learning (DSL) Framework’ is applied as a starting point to assess the group's social configuration. To supplement the DSL Framework towards knowledge creation, social capital and value creation theories were studied. This has resulted in an extended framework that can bring the knowledge creation of teacher groups into view.

The Glow of Unwork? Issues of Portrayal in Networked Learning Research

In this paper, we suggest that portrayal of research is often undervalued and seen as ‘unwork’ (Galloway, 2012). Portrayal is often seen as an issue that is relatively straight forward by qualitative researchers, and invariably refers to putting the findings of the study together with excerpts from participants and usually, but not always, some interpretation. It tends to be seen as the means by which the researcher has chosen to position people and their perspectives, and it is imbued with a sense of not only positioning but also a contextual painting of a person in a particular way. Yet there are an array of issues and challenges about what portrayal can or might mean in digital spaces. In this paper we argue that researching education in a digital age provides greater or different opportunities to represent and portray data differently and suggest that these ways are underutilised. For example, for many researchers legitimacy comes through the use of participants’ voices in the form of quotations. However, we argue that this stance towards plausibility and legitimacy is problematic and needs to be reconsidered in terms of understanding differences in types of portrayal, recognizing how researchers position themselves in relation to portrayal, and understanding decision-making in relation to portrayal. We suggest that there need to be new perspectives about portrayal and concept, and ideas are provided that offer a different view. Three key recommendations are made: Portrayal should be reconceptualised as four overlapping concepts: mustering, folding, cartography, and portrayal. Adopting such an approach will enable audiences, researchers and other stakeholders to critique the assumptions that researchers on tour bring to portrayal and encourage reflexivity. Researchers on tour should highlight the temporal, mutable and shifting nature of portrayed research findings, emphasising the need for continued and varied research to inform understanding. There is a significant need for greater insight into the influence of portrayal, as well as the difference between representation and portrayal. Future studies should prioritise this, and ensure that portrayal is considered and critiqued from the outset.

Machine learning and data decompositions for complex networked dynamical systems

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

A comparison of sound localisation techniques using cross-correlation and spiking neural networks for mobile robotics

This paper outlines the development of a crosscorrelation algorithm and a spiking neural network (SNN) for sound localisation based on real sound recorded in a noisy and dynamic environment by a mobile robot. The SNN architecture aims to simulate the sound localisation ability of the mammalian auditory pathways by exploiting the binaural cue of interaural time difference (ITD). The medial superior olive was the inspiration for the SNN architecture which required the integration of an encoding layer which produced biologically realistic spike trains, a model of the bushy cells found in the cochlear nucleus and a supervised learning algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that biologically inspired sound localisation achieved using a SNN can compare favourably to the more classical technique of cross-correlation.

Techniques for batch reinforcement learning in robotics

This thesis addresses the Batch Reinforcement Learning methods in Robotics. This sub-class of Reinforcement Learning has shown promising results and has been the focus of recent research. Three contributions are proposed that aim to extend the state-of-art methods allowing for a faster and more stable learning process, such as required for learning in Robotics. The Q-learning update-rule is widely applied, since it allows to learn without the presence of a model of the environment. However, this update-rule is transition-based and does not take advantage of the underlying episodic structure of collected batch of interactions. The Q-Batch update-rule is proposed in this thesis, to process experiencies along the trajectories collected in the interaction phase. This allows a faster propagation of obtained rewards and penalties, resulting in faster and more robust learning. Non-parametric function approximations are explored, such as Gaussian Processes. This type of approximators allows to encode prior knowledge about the latent function, in the form of kernels, providing a higher level of exibility and accuracy. The application of Gaussian Processes in Batch Reinforcement Learning presented a higher performance in learning tasks than other function approximations used in the literature. Lastly, in order to extract more information from the experiences collected by the agent, model-learning techniques are incorporated to learn the system dynamics. In this way, it is possible to augment the set of collected experiences with experiences generated through planning using the learned models. Experiments were carried out mainly in simulation, with some tests carried out in a physical robotic platform. The obtained results show that the proposed approaches are able to outperform the classical Fitted Q Iteration.

Parental mediation, YouTube’s networked public, and the baby-iPad encounter: mobilizing digital dexterity.

This study collected a sample of YouTube videos in which parents recorded their young children utilizing mobile touchscreen devices. Focusing on the more frequently viewed and highly-discussed videos, the paper analyzes the ways in which babies’ ‘digital dexterity’ is coded and understood in terms of contested notions of ‘naturalness’, and how the display of these capabilities is produced for a networked public. This reading of the ‘baby-iPad encounter’ helps expand existing scholarly concepts such as parental mediation and technology domestication. Recruiting several theoretical frameworks, the paper seeks to go beyond concerns of mobile devices and immobile children by analyzing children’s digital dexterity not just as a kind of mobility, but also as a set of reciprocal mobilizations that work across domestic, virtual and publically networked spaces.