Fall 2007 Project
Project title: The Virtual Writing University (VWU)
Department/organizational unit(s): School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), Art and Intermedia, Project on Rhetoric of Inquiry (POROI), UI Writing Programs
Mentor Name(s): Jim Elmborg, Jon Winet, Kelly Smith, Chris Merrill (et al.)
Brief project description: The Virtual Writing University is a project that provides a digital home for the many writing programs at The University of Iowa. The VWU is composed of three “wings”--the Experimental Wing, managed by Art and Intermedia; the Academic Wing, managed by POROI; and the VWU Archive, managed by SLIS. In addition, the International Writing Program and the Writers Workshop (along with other creative writing programs on campus) use the VWU to represent their work and to develop digital dimensions to their traditional programs.
The Virtual Writing University Archive: Mentor, Professor Elmborg
Digitizing and providing metadata for several series of recordings of writers talking about writing. These include
Live from Prairie Lights - A radio program from Iowa Public Radio that features poets, prose writers, and playwrights talking about and reading from their work. Live from Prairie Lights has 1500-1700 recordings of past shows to be digitized and presented.
International Writing Program - The IWP hosts writers from around the world each autumn. These writers participate in public readings and discussions, including panel discussions, lectures to classes, public readings, and other types of events. Recordings span the past 25 years.
Peter Nazareth Collection - Peter Nazareth has been advisor to the International Writing Programs since the mid-seventies. His private collection of tapes of interviews with visiting writers comprises about 100 tapes.
Miscellaneous collections - We periodically uncover collections of recordings which get introduced into the project.
The Academic Wing (Project on Rhetoric of Inquiry – POROI)- Mentor, Professor Elmborg
The academic wing of the VWU aims to explore academic writing and the ways it is constructed and taught. Projects in the Academic Wing include:
The POROI Journals Project - As academic journals migrate from print to pixels, new challenges and opportunities face editors. The journals project provides a central place for the nurturing of academic journals on campus and the exploration of how metadata can enable interdisciplinary retrieval.
The Pedagogy Project - This site will provide a collection of resources for teachers of writing. It will include samples of academic writing and discussion of methodologies to teach students to do academic writing. Focus is on ethnographic writing.
The Seminar Series - POROI conducts faculty and public rhetoric seminars which are streamed and archived. The seminars explore the way rhetoric functions to persuade and prove in the public and academic spheres.
Examples of key activities: The activities of the VWU span the possibilities of digital libraries, including digital collection development, digital media production, interface design, information policy (including Fair Use and copyright), metadata and content description.
Number of students that can be accommodated: 3-5
Duration: Fall 07 onwards
Training: Will be provided
Software/Hardware involved: Most work is done in open source software environment (Linux)
Project title(s): The Virtual Writing University Experimental Wing, The Electoral College and Goal 2010 South Africa!
Department/organizational units: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences School of Art & Art History Intermedia Area; Graduate College Virtual Writing University
Mentor Name: Professor Jon Winet
Mentor Address:
School of Art & Art History Intermedia Area Head
Director, The Writing University Experimental Wing
Associate Professor, International Programs
The University of Iowa
ABW 150 Art Building
Iowa City, Iowa 52242 USA
Brief project descriptions:
The Experimental Wing [http://research-intermedia.art.uiowa.edu/wing/] works on a variety of projects that explore the role of text [in its broadest definition] in media. Projects selected for the digital library fellows are listed below. Note that it is possible for a student to work on a combination of projects over the course of a semester.
The Daily Palette, [http://dp.uiowa.edu] now in its third year, highlights daily the work of Iowa-identified artists and writers on The University of Iowa's web page. In conjunction with 'Wing' research, The Daily Palette is now fully searchable with advanced archiving features. Users may browse the more than 700 participating artists' artworks.
Participating fellows engage in research on ‘Palette’ artists and writers, and work with, and analyze, the project’s content management system.
The Iowa Review Web, http://www.uiowa.edu/~iareview/mainpages/tirwebhome.htmnow in its eighth year, is an online journal that highlights Iowa, national and international hypertext research and creative projects.
Participating fellows engage in editorial management, development and implementation of a searchable index and an ongoing redesign of the journal.
Iowa City Senior Center Television Online!, [http://icsctv.uiowa.eduin its first year of operation, is a community-building collaboration with Iowa City Senior Center Television [ICSC TV]. In addition to streaming ICSC TV programs, the project develops unique online content. Its multiple channels include oral histories, midterm election coverage, video portraits, experimental travelogues, and experimental works.
Participating fellows are involved in production activities including working with senior producers ranging from collaborative program concept development to digital editing and related post-production; technical training; and public information design and coordination.
Radio Intermedia, in development, will capitalize on the emerging delivery systems for audio and video content [online, streaming, podcasts, etc.] and the potential of 'expanded media.'
Participating fellows will work collaboratively on the design and launch of the project; conduct research on best practices in podcasting and distribution; and produce individual programs.
The Electoral College is a media project focusing on the 2008 U.S. presidential elections and democratic practice in America. A hybrid art + technology| journalism project, The Electoral College builds on past election projects, and will include the development of cell phone-based media production and display. [2004 project, “2004–America & The Globe, web site: http://www.2004atg.net: and exhibitions: http://www.2004atg.net/dw and http://www.2004atg.net/gpa/gpa_notes.html
Goal 2010 South Africa! [in preproduction] will explore the FIFA World Cup and the relationship of soccer, public information and social awareness. Participating fellows will work on a broad range of technology and interdisciplinary social research in this early phase of the project. This will include research on South Africa’s history; the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa; race relations and race issues in South Africa and the U.S.; World Cup statistics and archives; emerging media technologies and delivery systems; and development of contacts in South Africa. For reference: “Goal 2006!"
Examples of key activities:
Activities will depend on which projects the participating student works on [determined in meetings with the research team, but typically include technology development including those listed as examples above and time-based multimedia production
Number of students that can be accommodated: 1
Duration:
Fall 07 onwards. We are interested in working with a student for the duration of the project. Ideally for one or two semesters.
Training:
Student will work with Intermedia and 'Wing'. We also encourage independent initiative and collaboration with other DL groups.
Software/Hardware involved:
Everything from cell phones to servers; text editors to content management systems and Final Cut Pro video production software.
Tangible end product if any: Varied depending on the projects engaged.