Dr. Bianca Fox
Nottingham Trent University, CADQ, Faculty Member
- King's College London, Department of Digital Humanities, Department Memberadd
- Young people's use of Technology, Digital Literacy, Loneliness, Artificial Intelligence, Communication, Media Studies, and 8 moreMedia Coverage, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Academic Practice, Higher Education Studies, Active Learning, Technology Enhanced Learning, Curriculum Design, and Leadership in Higher Educationedit
- Senior Lecturer Course Leader APA/PGCLTHE @ NTU. Visiting Lecturer @ King's College London, Department of Digital Hum... moreSenior Lecturer Course Leader APA/PGCLTHE @ NTU.
Visiting Lecturer @ King's College London, Department of Digital Humanities, working with UG and PG international students.
I lead the Postgraduate Certificate in International Learning and Teaching and the Academic Professional Apprenticeship /Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at Nottingham Trent University. I have a PhD in Communication Studies and more than 15 years of teaching experience in HE. Prior to joining NTU, I was the Deputy Director of the Film, Media, Discourse and Culture Research Centre and Acting Head of Department at the University of Wolverhampton and a Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield. I have a passion for designing unique learning experiences for International and home students and I am an avid promoter of using digital technologies in all areas of the curriculum. My research interests lie primarily in youth studies, with a focus on technology use and mental health, digital literacy, and digital inclusion. I am a member of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), ISSOTL, BERA, BELMAS, UKLA, the European Literacy Network (ELN), the Active Learning Network (ALN), ECREA, MeCCSA, MEA, and the Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network and I was the academic lead of the ERASMUS+ MeLDE project (http://meldeproject.eu), contributing to the design of a CPD programme in digital literacy for European educators.edit
Drawing on a cluster of theories on the effects of social media on body image and eating disorders and the social repercussions of Internet use, this chapter examines the link between the use of social networking sites (SNSs) and... more
Drawing on a cluster of theories on the effects of social media on body image and eating disorders and the social repercussions of Internet use, this chapter examines the link between the use of social networking sites (SNSs) and loneliness, poor body image and disordered eating in young British people (aged 18–24). The chapter starts with an exploration of the link between loneliness, poor body image, eating disorders and social media use through a brief review of the existing theoretical frameworks and then progresses to examine young adults’ stories of loneliness through a qualitative approach, connecting these three conditions with the excessive and unchallenged use of SNSs. The results show that daily exposure to food images, thin bodies and unattainable lifestyles and fitness regimes on SNSs leads to self-comparison and pressure to conform to a distorted perception of the norm. One’s inability to conform to this norm often results in increased loneliness, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (progressing in some cases to eating disorders), followed by periods of digital detox. Building on this and other findings, this chapter argues for an extension of Rodgers’ (2016: 131) integrated theoretical model to include loneliness with a dual effect—as a predictor for social media use and as an aggravating factor for those at risk of developing an eating disorder. Loneliness, therefore, was found to mediate the association between excessive SNS use, body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
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Ubiquitous and easy to use, social media platforms have changed the way we communicate, make new friends or maintain old friendships. Unexpectedly, in the age of enhanced social interconnectivity, people feel lonelier than ever (Turkle... more
Ubiquitous and easy to use, social media platforms have changed the way we communicate, make new friends or maintain old friendships. Unexpectedly, in the age of enhanced social interconnectivity, people feel lonelier than ever (Turkle 2011), especially young adults (16-24 years old) who are avid social media users are frequently reported to be significantly lonelier than any other age group (Office for National Statistics, 2018).
This chapter advances our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and social networking websites (SNSs) use and aims to put an end to the debate regarding whether or not SNS use is making young adults lonelier. This is the first research in the UK that analyses and compares the way different SNSs (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat) can increase or decrease loneliness in young adults.
This chapter advances our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and social networking websites (SNSs) use and aims to put an end to the debate regarding whether or not SNS use is making young adults lonelier. This is the first research in the UK that analyses and compares the way different SNSs (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat) can increase or decrease loneliness in young adults.
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Starting from Renwick and Powell (2019, 24) who state that food literacy definitions place “an overwhelming emphasis on food, with far less attention on literacy”, this chapter aims to identify types of literacy frequently included in... more
Starting from Renwick and Powell (2019, 24) who state that food literacy definitions place “an overwhelming emphasis on food, with far less attention on literacy”, this chapter aims to identify types of literacy frequently included in these definitions in an attempt to provide conceptual clarification on what literacy skills are included and what literacy skills are still missing from food literacy definitions.
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This chapter explores the most discussed immigration-related topics in the news media during the EU referendum campaign in the UK (April- June 2016) and after (July- September 2016) and identifies a pattern of covering immigration topics... more
This chapter explores the most discussed immigration-related topics in the news media during the EU referendum campaign in the UK (April- June 2016) and after (July- September 2016) and identifies a pattern of covering immigration topics during and after the EU referendum. The chapter argues that attitudes anti- EU immigration are a wave of ‘new(s)’ racism (van Dijk, 2000) in the UK and EU immigration is frequently used as an umbrella term for Eastern European immigration being often mixed with non-EU immigration and the Refugee crisis. The results both replicate and extend the findings of earlier work showing how news media have shaped people’s attitudes during the EU referendum leading to general hostility to immigration.
This chapter investigates the use of web-based technologies for seeking health information and personal health information management in the UK. The research investigates whether people’s eHealth literacy is important for developing and... more
This chapter investigates the use of web-based technologies for seeking health information and personal health information management in the UK. The research investigates whether people’s eHealth literacy is important for developing and enhancing online searching strategies for health information. This chapter is based on and continues the work of Lustria, Smith and Hinnant (2011) who analyse the search of health information online in the US. Furthermore, the study applies Neter and Brainin’s (2012) theory to measure people’s level of eHealth literacy and tests McClung et al. (1998) and Kiley’s (2002) theories, according to which health information on the Internet may at times be misleading or misinterpreted, compromising health behaviours and health outcomes, or resulting in inappropriate requests for clinical interventions. By employing a large survey, this chapter provides answers to questions like: What sources do people consult first in search for health information? Is the online health information affecting people’s health decisions? Do people consider the online health information reliable? How often do people use eHealth tools like emails, online test results, or online medical appointments? Interesting and valuable results emerge. The results report on current trends in web use for health information and reveal interesting patterns in technology adoption and the need to explore further and find solutions to overcome the differences in the use of eHealth technologies in the UK.
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The Internet has opened up many opportunities for publishers, editors and amateur writers through its capacity of creating communities. The online literary communities empower the amateurs as writers. This article aims to evaluate the... more
The Internet has opened up many opportunities for publishers, editors and amateur writers through its capacity of creating communities. The online literary communities empower the amateurs as writers. This article aims to evaluate the Romanian online fiction websites and to provide insights into the ways of constructing amateur fiction online. The present study also aims to offer a large perspective on an emergent phenomenon, that of the expansion of the Romanian literary online communities and the practices used by these communities to engage the people in their activities. The article introduces a new topic among scholars and could become subject to wider debates at national and global level.
In an era of enhanced social interconnectivity, loneliness, isolation, anxiety and depression are on the rise. This volume questions the adequacy of our social relations and addresses emotions and loneliness in relation to social media... more
In an era of enhanced social interconnectivity, loneliness, isolation, anxiety and depression are on the rise. This volume questions the adequacy of our social relations and addresses emotions and loneliness in relation to social media use, documenting specific ways of looking at loneliness (seen both as a positive and negative emotion) in the digital era.
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Media Events: A Critical Contemporary Approach proposes an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach of Dayan and Katz's theory of media events (1992) by applying it to contemporary situations. The contributing authors come from a... more
Media Events: A Critical Contemporary Approach proposes an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach of Dayan and Katz's theory of media events (1992) by applying it to contemporary situations. The contributing authors come from a range of countries (UK, USA, Mexico, Germany, Finland, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine) and analyse the theory of media events from different perspectives, incorporating social media and offering a re-positioning of Dayan and Katz's theory of media events. By bringing new perspectives into this field, the proposed volume is an important contribution as it grounds the intervention and rethinking of the theory into further empirical research. This volume has the potential to function as a 'cross-generational' link between one of the 'early classics' of media and communication studies on the one hand and the present generation of researchers on the other.
Research Interests: Sociology, Cultural Studies, Media Sociology, Social Movements, Media Studies, and 24 moreNew Media, Media and Cultural Studies, Social Sciences, Internet Studies, Digital Media, Social Movement, Mass Communication, Celebrity Culture, Social Media, European Union, Media, Social movements and revolution, The Internet, United Kingdom, New social movements, Sports, Olympic Games, Media Events, Stardom and Celebrity, Media and Communications, Media Impact and Effects and Usages, Journalism and Media Studies, Communication and media Studies, and Celebrity Politics
This truly interdisciplinary volume brings together a diverse group of scholars to explore changes in the significance of media and communication in the era of pandemic. The book answers two interrelated questions: how media and... more
This truly interdisciplinary volume brings together a diverse group of scholars to explore changes in the significance of media and communication in the era of pandemic. The book answers two interrelated questions: how media and communication reality changed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how media and communication were effectively studied during this time.
The book presents changes in media and communication in three areas: media production, media content, and media usage contexts. It then describes the theoretical and practical, methodological, technical, organizational, and ethical challenges in conducting research in circumstances of sudden change in research conditions, emergency situations and developing crises. Drawing on various theoretical studies and empirical research, the volume illustrates the principles and results of applying diverse research methods to the changing role of media in a pandemic and offers good practices and guidance to address the problems in implementing research projects in a time of sudden difficulties and challenges.
This diverse and interdisciplinary book will be of significance to scholars and researchers in media studies, communication studies, research methods, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies.
Chapter 3 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003232049-5/ecological-approach-fausto-colombo?context=ubx&refId=aa5bc500-bb40-4ccb-879b-d5c8562efa67
The book presents changes in media and communication in three areas: media production, media content, and media usage contexts. It then describes the theoretical and practical, methodological, technical, organizational, and ethical challenges in conducting research in circumstances of sudden change in research conditions, emergency situations and developing crises. Drawing on various theoretical studies and empirical research, the volume illustrates the principles and results of applying diverse research methods to the changing role of media in a pandemic and offers good practices and guidance to address the problems in implementing research projects in a time of sudden difficulties and challenges.
This diverse and interdisciplinary book will be of significance to scholars and researchers in media studies, communication studies, research methods, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies.
Chapter 3 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003232049-5/ecological-approach-fausto-colombo?context=ubx&refId=aa5bc500-bb40-4ccb-879b-d5c8562efa67
This book proposes an interdisciplinary, multicultural and contemporary approach to examining the controversial links between migration and crime. It includes empirical research on migrants and crime to explore the risk and realities of... more
This book proposes an interdisciplinary, multicultural and contemporary approach to examining the controversial links between migration and crime. It includes empirical research on migrants and crime to explore the risk and realities of crime and migration, as well as how mass media in different regions of the world has covered violent acts that have involved migrants (as victims or aggressors). The chapters are written by authors from various countries including the UK, Turkey, Slovenia, Iraq, Albania, Chile, the Republic of Moldavia, and Romania, and from different fields of research including: criminology, sociology, political sciences and communication. They bring to light new ideas, new methodologies and results that could be taken and developed further. This volume allows readers to explore the impact of migration on crime.
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Analyzing the relationship between medicine and the media from different perspectives, these new essays fill a gap in this emerging field, providing new information on approaches to health communication and important reevaluations of... more
Analyzing the relationship between medicine and the media from different perspectives,
these new essays fill a gap in this emerging field, providing new information on approaches
to health communication and important reevaluations of health literacy theories.
The contributors discuss ideas and methodologies across a range of topics, including
multifaceted health communication, media coverage of maternal health, the rhetoric of
diagnosis in autoimmune illness, media representation of the sick in data-driven healthcare,
and health news coverage in print media.
these new essays fill a gap in this emerging field, providing new information on approaches
to health communication and important reevaluations of health literacy theories.
The contributors discuss ideas and methodologies across a range of topics, including
multifaceted health communication, media coverage of maternal health, the rhetoric of
diagnosis in autoimmune illness, media representation of the sick in data-driven healthcare,
and health news coverage in print media.
Research Interests: Health Psychology, Health Sciences, Health Communication, Health Promotion, Health Economics, and 27 moreMental Health, Primary Health Care, Patient Safety, Global Health, Health Literacy, Public Health Policy, Social Determinants of Health, Patient Provider Communication, Community Health, Health, Public Health, Health Policy, Doctor-patient communication, Health Care Management, Healthcare, Health risk communication and behavior change, Patient-Centered Care, Health communication and mass media, Healthcare and Social Media, Health and Social Care, Quality and patient safety, Patient Satisfaction, patient-doctor communication, media role in promoting health awareness among the public, use and effects of Information Communication Technology on familychnologyI, Communication in Health care, Media Influence on Young People, Sexual Health and Behaviour, Social Media in Healthcare, and Health Communication and Mass Media and Literacy
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Contemporary Television Series: Narrative Structures and Audience Perception proposes an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach of old concepts like fiction, reality and narrativity applied to actual worldwide television series. The... more
Contemporary Television Series: Narrative Structures and Audience Perception proposes an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach of old concepts like fiction, reality and narrativity applied to actual worldwide television series. The authors that have contributed to this volume analyze the almost invisible barriers between fiction and reality in television series from different perspectives. The results of their studies are extremely interesting and revealing. The new perspectives offered by this volume will be of great interest to any scholar of European and international studies, because they bring to light new ideas, new methodologies and results that could be further developed. This volume allows readers to explore these unique insights, even if they are not senior researchers, and to easily digest the content, and also to acknowledge the impact of the viewing of television series on reality and on their own lives.
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Decades of medical research have focused on analysing the effects of sustainable eating on health and well-being; yet, less attention has been devoted to this subject in communication and media studies research. Recently, however,... more
Decades of medical research have focused on analysing the effects of sustainable eating on health and well-being; yet, less attention has been devoted to this subject in communication and media studies research. Recently, however, scholarly attention has shifted towards the way sustainable food is covered in the media. Nevertheless, previous studies analyse sustainable food together with other sustainability challenges, such as climate change. In this article, we focus our attention on analysing media reporting of sustainable food. Relying theoretically on the framing analysis approach coupled with Goody’s five-phase analytical framework in building sustainable food-related behaviours (production, distribution, preparation, consumption and disposal) and by applying the rationale of content analysis, this article examines media coverage of sustainable food with a focus on sustainable food production, distribution, preparation, consumption and disposal. Therefore, the article identifies trends and patterns of media coverage of sustainable food in Romania between 2014 and 2017. Interesting results emerge, showing that Romanian journalists reporting on food-related topics do not have a solid understanding of the field and contribute to the spread of inaccurate information often, resulting from insufficient research or inadequate use of sources. As a result of the lack of in-depth knowledge of those involved in writing about food, the media coverage of sustainable food is strictly reduced to reporting on aspects related to the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, framed as the only healthy foods, and recommended diets for specific underlying health conditions (such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and associated diseases).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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The mediatization of politics could challenge established political processes and has the power to transform the relation between political parties and candidates, on the one hand, and voters, on the other. Mass media effects on political... more
The mediatization of politics could challenge established political processes and has the power to transform the relation between political parties and candidates, on the one hand, and voters, on the other. Mass media effects on political processes have been for a long time the focus of interest for academics. This article analyses the content of electoral materials used during two European Parlia- ment election campaigns (2014 and 2019) focusing in particular on the coverage of val- ues related to national identity. Interestingly, the quantitative analysis showed that the im- portance placed on issues related to national identity depended largely on the time when a particular country became a member of the European Union and differed considerably be- tween countries located in different parts of Europe.
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This article will examine how a public service broadcaster, specifically the BBC, delivers news content to its audience across multiple media platforms. Rather than looking at how the audience responds to media texts, this article will... more
This article will examine how a public service broadcaster, specifically the BBC, delivers news content to its audience across multiple media platforms. Rather than looking at how the audience responds to media texts, this article will take the opposite standpoint by addressing the following question: How does the BBC build its audience on a platform-by-platform basis? To answer this key question we compared news outputs on the three platforms offered by the BBC: web, television and radio. A sample was compiled based on the top stories that appeared at a specific time of day over a month in early 2015. The results suggest that there is no significant difference in establishing news agendas through a digitally converged media landscape. In fact the three platforms analysed do not take media convergence into account when delivering news content.
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The increasing use of the internet has brought new challenges for the public service television system all around the world. Despite the free access to information and the use of digital technology, the Eastern European public service... more
The increasing use of the internet has brought new challenges for the public service television system all around the world. Despite the free access to information and the use of digital technology, the Eastern European public service television is still in a shading cone mostly because of the small scale of their broadcasting markets. This article tells the story of the Romanian public service television’s (TVR) path towards an uncertain future in the digital age. The article offers an overview of the major changes and challenges of TVR (in terms of remit, purpose, values, and objectives) since the fall of the Communist regime in 1989 and aims to address the following questions: Is public service television still relevant in the digital era? What are the present challenges and what is the future of the Romanian public service television in the digital era?
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The focus of this study is to analyze consumer’s participation and communication in the online brand communities on Facebook. This type of brand community represents a subgroup of virtual communities, which is known as communities of... more
The focus of this study is to analyze consumer’s participation and communication in the online brand communities on Facebook. This type of brand community represents a subgroup of virtual communities, which is known as communities of consumption or fan clubs (Kozinets 1999, Szmigin et al. 2005). Understanding consumer relationships in such communities is important for the success of both the brand and the community. The aim of our study is to investigate how and in what sense consumers participate and communicate with one another via online brand communities, so as to explore the nature of the consumer’s participation on brand pages on Facebook. Also, we aim to investigate the importance of the Facebook fan page as a tool for a company’s business strategy. n order to investigate all these different aspects, a quantitative audience research was conducted, using a structured questionnaire.
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Lately in Romania the crisis has become a kind of apocalypse for any domain, from economy to culture. Also the crisis has become a kind of excuse for everything we cannot do. We got used to the answer “that is impossible, we are in a... more
Lately in Romania the crisis has become a kind of apocalypse for any domain, from economy to culture. Also the crisis has become a kind of excuse for everything we cannot do. We got used to the answer “that is impossible, we are in a crisis”. This article will review some of the definitions of crisis and the connection between communication theory, crisis and the public sphere. Also the article aims to provide a comprehensive content analysis of Romanian media coverage of economic crisis and some of the Romanian crisis scenarios between August-October 2012.
The TV entertainment is the primary means of humor for the modern society, the cheapest, most versatile, most comfortable and most affordable. The show is interwoven in the fabric of everyday life, dominating leisure time, shaping... more
The TV entertainment is the primary means of humor for the modern society, the cheapest, most versatile, most comfortable and most affordable. The show is interwoven in the fabric of everyday life, dominating leisure time, shaping people’s political opinions and social behaviors. Lately both politicians and scholars complain about the political apathy as the political participation has declined in many democratic countries. The aim of this study is to analyze the relation between political entertainment and young citizens’ political engagement. The relationship between entertainment and politics or entertainment and citizenship is a quite young subject among media scholars (van Zoonen, 2005; Dahlgren, 2009). The questions that guide this study are: does entertainment have an impact on democracy, does it provide a context that leads to political engagement or disengagement of the Romanian young citizens?
Social memory is considered very important for the future development of a nation. It is very important that young citizens perceive the past social actions in an accurate manner that will allow them to develop as citizens and to create... more
Social memory is considered very important for the future development of a nation. It is very important that young citizens perceive the past social actions in an accurate manner that will allow them to develop as citizens and to create forms of contributing to the development of a new democracy. The remembrance of past actions is not important for the past, but important the present or future actions. The main objective of this article is to answer to the following questions: How are social memory and social media related and what do they mean for the students/future citizens? How can the teachers use social media in order to shape young students as active citizens that will create a new democracy?
Citizenship education is considered very important for the future development of any nation. It is very important that young citizens perceive the past social actions in an accurate manner that will allow them to develop as citizens and... more
Citizenship education is considered very important for the future development of any nation. It is very important that young citizens perceive the past social actions in an accurate manner that will allow them to develop as citizens and to create forms of contributing to the development of a new democracy. The following study intends to focus on the importance of citizenship education in Romania and to examine whether the Romanian young people are provided with the civic knowledge and understanding necessary to engage effectively as citizens in a democracy. The main objectives of this chapter are: to explore the concept of citizenship education and to detect how social network websites can be used as a tool for citizenship education.
Today the political show focuses on political stars. Media has an enormous influence on the audience and holds a great responsibility for the education of the people, for the expansion and evolution of democracy in post-communist... more
Today the political show focuses on political stars. Media has an enormous influence on the audience and holds a great responsibility for the education of the people, for the expansion and evolution of democracy in post-communist countries. Television’s freedom, truth and accuracy, impartiality and fair play are put forward as the guidelines that ensure a functioning democratic role. This article is based on a textual analysis of the Romanian television and the implication of the partiipation of women in politics in post-communist Romania. The paper aims to answer to the following questions: Are women really involved in today’s political life? How are the women politician seen by the Romanian media?
The purpose of this study is to analyze how spectacle and conflict converge in today’s television news. We focused on the complex reconstructive and subjective nature of news reception, the different ways the audience constructs... more
The purpose of this study is to analyze how spectacle and conflict converge in today’s television news. We focused on the complex reconstructive and subjective nature of news reception, the different ways the audience constructs meaningful interpretations from the news, exposure to news and the construction of images of reality.
This article focuses on social movements and their interaction with the public sphere. The article specifically analyses strategies of social movement, strategies of a good leader, the relation media and social movements and the role of... more
This article focuses on social movements and their interaction with the public sphere. The article specifically analyses strategies of social movement, strategies of a good leader, the relation media and social movements and the role of social movement in the formation of an “alternative” public sphere. The public sphere is a communal space dominated by discussions that involve the politics, discussions that debate the problems of the society. In Habermas model of deliberative democracy, however, people participate as discrete, autunomous subjects who know their own intentions, desires, and preferences and set out to realize them by batering with others. The porous borders of politics are manifested today in the relationship of social movements and their leaders to the public sphere. Even in liberal democracies with established civil societies the social movements have broadened the agenda of public discussion. Therefore, we analyzed the construction of social movements and their leaders as an important element that can enliven the public sphere and can contribute to the construction of an alternative public sphere.
Globalization is an issue extensively discussed in recent years, many researchers bringing out all the harmful effects this phenomenon can have - especially the danger of cultural uniformity. In a provocative rethinking of television and... more
Globalization is an issue extensively discussed in recent years, many researchers bringing out all the harmful effects this phenomenon can have - especially the danger of cultural uniformity. In a provocative rethinking of television and its ensuring effects this scientific approach argues that is possible that we have misunderstood television and have thus contributed to a distorted view of art and culture in the 20th century. Television has become a scapegoat for all sorts of societal and cultural ills. This paper aims to find an answer to a few issues: Is culture a priority for television? What is the impact of television on the Romanian cultural products and what are the possible consequences of globalization?
The MeLDE framework for teacher digital preparation includes four main knowledge pillars and 17 skills and competences areas is different than any other existing framework for teacher education (e.g. NCCA ICT framework, 2007; UNESCO... more
The MeLDE framework for teacher digital preparation includes four main knowledge pillars and 17 skills and competences areas is different than any other existing framework for teacher education (e.g. NCCA ICT framework, 2007; UNESCO ICT-CFT, 2011; Danish Pedagogic ICT licence, in Ferrari, 2012) by focusing more on the acquisition of practical skills and including up-to-date topics, such as: social media and classroom collaboration platforms, fake news, managing digital identity, cyberbullying, creating compelling digital content for educational purposes, distance learning, self-promotion, and digital citizenship. The framework can be used in teacher education as a reference tool and can be used in flexible ways.
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This report is part of Intellectual Output 1 of the MELDE project and offers an overview of teachers’ digital skills and the digital technologies used in teaching based on a detailed examination of research conducted in four countries:... more
This report is part of Intellectual Output 1 of the MELDE project and offers an overview of teachers’ digital skills and the digital technologies used in teaching based on a detailed examination of research conducted in four countries: Germany, Greece, Cyprus and the UK. The report reveals the state of research in the partner countries, it reviews digital literacy initiatives, sheds light on the current levels of digital literacy and highlights common problems that teachers and students are facing in each of the partner countries. The aim of this comparative report is to outline existing digital cross-generational skills gaps in European secondary schools that will inform a cross-national framework and an educational pack designed to better prepare aspiring teachers, and support and encourage all teachers to use digital technologies in teaching to better communicate and educate new generations of pupils.
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The report presents a realistic image of the level of digital literacy of secondary school teachers and pupils, explores digital training opportunities and the use of digital technology in secondary schools and advocates the introduction... more
The report presents a realistic image of the level of digital literacy of secondary school teachers and pupils, explores digital training opportunities and the use of digital technology in secondary schools and advocates the introduction of digital training as a mandatory element of teacher education.
This report is structured in 4 sections, followed by a bibliography. The first section provides a snapshot of digital literacy research and initiatives in the UK and explores the current state of teacher and student education, the second section explains the methodological approach, section 3 provides a detailed analysis of the data collected in the UK and section 4 discusses implications for practice, limitations of the present study and presents our recommendations for further research.
This report is structured in 4 sections, followed by a bibliography. The first section provides a snapshot of digital literacy research and initiatives in the UK and explores the current state of teacher and student education, the second section explains the methodological approach, section 3 provides a detailed analysis of the data collected in the UK and section 4 discusses implications for practice, limitations of the present study and presents our recommendations for further research.
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This video is a step-by-step guide on how to use Google Jamboard, Padlet, Mindmeister or EdPuzzle in teaching. Watch this presentation on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzzlF7ro1A&t=411s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzzlF7ro1A&t=411s
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Watch this presentation on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB9Rc- gzvOw&t=90s
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Watch this presentation on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVMmfLGycZk&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVMmfLGycZk&t=1s
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The rapid uptake of mobile technology worldwide (see Kemp 2020) has led to an unprece- dented number of households owning and using a multitude of screen devices, both conven- tional (radio, television) and new (laptops, smartphones or... more
The rapid uptake of mobile technology worldwide (see Kemp 2020) has led to an unprece- dented number of households owning and using a multitude of screen devices, both conven- tional (radio, television) and new (laptops, smartphones or tablets) to access media content. Being brought up in a media saturated society, children too have become accustomed to using multiple screens for a numerous activites, at home and at school. While it is true that some television programmes are still preferred by children, it also true that children's viewing habits are increasingly changing, with children largely watching and accessing media content on mobile devices (Ofcom 2019). As children’s media and viewing practices are changing, a burgeoning interest in understanding the practice of producing content that reaches younger audiences has emerged.
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Conference presentation at the EuroSoTL Conference, 16th-17th June 2022, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Conference Presentation @ the International Conference Transformation of Newsroom with the advent of AI, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague
May 13th 2021
May 13th 2021
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Presentation @ the Research-policy dialogue on ‘Loneliness in Europe’
Organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre
2 March 2021 – 9:30-11:30 Brussels
Organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre
2 March 2021 – 9:30-11:30 Brussels
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Conference Presentation @ TILT Annual Teaching & Learning Conference
September 2021
September 2021
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Presentation @ the UVAC monthly event
November 2021
November 2021
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Conference presentation @ the International Conference Homicide Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Bucharest, November 2021
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Conference presentation
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Conference presentation 2019
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Poster presentation @ the SRHE Conference
December 2019
December 2019
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Conference presentation @ CADAAD 2018
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Mobile phones are not seen today as just communication devices, they are small computers that are handy, always with us, and always on. Ubiquitous tools that we use anytime and anywhere, smartphones have quickly become instruments for... more
Mobile phones are not seen today as just communication devices, they are small computers that are handy, always with us, and always on. Ubiquitous tools that we use anytime and anywhere, smartphones have quickly become instruments for fast communication, entertainment, and collective participation. Given their increasing functionalities, smartphones have started to be employed in a variety of ways to aid researchers' data collection efforts around the world.
Smartphones offer exciting opportunities to collect data from respondents with less effort than using the traditional more conventional research methods like pen and paper survey. Collecting data with smartphones is becoming a common practice among scholars and is highly promising as both the quality and quantity of the resulting data is impressive.
This paper discusses ways of collecting data using iPhones and Androids. We provide suggestions on mobile applications, sampling and selecting respondents and also on how to deal with privacy issues. The paper will present a variety of smartphone apps for research and will compare this method of collecting data with the traditional research methods. Moreover, the paper also identifies the risks and challenges of using smartphones in collecting data and also the ethical and methodological issues involved as we identified them while working on two multi-method research projects with students from the University of Huddersfield and University of Wolverhampton.
Smartphones offer exciting opportunities to collect data from respondents with less effort than using the traditional more conventional research methods like pen and paper survey. Collecting data with smartphones is becoming a common practice among scholars and is highly promising as both the quality and quantity of the resulting data is impressive.
This paper discusses ways of collecting data using iPhones and Androids. We provide suggestions on mobile applications, sampling and selecting respondents and also on how to deal with privacy issues. The paper will present a variety of smartphone apps for research and will compare this method of collecting data with the traditional research methods. Moreover, the paper also identifies the risks and challenges of using smartphones in collecting data and also the ethical and methodological issues involved as we identified them while working on two multi-method research projects with students from the University of Huddersfield and University of Wolverhampton.
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Every nation has its frozen moments, events so important, so tragic and to some extent so personal that they remain forever in the public memory. Memorializing practices that follow major tragic events usually provide a transformational... more
Every nation has its frozen moments, events so important, so tragic and to some extent so personal that they remain forever in the public memory. Memorializing practices that follow major tragic events usually provide a transformational experience for the survivors and for the society as a whole. In the wake of events such as the 7/7 London bombings when 52 people were killed and over 700 people were injured there has been a widespread grief not only for the deceased but also for a sense of national security and identity (Linenthal, 2001; Siegl & Foot, 2004). Since 2005 every year acts of public grief have provided opportunities to celebrate the lives of those who died, to mourn their passing, and through that inscribe memories of the deceased in the public consciousness (Foot & Warnick, 2006: 72). Eleven years have passed since the 7/7 London bombings. It is perhaps time to ask ourselves: has the media done enough to keep this tragic event alive in the public memory? How do young people remember the 7/7 London bombings? and What is their understanding of what happened in London on July 7th 2005?
Based on Foot & Warnick’s (2006) analysis of web-based memorializing, this study aims to analyse young people’s right to remember using emerging social practices mediated by the computer. We will analyse web-based commemoration practices through which spaces of commemoration of the 7/7 London terrorist attacks are produced juxtaposed with Twitter feeds and a questionnaire that aims to find out how young people (aged 18-21) remember the event. As memory is “a retroactive reconstruction of the past” (Kasabova, 2008: 332), we aim to find out how these web-based remembering practices contribute to the memory construction and preservation of social memory of young people and through what means.
Based on Foot & Warnick’s (2006) analysis of web-based memorializing, this study aims to analyse young people’s right to remember using emerging social practices mediated by the computer. We will analyse web-based commemoration practices through which spaces of commemoration of the 7/7 London terrorist attacks are produced juxtaposed with Twitter feeds and a questionnaire that aims to find out how young people (aged 18-21) remember the event. As memory is “a retroactive reconstruction of the past” (Kasabova, 2008: 332), we aim to find out how these web-based remembering practices contribute to the memory construction and preservation of social memory of young people and through what means.
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Memorializing practices that follow major tragic events usually provide a transformational experience for the survivors and for the society as a whole. In the wake of events such as the 7/7 London bombings when 52 people were killed and... more
Memorializing practices that follow major tragic events usually provide a transformational experience for the survivors and for the society as a whole. In the wake of events such as the 7/7 London bombings when 52 people were killed and over 700 people were injured there has been a widespread grief not only for the deceased but also for a sense of national security and identity (Linenthal, 2001; Siegl & Foot, 2004). Since 2005 every year acts of public grief have provided opportunities to celebrate the lives of those who died, to mourn their passing, and through that inscribe memories of the deceased in the public consciousness (Foot & Warnick, 2006: 72). Ten years have passed since the 7/7 London bombings. It is perhaps time to ask ourselves: has the media done enough to keep this tragic event alive in the public memory? How do young people remember the 7/7 London bombings? and What is their understanding of what happened in London on July 7th, 2005?
Based on Foot & Warnick’s (2006) analysis of web-based memorializing, this study aims to analyze emerging social practices mediated by computer through which spaces of commemoration of the 7/7 London terrorist attacks are produced. According to Gloviczki (2015), in the process of memorialization the aspects that must be selected usually consist of three categories: form, content, and context, out of which the form of memorialization is perhaps the most important aspect because this determines the material of which the memorial will consist. The present study provides a comprehensive content analysis of three websites that commemorate the 7/7 London bombings this year (the BBC News website, The Guardian and The Daily Mail) juxtaposed with Twitter feeds and a questionnaire that aims to find out how young people (aged 18-21) remember the event. As memory is “a retroactive reconstruction of the past” (Kasabova, 2008: 332), we aim to find out how these websites contribute to the memory construction and preservation of social memory of young people and through what means.
Based on Foot & Warnick’s (2006) analysis of web-based memorializing, this study aims to analyze emerging social practices mediated by computer through which spaces of commemoration of the 7/7 London terrorist attacks are produced. According to Gloviczki (2015), in the process of memorialization the aspects that must be selected usually consist of three categories: form, content, and context, out of which the form of memorialization is perhaps the most important aspect because this determines the material of which the memorial will consist. The present study provides a comprehensive content analysis of three websites that commemorate the 7/7 London bombings this year (the BBC News website, The Guardian and The Daily Mail) juxtaposed with Twitter feeds and a questionnaire that aims to find out how young people (aged 18-21) remember the event. As memory is “a retroactive reconstruction of the past” (Kasabova, 2008: 332), we aim to find out how these websites contribute to the memory construction and preservation of social memory of young people and through what means.
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Teaching with Lego in Higher Education is many times seen as a controversial method, carrying troublesome implications for lecturers who sometimes face questions like: Is this serious? Is it useful for students? Can students really learn... more
Teaching with Lego in Higher Education is many times seen as a controversial method, carrying troublesome implications for lecturers who sometimes face questions like: Is this serious? Is it useful for students? Can students really learn by playing with Lego? After all, they are not children anymore. Isn’t this too easy for students? What is often disregarded is the fact that Lego play can be used as a student engagement tool and, if used right, helps students understand difficult concepts in a very positive, provoking and interactive way. Scholars believe that Lego is a “tool for thinking” (Gauntlett 2007) with a great potential to link theory to practice, bridging the gap between thinking and doing in education (Cavaliero 2015). Even so lecturers are still reticent in using Lego play in their lectures.
This session will explore the potential of using Lego as a tool for reflective practice with journalism students at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Huddersfield. The paper will explore multiple ways of using Lego in lectures and will show evidence of the Lego play efficacy, value and impact on learning in Higher Education. Furthermore, this study will highlight the advantages and opportunities created in class by Lego play to: activate students, aid reflection, link theory to practice, connect with peers, teamwork, inclusion, engagement and interactivity. However, this session will also discuss some of the challenges and possible risks that lecturers face when using Lego play with 1st students as I identified them in my sessions with Broadcast Journalism students and Media and Communication students this academic year at the University of Wolverhampton and University of Huddersfield.
This session will explore the potential of using Lego as a tool for reflective practice with journalism students at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Huddersfield. The paper will explore multiple ways of using Lego in lectures and will show evidence of the Lego play efficacy, value and impact on learning in Higher Education. Furthermore, this study will highlight the advantages and opportunities created in class by Lego play to: activate students, aid reflection, link theory to practice, connect with peers, teamwork, inclusion, engagement and interactivity. However, this session will also discuss some of the challenges and possible risks that lecturers face when using Lego play with 1st students as I identified them in my sessions with Broadcast Journalism students and Media and Communication students this academic year at the University of Wolverhampton and University of Huddersfield.
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Mobile phones are not seen today as just communication devices, they are small computers that are handy, always with us, and always on. For our ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, 2001) students, mobile phones are ubiquitous tools that they use... more
Mobile phones are not seen today as just communication devices, they are small computers that are handy, always with us, and always on. For our ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, 2001) students, mobile phones are ubiquitous tools that they use with pleasure anytime and anywhere. Scholars often draw attention on the fact that it is perhaps the first time in history when the students are better at using mobile technologies than their teachers. For instance, Kirschner & Selinger (2003) argue that many students are today adept in using new technologies and sharing information, while Swan, Kratcoski and van’t Hooft (2007: 48) assert that “the ‘digital natives’ generation was brought up with this technology, and their teachers either struggle to keep up or just give up in the race to understand and use the latest technology”.
Starting from Brenton (2009: 85)’s question: “how can we, in the formal, guided process of higher education, use the power and potential of recent electronic media to enable our students to learn better, from us, from each other and independently?”, this session will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using smartphones in teaching Journalism for both lecturers and students and will focus on the challenges brought by the use of Socrative2.0 and other student response systems into teaching journalism as a tool to support students’ participation and promote an active and innovative learning environment.
Bridging the gap between academics and students, this session will discuss both lecturers and students’ views on interactive teaching with smartphones and will provide evidence from a series of workshops I have been running for the past two years with students and academics from the University of Wolverhampton and University of Huddersfield.
Starting from Brenton (2009: 85)’s question: “how can we, in the formal, guided process of higher education, use the power and potential of recent electronic media to enable our students to learn better, from us, from each other and independently?”, this session will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using smartphones in teaching Journalism for both lecturers and students and will focus on the challenges brought by the use of Socrative2.0 and other student response systems into teaching journalism as a tool to support students’ participation and promote an active and innovative learning environment.
Bridging the gap between academics and students, this session will discuss both lecturers and students’ views on interactive teaching with smartphones and will provide evidence from a series of workshops I have been running for the past two years with students and academics from the University of Wolverhampton and University of Huddersfield.
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Recent research findings on the use of mobile phones in education show that they can provide new opportunities for teaching and learning. Mobile devices have now become attractive learning devices for education (Baran 2014). Due to... more
Recent research findings on the use of mobile phones in education show that they can provide new opportunities for teaching and learning. Mobile devices have now become attractive learning devices for education (Baran 2014). Due to affordability and availability the use of mobile devices has become common among a wide range of age groups (Newhouse, Williams, & Pearson, 2006). Even though the educational potential of mobile phones is now recognised, earlier studies argue that the lack of teachers’ confidence may be a barrier in exploiting this potential (Scrimshaw, 2004). However, even if many scholars highlight the benefits of using mobile technologies into teaching, several limitations exist, such as the lack of sustainable integration of mobile devices into formal educational contexts, and, more important, lack of teacher support and training (Cochrane, 2012; Peng, Su, Chou, & Tsai, 2009).
This session is an assessment of my daily work practice and explores some of the outcomes of using mobile phones into teaching Journalism at the University of Huddersfield. The session will particularly focus on the benefits and challenges brought by the use of Socrative.com student response system into teaching as a tool to enrich learning and support students’ participation. Moreover, the aim of this presentation is to highlight new trends in the mobile learning literature and to reinforce the educational potential of mobile technologies in teaching university students.
This session is an assessment of my daily work practice and explores some of the outcomes of using mobile phones into teaching Journalism at the University of Huddersfield. The session will particularly focus on the benefits and challenges brought by the use of Socrative.com student response system into teaching as a tool to enrich learning and support students’ participation. Moreover, the aim of this presentation is to highlight new trends in the mobile learning literature and to reinforce the educational potential of mobile technologies in teaching university students.
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Upon the introduction of austerity measures in many European countries and the unfolding of a multifarious crisis – social, political and economic –we witness an unprecedented wave of riots, protests as well as the formation of new social... more
Upon the introduction of austerity measures in many European countries and the unfolding of a multifarious crisis – social, political and economic –we witness an unprecedented wave of riots, protests as well as the formation of new social movements. In the present paper, we seek to examine the representations of protest on news web pages in Greece (www.in.gr), Romania (www.hotnews.ro), Italy (www.larepubblica.it) and Britain (www.guardian.com), analyzing comparatively which particular cases attract the journalistic interest in these countries and in what way. The proposed research relies theoretically on the framing analysis approach, having as its main aim to elaborate on the way on line news media in the above mentioned countries present protests and social movements.
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Lecture on digital inclusion and digital exclusion
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Lecture on key concepts and the implications of the use of AI in Journalism
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What are deep fakes? How do they change our perception of reality?
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What stories do we tell about AI and how they influence our perceptions of AI and our engagement with this technology?
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Workshop delivered for the PhD students at the University of Wolverhampton, Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences
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Lecture
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Lecture
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Lecture
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Lecture
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Lecture
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This chapter explores the immigration-related topics in the news media during the EU referendum campaign in the UK (April–June 2016) and after (July–September 2016). The chapter argues that attitudes anti-EU immigration are a wave of... more
This chapter explores the immigration-related topics in the news media during the EU referendum campaign in the UK (April–June 2016) and after (July–September 2016). The chapter argues that attitudes anti-EU immigration are a wave of “new(s)” racism (van Dijk 2000) in the UK and EU immigration is frequently used as an umbrella term for Eastern European immigration being often mixed with non-EU immigration and the refugee crisis. The data shows that the prevalence of negative news stories has led to a distinctive immigration-narrative, confirming the claim of Hoffner and Cohen (2013) that members of minority groups are almost always associated with violent and threatening media content.
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Research Interests: Media Sociology, Media Studies, New Media, Digital Humanities, Digital Media, and 15 moreAudience Studies, Audience and Reception Studies, Digital Culture, Convergence, Media Convergence, Audience, Audience Measurement, Audience Research, BBC, British Television, BBC Monitoring, Digital television, Media Audiences, Communication and media Studies, and MEDIA SOCIOLOGY
Ubiquitous and easy to use, social media platforms have changed the way we communicate, make new friends or maintain old friendships. Unexpectedly, in the age of enhanced social interconnectivity, people feel lonelier than ever (Turkle... more
Ubiquitous and easy to use, social media platforms have changed the way we communicate, make new friends or maintain old friendships. Unexpectedly, in the age of enhanced social interconnectivity, people feel lonelier than ever (Turkle 2011), especially young adults (16–24 years old) who are avid social media users are frequently reported to be significantly lonelier than any other age group (Office for National Statistics 2018). This chapter advances our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and social networking websites (SNSs) use and aims to put an end to the debate regarding whether or not SNS use is making young adults lonelier. This is the first research in the UK that analyses and compares the way different SNSs (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat) can increase or decrease loneliness in young adults.