ProCom Projects
Joanne DiNova: M’Naa-Giigdaa
This collaborative research project between Dr. Joanne DiNova (School of Professional Communication) and Dr. Lila Pine (RTA School of Media aims to develop a way of visualizing language while also reclaiming Indigenous languages and reigniting Indigeneity in English. Specific objectives are (1) to develop software capable of visualizing spoken language; (2) to develop a data-driven mapping system capable of analyzing the visualizations; (3) to use conventional linguistic tools to analyze languages; and (4) to infuse English with Indigeneity.
Wendy Freeman: Faculty and Student Models of Digital Literacy
With the rise of web-based social technologies such as blogs and Facebook, digital competences are needed to participate fully in the social and economic activities of the workforce. Because university students grew up with ready access to the Internet, they are assumed to possess advanced technical abilities, however, in reality, they are still primarily online consumers on the social web. Universities are struggling to adapt policy and pedagogical methods to incorporate opportunities for students to gain fluency with ICTs, and there remains little informed understanding of advanced digital literacy practices that support academic and workplace participation.
Jeffrey Boase: Digital Personal Networks
Working in collaboration with Dr. Tetsuro Kobayashi of Japan’s National Institute of Informatics, Dr. Boase co-directed the development of a smartphone application that serves the dual function of enabling users to better understand their personal networks and providing researchers with a tool that collects anonymized mobile log data. Two versions of this application have been installed by four large systematically selected samples of participants in Japan and the United States, and the application is currently freely available for download through the Japanese Android store.
ProCom Collaboration Project: The ProCom website
The ProCom website is a result of collaborative efforts among ProCom faculty, staff and graduate students. The website committee consisted of Cheryl Balm, Ava Cross, Wendy Freeman, Janice Fung, and Catherine Schryer. ProCom graduate students, especially Hayley Fuller and Artur Sedov, organized and shot the photos for the site. ProCom graduate students and faculty worked together to input all the content for the site on a weekend in September. Many thanks to Wendy Freeman, Hayley Fuller, Janice Fung, James Loney, Nima Naik, and Brian Tran. Our website reflects a group effort.
John Shiga: The Culture of Sound
Dr. Shiga is drawing on sound studies and science and technology studies to develop a cultural history of sonar. Specifically he is identifying a set of acoustic techniques for monitoring, mapping and navigating underwater environments. The project explores the role of sonar in ocean surveillance, underwater warfare and scientific attempts to understand underwater sound as a medium for animal and human communication.
Movable Science
While on sabbatical, Dr. Gregory Levey co-founded Movable Science, a healthcare technology startup with a mission to bring innovative mobile technology to healthcare. Movable Science’s other co-founders are Richard Penner, an iOS developer and Joshua Landy, MD, a Critical Care Medicine Specialist. Movable Science’s first product is Figure 1, a free, safe photo sharing app for healthcare professionals. Available on iPhone, Figure 1 is a mobile, crowdsourced medical image library that healthcare professionals can use to share, rank, and discuss images. Movable Science is based in the Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and has strong ties to the School of Professional Communication, employing both current students and alumni.
More info at figure1.com