iMPACT of the iSchools

The Obama administration is bringing new potential for those involved with the study of information, people and technology to effect change, particularly through investments in education, broadband and scientific research. The growth in the variety of information and how it is used resonates strongly in the iSchools community.

Ph.D. graduates from the iSchools have taken faculty positions in diverse areas including Library and Information Science, Business, Communication, Management Information Systems, Public Affairs, Education, Computer Science, Law, Health Management and Informatics, and Information Studies. Some graduates also work in corporations and non-profits.

Faculty at the iSchools are experts and resources for topics that impact society and our everyday lives. From research on e-government and the Internet, to human-computer interaction, community informatics, and online community building, the iSchools have emerged as leaders in the most important emerging fields of the 21st Century. Here are a few of our faculty members who are helping navigate the rapid changes in society.

The iSchools Faculty on

The power of Twitter

As one Penn State researcher recently found out, tweeting is more than just expressing oneself.
Jim Jansen, associate professor of information sciences and technology, investigates the effect of micro-communicating as electronic word-of-mouth mediums, using Twitter as the platform. The research was published in the Journal of the American Society for Information Sciences and Technology.
More here.

Using social networking tools as teaching tools

Carol L. Tilley, a professor of library and information science at Illinois, says that schools and libraries should consider embracing texting and tweeting as a means of engagement rather than simply outlawing it. More here.

Playing Games in the Library

Syracuse University Professor Scott Nicholson gets paid to play games ... and to study how libraries encourage gaming amongst their patrons. More here.