Abstract

The weighty structures of government are forced to evolve due to the ubiquity of social networks in all areas of society. Governments should lose their distrust of web 2.0 and assume the changes brought about by these new ways of communicating with the public and among officials. Social networks favour participation, transparency and innovation at all levels.

Abstract

The central role that technology centers play in the consolidation of digital humanities (DH) is highlighted. For the library and information science area, and particularly for academic and research libraries, working with DH is a strategic opportunity to enhance their cyberinfrastructure. It is argued that to consolidate DH in Spain it is necessary to provide technology centers specific for the humanities and social sciences.

Abstract

The presence and variety of mobile devices in Spanish homes, regardless of the social and economic con-text, has been widespread for years. Several studies focus on parental mediation in children's consumption of smart devices, however, there is a lack of scientific evidence about how the educational level and the professional profile of parents affect children’s digital media consumption. This study analyzes the influence of the socio-educational level of families on the consumption of digital screens. The study deepens the understanding on the educational level of parents, as well as their professional category. A quantitative methodology was applied on a sample of 792 primary school children, between 5 and 9 years of age, in three Spanish cities. The consumption of television, smartphones, tablets, computers and videogames was analyzed. Results indicate that, the lower the level of education and professional category of the mother, the greater the consumption of content through smart devices by children. The study demonstrates, there-fore, the importance of considering the educational and professional levels of mothers and fathers for a better understanding of the consumption of digital screens and, at the same time, as an opportunity for designing family strategies that encourage critical thinking and digital media education.

Abstract

Research with children and adolescents shows that teachers are one of the agents from whom they receive mediation of their media use. However, little is known about teachers’ mediation practice. This study aims to approximate teachers’ practice with the concept of mediation by, firstly, systematizing a set of curricular media-related competences into the goals of maximizing opportunities and minimizing risks in youngsters’ media behavior. Then, teachers’ professional and personal characteristics are tested for associations with the mediation of risks and opportunities of students’ media use. Data collected in a survey with 315 teachers in Germany were analyzed. Results of regression analysis show that most factors predicted both opportunities and risks in a similar way. Teachers are more engaged in maximizing opportunities and minimizing risks when they use information and communication technologies (ICT) more frequently, consider the respective competences important, engage in collaboration with colleagues, do not teach STEM subjects, and do not work in a Gymnasium. Having received ICT-related training was a significant predictor only of mediation of opportunities, while age was a significant predictor only of mediation of risks. Implications of the findings and how the concept of mediation can contribute to the development of teachers as media educators are discussed.