Abstract

In the U.S. Southwest, global climate change, acting in concert with extant stressors such as urbanization and over-allocation of water resources, is changing ecosystems in measureable and sometimes dramatic ways. Twenty-first century projections indicate accelerating climate change and cascading ecological consequences. Effects observed to date include large-scale forest dieback, large and severe wildfires, and changes in the flow regimes of rivers and streams with attendant changes to riparian and aquatic ecosystems. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are pushing ecosystems across physiological and ecological thresholds, causing widespread mortality and, in some cases, major changes in composition, structure and function. These changes have prompted action by the conservation community to reduce the adverse effects of climate change. The Southwest Climate Change Initiative (SWCCI), a project led by The Nature Conservancy, works with local stakeholders in affected landscapes, reduces adverse impacts on ecological and social systems using scientific knowledge and practical tools. The Initiative has learned through practical experience that: 1) managers must embrace change and manage for resilience rather than resistance, 2) strong local science-management partnerships are critical to effective adaptation planning and implementation, 3) planners and managers must broaden the scope and accelerate the pace of conservation activities if ecosystem services are to be sustained, 4) adaptation often does not require radically new or different management practices, rather, conservationists already have many of the tools they need, and 5) rapid documentation and widespread communication of methods and findings can build rapidly regional capacity for climate change adaptation. Our experience suggests that adaptation efforts can be effective if they are focused at the local scale, employ learning networks, and engage in ecosystem-based adaptation: the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems so that they continue to provide the services that allow people to thrive in changing environments. McCarthy, P. D., 2012: Climate change adaptation for people and nature: A case study from the U.S. Southwest. Adv. Clim. Change Res., 3(1), doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1248.2012.00022.

Abstract

Learning Networks are on-line social networks through which users share knowledge with each other and jointly develop new knowledge. This way, Learning Networks may enrich the experience of formal, school-based learning and form a viable setting for professional development. Although networked learning enjoys an increasing interest, many questions remain on how exactly learning in such networked contexts can contribute to successful education and training. Put differently, how should networked learning be designed best to facilitate education and training? Taking this as its point of departure, the chapter addresses such issues as the dynamic evolution of Learning Networks, trust formation and profiling in Learning Networks, and peer-support among Learning Network participants. This discussion will be interspersed with implementation guidelines for Learning Networks and with a discussion of the more extended case of a Learning Network for Higher Education. Taking into consideration research currently carried out at our own centre and elsewhere, the chapter will close off with a look into the future of Learning Networks.

Abstract

Social media have enhanced the innate human capacity for knowledge sharing. The so-called social media have emphasized the ‘social’ aspect, i.e., the collaborative and cooperative qualities, and social learning is one of the results. Information professionals, who have always been inclined to share information and innovations related to their discipline, have taken advantage of the possibilities that social learning offers. Strengthened by solid networking that has been fostered by years of initiatives like EXIT or E-LIS, librarians and information scientists improve their daily practice by learning collaboratively. From ground-breaking lists like IweTel or Públicas  to blogs like Biblogtecarios or Dokumentalistas , each professional has been able to build her or his own personal learning environment. Various professional networking online environments are described, and special attention is given to the recent Social Biblio project and its active learning network.