Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media
Research and Design Projects in TISM
Research and design work in the department spans a wide range of topics, approachs, and perspectives. You can find out more about the research and design interests of individual faculty members from their individual homepages. This section highlights just a few of the ongoing projects and initiatives in the department. Department faculty direct two research centers, the MIND Lab and the Quello Center, as well as the Comm Tech Lab and the Games for Entertainment and Leanring Lab. Among the many research and design areas that Individuals in the department are exploring are:
Online Safety
Bob LaRose has received federal funding to research Internet Safety in a variety of contexts, including the home and school environments. A list of publications is available on the Network Security Begins at Home" project page.
Facebook and Social Network Sites
Reseach on social network sites, especially Facebook, is currently a focus of the department. Nicole Ellison, Cliff Lampe, and Charles Steinfield have produced a number of papers on the use of Facebook on campus, including a recent paper in the CHI 2007 proceedings [PDF] which examines profile elements and friending and an article in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication [PDF] looking at the social capital implications of Facebook use. Joe Walther, who holds a joint appointment in TISM and Communication, is also pursuing an active research agenda exploring Facebook, with recent articles in Human Communication Research [PDF] and a forthcoming piece in JCMC. (Other research publications by Joe Walther are available on this list of publications). Additionally, Pam Whitten, Charles Steinfield, Robert LaRose, Kurt DeMaagd, Cliff Lampe, and Nicole Ellison are currently exploring the ways in which rural youth might benefit from SNS-enabled technologies in research supported by the Kellogg Foundation.
Educational Uses of Technology and Video Games
Recently retired professor Tom Muth is active in ITEC, the Information Technology Empowerment Center of Lansing - a nonprofit, collaborative partnership between community, industry, and education. Brian Winn, Carrie Heeter, and Wei Peng are examining ways in which video game technology can be harnessed for educational and learning purposes. A number of projects related to games and learning can be found on the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab Project Page. Nicole Ellison has examined the use of blogs in the classroom.