Designing Transparency


Book Description

As the fascination with plastic is now over for both aesthetic and environmental reasons, more and more designers are going back to one of the most traditional materials: glass. Free of any synthetic characteristics, glass is authentic and, if treated with skill and imagination, it can provide stunning results. Glass has been used for centuries to create tableware or design objects, but now designers from all over the world are pushing the boundaries of the material's optical properties. Playing with transparency leads to intriguing solutions. Designs such as screens, carafes, lamps, tables, seating or shelves made from glass introduce visual lightness into spaces.




Transparent Design in Higher Education Teaching and Leadership


Book Description

This book offers a comprehensive guide to the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework that has convincingly demonstrated that implementation increases retention and improved outcomes for all students. Its premise is simple: to make learning processes explicit and equitably accessible for all students. Transparent instruction involves faculty/student discussion about several important aspects of academic work before students undertake that work, making explicit the purpose of the work, the knowledge that will be gained and its utility in students’ lives beyond college; explaining the tasks involved, the expected criteria, and providing multiple examples of real-world work applications of the specific academic discipline. The simple change of making objective and methods explicit – that faculty recognize as consistent with their teaching goals – creates substantial benefits for students and demonstrably increases such predictors of college students’ success as academic confidence, sense of belonging in college, self-awareness of skill development, and persistence. This guide presents a brief history of TILT, summarizes both past and current research on its impact on learning, and describes the three-part Transparency Framework (of purposes, tasks and criteria). The three sections of the book in turn demonstrate why and how transparent instruction works suggesting strategies for instructors who wish to adopt it; describing how educational developers and teaching centers have adopted the Framework; and concluding with examples of how several institutions have used the Framework to connect the daily work of faculty with the learning goals that departments, programs and institutions aim to demonstrate.




Crafting Transparency


Book Description

Dive into the mesmerizing world of glass with "Crafting Transparency," a comprehensive eBook that artfully demystifies the ancient craft and avant-garde art of glassmaking. This vividly written guide invites you into the transformative process of shaping sand and fire into transparent marvels. Embark on a historical journey to uncover the evolution of glass through ages, and understand its poignant role in culture and art. Prepare to be lured into the sacred space of the studio as you learn to set the stage for creativity while respecting the nuances of artisan safety and efficiency. Peek through the clear lens into the heart of glass materials, distinguished by their composition and versatility. Whether you are fascinated by the alchemy of color in glasswork or the sustainable charm of recycled glass; this guide covers it all, providing a solid ground for selecting materials that vibe with your personal vision. Equipped with precise cutters and a mastery over the glowing kiln, join hands with "Crafting Transparency" to take command of tools that feel like an extension of your creativity. From understanding the varied types of glass to troubleshooting the typical kiln conundrums, you will gain insights integral to the craft. Slice, shape, and mold your vision into reality as you immerse yourself in chapters dedicated to the finesse of glass cutting, and the mystique of color and texture in glasswork. Challenge your skills with a plethora of techniques ranging from simple hand-forming to complex layering and slumping. As your journey deepens, "Crafting Transparency" draws back the curtain on practices like glass blowing with detailed tutorials that will boost your confidence. Enter the storytelling narrative of stained glass, or the intricate dance of flames in lampworking, and discover new horizons as an artist. Don’t stop at creation; this guide walks you through showcasing your masterpieces, delving into the business of glassmaking while helping you navigate the landscapes where your art will shine. Venture into the cutting edge of glassmaking where innovation meets tradition, and kindle your imagination with inspiring projects for all levels of proficiency. "Crafting Transparency" is not just a book; it's the companion for both the budding enthusiast and the skilled artisan eager to expand their craft. Begin your transformative journey today. Experience the art of glass through "Crafting Transparency"—where every chapter unlocks a new facet of brilliance in this luminous endeavor.




Designing Knowledge Organizations


Book Description

A pedagogical approach to the principles and architecture of knowledge management in organizations This textbook is based on a graduate course taught at Stevens Institute of Technology. It focuses on the design and management of today's complex K organizations. A K organization is any company that generates and applies knowledge. The text takes existing ideas from organizational design and knowledge management to enhance and elevate each through harmonization with concepts from other disciplines. The authors—noted experts in the field—concentrate on both micro- and macro design and their interrelationships at individual, group, work, and organizational levels. A key feature of the textbook is an incisive discussion of the cultural, practice, and social aspects of knowledge management. The text explores the processes, tools, and infrastructures by which an organization can continuously improve, maintain, and exploit all elements of its knowledge base that are most relevant to achieve its strategic goals. The book seamlessly intertwines the disciplines of organizational design and knowledge management and offers extensive discussions, illustrative examples, student exercises, and visualizations. The following major topics are addressed: Knowledge management, intellectual capital, and knowledge systems Organizational design, behavior, and architecture Organizational strategy, change, and development Leadership and innovation Organizational culture and learning Social networking, communications, and collaboration Strategic human resources; e.g., hiring K workers and performance reviews Knowledge science, thinking, and creativity Philosophy of knowledge and information Information, knowledge, social, strategy, and contract continuums Information management and intelligent systems; e.g., business intelligence, big data, and cognitive systems Designing Knowledge Organizations takes an interdisciplinary and original approach to assess and synthesize the disciplines of knowledge management and organizational design, drawing upon conceptual underpinnings and practical experiences in these and related areas.




Transparency


Book Description

This book critiques the contemporary recourse to transparency in law and policy. This is, ostensibly, the information age. At the heart of the societal shift toward digitalisation is the call for transparency and the liberalisation of information and data. Yet, with the recent rise of concerns such as 'fake news', post-truth and misinformation, where the policy responses to all these phenomena has been a petition for even greater transparency, it becomes imperative to critically reflect on what this dominant idea means, whom it serves, and what the effects are of its power. In response, this book provides the first sustained critique of the concept of transparency in law and policy. It offers a concise overview of transparency in law and policy around the world, and critiques how this concept works discursively to delimit other forms of governance, other ways of knowing and other realities. It draws on the work of Michel Foucault on discourse, archaeology and genealogy, together with later Foucaultian scholars, including Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Judith Butler, as a theoretical framework for challenging and thinking anew the history and understanding of what has become one of the most popular buzzwords of 21st century law and governance. At the intersection of law and governance, this book will be of considerable interest to those working in these fields; but also to those engaged in other interdisciplinary areas, including society and technology, the digital humanities, technology laws and policy, global law and policy, as well as the surveillance society.




Oxford Handbook of Ethics of AI


Book Description

This volume tackles a quickly-evolving field of inquiry, mapping the existing discourse as part of a general attempt to place current developments in historical context; at the same time, breaking new ground in taking on novel subjects and pursuing fresh approaches. The term "A.I." is used to refer to a broad range of phenomena, from machine learning and data mining to artificial general intelligence. The recent advent of more sophisticated AI systems, which function with partial or full autonomy and are capable of tasks which require learning and 'intelligence', presents difficult ethical questions, and has drawn concerns from many quarters about individual and societal welfare, democratic decision-making, moral agency, and the prevention of harm. This work ranges from explorations of normative constraints on specific applications of machine learning algorithms today-in everyday medical practice, for instance-to reflections on the (potential) status of AI as a form of consciousness with attendant rights and duties and, more generally still, on the conceptual terms and frameworks necessarily to understand tasks requiring intelligence, whether "human" or "A.I."




The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication, 4 Volume Set


Book Description

The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication offers a comprehensive collection of entries contributed by international experts on the origin, evolution, and current state of knowledge of all facets of contemporary organizational communication. Represents the definitive international reference resource on a topic of increasing relevance, in a new series of sub-disciplinary international encyclopedias Examines organization communication across a range of contexts, including NGOs, global corporations, community cooperatives, profit and non-profit organizations, formal and informal collectives, virtual work, and more Features topics ranging from leader-follower communication, negotiation and bargaining and organizational culture to the appropriation of communication technologies, emergence of inter-organizational networks, and hidden forms of work and organization Offers an unprecedented level of authority and diverse perspectives, with contributions from leading international experts in their associated fields Part of The Wiley Blackwell-ICA International Encyclopedias of Communication series, published in conjunction with the International Communication Association. Online version available at Wiley Online Library Awarded 2017 Best Edited Book award by the Organizational Communication Division, National Communication Association




Designing for Print


Book Description

This book is a single-source guide to planning, designing and printing successful projects using the Adobe Creative Suite. Packed with real-world design exercises, this revised edition is fully updated to align with CS. Dozens of sidebars and step-by-step descriptions walk readers through the design process in the same order actual projects are implemented Content progresses from planning through execution




Transparent Designs


Book Description

This fascinating cultural history of the personal computer explains how user-friendly design allows tech companies to build systems that we cannot understand. Modern personal computers are easy to use, and their welcoming, user-friendly interfaces encourage us to see them as designed for our individual benefit. Rarely, however, do these interfaces invite us to consider how our individual uses support the broader political and economic strategies of their designers. In Transparent Designs, Michael L. Black revisits early debates from hobbyist newsletters, computing magazines, user manuals, and advertisements about how personal computers could be seen as usable and useful by the average person. Black examines how early personal computers from the Tandy TRS-80 and Commodore PET to the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh were marketed to an American public that was high on the bold promises of the computing revolution but also skeptical about their ability to participate in it. Through this careful archival study, he shows how many of the foundational principles of usability theory were shaped through disagreements over the languages and business strategies developed in response to this skepticism. In short, this book asks us to consider the consequences of a computational culture that is based on the assumption that the average person does not need to know anything about the internal operations of the computers we've come to depend on for everything. Expanding our definition of usability, Transparent Designs examines how popular and technical rhetoric shapes user expectations about what counts as usable and useful as much as or even more so than hardware and software interfaces. Offering a fresh look at the first decade of personal computing, Black highlights how the concept of usability has been leveraged historically to smooth over conflicts between the rhetoric of computing and its material experience. Readers interested in vintage computing, the history of technology, digital rhetoric, or American culture will be fascinated in this book.




Understanding by Design


Book Description

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.