Nonformality
type: channel
description: Between old, new and weird worlds
date: 2020-12-27T19:07:07Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: Testing mics
items: 11 things I am reading for and about Wikimedia
items: Not everything should be black or white
items: A potpourri of participation models – Updated
items: Simulation on the future of Europe
items: What’s happening in e-learning?
items: Methods: refreshing obsession or undeserved fetish?
items: Europe according to… stereotypes!
items: The revolt of the young
items: A potpourri of participation models

Testing mics
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2020-12-27T19:05:28Z
subject: Learning
subject: Podcasts
description: I have been testing a few mics for everyday video conferences – as one does these days.
encoded: There are a few decent microphones in my tech pool, but it’s not always convenient to fire up all the gear for a 15-minute video call. In the past months, I have used Airpods Pro for those shorter calls, but the material Apple is using on their in-ear headphones has, over time, made my ears itch and groan in resistance. So I was quite happy when the over-ear Airpods Max were released – not so much because I need another pair of good headphones, but because I was hoping to replace my itchy Airpods Pro. The mic array of the Airpods Max is technically quite impressive: eight microphones for active noise cancellation, three microphones for voice pickup, two of which are shared with active noise cancellation –all according to Apple’s tech spec sheet. Those specs were the reason I bought them, hoping they can replace my Airpods Pro as a hassle-free, reliable, decent enough headset for quick calls. And yes, they can! Below are voice samples, in German and English, for the Airpods Pro, the Airpod Max, and for comparison a Røde Lavalier Mic. The samples were all recorded using Rogue Amoeba’s excellent Audio Hijack, because to this day Apple’s own app Logic Pro will not recognise the mics in Apple’s own headsets as inputs. The Røde mic runs through an Evo 4 preamp. I haven’t used any filters, equalizers or noise cancellations filters on any of the recordings (even though Audio Hijack has a few excellent filters that work very well to enhance mic inputs). The two text samples are a short excerpt from Hannah Arendt’s essay “Die Lüge in der Politik” from 1971 and the first few sentences from Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” – both still and again quite fitting during these days and times. For the Airpods Max, there are two samples – the first one sounds like a tin can, utterly terrible; whereas the second one sounds quite decent (to my ears, in any case). Turns out it makes a difference which way around you wear them: with the digital crown and button on you…

11 things I am reading for and about Wikimedia
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2014-11-25T21:25:56Z
subject: Reflections
subject: civil society and NGOs
subject: ngo conflicts
subject: wikimedia
subject: wikipedia
description: Yes it might turn out to be mad, why are you asking?
encoded: It’s somehow the same story every year: the amount of reading climbs up with every month. And so I find myself reading 11 things in parallel, connected to the madness, and excitement, of running for an elected, voluntary position in an NGO (Wikimedia Germany) again after many years of exercising restraint. Most of my personal choices this year turned out to be slightly goofy, so we’ll see how this one turns out – the General Assembly of Wikimedia Germany is on November 29, so I will know very soon. Setting aside caution and reserve, here is my commented reading list: <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="620" height="407" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/reading-620x407.jpg" alt="This is how I feel: small and curious" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-6816" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/reading-620x407.jpg 620w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/reading-440x289.jpg 440w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/reading.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /> Wikimedia Germany’s mailing list. I have been strongly encouraged to post to the mailing list, but I am cheerfully ignoring that recommendation. This is not a mailing list, it’s a slaughterhouse. I am reading every message, never sure whether I will get a headache from shaking my head or laughing madly. The list is public, so if you want to, dive into a pretty stunning spectacle. Konflikte Zwischen Vorstand und Geschäftsführer in Nonprofit-Organisationen: Eine Analyse der Spannungsfelder und deren Ursachen. A great book by Sara Bürgisser, already because it makes clear that the kind of conflicts Wikimedia Germany is struggling with right now are actually quite common. Chapters Dialogue Insights & Summary. While Wikipedia is co-produced by an immense decentralised network, much of the control sits with the Wikimedia Foundation. A lot of people are unhappy with that, and though I am famil…

Not everything should be black or white
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2014-11-25T18:27:07Z
subject: Dilemmas
subject: choosing colours
subject: choosing sides
description: On choosing colours vs choosing sides
encoded: Some things are enormously more difficult than they seem at the beginning. Choosing colours for your living room, for example. For weeks now, we have been trying out dozens of colours – on plywood boards, on the wall, on our hands. We think we have finally settled on colours for two rooms: pea green for our Berliner Zimmer and Carmine for our hallway. Uff. Other things are enormously more simply than they seem at the beginning. Understanding conflicts in NGOs, for example. For weeks now, I have closely followed extensive exchanges between two bitterly fighting fractions inside Wikimedia Germany. I find it fascinating that the two sides continue debating as if they, and only they, must be completely right, and the other side must be completely wrong. Uff. Black and white never helps. Here are some of our colour samples (yeah yeah we know). <img decoding="async" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_6164-620x465.jpg" alt="Just a few of our colour samples" width="620" height="465" class="size-large alignright wp-image-6790" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_6164-620x465.jpg 620w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_6164-440x330.jpg 440w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

A potpourri of participation models – Updated
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2012-11-22T22:11:33Z
subject: Research
subject: citizen participation
subject: models
subject: online participation
subject: Participation
subject: power
subject: youth participation
description: An updated chase through the maze of participation models, frameworks & theories
encoded: For years now I have been collecting information on and tracing the origins of different models, schemata and theories of participation. Enticed by a project in 2011, I put together a selection of models with their original imagery and, in excerpt, original introductions and explanations. Another project in 2012 provided motivation and momentum to review and extend the selection, and update the pdf-file (Version November 2012, 13 MB). These are the (currently: 36) models covered: Those added in 2012 are in bold: 1969 Ladder of citizen participation Sherry Arnstein 1992 Ladder of children participation Roger Hart 1996 Typology of participation Sarah White 1997 Degrees of participation Phil Treseder 1998 Wheel of participation Scott Davidson 2000 Spectrum of public participation IAP2 [latest version from 2007, see comments below] 2001 Active participation framework OECD 2001 Pathways to participation Harry Shier 2001 Clarity model of participation Clare Lardner 2001 Strategic approach to participation UNICEF 2002 Triangle of youth participation Jans & de Backer 2002 Youth participation in society Jans & de Backer 2002 Dimensions of youth participation David Driskell 2002 Seven realms of participation Francis & Lorenzo 2003 Ladder of volunteer participation Adam Fletcher 2003 Youth engagement continuum FCYO 2006 Four Cs of online participation Derek Wenmoth 2006 Power law of participation Ross Mayfield 2006 Levels, spaces and forms of power John Gaventa 2006 The CLEAR Participation Model Lawndes & Pratchett 2006 Four L Engagement Model Tony Karrer 2007 Participation 2.0 Model New Zealand 2007 Spectrum of public participation IAP2 [first version from 2000, see comments below] 2007 Engagement in the policy cycle Diane Warburton 2007 Online Participation Behaviour Chain Fogg & Eckles 2009 Key dimensions of participation Driskell & Neema 2009 Matrix of participation Tim Davies 2009 Pathways through participation NCVO & IVR 2010 Changing views on participation Pedro Martín …

Simulation on the future of Europe
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2012-11-03T14:07:37Z
subject: Nonformality
subject: fortress
subject: maps
subject: refugees
subject: schengen
subject: simulation
description: A very real question: when will Europe begin to respect human rights at its borders?
encoded: At a training course on European Citizenship, my colleague Elena Kasko and I developed a simulation around the truly disgusting and disturbing way in which Europe treats refugees at its borders, in particular at the Schengen borders. One of my personal heroes, Gabriele del Grande, the unflinching Italian human rights journalist, has documented on http://www.fortresseurope.blogspot.com/ that at least 18.567 people have died since 1988 in their attempt to reach the Fortress Europe. <img decoding="async" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the_european_independent-620x149.png" alt="A very real question: when will Europe begin to respect human rights at its borders?" title="A very real question: when will Europe begin to respect human rights at its borders?" width="620" height="149" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-2325" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the_european_independent-620x149.png 620w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the_european_independent-440x105.png 440w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the_european_independent.png 1678w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /> This was our scenario: Europe in 2015: Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland are bankrupt. The major banks of Germany, France and the UK have been nationalised and operate under government control. Luxembourg and Austria have given up on their offshore banking strategies, and the City of London has been placed under common legislation. Economic perspectives are depressing. Russia, China and Brazil have offered to lend money to the Europeans. Meanwhile, the citizens of Europe have lost their last bit of trust in European institutions. The majority is convinced that neither the European Union nor the Council of Europe will survive this fundamental crisis. In this atmosphere of hopelessness, the Parliament of the European Union and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have decided…

What’s happening in e-learning?
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2011-11-30T13:05:08Z
subject: Nonformality
subject: benchmarks
subject: criteria
subject: distance learning
subject: e-learning
subject: Research
subject: theory
subject: youth
description: What makes e-learning in non-formal education good, great, spectacular, impactful & powerful?
encoded: In the context of the Council of Europe’s seminar “Using E-Learning in Intercultural Non-formal Education” I gave a presentation today [Nov 30, 2011] to (1) briefly introduce approaches to quality standards, benchmarks and criteria in e-learning and to (2) exemplify how e-learning changes learners, learning and learning environments and how this impacts non-formal education. Without a voice-over some aspects of the presentation will likely be hard to follow, but there are many links to sources for further reading in there so it might be useful anyway. Click on the image or this link to download the pdf of the presentation (12 MB). <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/elearningseminar.jpg" alt="E-Learning in Intercultural Non-formal Education" title="E-Learning in Intercultural Non-formal Education" width="615" height="434" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2257" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/elearningseminar.jpg 715w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/elearningseminar-440x310.jpg 440w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/elearningseminar-620x437.jpg 620w" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px" />

Methods: refreshing obsession or undeserved fetish?
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2011-11-17T19:12:14Z
subject: Reflections
subject: learning myths
subject: learning styles
subject: methods
subject: nonformality
subject: toolbox
subject: tools
description: A thousand methods in Salto's toolbox: Is there a method in all the madness?
encoded: This article was commissioned by and written for the Estonian Youth Work Magazine «MIHUS». More than a thousand methods are listed in Europe’s largest toolbox for training and youth work at www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/. More than a thousand tools, with new ones being added constantly. More than a thousand! They stand for a growing dilemma and an increasingly frustrating conflict in our work as youth trainers and youth workers – the demand that methods must always be effective, evidence-based, creative, participatory, empowering, stimulating, exciting, new, crazy, surprising, powerful… Is there a method in the madness? Photo by Tim Chaborski Is there a method in the madness? The more methods you know the better you are. Methods have become a marketing tool, a part of our identities as youth trainers and youth workers. Some of these methods may even become our trademark – when you think of Madzinga, with how many trainers do you associate it? And yet, at the same time, it almost seems as if only a new method is a good method. We are afraid of repeating ourselves. We don’t want to bore ourselves with what we do. But more importantly: frequent seminar-goers might recognise a method and consider us boring as well… Oh no! Are we afraid of the medicine? Photo by Winona Wilhelm Why are we so afraid of repeating ourselves? Have you ever heard anyone say that you shouldn’t take Aspirin to fight off your headache because, you know, you took it last time already? Nobody gets excited about taking Aspirin twice. Why then are we so often afraid of using the same energiser twice? On the other hand, when in need of more complex medical treatments nobody receives the exact same dose and mix of medication, operation and/or therapy – too much depends on the situation, its circumstances, possible side-effects… It’s too complex to be simplistically repeated. Why then are we so often afraid of adapting a complex simulation exercise to our needs? The comparison is both far-fetched an…

Europe according to… stereotypes!
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2011-11-03T09:49:19Z
subject: Reflections
subject: europe according to stereotypes
subject: mapping stereotypes
subject: maps
subject: prejudices
description: Europe according to...? Stereotypes! A mapping project by Yanko Tsvetkov.
encoded: It’s a long time since the map section has seen any additions, but having stumbled over the excellent “Mapping Stereotypes Project” by Yanko Tsvetkov aka alphadesigner I couldn’t resist to amend the collection. In an interview with the Telegraph, Yanko explained: “I created the first one in 2009 because at that time there was an energy crisis in Europe. I just created it to amuse my friends but when I put it up on my website so many people liked it that I decided to really focus on the project of mapping the stereotypes based on different places in Europe. I was surprised by the reaction because I never really expected it to take off like this.” Here are, in alphabetical order, Europe according to Britain and, after the jump, Europe according to Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, the United States and the Vatican. As Yanko put it: “Sense of humor highly recommended.” Indeed :) Enjoy! Europe according to Britain | Mapping Stereotypes Project | Source <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/europe-according-to-britain.jpg" alt="Europe According to Britain" title="Europe According to Britain" width="615" height="461" class="no-hang size-full wp-image-2195" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/europe-according-to-britain.jpg 615w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/europe-according-to-britain-440x329.jpg 440w" sizes="(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px" /> Europe according to Bulgaria | Mapping Stereotypes Project | Source <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/europe-according-to-bulgaria.jpg" alt="Europe According to Bulgaria" title="Europe According to Bulgaria" width="615" height="461" class="no-hang size-full wp-image-2200" srcset="https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/europe-according-to-bulgaria.jpg 615w, https://www.nonformality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/…

The revolt of the young
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2011-08-28T20:36:36Z
subject: Youth
subject: change
subject: protests
subject: revolution
subject: riots
subject: unrests
subject: uprising
subject: youth revolt
description: From revolutions and protests to riots and unrests: young people are taking their fight for the future to the streets. Intergenerational contracts have become obsolete, with many young people feeling robbed of their future in the light of the employment crisis, a damaged environment and social inequality. Observers and activists describe a world awakening with rage, and a revolt of the young that has only just begun. But what will happen next?
encoded: From youthpolicy.org, where I will be blogging at The Beat about how policy affects young people: Whatever intergenerational contracts may have been in place – spoken or unspoken, real or perceived – are largely gone. The promise and hope of previous generations—in the Western world at least, the majority of young people around the world could never dream of such things to begin with—to lead a better life than their parents is a flickering image of the past. But it’s not the lack of economic prosperity alone that infuriates young people. Not that it wouldn’t be reason enough: close to 90 million young people are unemployed, constituting about half of all unemployed people – and also roughly half of all young people interested in working. And that’s the average – in Syria, to quote but one example, the unemployed young people make up nearly 80% of the working-age unemployed population. The growing youth employment crisis, earmarked by these ballpark figures, has been largely ignored. Add the unsustainability of the current growth-and-screw-the-environment-mantra and the massively rising social injustice to the colossal employment mess, and you get a highly explosive mix, which keeps bubbling to the surface on the streets across the planet. Young people have to watch how the world as we know it, its economic, social and political fabric, disintegrates, day by day. They don’t like the mélange of the cocktail of political, economic and social disfranchisement, and have begun to show their anger about being robbed of their own future with what Heribert Prantl calls “the sacred rage of the young.” A global youth revolt in the making. The exploding and imploding inequalities are one of the most impactful consequences of a well-known dilemma: what Zygmunt Bauman calls the tripod of economic, military and cultural sovereignities has long lost its stability. Economic globalisation and the deterritorialisation of capital and labour leave current political structures crumbling …

A potpourri of participation models
type: item
creator: Andreas Karsten
date: 2011-07-03T14:27:22Z
subject: Research
subject: citizen participation
subject: models
subject: online participation
subject: Participation
subject: power
subject: youth participation
description: A chase through the maze of participation models & theories
encoded: For years now I have been collecting information on and tracing the origins of different models, schemata and theories of participation. Enticed by a current project, I have put together a selection of models with their original imagery and, in excerpt, original introductions and explanations. I will review and extend the selection regularly, and update this post as well as the pdf-file (Version July 2011, 11 MB). These are the (currently: 30) models covered: 1969 Ladder of citizen participation Sherry Arnstein 1992 Ladder of children participation Roger Hart 1996 Typology of participation Sarah White 1997 Degrees of participation Phil Treseder 1998 Wheel of participation Scott Davidson 2001 Active participation framework OECD 2001 Pathways to participation Harry Shier 2001 Clarity model of participation Clare Lardner 2001 Strategic approach to participation UNICEF 2002 Triangle of youth participation Jans & de Backer 2002 Youth participation in society Jans & de Backer 2002 Dimensions of youth participation David Driskell 2003 Ladder of volunteer participation Adam Fletcher 2003 Youth engagement continuum FCYO 2006 Four Cs of online participation Derek Wenmoth 2006 Power law of participation Ross Mayfield 2006 Levels, spaces and forms of power John Gaventa 2006 Four L Engagement Model Tony Karrer 2007 Participation 2.0 Model New Zealand 2007 Spectrum of public participation IAP2 2007 Engagement in the policy cycle Diane Warburton 2007 Online Participation Behaviour Chain Fogg & Eckles 2009 Key dimensions of participation Driskell & Neema 2009 Matrix of participation Tim Davies 2009 Pathways through participation NCVO & IVR 2010 Changing views on participation Pedro Martín 2010 Ladder of online participation Bernoff & Li 2010 Online participation across age Rick Wicklin 2010 Three-lens approach to participation DFID-CSO 2010 Behavior Grid BJ Fogg