Creating Impact with Practice-based Social Media Projects

University of Northumbria31 March 2011

Professor Sue ThomasResearch Professor of New MediaFaculty of Humanities / Institute of Creative TechnologiesDe Montfort UniversityLeicester

www.suethomas.net

Amplified Leicester partners

Amplified Leicester

A 2009-10 city-wide experiment to explore diversity and innovation build a network across diverse communities create, share and develop new ideas use social media like Facebook and Twitter

as an amplifier

Commissioned and supported by NESTA, an independent body with a mission to make the UK

more innovative.

Triangulation of 3 areas of research

1. Transliteracy (Transliteracy Research Group, DMU)

2. The Amplified Individual (IFTF)3. Social Networks/Social Capital (Centre for

Social Action, DMU)

1. Transliteracy

The ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social

networks.www.transliteracy.com

2. Amplified Individual

The Amplified Individual (IFTF) Highly social Highly collective Highly improvisational Highly augmented

Amplified Individuals possess an unusual set of skills

Examples: High Ping Quotient: responding & reaching

out to others (esp in social media networks). Mobbability: ability to work in large groups;

to organize & collaborate with many people simultaneously.

Longbroading: thinking in terms of higher-level systems, massively multiple cycles, and the very big picture.

3. Social Networks

Social Networks– Social networks tend to magnify whatever they

are seeded with– Social networks are creative and what these

networks create does not belong to any one individual. It is shared by all those in the network

Social Capital– ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’– The notion of ‘glue’ and ‘resources’

Transliteracy in the network

Inspired by Leicester

In 100BC the Belgae settled there followed by Romans, Danes & Normans

Today, population <300,000 40% ethnic minority background About 240 faith groups across 14 different

faiths 16% of people in Leicester prefer to speak

Gujarati, 3% Punjabi, and 2% Urdu. 81% prefer to speak English

One Leicester Summary of key facts: 2008

Project Objectives

Develop a transferable model for amplifying a diverse city’s grassroots innovation capacity through connecting diverse communities through key individuals

Provide practical examples of how collaborative technologies can be exploited in a city context

Resources

Partners NESTA (Funder) DMU Institute of

Creative Technologies Phoenix Square Leicester Mercury Harvey Ingrams LLP Citizens’ Eye

People Uniqueness of Leicester Project Team Advisory Group Participants

– 43 applied– 30 selected– 24 continued to end

The Team

We offered the opportunity to learn how to:

Manage the stream of information which bombards us every day

Generate, share & develop new ideas quickly Make the most of different kinds of capital –

social, economic, creative, personal Think like a futurist Organise and collaborate better Be persuasive in different situations….and more

Participation was free of charge and by application

Open-minded, enthusiastic and curious. Interested in working and sharing ideas with

other people Willing to try new activities and technologies Able to take part in the whole programme Able to access the internet regularly A resident of / working in the city of Leicester Proficient in English. Over the age of 18. No formal qualifications needed.

The Participants

Six Month ProgrammeOct 09 – Mar 2010

Fortnightly private meetings of 3 hrs + group lunch

Focus on qualities of Amplified Individual Visiting speakers e.g.

– JP Rangaswami, Chief Scientist, BT– Duncan Wilson, Arup Foresight– Andy Miah, Prof in Ethics & Emerging

Technology– Chris Meade, Institute for the Future of the

Book

Practical workshops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh0xYkuCLL8

Three #ampleic stories

1. Inspector Bill Knopp

Tweeting Police

2. Farhana Shaikh

3. Ian Davies

“A great experience to realise that so many can get together through varying mediums to influence and change things. Amazing. Certainly changed my life.”

Participants…

“A fantastic opportunity to participate in a diverse group of people to hopefully achieve lasting positive amplification of our city.” Gary McCarthy

“I could share my knowledge with others inside and outside the project”. Sarah Eaton

“Amplified Leicester has re-awakened my desire to push the boundaries of communication and innovation in whole new direction.” Darren Hines

“I learned that you often know more than you think - you just don't know it.” Farhana Shaikh

Research Findings

1. Transliteracy

Most difficult to assess Some ‘got it’ right away, some didn’t. Relates to the need to broaden the definition of

diversity to include new dimensions e.g. age, skills, disciplines, and backgrounds; cognitive, work, learning, and thinking styles.

There is a need for a diagnostic test for transliteracy but also some resistance to it

Currently being analysed further by Impact Research Fellow

Research Findings

2. Amplification

Participants have been developing new skills that enable them to thrive in an increasingly complex and collaborative work culture.

Participants identify substantial improvements in their amplification.

Some of the strongest shifts can be observed in influency, multi-capitalism, cooperation radar, signal/noise management and longbroading.

Research Findings

3. Social Networks

Most of participants (70%) consider themselves to be a mixture of ‘offline and online’ person.

85% of the participants would say that trust between members is average to high.

Research Findings

4. Social Capital

Participants have been developing new skills that enable them to thrive in an increasingly complex and collaborative work culture.

Need to differentiate between the dynamics between diverse people which reflect issues of cohesion and the fluid and deep diversity which nurtures a group to be innovative.

The Model

A trusted collaborative space where deep diversity flourishes, ideas flow, and social media connects.

See NESTA report by Thilo Boeck and Sue Thomas Amplified Leicester: Impact on social capital and cohesion July 2010

The Process

Step one: Cocoon The Consciously Amplified Group

Step two: Emergence From the Amplified Group to the Amplified

City

Emergence

15 April 2010 – Public Showcase event New public online community Free talks until Summer 2011 Vision2020 built on city interest in widening

Amplified Leicester participation Amplified Resilient Community directed by

Thilo Boeck and funded by Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Vision2020 Green Wishlist

Turn waste ground into green space

Plant fruit trees in public places

Empty lots used as green spaces

City gardens / community gardens

+ more

Ampleic goes greenSummer 2011

Academic Impact

Impact Research Fellow Dr Souvik Mukherjee currently working on this. His findings so far:

1. Very high level of Reach 2. Very high level of Significance3. Transliteracy plays an important part but still

not enough tools to really quantify it.

Next steps

Waiting for Dr Mukherjee’s final recommendations but probably:

1. Find out why our relationships with external agencies have been so successful and develop them further

2. Create a programme of scholarly research on the Cocoon/Emergence model

3. Devise a diagnostic tool to assess transliteracy

Creating Impact with Practice-based Social Media Projects