OU on the BBC: Connecting - Taking it further

BBC

The Connecting dramas emphasise the human component of communication and information. Perhaps they offer a pessimistic view of technologies that have enhanced our individual capabilities and changed the way we work, shop and deal with governments and other institutions.

If the plays have sparked your interest you might also like to consider taking it further, perhaps by reading more on the issues raised, or even taking a course with the OU to explore the subject in greater depth.

Further Reading

The Labyrinths of Information: Challenging the Wisdom of Systems
Claudio Ciborra, Oxford University Press, 2002
A look at the importance and relevance of untidy, everyday practice in the creation of Information and Communication systems.

Mobile Communication in Everyday Life: Ethnographic Views, Observations and Reflections
Maren Hartmann and Joachim Höflich (eds), Frank & Timme, 2006.
A collection of papers describing ethnographic research involving communities of mobile phone users.

The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone's Impact on Society
Rich Ling, Morgan Kaufman, 2004.
An encyclopeadic and academic examination of interactions between the way we live and mobile communications technology.

Courses

If you want to know more about the technology, its capabilities, limitations and its applications you will find Networked Living: Exploring Information and Communication Technologies (T175) provides a comprehensive introduction.

If you hope to develop your skills in the field further then you will find the honours degree programme Information and Communication Technologies (B38) of interest. There is also a foundation degree programme available Foundation Degree in Information and Communication Technologies (G04).

Connecting in more depth: