Historic partnership sheds light on Web 2.0 use

Many agencies are starting to use Web 2.0 collaborative tools to accomplish their missions more effectively and to share information more effectively.

Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts & Sciences and INgage Networks have formed a partnership to research how you can use these tools most effectively.

Kim Kobza is the president and CEO of INgage Networks and Dr. Cliff Lampe is an assistant professor at Michigan State University's Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media.

Kobza said the primary goal of the partnership is to help both organizations to effectively support and advance network science and enable government, business and educational institutions to be effective when it comes to communication in the 21st century.

Dr. Lampe said his school has many goals when it comes to this type of partnership.

"One high level goal is we really help to make positive differences in the state of Michigan. We're working with INgage on several projects already in process -- setting up things like, for instance, promoting economic development in Michigan, finding out the priorities of Michigan's citizens and residents in terms of how [the state] can help them advance their communities -- that kind of practical outcome is very important to us."

He added that another major goal has to do with pushing forward when it comes to cutting-edge research, and making people more aware, as a whole, about how Web 2.0 tools are really changing the world.

"What we're trying to bring out of this is -- making a more general awareness of the value of these types of tools in terms of all types of human collaboration, coordination and organizing. We really see social media -- social networking -- as a way for people to get actual work done."

Kobza said, from his perspective, the partnership will hopefully act as a model for other states and universities and, of course, the federal government.

"You see various agencies under the Open Government Directive trying to understand how to be effective in the use of these tools. When we look at this, we see the potential to build a model that can be replicated across the country throughout government and business, as well."

One challenge that both groups faced before the partnership had to do with access to experts and resources. Kobza explained that, now that the two groups are working together, each group can take advantage of the other's resources -- manpower and otherwise.

"The relationship certainly helps because it gives us a stronger platform by which to do some empirical testing of certain social media outcomes. It's one of those things where many hands make light work. There are academics all over the country who are studying Web 2.0 social media types of issues. I think having platforms to be able to that will help advance the field in general."

Both are also hoping that the partnership -- and the subsequent work derived from it -- will help future leaders in business and government with really understanding what social media is all about.

"I think it's true that students and younger people use these systems, but it's not as true that they really try to think about or understand that use. So, that's one of the things that we're trying to bake in is this literacy of social media," Dr. Lampe said.

"As we think about government and new generations of leadership, the skills that are being developed here are so very critical to our success as a country going forward. So, the ability to work with students . . . and faculty, as well, in developing new generations of leadership that are digitally aware and digitally competent is extremely important to us," Kobza concluded.