David James
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Major: M.S. in Information Management
As David James G’09 researched graduate schools to attend, he noted the work of the Center for Digital Literacy (CDL) and planned on becoming involved when he entered the iSchool in 2007. He enrolled in the M.S. in library and information science school media specialization program and began working with CDL. He helped revamp the research center’s web site, participated in several digital literacy projects, and provided support to its director, Meredith Professor Ruth V. Small. It was through his work with Small that James’ educational experience would add a new dimension.
Through a CDL project, Small introduced James to Professor Derrick Cogburn, director of the Center for Research on Collaboratories and Technology Enhanced Learning Communities (Cotelco). James was soon also engaged in work at Cotelco, researching how computer technology is being used by universities to collaborate. “Research is dimension that I’ve been able to develop here, and it’s been a pleasant surprise,” James says. “That’s one of the things I really like about this school: The faculty want to make sure you are getting the most out of your educational experience.”
His work in Cotelco inspired James to change degree programs, and he enrolled in the M.S. in information management program. James is now part of a Cotelco research team, led by Cogburn, looking at member campuses of the State University of New York Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate (AGEP) and how they are using cyberinfrastructure to communicate and work together. Funded by the National Science Foundation, AGEP is a national program that seeks to increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“We analyzed their social processes, social structure, and collaboration history, and we came up with this customized technical infrastructure to help them collaborate,” James says. “We are studying them to see how they actually use this technology, how much they adopt, and how much it changes their practices.” Along with e-mail and phones to communicate, AGEP members are now using web conferencing software to host meetings and a content management system that allows people from the various universities to share documents and resources online.
So far, the results have shown that increased collaboration doesn’t necessarily result from improved technology. “It’s about the social processes, the group dynamics, and the leadership that’s available,” he says. “How much trust people have with each other determines how much they are going to collaborate; the infrastructure is just a tool to help facilitate that.” A paper that was produced by the research team was accepted at the International Association for Media and Communication Research conference in Sweden in 2008.
Originally from Brooklyn, James gained an interest in computers in high school and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2006 with a degree in computer systems and engineering. He also became involved in community projects, teaching people about computer technology. He took apart old computers to show children how to put them together at the Boys & Girls Club. He also conducted workshops for people on how to build web sites.
After graduation James worked for a year as a technology analyst at Lehman Brothers. His interest in IT grew and he decided to pursue an advanced degree. “While computer engineering is a great degree, it doesn’t necessarily tell people I know how to solve problems using information technologies,” says James, who also delves into music composition, merging his computer knowledge and a serious appreciation for music. “So I came here to get a better understanding of how to do that and to get that degree that says I understand the skill set.”
James, whose wife Alaina Morgan-James is a medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University, plans to continue his studies at the iSchool in the Ph.D. program and hopes to incorporate his interest in community work and bridging the digital divide in his research. “It’s not only about resources. It’s about education,” James says. “If you have a computer, what exactly can you do with it? What steps can you take to learn how to be an IT professional? I want to put those components together and understand how education can make a difference in the digital divide.”