Studying IR in the online age

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I am motivated to continue teaching IR in light of the new opportunities presented by the online age. There are so many things I can do on cyber space to facilitate the flow of information to students in order to help them develop their understanding about IR as a sub-field of Political Science.

One notable opportunity is the availability of information. We have the Lowy Institute website and many other websites belonging to research think tanks with their podcasts, videos and written analysis. The amount of information shared on a daily basis is mind blowing.
We also have digital platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube. Lowy Institute has an account on SoundCloud and a channel on YouTube. On our StudentNet, you have access to SoundCloud but not YouTube. I have uploaded my podcasts onto my SoundCloud account and my videos onto my YouTube channel.

At the moment it is 'work in progress'. I will need a quality video camera and voice recorder to help me create podcasts and video lectures. I hope these resources will soon be available at the Centre for Learning and Teaching.



We also have digital platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Information is shared instantaneously by the US President, the PNG Foreign Affairs Minister and other reputable people and organizations who influence the outcomes of international politics. On the StudentNet, you now have access to Twitter as well as Facebook.






The challenge now is for you to read. I challenge you all to find time to sit down and read. You can no longer continue with this mind set where you think knowledge or information is gained only when you come into the class. You think the teacher knows everything so you need to believe what I say word-for-word.

My understanding or interpretation of a particular topic maybe based on my analysis of a particular source. It is up to you, at this level, to consult other sources to verify or expand your knowledge about a particular topic. What I know is only part of a large body of knowledge relating to the topic of interest.

For example, my understanding of the English School is based on my analysis of Buzan's work. You will need to read or listen to contributions from other sources and scholars in order to solidify your understanding of the theory itself.

You can do that by:
  • noting down the sites given by the Friendship Library where you can download eBooks (the flyer or poster is still on the Library notice board) 
  • use your access to online journals via the online database
  • read the new books I ordered for the library by ES scholars
  • read the eBooks in our unit reading folder on Moodle
Learning at this level (Level 8) according to the PNG Government's National Qualification Framework should show a greater degree of autonomy compared to level 1 and 2.

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