Örebro University-Wichita State University
Vidoeconference on Alternative Energy
Marratech February 23, 2010
Activity: Focus on the Environment; case study on Energy Websites
I.
Preparation: Collaborative Projects in Globally Distributed Teams
February 15 – 22
Email between Örebro and Wichita members of each team (A-E)
Group A – Hydropower
Group B – Wind Energy
Group C – Solar Power
Group D – Hybrid transportation/ fuel cell energy
Group E – Geothermal
Use a Googledoc to assemble your information.
http://docs.google.com/
Register (if not already a Google user) – Use the email you have shared
Login into Googledoc and Create a document, Name it Group A (or B,C,D,or E)
Share with other team members using their email addresses
Work collaboratively to document the tasks below.
What is your name and email?
What is the “Greenest” thing on your campus?
What are the rhetoric/perspectives on Climate Change in your hometown?
Enter the answers into the Googledoc.
Tech Tip: If you are in a group in Wichita and in Örebro, just have one person in the group
editing the Googledoc, i.e. one person in Wichita and one person Örebro. Otherwise Googledocs
can become very slow.
Rhetorical/Perspectives Analysis and Discussion
Process: Together, as a team, analyze the rhetorical aspects and perspectives expressed on the
websites assigned for your group and discuss how these indicate specific cultural values
or DOXA (tacit or hidden assumptions that are not questioned).
Tech Tip: Take a screen snapshot of each Website and insert these into your Googledoc.
Analysis: Look closely at the websites, and answer the following questions as a team:
1. Describe the argument of each website. Is there an additional cultural argument
being made (besides “use this energy”)?
2. Discuss the audience/audiences. For whom do you think these websites are meant?
Are there any audiences that you think will not understand the websites?
3. Does that cultural argument work primarily through scientific reasoning or emotions?
4. What specific rhetorical and/or visual elements suggest cultural values? In other
words, how are the Örebro and Wichita community’s specific cultural values,
traditions, or people reproduced in Web designs and visual elements of each website?
Consider Doxa. How does each website reinforce or challenge cultural values?
5. Most importantly, what did you learn about DIFFERENCES between the cultures of
your group’s websites?
Next Page 
Assemble this information into your Googledoc
Tech Tip: Backup your Googledoc by regularly saving it as a Word document.
Poster Preparation
Task: Poster Presentation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference
You have been discussing differences and analyzing rhetorical/perspective differences in
each other’s countries or cultures through examination of the websites. Now it is time to
think critically about how you can create a cross-cultural bond as a TEAM by working on
a project together.
Specifically, imagine you will be working together from now on as an international
organization dedicated to representing your energy sector to a panel of leaders at the
United Nations Climate Change Conference, such as the recent environmental conference
in Copenhagen.
Together, come up with a visual argument (in the form of a Poster Presentation) for the
importance of your energy sector in the world’s effort to address global climate change.
What have you learned from the websites that you wish to emphasize? What are the
scientific arguments that support your argument?
Write up the plan of your poster presentation, with the main points from the above tasks.
Add these to your Googledoc. Create a Google Presentation and add a Title, Main Points,
Visual Elements and Thumbnail Photos of each Team Member into the one slide. Save
the Slide as a JPEG file.
Tech Tip: Copy and Paste text and graphics from the Googledoc to the Google Presentation.
II.
Marratech February 23, 2010, Welcome and introductory remarks
Time: 16.30-16.40 (Örebro) / 9.30-9.40 am (Wichita) 10 minutes
Location: Put http://switchboard.stanford.edu into Marratech address bar; choose CCR Lounge.
Welcome and introductory remarks: Anders Eriksson, Glyn Rimmington
Supporting CCR Workshop Page: http://ccr.stanford.edu/workshops/index.htm
III.
Report on Team Projects
Time: 16:40-17.10 (Örebro) / 9:40-10:10 (Wichita) 30 minutes
Use the Marratech CCR Lounge (http://switchboard.stanford.edu)
The appointed spokesperson for each team (A-E) uploads the JPEG to the Whiteboard
and presents the team’s findings in no more than 2 minutes each.
Learn effective communication (writing, speaking, visual presentation, collaboration)
Other groups: type comment in the chat box as feedback!
IV. Reflections
What did you learn about rhetoric/perspectives between cultures?
What was most memorable?
What new insights do you have?
What ideas do you wish you could continue to discuss?
What improvements to the videoconference process can you suggest for next time?
Room A – Hydropower
 http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/
 http://www.sunsetcities.com/hoover-dam.html
 http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.html
 http://www.waterpowermagazine.com
 http://www.damsafety.org/
 http://www.energyworld.org
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/02/brazil-amazon-rainforesthydroelectric-dam
 http://www.internationalrivers.org/node/356
Group B – Wind Energy
 http://www.capewind.org/
 http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_issues.asp
 http://www.windpower.org/en/
 http://www.stefanomolinari.com/tarifa-wind-farm-tarifa-cadiz-1325-photo
 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/north-carolina-ban-wind-turbines.php
 http://www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/energyproduction/wind.html
Group C – Solar Power
 Time Magazine video:
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,33575328001_1916895,00.html
 http://solar.coolerplanet.com/
 http://brightsourceenergy.com/
 http://us.sunpowercorp.com/
 http://www.technologyreview.com/microsites/spain/solar/index.aspx
 http://www.solarpumps.com/?gclid=CJSrirCu7Z8CFRMhDQodHA8hYg
 http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/solar.htm
Room D – Hybrid transportation/ fuel cell energy
 http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/04/behold-americas/
 http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm
 http://ecologie.caradisiac.com/+-Hybride-+
 http://www.21stoleti.cz/view.php?cisloclanku=2006081816
 http://www.manicore.com/documentation/pile_combust.html
 http://www.futura-sciences.com/fr/doc/t/physique/d/pile-a-combustible-la-fee-hydrogenelenergie-de-demain_487/c3/221/p1/
 http://www.hybrid.cz/tagy/skoda
Room E – Geothermal
 http://geothermal.marin.org/
 http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/howgeothermal-energy-works.html
 http://www.alliantenergygeothermal.com/index.htm
 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/geothermal-power-earthquake.php
 http://www.energy.rochester.edu/is/reyk/history.htm
 http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/geothermal-energy/2
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