Jihan Rabah

Promoting Extreme Violence: Visual and Narrative Analysis of Select Ultraviolent Terror Propaganda Videos Produced by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2015 and 2016

ABSTRACT This paper examines aspects of violent, traumatic terrorist video propaganda produced by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) within the theoretical confines of abjection and the use of utopian/dystopian themes. These themes have been present in a number of studies that have examined consumption of the dark dystopic variety. We seek to elucidate on the use of specific techniques and narratives that are relatively new to the global propaganda consumerspace and that relate to horrific violence. Our work here is centered on interpretative analysis and theory building that we believe can assist in understanding and interpreting post-apocalyptic and abject-oriented campaigns in the age of social media and rapid transmission of multimedia communications. In the present analysis, we examine eight ISIS videos created and released in 2015 and 2016. All of the videos chosen for analysis have utilized techniques related to abjection, shock, and horror, often culminating in the filming of the murder of ISIS’s enemies or place-based destruction of holy sites in the Middle East. We use inductive content analytic techniques in the contexts of consumer culture, “cinemas of attraction,” and pornography of violence to propose an extension of existing frameworks of terrorism and propaganda theory.

From disconnected to connected: Insights into the Future of Distance Education and Web 2.0 Tools in Higher Education

the integration of information and communications technologies (iCt) in higher education, especially in north america and europe, has reached a tipping point, where one is hard-pressed to find a classroom utterly devoid of any digital technology. in the developing world, distance education models are increasingly being implemented in postsecondary schools, particularly to promote the development of professional skills. this special issue reviews some distance education models and sheds light on how the exponential growth of online social interactions via increased adoption of web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis, and purposeful games has impacted student learning and instructional strategies in post-secondary schools from an international perspective. we critique the most common theoretical underpinnings for distance education and report some empirical evidence of how web 2.0 technologies are being employed to improve performance in higher education classrooms in Canada and abroad. below, we present some Canadian data for this special issue. we begin with a discussion of how Canadians use the internet, drawing heavily on reports by the association for Canadian studies on Canadians’ online reading habits and internet use in order to supplement their knowledge of Canadian history. one of our objectives is to help strengthen connections between practitioners and researchers, while involving multiple stakeholders in conversations concerning web 2.0 use in higher education. we then review the literature on iCt use in higher education to provide a solid empirical foundation for the manuscripts published in this special issue. Finally, we provide a counterpoint to opinions currently expressed in the popular media on the future of technology use in higher education by offering evidence from a recent study that examined students and instructors’ attitudes towards effective technology use in universities across Quebec.