Yaron Ariel, Ph.D.

Welcome to my Homepage

 

 

Hi,

I'm a researcher, lecturer and students' counselor at the Department of Communication, Academic College of Jezreel Valley and an adjunct lecturer at the School of Communications, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. I'm also involved in research projects at The Center for the Study of the Information Society [InfoSoc], University of Haifa.

 

I received my Ph.D. from University of Haifa (2009). My dissertation titled: "Interactivity, Cognition and Value of Information: Interactive Information Exchanges in Online-Mediated Environments", examined (theoretically and empirically) the conceptualizations of Interactivity; the concepts of Need for Cognition and the Subjective value of information. I wrote my dissertation under the supervision of professor Sheizaf Rafaeli - Director of InfoSoc and head of the Graduate School of Management (Business Administration).

I have a Master's degree [M.A.] in Communication Studies (2003). My thesis titled: "Web site interactivity and gratifications expectations among users", suggested a revisited model for measuring the uses and gratifications of web users and correlated them with users' exposure to different levels of interactive websites. 

I have a Bachelor's degree [B.A.] in Communication Studies (1999) and Political Science (1999).

 

My Courses

Intro Courses: *Introduction to Academic Writing * Pro-Seminar in Communication *Introduction to Statistics (Descriptive and Inferential)

Elective courses (all specially developed): * Internet & Perspectives of Interactivity *Media: Uses and Gratifications *Online Media: from Interactivity to Participatory * New Media.

Research Seminar (specially developed): * Online Communities and CMC * Media Usage Patterns

[Supervisor of several undergraduate communication students in the Honors B.A. Program]

Previously taught: *Quantitative Research Methods in Communication, *SPSS Statistical Applications for Social Sciences

I'm teaching at the Academic College of Jezreel Valley [since 2003] and at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya [since 2008]. I was a tutor at University of Haifa [2001-2003] and a research assistant [1998-2002].

 

  

Main Research Interests

General: New Media/Computer Mediated Communication; Interactivity Effects & Correlates; Users Centered Approaches; Value of Information; Virtual Communities; Methodological Aspects of New Media & Users Research.

 

I am interested in online communities and the interaction processes associated with information exchange. My doctoral research focused on the problematic definition and measurement of interactivity concept in online environments. The main theme was studying interactivity, potentially enabled by the internet, as a process related variable that has prior-expectations, actual activities related to its realization and post-perceived outcomes. This research raised and discussed additional questions on the subjectivity of Information value and users' need for cognition. Triangulated methodological approaches were taken using computerized simulations, internet surveys and secondary analyses.

Following my master thesis themes, I have continued studying various aspects of users' participation in internet mediated environments: motivations, expectations, actual uses and gratifications. Related studies on this subject are local electronic mailing list (with Yael Levanon) and Wikipedia. Wikipedia is continuous project, studying Wikipedians (Wikipedia users) using multilingual Internet surveys (with Tsahi Hayat) and studying its information network analysis using Wikipedia’s databases (under 10000$ grant from Burda Centre for Innovative Communication).

I am interested and enthusiastic in studying ICTs' technological change related to Interactivity and responsiveness (ongoing project with Ruth Avidar regarding perceptions towards various media) and innovation from interdisciplinary perspectives rooted in social sciences. Thus, I’m involved in diverse Internet-related projects at the Center for the Study of the Information Society: Studying the uses of Wireless technology users (Unwire Jerusalem); online learning using QSIA (a Question Sharing, Information and Assessment system); Running computerized simulation games for managers

I successfully combined many of my research interest in my teaching - focusing on methodological courses in communication/media (traditional and new) discipline and developed and teach a few advanced courses about theoretical perspectives of the internet.

  

Academic Publication

Rafaeli, S., Hayat, T & Ariel, Y.  (2009). "Knowledge building and motivations in Wikipedia: Participation as Ba” In: F. J. Ricardo. (Ed). Cyberculture and New Media. Rodopi Press, Amsterdam

*Research supported by a grant from The Hubert Burda Center for Innovative Communication

 

Rafaeli, S., & Ariel, Y. (2008). “Online motivational factors: Incentives for Participation and Contribution in Wikipedia". In: A. Barak (Ed.), Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace: Theory, Research, Applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

 

* Online version available through the book site: http://aspects-of-cyberspace.blogspot.com and pre-proof available here

Rafaeli, S., & Ariel, Y. (2007)."Assessing Interactivity in Computer-Mediated Research". In: A.N Joinson, K.Y.A McKenna., T. Postmes & U-D. Reips (Eds). The Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press

* Pre-proof available here

 

Rafaeli, S. Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2007). "Virtual Knowledge-building communities". In: G, D. Putnik & M, M. Cunha (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Networked and Virtual Organizations Information Science Reference

* Pre-proof available here

 

International Conferences

Avidar, R., & Ariel, Y. (2008). "Exporing Interactivity and Responsiveness Divergence". Presented at Internet Research 9.0. Copenhagen, Denmark. October 2008

 

Ariel, Y. (2007). "Interactive information exchanges in online-mediated environments". Presented at the Doctoral Colloquium of Internet Research 8.0, Vancouver, Canada. October 2007

 

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., Hayat, T., & Pollak, H. (2007). "Knowledge network analysis in Wikipedia: Nodes as opinion leaders". Presented at Internet Research 8.0 Vancouver, Canada. October 2007

 

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2007). “Virtual Knowledge-Building Community & Users Incentives: Wikipedia Case”. presented at The 57th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, San Francisco, CA USA May 24-28, 2007

 

Levanon, Y., & Ariel, Y. (2007). "Virtual Communities Usages: Content analysis & Survey of Locally Based Mailing Lists". The Ninth International GOR Conference [General Online Research '07] March, 26-28, 2007 Leipzig, Germany

 

Ariel, Y., Ben-Zvi, D., Forte, A., Kali, Y., Konja, M., Levin-Peled, R., Meishar-Tal, H., Rafaeli, S., Ravid, G., & Tal-Elhasid, E. (2006). “Wiki Uses in Learning and Teaching -Panel” Paper presented at the Wikimania, August 4-6 Boston, MA, USA

 

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2006). "Sense of (Virtual) Community". Presented at The eighth International Conference General Online Research - GOR06: Bielefeld, Germany, March 2006  

 

Ariel, Y., Ben-Zvi, D., Forte, A., Kali, Y., Konja, M., Levin-Peled, R., Meishar-Tal, H., Rafaeli, S., Ravid, G., & Tal-Elhasid, E. (2006). “Wiki Uses in Learning and Teaching -Panel”. Paper presented at the WikiSym August 21-23 2006, Odense, Denmark

 

Rafaeli, S., & Ariel, Y. (2005). "Interactivity and the Subjective Value of Information". Paper presented at Internet Research 6.0: Internet Generations, October 2005, Chicago, IL, USA

 

Levanon, Y., & Ariel, Y. (2005). "Uses Typologies: Networked Communities Mailing Lists". Paper presented at Internet Research 6.0: Internet Generations, October 2005, Chicago, IL, USA

 

Rafaeli, S., Hayat, T & Ariel, Y. (2005). "Wikipedia Community: Users' Motivations and Knowledge Building". Presented at Cyberculture 3rd Global Conference. August 2005 Prague, Czech Republic

 

Rafaeli, S., Hayat, T., & Ariel, Y. (2005). "Wikipedians' sense of community, motivations, and knowledge building: a cross-cultural study" Proceedings of Wikimania 2005 - The First International Wikimedia Conference. August 2005 Frankfurt, Germany

 

Ariel, Y. (2005). "Web user's gratifications expectations". Presented at The Seventh International Conference General Online Research - GOR05: Univ. of Zurich, Switzerland, March 2005

 

Ariel, Y. (2004). "Web Site interactivity and gratifications expectations among users". Presented at the AoIR5 (Association of Internet Researchers) Conference: University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton U.K, September 2004

 

Local Conferences (in Hebrew)

Avidar, R., & Ariel, Y. (2008). "Interactivity and Responsiveness" In “What’s New in New Media” A panel presented at The 12th conference of the Israel Communication Association, The College of Management, Tel Aviv, April 2008

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2007). "Virtual knowledge building communities and users' motivations: Wikipedia as a case study”. Presented at The 11th Annual Conference of the Israeli Communication Association. The Open University of Israel, Raanana March 2007

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2007). "Wikipedia as a knowledge virtual community: a multilingual comparison of Wikipedians perceptions”. Presented at The 38th Annual Conference of the Israeli Sociological Society. University of Haifa, February 2007

Ariel, Y. (2006). "Interactivity, Cognition and Information Value". Presented at The Doctoral Students Conference of the Netvision Institute for Internet Studies – NIIS, Tel Aviv University, March 2006

Rafaeli, S., Ariel, Y., & Hayat, T. (2006). "Virtual knowledge community -The Hebrew Wikipedia". Presented at The 37th Annual Conference of the Israeli Sociological Society, Bar-Ilan University, March 2006

Hayat, T., & Ariel, Y. (2006). "Gratifications and Sense of Community among Wikipedia users". Presented at 'Communicating': student research conference, University of Haifa. January 2006

Ariel, Y., & Levanon Y. (2005). "Networked Communities: Uses Typologies of Local Distribution Lists". Presented at The 36th Annual Conference of the Israeli Sociological Society. Tel-Hai Academic College, February 2005

Levanon, Y., & Ariel, Y. (2004). "Distribution Lists in Light of the Uses and Gratifications Approach". Presented at 'Communicating': student research conference, University of Haifa. December 2004

 

Personal

 

Born July 1ST, spent my childhood in Rosh-Pinna

Currently living in Kiryat Bialik

Married to Yael and a proud father of two boys, Uri and Ido

 

 

 

Contact Me

 E mail: yaronariel@gmail.com {yariel@com.haifa.ac.il, yarona@yvc.ac.il, ayaron@idc.ac.il}

 

Snail Mail:

 

Dr. Yaron Ariel,

The Department of Communication,

The Max Stern Academic College of Emek Yezreel,

Emek Yezreel 19300

Israel

 

MSN Messenger: yaronariel@hotmail.com

 

Skype: ariel_yaron

 

Web Site: http://yaronariel.com

 

Office: Communication Building, the Academic College of Jezreel Valley, Floor 1, Room 1121  (Phone: +972(0)4-6423586)