Jonathan Bishop

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Jonathan Bishop is a British information technology executive and researcher based in Pontypridd in Wales. A Chartered IT Professional, he is noted for his work in designing, developing and researching e-learning systems[1] and virtual communities[2] and using new media technology, such as weblogs and websites to engage citizens in political and community activities[3].

Contents

[edit] Biography

Bishop's family have a long military, industrial, and political history. His paternal side have a history in the mining and construction industries, with his father being involved in many regeneration projects in South Wales and his grandfather serving underground for five decades. His maternal side have a history in the military, where is grandfather served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and he is also related to the famous Llantrisant archers that fought at the Battle of Crecy in 1346[4]. Bishop espouses further connections with Llantrisant as he is also maternally related to the late Ivor Jacob, who was Chairman of Llantrisant Town Council in 1947[5].

[edit] Education

Bishop graduated from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in 1998 and went on to gain his first degree in Multimedia Studies in 2002 at the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd. He later went on to undertake masters degrees at the same university, gaining an MSc in e-learning in 2004 and an LLM in European Union Law in 2007.

[edit] Professional career

Bishop joined Trefforest-based Broadway Studios in 1999 and was there when he developed the Circle of Friends technique for social networking in virtual communities[6], applying it to online communities that preceded the existence of Friendster. Around about 2002 Bishop developed the PARLE System, a piece of assistive technology for people with forms of autism like Asperger Syndrome, which enables them to take part in social situations that they usually find difficult or confusing and while at Broadway Photographic Studios in 2003 he developed a number of e-learning systems and online communities, which resulted in new methodologies for designing such systems being presented by him to the International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications[7][8]. In 2006 Bishop co-founded e-learning firm, Glamorgan Blended Learning, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (no. 06328406)[9], where a number of his technologies are now being used for the benefit of people in the South Wales Central region[10].

[edit] Political career

In 2003 Bishop was elected to Llantwit Fardre community council as a Labour politician and subsequently elected to Pontypridd Town council in 2008. As a councillor he has successfully managed to persuade the council to adopt an E-government strategy and in 2004 he was s finalist in the New Statesman New Media Awards along with winner Tom Watson MP and runner up Steve Webb MP for using his website and weblog to communicate with the electorate. He has a regular column in the Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer, and has featured in national newspapers such as the The Western Mail newspaper for his technological and political activities, as well as on an international level in the Washington Post and Bejing Review.

[edit] Offices Held

Preceded by
Robin Bunnage		 Community Councillor for Llantwit Fardre
2003 - 2004		 Succeeded by
Leica Gelsei
Preceded by
Geraint Huw Day		 Town Councillor for Treforest
2008 -		 Succeeded by
Incumbent

[edit] Lawsuits

Bishop was the subject of a lawsuit brought by his parents against Mid Glamorgan Education Authority, which led to the Welsh Office ordering the authority to support his parents' choice of school in 1993. In 2006 Bishop brought a civil action against a prominent local politician who he claimed was invading his private life. In the wake of a High Court ruling in a similar case brought by Elton John, Bishop's case was dismissed, though proved that suggestions of Bishop making a deal with another politician were invalid.

[edit] Partial bibliography

  • Bishop, J. (2003). The Internet for educating individuals with social impairments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 19(4), 548-558
  • Bishop, J. (2005). The role of mediating artefacts in the design of persuasive e-learning systems. In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications, University of Wales, NEWI, Wrexham, 7-9 September 2005. Available online
  • Bishop, J. (2007). Increasing participation in online communities: A framework for human–computer interaction. Computers in Human Behavior 23 (2007), 1881-1893. Available online
  • Bishop, J. (2007). Evaluation-centred Design of E-Learning Communities: A Case Study and Review. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications, ITA07, University of Wales, NEWI , 1-9. Available online. ISBN 0946881545
  • Bishop, J. (2007). Ecological Cognition: A New Dynamic for Human-Computer Interaction. In: B. Wallace, A. Ross, J. Davies & T. Anderson (Eds). The Mind, the Body and the World: Psychology After Cognitivism?. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 327-345. ISBN 1845400739
  • Bishop, J. (2008) 'Increasing Capital Revenue in Social Networking Communities: Building Social and Economic Relationships through Avatars and Characters', in Romm-Livermore, C. (ed.) Social Networking Communities and eDating Services: Concepts and Implications. New York: IGI Global.
  • Bishop, J. (2008) 'Understanding and facilitating the development of social networks in online dating communities: A Case Study and Model', in Livermoore-Romm, C. (ed.) Social Networking Communities and EDating Services: Concepts and Implications. New York: IGI Global.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Powell, D. (2004). Glamorgan graduate nominated for award. Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer, 19 August 2004.
  2. ^ NewsWire Today (2007). E-Learning Pioneer Nominated for the New Statesman New Media Awards 2007. 23 February 2007.
  3. ^ Powell, D. (2004). Online councillor nominated for award. Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer, 26 February 2004.
  4. ^ Davies, B. (1989). The freemen and ancient borough of Llantrisant. ISBN 0951433008
  5. ^ Powell, D. (2004). Llantrisant Revisited. ISBN 0752432168
  6. ^ Rosen, C. (2007). Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism. New Atlantis, Summer 2007. Available Online
  7. ^ Bishop, J. (2005). The role of mediating artefacts in the design of persuasive e-learning systems. In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications, University of Wales, NEWI, Wrexham, 7-9 September 2005. Available online
  8. ^ Bishop, J. (2007). Evaluation-centred Design of E-Learning Communities: A Case Study and Review. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications, ITA07, University of Wales, NEWI , 1-9. Available online. ISBN 0946881545
  9. ^ See company website
  10. ^ Nowaczyk, W. (2007). Brighter writer. Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer. November 15 2007. Available Online

[edit] External links