Media Arts Education

Archive for September, 2006

Cybernetics in design and research and the issue of broadcasting content in education

Saturday, September 30th, 2006

Following the discussion on the IDC list as a lurker, I came across the videos by Paul Pangaro introducing the models of cybernetics, such as the Paskian environment, the cybernetic loop and, in a further step about the conversational loop which integrates the notion of the novel, the unexpected or even the extraordinary. He shows quite nicely the change of the relation of the old fashion terms of â€œthe userâ€ and â€œthe designerâ€, which changed from using something to participation, conversation, from designer to co-designer in the context of the system of interactive environments (cp. sketch by Gordon Pask on the â€œArchitecture of conversationsâ€ on http://www.haque.co.uk/paskianenvironments.php)

architecture of conversations

See the videos on http://www.haque.co.uk/paskianenvironments.php

Haque Design + Research “specialises in the design and research of interactive architecture systems. Architecture is no longer considered something static and immutable; instead it is seen as dynamic, responsive and conversant. Our projects explore some of this territory. Source: http://www.haque.co.uk/info.php

On a further level, the 2nd issue I consider interesting for education processes is in terms of the Online Learning Environment extended by self-made Web based video presentations. Not so much in terms of the medium (video), but in terms of “broadcasting yourself”, that is, to become a broadcaster, and a content provider. According to the video sharing platform YouTube (Watch, Upload, Shareâ€œ) in Spring 06 there were at least around 35,000 uploads of videos a day and around 40 billion downloads. YouTube then had more than 10 billion registered users – an incredible amount of interested kids and young people who broadcast their video stuff – whatever it may be. – So, why banning video phones and iPods and the like from schools, rather than using them to develop and broastcast content (to other learners) and make pupils to become content providers? The teachers job is to moderate processes of reflection of the learning contents. The issue of broadcasting has such a potential for learning, which is currently wasted by banning the technologies from schools. In terms of supporting education processes, there are two points here. Firstly, the issue of planning, and developing content to be broadcasted (to a specific target group) and the realisation of a braodcast using the different media required, that is, selecting media for mediation, and explaining content to others. The later can be considered very high level of learning, as well as the issue of exchanging prepared materials with others to explore, discuss and learn from it.

Posted in Current debate, Learning cultures, Robotic systems, Teaching & Learning, Uncategorized | No Comments »

3D Character Design in Berlin

Monday, September 25th, 2006

3D character design

The term of design which developed a.o. from product design over interface design to the design of interaction spaces got more and more expanded. Nowadays, design is increasingly concerned with the relationship between the users and networked, interactive objects, and the the relationship between the digital and the physical world. The latter was also addresse at the cognitive design conference held at ISNM at the University of LÃ¼beck in 2005.however, in the context of digital media, design not only is about shaping forms, colours, and concepts, but also about shaping behaviour which is represented by in the algorithm. designers are more and more concverend with the shaping of behaviour of avatars, embodied conversational agents as well as virtual characters grafics turned into puppets and actions toys.

Pictoplasma is a character design conference held in Berlin over 11 to 14 october. http://www.pictoplasma.com/

“A NEW BREED OF CHARACTERS IS ON THE MOVE,

and the species is evolving at a furious rate, continually adapting to new contexts and materials.

Contemporary character design is invading advertising, art, media, fashion and urban landscapes across the globe! By playfully sampling and remixing visual codes, these characters evade established pictorial norms, confronting the viewer head on, emotionally and regardless of cultural background.

The Pictoplasma project began in 1999 as an extensive inventory, collection and showcase of artistically outstanding, contemporary character design. With the countless images collected in Pictoplasmaâ€™s archives, published through its books and DVDs and exhibited in installations, festivals and conferences, the project examines the vast array of possibilities that characters offer as signs of an independent graphical language.” (source: http://www.pictoplasma.com/)

Via De:bug

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Integrated Project on Pervasive Gaming

Tuesday, September 19th, 2006

Integrated Project on Pervasive Gaming (IPerG)

runners

IPerG is an Integrated Project FP6-004457 funded under the European Commission’s IST Programme.

â€œPervasive games are a radically new game form that extends gaming experiences out into the physical world. To achieve a high quality interactive experience for these games, new technologies to support the creation of new compelling forms of content will be explored by this consortium.
Brief Intro

Four game types are currently being investigated under IPerG:
â€¢ Crossmedia Games – bridging the gap between different media channels and game spaces
â€¢ Socially Adaptable Games – exploring how pervasive games can fit into (and transform) social environments
â€¢ Enhanced Reality Live Role-Playing – enhanced experiences through technology
â€¢ City As Theatre – artistic games that take place online and on the streets.”

Source: http://iperg.sics.se/

Posted in Games, Mixed Reality game design, Mobile computing, locative media, Projects, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Day Of The Figurines by Blast Theory in Berlin

Monday, September 18th, 2006

day of the figurines

The performance artist group Blast Theory is introducing a world premiere called the
Day Of The Figurines in Berlin – am lucky to always “have a suitcase in Berlin” as we say:

“Blast Theory presents the world premiere of Day Of The Figurines, a mass participation artwork using mobile phones that is part board game and part secret society.

Set in a fictional English town that is littered, dark and underpinned with steady decay, the game unfolds over 24 days, each day representing an hour in the life of the town. Up to 1000 players place their plastic figurines onto the board. They are moved by hand in a meticulous performance throughout the duration of the exhibition.

Players participate by sending text messages. They must help other players as they receive updates from the town, missions and dilemmas. They can also chat to players who are near them in the town using text messages as events unfold in the town: a gig by Scandinavian death metallists, an invasion by a Middle Eastern army, a summer fete.

Day Of The Figurines is the worldâ€™s first MUD (Multi User Domain) for mobile phones.

Invited by Trampoline as part of First Play Berlin which features innovative work that questions and expands the notion of interactive art, Day Of The Figurines will be on show in the foyer of Berlinâ€™s venue, the Hebbel am Ufer theatre, HAU2, from the 28th September to 21st October 2006

Opening times
28th September to 21st October 4 â€“ 6pm
First Play Berlin Weekend 12th â€“ 15th October 4 â€“ 11.30pm

Day Of The Figurines was developed as part of the European research project IPerG (Integrated Project on Pervasive Gaming).

For more details
Day Of The Figurines www.dayofthefigurines.co.uk
Blast Theory www.blasttheory.co.uk
Mixed Reality Lab www.mrl.nott.ac.uk
IPerG www.pervasive-gaming.org
Trampoline www.trampoline-berlin.de

Additional tour Dates
National Museum of Singapore, December 2006
Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester, 2007″

Via Blast Theory

Posted in Games, Mixed Reality game design, Mobile computing, locative media, Networks, Performance, Projects, Uncategorized | No Comments »

back from ARS

Tuesday, September 12th, 2006

U 19

Getting back from Linz is always hard, this time I even got sick…well anyway, here are some first post-ARS notes.
I was quite impressed by the age of participants of the U19 competition categorie open for young Austrian people under age 19, presented in the CyberArts catalogue:”The participants are getting younger each year.” Here are the figures:

age/(number of) participants:
3/6
4/28
5/75
6/85
7/43
8/122
9/87
10/80
11/13
12/56
13/123
14/115
15/101
16/22
17/74
18/180
19/20

source: Cyberarts 2006 catalogue.

In terms of higher education I will post some images of the students’ works of the Interface Culture studies, e.g. in the field of Interactive Media Archeology like the digital barrel organ. (Video) by Bernhard Pusch.

For further works see on http://www.interface.ufg.ac.at

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Technology in the arts conference

Friday, September 1st, 2006

technolgy in the arts

The Technology in the Arts Conference will be held over 20-21st Ocorber 2006 in
in in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University. see on:
http://www.technologyinthearts.org/

“The Technology in the Arts Conference will offer you a wealth of opportunities to participate in programming led by professionals in a variety of technology and arts management areas.

The sessions will be based around the following theme
* Strategic Technology Planning

* Building Community
* Implementation

Confirmed sessions include:

* Artist Communities Online Redefining Artistic Practice
* CMS Fundamentals
* Collaborative Technology Projects in the Arts
* Data Mining for Program Planning
* Demystifying the Technology Buzz Words: Wikis, Blogs, RSS, Tagging and Beyond
* Digital Photography: Over the Digital Divide Without Eating Each Other
* IT Resources for Small Arts Organizations
* Leading with Limited Authority
* Reviewing Artist Images Online for Juried Fellowships and Exhibitions
* Successful Digitization Projects Funded by the Institute for Museums and Library Services

Technology in the Arts, the place for you to connect with the entire arts community in collaborative discussion and learning.

The goal of Technology in the Arts is to be a resource for the arts community, sparking dialogue around the role of technology in our planning and programming, discussing best practices as well as lessons learned, and providing hands-on, practical skills where possible.

Technology in the Arts will bring together the full spectrum of organizations within the arts, from the local to national levels, to examine the commonalities that exist in useful technologies as well as the opportunities for partnership.

Beyond discussing the adoption and integration of technology in the arts at the conference, CAMT hopes to establish a platform for continual dialogue through the connections made at the conference, online forums, and other ways that make sense to you.

To wrap up the conference, everyone is invited to a birthday party for CAMT, called camt@ten. This evening of performance and revelry, featuring art and music, will be open to conference attendees as well as the entire Pittsburgh community. We hope you will join us as we honor this capstone in CAMTâ€™s history and embark on the next decade of technology innovation and rich collaboration in the arts. ”

source: conference Web site: http://www.technologyinthearts.org/

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ISEA@ARS

Friday, September 1st, 2006

as nina told me the ISEA@ARS- meeting is scheduled now for Monday September 4, 2006
13.30-15.00 , Ars Electronica Bldg. Seminarraum

Looking forward to seeing you!
Daniela

Posted in Conferences and events, Networks, People, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Designs on eLearning Symposium

Friday, September 1st, 2006

Designs on elearning

Here is some information on the Designs on eLearning Symposium by Robin Shaw, London

The DeL Symposium will provide a discussion forum enabling participants to meet face-to-face and online. The event takes place over a single day (September 1, 2006) at the Rootstein Hopkins Space, located at the London College of Fashion, London.
The Symposium is hosted jointly by the ITRDU, University of the Arts, London and the JISC Regional Support Centre for London
The Symposium is focussed on innovations in technology and elearning in relation to art, design and communication subject areas.
Themes
Themes, with indicative subjects, are:

Â§ The new learner
Changing learner expectations about education; impact of new and pervasive technologies; informal learning and the availability of information; online communities and socialisation (communities of practice); evolving learner competencies with web-based technologies (blogging, podcasting and other web representation); mobile communication technologies and learning; lifelong learners; personalised learning environments and eportfolios.

Â§ The new teacher
Staff development; institutional responses and strategies; challenges to VLEs and standard elearning models; challenges to teaching practices and pedagogies; how technology might drive learning and teaching; implications of the Web 2.0 paradigm for elearning; expanding and changing markets; learning object repositories and their value across discipline boundaries; learning design; intelligent tutoring machines; art and design learning contexts; distinctiveness of art and design elearning.

Format
The symposium will consist of parallel discussions addressing the different themes. The day will begin with a Panel session which with the participation of delegates will raise the questions to be addressed by the Symposium and will provide the starting points for the subsequent discussions.

Participants attending online will be able to access face-to-face discussions and contribute through synchronous conferencing; face-to-face participants will be able to transfer to online discussions whenever they wish. Communication technologies will be used extensively throughout the symposium in order to provide multiple channels for discussion and multiple means of recording and representation. The Symposium will be webcast.
The symposium is viewed as a research-focussed event. Records and transcripts of discussions and presentations will be published following the event. The aim of the symposium is to indicate further research and development, identifying potential areas of new learning and teaching practice as well as new technologies of value to learning and teaching. In this, the symposium is a further Designs on eLearning opportunity for building an elearning community of practice within art, design and communication.

A resource will be set up within the Symposium website containing practical information relating to the components of mobile learning.
Date: 1st September 2006
For further information about the Symposium and to register for the event go to:

Robin Shaw
Conference and Workshop Organiser
ITRDU
University of the Arts
65 Davies Street
London W1K 5DA
r.shaw at arts.ac.uk
0207 514 8052
Designs on eLearning website.

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