At the end of the Adaptive Play tests I decided to ask the students what their views were on Second Life and its use to explore semiotics.
Initially the students were very quiet and nervous abouting airing their views but once prompted they started to become more confident, some more than others. Some saw the relevance of the Adaptive play sessions and understood why I was introducing it into the sessions. They realised its advantages over tradional methods of teaching semiotics and seemed keen to use SL further, especially if it involved team work and the development of explorable spaces.At the end of the Adaptive Play tests I decided to ask the students what their views were on Second Life and its use to explore semiotics.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Second Prototype test
For the second test students were asked to deconstruct Dali's The-Persistence-of-Memory.
Second test part 1
Adaptive play within SL can be used to vary the challenges for a user, help players with artistic visualisation and encourage other ways of seeing.
Snapshots of structures from Second Test
Double click images to enlarge.
Dali's painting is textured onto a basic primitive within Second Life, this is the facilitator for the deconstruction of the painting in the surrounding virtual space.
These aerial views of the adaptive play space demonstrate how the students have begun to think how their models are placed to reflect their thoughts and the concepts evoked by the painting.
Here one student has thought about his composition of simple meshes and tried to texture them appropriately. This was a step on from the last test where most of the students just created boxes. Student modelling skills have grown over the few sessions that have been run and I am sure they will continue to do so. The virtual environment allows imagery to be placed on both sides of an object. The student not only has to think about the space immediately around their location and that of the image to be deconstructed, but also on surfaces that would not normally be visible in the real world.
Students had the freedom to create what ever they wanted and to use imagery that captured their emotional responses to the painting. This time to "play" in what would normally be a strictly planned out session allowed creativity to flow with open ended experimentation.
This freedom to experiment with ideas is lacking within the confines of the lecture theatre, where History of Design and Visual studies are set. Second Life provides an space where innovative thinking can take place. Problems or ideas can be examined from different angles and points of view.
Being able to interact with artwork and manipulate the surroundings can enhance the students understanding of the concepts of design and layout. Use of colour, shape and sculpture, form vibrant virtual spaces that the students become part of. Being part of the artwork allows them to see the painting from a different perspctive, allowing deeper embedding of knowledge that might normally be overlooked or forgotten.
“Virtual reality (VR) art often deals with issues of embodied interaction vs. the fantasy of disembodiment: on the one hand, unlike traditional desktop computers, VR allows full-body interaction; on the other hand, VR allows one to experience disembodied presence in an immaterial, abstract space.” (Freidman D, Donenfeld A and Zafran E, 2009)
The first test gave the students a basic understanding of semiotics and the skills to create basic low polygon models. Having fun in Second Life, building objects with others, really helped the more quiet students interact with their peers. Those that were struggling with the techniques and navigation, asked for help from others and unconsciously reinforced both parties understanding of the theories and processes involved.
“Society can only be understood through a study of the messages and the communication facilities which belong to it; and that in the future development of these messages and communication facilities, messages between man and machines, between machines and man, and between machine and machine, are destined to play an ever increasing part."
(Weiner N, 1954 )
Students learnt by simply changing certain parameters within their models or by applying suitable textures, the whole connotation of the artwork and that of the surrounding area can change. This adaptive behaviour within the space demonstrates that the students are starting to understand the deconstruction process.
They learnt that the placing of imagery and models can change the context of an image. Being able to walk around their work, fly above a scene or change the size of their avatar, allowed them the chance to see the results of their efforts from a variety of perspectives. This experience will hopefully allow them to do same thing in the real world and look at imagery in different ways. This is a skill many of them did not realise they could take advantage of and use in their own work.
“There is an emergent trend in Technology-Enhanced Learning advocating for the use of educational videogames and game-like simulations. Educational videogames have key advantages such as their suitability to convey concepts or to increase students’ motivation. Another key feature of educational games is that their high level of interactivity can provide fine-grained adaptation and performance-tracking mechanisms. This interactivity can open new possibilities in the e-learning field in terms of adaptive learning experiences, compared to those offered by more “traditional” hypermedia contents”. (Angel Del B, Torrente J, Ger Moreno P and Manjon B, 2009)
Every student is different so an adaptive space in which to play and experiment with creativity can only help with the progress of education. Two quotes from Albert Einsetin seem very appropriate at this time for me.
Imagination is more important than knowledge...
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
Surely Second Life or any VLE would have brought a smile to his face.
In the first test most of the models where just boxes or basic primatives placed in straight lines or perpendicular to each other. No one really stretched their imagination or dared to be different from their peers. By the second test however there was a distinct change. Not only had the designs of their avatars become more inventive but the whole approach to the task was much freer and expressive. The students tried harder to capture what they saw in the painting.
The basic modelling skills they had were put to good use and their was distinct jump in creativity. Images were more searching in their interpretation and layout braver and bold. Yes fewer students took part, but more thought was put into how all the objects and textures interact with the painting and the space around their deconstructions.
The students had fed back their experiences of the first test into the second. There was little need to explain the deconstruction process the second time around, as the first experience was so embedded in their experience. They had used their tacit knowledge this time and the results speak for themselves
Less of the imagery was denotational with more space being occupied with textures that had clearly been thought over. There was more intelligent design.
The space and visuals created reflected the student consciousness in a way that could be explored. They could walk around the world rather than just gaze at a description or a painting, physically being able to interact with their interpretations their minds and artistic skills had modelled. This encounter between the deconstructor within SL and the message is a kind of feedback loop. It is these feedback loops that can be developed in SL that makes VLE like this so useful. SL ticks all the boxes when making use of a variety of learning styles.
“ From my experience with the virtual reality simulations at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory and elsewhere, I can attest to the disorientating, exhilarating effect of the feeling that subjectivity is dispersed throughout the cybernetic circuit. In these systems, the user learns, kinaesthetically and proprioceptively, that the relevant boundaries for interaction are defined less by the skin than by the feedback loops connecting body and simulation in a technobio-integrated circuit.” (Hayles K, 1999)
The student interprets the images then sees the image in a different or deeper way. The resulting deconstructions then become more complex and require interpreting themselves. Every model or texture the student makes provokes a reaction from the student and from their peers. Second Life also, in the way the models are displayed, which again provokes another response and interpretation, and so the cycle or loop is repeated until the end of the test. This interpretation is instant as is the reaction to the work. The student understands the painting by understanding how to take it apart.
The deconstruction of the painting within SL, is constantly changing with each model that is added by a student. The deconstruction itselfs feeds back into the interpretation. Students became absorbed in the process with some wanting to continue after the test was finished. Being able to approach difficult concepts, express ideas or theories using visual facilitators is part of being a succesful designer or animator. SL is a tool that can take advantage of this. Not only is it fun for the user but they get immediate results and can walk around their handy work in a way that is impractical in the real world, or at least very difficult.
The following passage is from a letter by Albert Einstein in it he seems to highlight the importance of visual imagery to explore ideas.
"The psychical entities which seem to serve as elements in Designing in Virtual Space 129 thought are certain signs and more or less clear images which can be "voluntarily" reproduced and combined....The above mentioned elements are, in my case, of visual and some of muscular type. Conventional words or other signs have to be sought for laboriously only in a secondary stage, when the mentioned associative play is sufficiently established and can be reproduced at will.”
The students stepped through the mirror that is the computer screen and interacted wih models and textures to deconstruct a painting on a virtual box. Simply by using technology the students were familair with, a task which would normally be considered as not relevant by many of them, became interesting and fun to do.
Making use of Second Life for exercises like the tests conceived, seem the way forward in capturing student interest in what they consider mundane modules. Not only does it require a small learning curve but results are instant, pandering to a generation with short attention spans. I have a wide age demographic on my courses so finding ways to reach all, with a variety of learning styles is always a challenge.
The tools available within SL and the advantages of the virtual space itself, make learning difficult design concepts more fun and easy to comprehend. The young students identify with the game technology whilst the mature students see its capabilities. This in itself is a good reason to experiment further with the platform.
"Recently, a new generation of multi-user virtual worlds has emerged in which users are provided with open-ended modelling tools with which they can create and modify world content. The result is evolving virtual spaces for commerce, education, entertainment and social interaction. In general, these virtual worlds are not games and have no concept of winning. However the open-ended modelling capacity is nonetheless compelling." (Merrick and Mahe Chapert 9, 2009)
By the end of the test students were creating spaces within spaces. These on their own were worth exploring and interpreting.
Bibliography
Angel Del B, Torrente J, Ger Moreno P and Manjon B, 2009, Bridging the Gap: Adaptive Games and Student-Centered VLEs, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009LNCS.5686..130D 11/12/09
Freidman D, Donenfeld A and Zafran E, 2009, Neurophysiology-based art in immersive virtual reality, International Journal of Arts and Technology, Volume 2, Number 4, pp 331 – 347.
Hayles K, 1999, How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodiesin Cybernetics, literature, and Informatics, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press
Manslow J, 2002, Learning and Adaptation in Games, Boston, Charles River Media
Merrick and Mahe, 2009, Motivated Reinforcement Learning, Berlin, Springer
Simon N, 2007, “Musuem 2.0”, blog 18/7/07, “Jumping into Art in Second Life”, viewed 11/12/09 http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2007/07/jumping-into-art-in-second-life.html
Thompson D, 2007, The Impermanence of the Build: In Second Life, as in Life, Nothing Lasts Forever, viewed 11/12/09 http://dusanwriter.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/the-impermanence-of-the-build-even-in-second-life-nothing-lasts-forever/
Thomas F, WWW, Designing in Virtual Space, HitLab, viewed 6/3/10
Weiner N, 1954, The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics and Society, Boston, Houghton MifflinFor the second test students were asked to deconstruct Dali's The-Persistence-of-Memory.
Second test part 1
Adaptive play within SL can be used to vary the challenges for a user, help players with artistic visualisation and encourage other ways of seeing.
Snapshots of structures from Second Test
Double click images to enlarge.
Dali's painting is textured onto a basic primitive within Second Life, this is the facilitator for the deconstruction of the painting in the surrounding virtual space.
These aerial views of the adaptive play space demonstrate how the students have begun to think how their models are placed to reflect their thoughts and the concepts evoked by the painting.
Here one student has thought about his composition of simple meshes and tried to texture them appropriately. This was a step on from the last test where most of the students just created boxes. Student modelling skills have grown over the few sessions that have been run and I am sure they will continue to do so. The virtual environment allows imagery to be placed on both sides of an object. The student not only has to think about the space immediately around their location and that of the image to be deconstructed, but also on surfaces that would not normally be visible in the real world.
Students had the freedom to create what ever they wanted and to use imagery that captured their emotional responses to the painting. This time to "play" in what would normally be a strictly planned out session allowed creativity to flow with open ended experimentation.
This freedom to experiment with ideas is lacking within the confines of the lecture theatre, where History of Design and Visual studies are set. Second Life provides an space where innovative thinking can take place. Problems or ideas can be examined from different angles and points of view.
Being able to interact with artwork and manipulate the surroundings can enhance the students understanding of the concepts of design and layout. Use of colour, shape and sculpture, form vibrant virtual spaces that the students become part of. Being part of the artwork allows them to see the painting from a different perspctive, allowing deeper embedding of knowledge that might normally be overlooked or forgotten.
“Virtual reality (VR) art often deals with issues of embodied interaction vs. the fantasy of disembodiment: on the one hand, unlike traditional desktop computers, VR allows full-body interaction; on the other hand, VR allows one to experience disembodied presence in an immaterial, abstract space.” (Freidman D, Donenfeld A and Zafran E, 2009)
The first test gave the students a basic understanding of semiotics and the skills to create basic low polygon models. Having fun in Second Life, building objects with others, really helped the more quiet students interact with their peers. Those that were struggling with the techniques and navigation, asked for help from others and unconsciously reinforced both parties understanding of the theories and processes involved.
“Society can only be understood through a study of the messages and the communication facilities which belong to it; and that in the future development of these messages and communication facilities, messages between man and machines, between machines and man, and between machine and machine, are destined to play an ever increasing part."
(Weiner N, 1954 )
Students learnt by simply changing certain parameters within their models or by applying suitable textures, the whole connotation of the artwork and that of the surrounding area can change. This adaptive behaviour within the space demonstrates that the students are starting to understand the deconstruction process.
They learnt that the placing of imagery and models can change the context of an image. Being able to walk around their work, fly above a scene or change the size of their avatar, allowed them the chance to see the results of their efforts from a variety of perspectives. This experience will hopefully allow them to do same thing in the real world and look at imagery in different ways. This is a skill many of them did not realise they could take advantage of and use in their own work.
“There is an emergent trend in Technology-Enhanced Learning advocating for the use of educational videogames and game-like simulations. Educational videogames have key advantages such as their suitability to convey concepts or to increase students’ motivation. Another key feature of educational games is that their high level of interactivity can provide fine-grained adaptation and performance-tracking mechanisms. This interactivity can open new possibilities in the e-learning field in terms of adaptive learning experiences, compared to those offered by more “traditional” hypermedia contents”. (Angel Del B, Torrente J, Ger Moreno P and Manjon B, 2009)
Every student is different so an adaptive space in which to play and experiment with creativity can only help with the progress of education. Two quotes from Albert Einsetin seem very appropriate at this time for me.
Imagination is more important than knowledge...
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
Surely Second Life or any VLE would have brought a smile to his face.
In the first test most of the models where just boxes or basic primatives placed in straight lines or perpendicular to each other. No one really stretched their imagination or dared to be different from their peers. By the second test however there was a distinct change. Not only had the designs of their avatars become more inventive but the whole approach to the task was much freer and expressive. The students tried harder to capture what they saw in the painting.
The basic modelling skills they had were put to good use and their was distinct jump in creativity. Images were more searching in their interpretation and layout braver and bold. Yes fewer students took part, but more thought was put into how all the objects and textures interact with the painting and the space around their deconstructions.
The students had fed back their experiences of the first test into the second. There was little need to explain the deconstruction process the second time around, as the first experience was so embedded in their experience. They had used their tacit knowledge this time and the results speak for themselves
Less of the imagery was denotational with more space being occupied with textures that had clearly been thought over. There was more intelligent design.
The space and visuals created reflected the student consciousness in a way that could be explored. They could walk around the world rather than just gaze at a description or a painting, physically being able to interact with their interpretations their minds and artistic skills had modelled. This encounter between the deconstructor within SL and the message is a kind of feedback loop. It is these feedback loops that can be developed in SL that makes VLE like this so useful. SL ticks all the boxes when making use of a variety of learning styles.
“ From my experience with the virtual reality simulations at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory and elsewhere, I can attest to the disorientating, exhilarating effect of the feeling that subjectivity is dispersed throughout the cybernetic circuit. In these systems, the user learns, kinaesthetically and proprioceptively, that the relevant boundaries for interaction are defined less by the skin than by the feedback loops connecting body and simulation in a technobio-integrated circuit.” (Hayles K, 1999)
The student interprets the images then sees the image in a different or deeper way. The resulting deconstructions then become more complex and require interpreting themselves. Every model or texture the student makes provokes a reaction from the student and from their peers. Second Life also, in the way the models are displayed, which again provokes another response and interpretation, and so the cycle or loop is repeated until the end of the test. This interpretation is instant as is the reaction to the work. The student understands the painting by understanding how to take it apart.
The deconstruction of the painting within SL, is constantly changing with each model that is added by a student. The deconstruction itselfs feeds back into the interpretation. Students became absorbed in the process with some wanting to continue after the test was finished. Being able to approach difficult concepts, express ideas or theories using visual facilitators is part of being a succesful designer or animator. SL is a tool that can take advantage of this. Not only is it fun for the user but they get immediate results and can walk around their handy work in a way that is impractical in the real world, or at least very difficult.
The following passage is from a letter by Albert Einstein in it he seems to highlight the importance of visual imagery to explore ideas.
"The psychical entities which seem to serve as elements in Designing in Virtual Space 129 thought are certain signs and more or less clear images which can be "voluntarily" reproduced and combined....The above mentioned elements are, in my case, of visual and some of muscular type. Conventional words or other signs have to be sought for laboriously only in a secondary stage, when the mentioned associative play is sufficiently established and can be reproduced at will.”
The students stepped through the mirror that is the computer screen and interacted wih models and textures to deconstruct a painting on a virtual box. Simply by using technology the students were familair with, a task which would normally be considered as not relevant by many of them, became interesting and fun to do.
Making use of Second Life for exercises like the tests conceived, seem the way forward in capturing student interest in what they consider mundane modules. Not only does it require a small learning curve but results are instant, pandering to a generation with short attention spans. I have a wide age demographic on my courses so finding ways to reach all, with a variety of learning styles is always a challenge.
The tools available within SL and the advantages of the virtual space itself, make learning difficult design concepts more fun and easy to comprehend. The young students identify with the game technology whilst the mature students see its capabilities. This in itself is a good reason to experiment further with the platform.
"Recently, a new generation of multi-user virtual worlds has emerged in which users are provided with open-ended modelling tools with which they can create and modify world content. The result is evolving virtual spaces for commerce, education, entertainment and social interaction. In general, these virtual worlds are not games and have no concept of winning. However the open-ended modelling capacity is nonetheless compelling." (Merrick and Mahe Chapert 9, 2009)
By the end of the test students were creating spaces within spaces. These on their own were worth exploring and interpreting.
Bibliography
Angel Del B, Torrente J, Ger Moreno P and Manjon B, 2009, Bridging the Gap: Adaptive Games and Student-Centered VLEs, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009LNCS.5686..130D 11/12/09
Freidman D, Donenfeld A and Zafran E, 2009, Neurophysiology-based art in immersive virtual reality, International Journal of Arts and Technology, Volume 2, Number 4, pp 331 – 347.
Hayles K, 1999, How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodiesin Cybernetics, literature, and Informatics, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press
Manslow J, 2002, Learning and Adaptation in Games, Boston, Charles River Media
Merrick and Mahe, 2009, Motivated Reinforcement Learning, Berlin, Springer
Simon N, 2007, “Musuem 2.0”, blog 18/7/07, “Jumping into Art in Second Life”, viewed 11/12/09 http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2007/07/jumping-into-art-in-second-life.html
Thompson D, 2007, The Impermanence of the Build: In Second Life, as in Life, Nothing Lasts Forever, viewed 11/12/09 http://dusanwriter.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/the-impermanence-of-the-build-even-in-second-life-nothing-lasts-forever/
Thomas F, WWW, Designing in Virtual Space, HitLab, viewed 6/3/10
Weiner N, 1954, The Human Use of Human Beings: Cybernetics and Society, Boston, Houghton MifflinFor the second test students were asked to deconstruct Dali's The-Persistence-of-Memory.
First prototype test
Deconstruction of The Scream
Foundation Degree Animation and Multimedia Design students were asked to deconstruct The Scream ready for an Adaptive Play Prototype test exercise in Second Life.
Adaptive Play protype test using Second Life part 1
Adaptive Play protype test using Second Life part 2
Screen grabs of first Adaptive Play prototype test.
Double click on images for larger versions
As you can see from many of these images, the students have a basic grasp of semiotics. During the initial deconstruction of The Scream they identified key imagery within the picture to interpret and discuss further. Although they have not yet covered denotation and connotation within the contextual studies modules, some of them understand the link between media and message. The imagery used as textures within the Second Life play prototype demonstrate this quite succesfully I feel.
The great grace of a virtual world which is only limited by its (occassionally limited) technology is its ability to remind us of deeper meanings. (Thompson D, 2007)
Some of the students found the process quite difficult and just included images similar to The Scream. This was to be expected as many of them do not have the art based background that provides the practice and experience of seeing imagery from a different perspective. They literally describe what they see in the imagery they apply to their meshes.
As this was their first real attempt at modelling suitable 3d meshes that were in keeping with the deconstruction, the results were quiet good. They grasped how to move, scale and texture the primatives but remained naive when interpreting the painting with shape and form. This was partly due to their lack of experience with the Second Life building tools.
A more important factor was their limited experience of visualising feelings, ideas, concepts and a background of little design theory and practice. This is something that embedding Second Life in appropriate modules will help to alleviate I feel.
It will hopefully capture their imagination by allowing them to use a familiar platform to approach complex or unfamiliar design and history based practices and theories.
Students were very linear in the construction of their areas but some did try to use more complex arrangements of meshes.
A common result were walls of imagery. This linear approach reflects how many of the students approach creative tasks. Experience of art history and theories of compostion are yet to be awakened.
Whilst working on their areas students adapted to what was going on around them and altered their imagery and construction accordingly, even if it did not really reflect what was happening in the painting. SL provides an environment that is open to experimentation with the use of an intuitive interface, script and tools. A key part of any adaptive play is the use of feedback loops and the process carried out by the students in these tests provides such an example. The students bring to the test certain experiences of semiotics and a basic knowledge of the history of art. They started the test with not too much confidence but as they saw what was going on around them within the space in SL their confidence grew.
The main source of inspiration was viewing how their peers deconstructed the painting and feeding off the textures that each used. Those who had trouble understanding what was needed from the task quickly grasped the methodology just by observing their peers. A subtle example of a feedback loop. The students bring with them certain knowledge, the painting facilitates ideas, the students begin the deconstruction, and those that are struggling use the feedback from their peers(the textures and models), to create their own deconstruction and so on. This is a feedback loop within a feed back loop, as what they learn is feed into the next test. This may be quite abstract but it demonstrates what Hofstadter might call a "Strange Loop".
"And yet when I say “strange loop”, I have something else in mind — a less concrete, more elusive notion. What I mean by “strange loop” is — here goes a first stab, anyway — not a physical circuit but an abstract loop in which, in the series of stages that constitute the cycling-around, there is a shift from one level of abstraction (or structure) to another, which feels like an upwards movement in a hierarchy, and yet somehow the successive “upward” shifts turn out to give rise to a closed cycle. That is, despite one’s sense of departing ever further from one’s origin, one winds up, to one’s shock, exactly where one had started out. In short, a strange loop is a paradoxical level-crossing feedback loop". (Hofstadter D, 2007)
A typical example of a feedback system is shown below.
Below is a diagram of how I expect the Adaptive Play test to work.
No real thought however was put into texturing all the sides of the primatives. Often each side was the same, with no real reflection of what was being interpreted on the sides of the objects that were not visible. I expect this to change once students grasp the navigation and movement controls, as well as the art of flying.
Many of the students saw what their peers were doing and used the Internet to find out more about the painting. This ability to see what others were doing facilitated more in depth research and a curiosity for the subject matter. The students were also enjoying the process and interacting more and more with each other and the software.
"People arrive in virtual worlds for simple reasons – they want to have fun. They want to play. Meet people. Explore. Create. Or maybe even make money. Over time, businesses will come as well to meet, collaborate, and to create brand experiences. And on the surface, people leave because they become bored, they’ve leveled up as high as they can go, the rewards decrease, they become immersed in a way that has a negative impact on real life, or something better comes along.
But something often happens along the way, something that’s increasingly rich terrain for sociologists, philosophers, businesses, and others with an interest in how technology can be both liberating and constraining. And it’s my basic premise that persistent 3D social spaces are at their most basic level experiences – a game that wants to entertain and keep users. But at their most complex level, they’re new ways of creating, interacting with, and sharing concepts. At this more complex level we start to gain new insight into definitions of personal identity, the nature of work, the possibility for transformative change, tribal morality, and a deeper exploration of data architectures that won’t just lead to more information, but lead to information that is self-propagating and intelligent, information that retools itself and creates new conceptual frameworks". (Thompson D, 2008)
Students began to seek deconstructions of The Scream with some using Wikipedia to try and find the artists interpretation.
Tests like this one in Second Life allows students to view and interact with paintings and images that would not be possible in the real world. Not many museums allows you to touch or manipulate the space around traditional artwork but SL gives you this option. Being able to deconstruct its meaning in ways that stretch the ingenuity and creativity of the student.
"When people talk about museum projects in Second Life and other virtual worlds, I'm often disappointed by the short-sightedness of the vision. Virtual worlds are a new, emerging technology, and like any new technology, overlaying old techniques onto new platforms is disappointing at best. So much energy is put into recreating physical spaces and their real-world limitations rather than experimenting with ways that virtual worlds create opportunity to do things that are impossible in real museums. These opportunities can be social--engaging with museum content with other visitors at their computers all over the world--as well as experiential--allowing visitors to jump into, smash, and manipulate content in ways that physics and conservators forbid in real space". (Simon N, 2007)
A good example of how the students approached the task.
Walls began to take shape and I feel with extra time the space would have become fully enclosed. A longer time period to construct might have produced a better atmospheric result.
This different way of representing space and art is at the centre of what I want my students to understand. That by putting into practice what other artists have done in the past gives their work more depth, quality and meaning. That many of todays designers, animators and film makers have benefitted from a knowledge of art history, theory and design. That it is this that makes their work stand out and brings people back wanting more.
Bouchard’s SL “Reflexive Architecture” Installation on Architecture Island is a great example. Interactive environments engage as well as allowing allow art to be created live by the user.
A typical response to the task. Students initially mimicked what they saw. This test however did force them to look at how they interpret images in a different way, some were uncormfortable with this, but they saw the importance of this exercise and how it would allow them to see the world around them in a new and exciting way. Doppleganger, an exhibition within a SL Island being held at the National Portrait Gallery, contains the virtual work of a number of artists exploring the concepts of constructed self, beauty and likeness, truth and illusion in self representation.
It explores issues of the other self, something I hope the tests I am doing with my students will also activate. How they see their own practice in relation to others and how they can learn from the past.
http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibit/doppelganger/exhib.php
These snap shots demonstrate the groupings or compostion of models and textures in the completed test. They consist of basic primatives positioned in relation to the students avatars positions. There were few attempts to build as a pairing or as a team and the resulting models reflect this.
There are distinct areas of design around the centre painting of The Scream but linking of models and imagery between avatars is limited. I expect this will change in the second test.
Bibliography
Gillian R, WWW, Doppelganger, viewed 6/3/10, http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibit/doppelganger/essay.php
Hofstadter D, 2007, I Am a Strange Loop, New York, Basic Books
Simon N, Jumping into Art in Second Life, Museum 2.0, 18th July, viewed 6/3/10, http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2007/07/jumping-into-art-in-second-life.html
Thompson D, 2007, Dusan Writer’s Metaverse, The Impermanence of the Build: In Second Life, as in Life, Nothing Lasts Forever, 18th December, viewed 6/12/09, http://dusanwriter.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/the-impermanence-of-the-build-even-in-second-life-nothing-lasts-forever/
Rapid prototyping and collaborative design of real-world galleries and exhibits, The Arch Network, (WWW) available from: http://archvirtual.com/?p=2145, viewed 6/2/10
Foundation Degree Animation and Multimedia Design students were asked to deconstruct The Scream ready for an Adaptive Play Prototype test exercise in Second Life.
Adaptive Play protype test using Second Life part 1
Adaptive Play protype test using Second Life part 2
Screen grabs of first Adaptive Play prototype test.
Double click on images for larger versions
As you can see from many of these images, the students have a basic grasp of semiotics. During the initial deconstruction of The Scream they identified key imagery within the picture to interpret and discuss further. Although they have not yet covered denotation and connotation within the contextual studies modules, some of them understand the link between media and message. The imagery used as textures within the Second Life play prototype demonstrate this quite succesfully I feel.
The great grace of a virtual world which is only limited by its (occassionally limited) technology is its ability to remind us of deeper meanings. (Thompson D, 2007)
Some of the students found the process quite difficult and just included images similar to The Scream. This was to be expected as many of them do not have the art based background that provides the practice and experience of seeing imagery from a different perspective. They literally describe what they see in the imagery they apply to their meshes.
As this was their first real attempt at modelling suitable 3d meshes that were in keeping with the deconstruction, the results were quiet good. They grasped how to move, scale and texture the primatives but remained naive when interpreting the painting with shape and form. This was partly due to their lack of experience with the Second Life building tools.
A more important factor was their limited experience of visualising feelings, ideas, concepts and a background of little design theory and practice. This is something that embedding Second Life in appropriate modules will help to alleviate I feel.
It will hopefully capture their imagination by allowing them to use a familiar platform to approach complex or unfamiliar design and history based practices and theories.
Students were very linear in the construction of their areas but some did try to use more complex arrangements of meshes.
A common result were walls of imagery. This linear approach reflects how many of the students approach creative tasks. Experience of art history and theories of compostion are yet to be awakened.
Whilst working on their areas students adapted to what was going on around them and altered their imagery and construction accordingly, even if it did not really reflect what was happening in the painting. SL provides an environment that is open to experimentation with the use of an intuitive interface, script and tools. A key part of any adaptive play is the use of feedback loops and the process carried out by the students in these tests provides such an example. The students bring to the test certain experiences of semiotics and a basic knowledge of the history of art. They started the test with not too much confidence but as they saw what was going on around them within the space in SL their confidence grew.
The main source of inspiration was viewing how their peers deconstructed the painting and feeding off the textures that each used. Those who had trouble understanding what was needed from the task quickly grasped the methodology just by observing their peers. A subtle example of a feedback loop. The students bring with them certain knowledge, the painting facilitates ideas, the students begin the deconstruction, and those that are struggling use the feedback from their peers(the textures and models), to create their own deconstruction and so on. This is a feedback loop within a feed back loop, as what they learn is feed into the next test. This may be quite abstract but it demonstrates what Hofstadter might call a "Strange Loop".
"And yet when I say “strange loop”, I have something else in mind — a less concrete, more elusive notion. What I mean by “strange loop” is — here goes a first stab, anyway — not a physical circuit but an abstract loop in which, in the series of stages that constitute the cycling-around, there is a shift from one level of abstraction (or structure) to another, which feels like an upwards movement in a hierarchy, and yet somehow the successive “upward” shifts turn out to give rise to a closed cycle. That is, despite one’s sense of departing ever further from one’s origin, one winds up, to one’s shock, exactly where one had started out. In short, a strange loop is a paradoxical level-crossing feedback loop". (Hofstadter D, 2007)
A typical example of a feedback system is shown below.
Below is a diagram of how I expect the Adaptive Play test to work.
No real thought however was put into texturing all the sides of the primatives. Often each side was the same, with no real reflection of what was being interpreted on the sides of the objects that were not visible. I expect this to change once students grasp the navigation and movement controls, as well as the art of flying.
Many of the students saw what their peers were doing and used the Internet to find out more about the painting. This ability to see what others were doing facilitated more in depth research and a curiosity for the subject matter. The students were also enjoying the process and interacting more and more with each other and the software.
"People arrive in virtual worlds for simple reasons – they want to have fun. They want to play. Meet people. Explore. Create. Or maybe even make money. Over time, businesses will come as well to meet, collaborate, and to create brand experiences. And on the surface, people leave because they become bored, they’ve leveled up as high as they can go, the rewards decrease, they become immersed in a way that has a negative impact on real life, or something better comes along.
But something often happens along the way, something that’s increasingly rich terrain for sociologists, philosophers, businesses, and others with an interest in how technology can be both liberating and constraining. And it’s my basic premise that persistent 3D social spaces are at their most basic level experiences – a game that wants to entertain and keep users. But at their most complex level, they’re new ways of creating, interacting with, and sharing concepts. At this more complex level we start to gain new insight into definitions of personal identity, the nature of work, the possibility for transformative change, tribal morality, and a deeper exploration of data architectures that won’t just lead to more information, but lead to information that is self-propagating and intelligent, information that retools itself and creates new conceptual frameworks". (Thompson D, 2008)
Students began to seek deconstructions of The Scream with some using Wikipedia to try and find the artists interpretation.
Tests like this one in Second Life allows students to view and interact with paintings and images that would not be possible in the real world. Not many museums allows you to touch or manipulate the space around traditional artwork but SL gives you this option. Being able to deconstruct its meaning in ways that stretch the ingenuity and creativity of the student.
"When people talk about museum projects in Second Life and other virtual worlds, I'm often disappointed by the short-sightedness of the vision. Virtual worlds are a new, emerging technology, and like any new technology, overlaying old techniques onto new platforms is disappointing at best. So much energy is put into recreating physical spaces and their real-world limitations rather than experimenting with ways that virtual worlds create opportunity to do things that are impossible in real museums. These opportunities can be social--engaging with museum content with other visitors at their computers all over the world--as well as experiential--allowing visitors to jump into, smash, and manipulate content in ways that physics and conservators forbid in real space". (Simon N, 2007)
A good example of how the students approached the task.
Walls began to take shape and I feel with extra time the space would have become fully enclosed. A longer time period to construct might have produced a better atmospheric result.
This different way of representing space and art is at the centre of what I want my students to understand. That by putting into practice what other artists have done in the past gives their work more depth, quality and meaning. That many of todays designers, animators and film makers have benefitted from a knowledge of art history, theory and design. That it is this that makes their work stand out and brings people back wanting more.
Bouchard’s SL “Reflexive Architecture” Installation on Architecture Island is a great example. Interactive environments engage as well as allowing allow art to be created live by the user.
A typical response to the task. Students initially mimicked what they saw. This test however did force them to look at how they interpret images in a different way, some were uncormfortable with this, but they saw the importance of this exercise and how it would allow them to see the world around them in a new and exciting way. Doppleganger, an exhibition within a SL Island being held at the National Portrait Gallery, contains the virtual work of a number of artists exploring the concepts of constructed self, beauty and likeness, truth and illusion in self representation.
It explores issues of the other self, something I hope the tests I am doing with my students will also activate. How they see their own practice in relation to others and how they can learn from the past.
http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibit/doppelganger/exhib.php
These snap shots demonstrate the groupings or compostion of models and textures in the completed test. They consist of basic primatives positioned in relation to the students avatars positions. There were few attempts to build as a pairing or as a team and the resulting models reflect this.
There are distinct areas of design around the centre painting of The Scream but linking of models and imagery between avatars is limited. I expect this will change in the second test.
Bibliography
Gillian R, WWW, Doppelganger, viewed 6/3/10, http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibit/doppelganger/essay.php
Hofstadter D, 2007, I Am a Strange Loop, New York, Basic Books
Simon N, Jumping into Art in Second Life, Museum 2.0, 18th July, viewed 6/3/10, http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2007/07/jumping-into-art-in-second-life.html
Thompson D, 2007, Dusan Writer’s Metaverse, The Impermanence of the Build: In Second Life, as in Life, Nothing Lasts Forever, 18th December, viewed 6/12/09, http://dusanwriter.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/the-impermanence-of-the-build-even-in-second-life-nothing-lasts-forever/
Rapid prototyping and collaborative design of real-world galleries and exhibits, The Arch Network, (WWW) available from: http://archvirtual.com/?p=2145, viewed 6/2/10
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