Challenges in Developing Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Systems

Traditional educational hypermedia systems afford learners the “one size fits all” approach to learning (Brusilovsky, 2003, 2004; Chatti, Jarke, & Specht, 2010; Hsieh, Lee, & Su, 2013). In the “one size fits all” approach to learning each student in every cohort of students is given access to the same learning objects in the same way as every other student who is studying the same course. The learning objects or learning content stays static regardless of the learning requirements of different students

Making Waves: Intra-actions with Educational Media at the National Film Board of Canada from 1960-2016

This dissertation aims to excavate the narrative of educational programming at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) from 1960 to 2016. The producers and creative staff of Studio G the epicentre of educational programming at the NFB for over thirty years produced extraordinarily diverse and innovative multimedia for the classroom. Multimedia is here understood as any media form that was not film, including filmstrips, slides, overhead projecturals, laserdiscs and CDs. To date, there have been no attempts to document the history of educational programming at the NFB generally, nor to situate the history of Studio G within that tradition. Over the course of five years, I have interviewed thirty-four NFB technicians, administrators, producers and directors in the service of creating a unique collective narrative tracing the development of educational media and programming at the NFB over the past fifty-six years and began to piece together an archive of work that has largely been forgotten. Throughout this dissertation, I argue that the forms of media engagement pioneered by Studio G and its descendants fostered a desire for, and eventually an expectation for specific media affordances, namely the ability to sequence or navigate media content, to pace ones progress through media, to access media on demand and to modify media content. As new waves of mediated practices emerge throughout the time-period here covered, the complex interconnections between media innovation and pedagogical practice are revealed to be deeply interwoven within the political, social and economic pressures of particular historical moments. The first of these waves focuses on the media produced by Studio G primarily during the tumultuous 1960s to the mid-1980s. The second wave (early-1980s to mid-1990s) marks the shifts in practices and social expectations with the rise of the PC computer. The third wave (mid-1990s to 2004) recognizes yet another shift as Internet technologies and the privileging of consumer expectation eclipsed what were by then seen as dated practices. In the fourth wave (2004 to 2016), the NFBs focus on interactivity is co-opted as a strategy of audience engagement in an ever-more competitive media landscape. The four affordances are realized to a greater and lesser degree in each of these waves. The narrative of the NFBs production of educational multimedia provides an ideal lens through which to identify and more deeply understand the nuanced and complex intra-action between technology, practice and society in which the interface is revealed to be far from neutral

Promoting Awareness for the Cibachrome Association

We completed our project on behalf of the Cibachrome Association of Marly, Switzerland to enhance their public awareness and outreach. Due to the technical nature of their materials, we focused on outreach methods that would benefit photographic curators, conservators and other interested members of the public. We created a revised, expanded website and a new Wiki article, using feedback from the Association’s target demographics. This will help the Cibachrome Association effectively publicize their information and gather further public awareness

New media art: curating social justice in contemporary art museums and arts organizations

My research project includes case studies in which I interviewed nine new media art curators and directors whose curatorial practices offer historical analyses and theoretical perspectives that address the dynamics of social justice by using new media art. I investigate the ways in which social justice is presented in museums and arts organizations. Central to this project is an examination of museum practices where the use of new media art becomes a central platform to showcase issues of social justice

Conceptual model of mobile augmented reality for engaging hearing-impaired museum visitors

Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) has matured significantly over the past decades since the birth of multimedia system. It has evolved from the conceptual idea of augmented reality experience to its actual practical applications in use on smartphones. Researchers in MAR have resolved to employ the concept of engagement in designing MAR applications to attract museum visitors’ interest and ensure a more effective learning environment. However, most of these MAR applications are tailored to normal hearing visitors while the hearing-impaired (HI) visitors are less supported. This makes HI visitors to go through unpalatable experiences and eventually become dissatisfied with their visit to the museum. Also, there is lack of studies on the conceptual model of MAR for engaging the HI museum visitors. Therefore, this study proposes a conceptual model of MAR for the HI museum engagement (MARHIME) and eventually enhances their engagement during their museum visits. In achieving the aim of this study, design science research methodology was adapted. This study has determined engagement elements through expert review which were used to design the conceptual model of MARHIME. In addition, an MAR prototype was developed based on the MARHIME conceptual model and its architecture. The MARHIME prototype includes three-dimensional models, video, text, and images to deliver salient information of important artefacts to HI museum visitors. Moreover, the MARHIME application may only function in the museum by scanning the museum environment because the HI can use MAR as a visual signal guide in order to catch missing aural signals during their visit to the museums. The study involved 73 HI museum visitors as participants in order to evaluate the MARHIME prototype on their engagement experience. From the results of the evaluation, it was found that the MARHIME prototype was able to engage the HI visitors during their visit to the museum. Therefore, this study has validated a conceptual model on MAR for engaging the HI museum visitors. This conceptual model of MARHIME can be used as guidelines for researchers in understanding the elements of MAR in engaging the HI museum visitors and for developers in assisting the process of designing and developing MAR application for the HI museum visitors. This study contributes to the engagement of HI people during their museum visits to ensure the inclusiveness of disabled people in the MAR design

The Museum Explorer: User Experience Enhancement In A Museum

A learner in an informal learning environment, such as a museum, encounters various challenges. After initial assessment, a set of methods were proposed that may enhance a learner’s experience in a museum using computer aided technologies. The most important insight was the need to support the museum visitor in three phases of activity: prior to the visit, during the visit, and after the visit. We hypothesized that software tools that could help connect these three phases would be helpful and valuable supports for the visitor. To test and evaluate our hypothesis, a system called “The Museum Explorer” was built and instantiated using the collection in the Museum of Antiquities located at the University of Saskatchewan. An evaluation of the Museum Explorer was conducted. Results show that the Museum Explorer was largely successful in achieving our goals. The Museum Explorer is an integrated solution for visitors in museums across the pre-visit, visit, and post-visit phases. The Museum Explorer was designed to provide a means to connect and transfer user experience across the major phases of a museum visit. For each phase of a visitor’s experience, a set of tools was built that provides intelligent and interactive communication features. To assist visitors selecting artefacts to visit, a recommender system allows users to select a set of constraints. To better manage interactivity, features and functions were offered based on context. A study was conducted with volunteer museum visitors. Results from the study show that the Museum Explorer is a useful support. Analysis of the usage data captured by the Museum Explorer has revealed some interesting facts about users’ preferences in the domain that can be used by future researchers