Narrative Visualization: Sharing Insights into Complex Data

This paper is a reflection on the emerging genre of narrative visualization, a creative response to the need to share complex data engagingly with the public. In it, we explain how narrative visualization offers authors the opportunity to communicate more effectively with their audience by reproducing and sharing an experience of insight similar to their own. To do so, we propose a two part model, derived from previous literature, in which insight is understood as both an experience and also the product of that experience. We then discuss how the design of narrative visualization should be informed by attempts elsewhere to track the provenance of insights and share them in a collaborative setting. Finally, we present a future direction for research that includes using EEG technology to record neurological patterns during episodes of insight experience as the basis for evaluation

QUANTIFYING THE PERSONAL CREATIVE EXPERIENCE: EVALUATION OF DIGITAL CREATIVITY SUPPORT TOOLS USING SELF-REPORT AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES

Creativity is understood intuitively, but it is not easily defined and therefore diffi- cult to measure. This makes it challenging to evaluate the ability of a digital tool to support the creative process. When evaluating creativity support tools (CSTs), it is critical to look beyond traditional time, error, and other productivity measurements that are commonly used in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) because these mea- sures do not capture all the relevant dimensions of creativity support. Unfortunately, there are no clear measures of success to quantify in regards to creativity support tools, and this lack of ‘convenient’ metrics is a real challenge to their evaluation. In this dissertation, I introduce two computational methodologies for evaluating creativity support tools, including: (1) the Creativity Support Index (CSI), which is a psychometrically developed and validated survey, designed for evaluating the ability of a tool to support the creative process of users, and (2) a novel sensor data approach to measuring ‘in-the-moment-creativity’ (ITMC), to detect moments when users experience high creativity using electroencephalography (EEG), activity metrics (e.g., keyboard/mouse logger and accelerometer data), and machine learning

A Reflection on the Research Method and Exemplary Application to the College and University Rankings

It was a precious opportunity as a teacher and researcher that I had completed two research method classes with the peers of Laureate Education Inc. Since the generation of creative knowledge and meaningful contribution to the field is charged on the professional researcher, the classes are foundational, but unfortunately with less an attention by the scholars, and, if more problematically, even lack of courses for some graduate or training programs. Within this paper, I can be gladly reminiscent of the course learning, and can present a work of demonstration by employing the issues of global college rankings. In this article, my purpose is gone with three basic aims; (i) present the brief summary of my experience on the two method classes (ii) suggest a new perspective and mindset within the changing technology and post-modern transformation of society (iii) finally show two examples of mixed method involved with the global college rankings and provide a view for the students situated within the temporal boundary I had set forth

An empirical investigation of the relationship of CAD use in designing and creativity through a creative behaviours framework

This thesis reports a study of the relationship of CAD use in designing and creativity through a Creative Behaviours Framework. This thesis provides a description of the establishment of a framework for gathering empirical evidence to support the analysis of links between CAD and creativity. The Creative Behaviours Framework consists of seven categories including novelty, appropriateness, motivation, fluency, flexibility, sensitivity, and insightfulness. The framework was developed from published literature largely relating to the area of cognitive psychology. The research reports findings concerning the use of this framework in analysing the use of CAD at Loughborough University and involved four postgraduates, two finalist undergraduates, and the researcher s own design project. Multiple data gathering methods including interviews, observations, protocol analysis, and design diaries have been used in this study to provide data reliability and validity. The results demonstrate the occurrence of creative behaviours in relation to the use of CAD when designing. Most of the categories had a significant number of occurrences observed and identified in the case studies using the data gathering methods (in particular protocol analysis and design diaries). However, novelty was only reported from the design diaries in Case studies 1 and 2. Some findings that linked the emergence of xvi creative characteristics of product outcomes with CAD usage were also established from data analysis of the design diaries. Hence, a key research output is the development of a framework which enabled researchers to observe and identify creative behaviours whilst CAD was used in designing. This framework has shown its reliability by also capturing creative behaviours in other than CAD activities such as 2D sketching and 3D sketch modelling. The findings from Case studies 1 and 2 indicated that creative behaviours were consistently identified during the observations of these design modelling activities. It shows that the Creative Behaviours Framework is not exclusively useful to observe creative behaviours during CAD use, but can also be applied in identifying these behaviours in other designing activities. An online questionnaire explored whether this framework could also be useful in wider application such as in supporting teachers in developing effective classroom and studio practice to encourage the emergence of creative behaviours by their students. The research study (using case studies and paper questionnaires) was undertaken with students of the Design and Technology Department, Loughborough University and the findings could be biased to this particular population. Hence, the online questionnaire was carried out with Malaysian CAD users to provide broader feedback. Although there was a small number of responses received from Malaysia, the data still provided a useful foundation to make the comparison between the UK and Malaysian CAD users perceptions about the relationship between creativity, in particular creative behaviours and the use of CAD in designing

Rapid Situation Analysis: a hybrid, multi-methods, qualitative, participatory approach to researching tourism development phenomena

This study develops a hybrid, bottom-up approach to field research, namely Rapid Situation Analysis, and implements it in Ghana. It draws on elements from two existing participatory methodological approaches: Rapid Rural Appraisal and Participatory RuralAppraisal. The approachwas developed to suit the particular needs of investigating corporate social responsibility practices, sustainable development and poverty reduction through tourism, a fragmented sector which tends to be ambiguous and unstructured and lack cohesion (unlike, for example, agriculture or primary health care, both of which are familiar territory for Rapid Rural Appraisal and Participatory Rural Appraisal). The Rapid Situation Analysis bottom-up approach to data gathering was underpinned by supporting methods, including participant and direct observation, in-depth interviews, stakeholder focus groups and informal conversations. Moreover, the multiple methods were further enriched by the collection of visual data in the form of moving and still images. These research findings were fed back to the communities at the centre of the research

Evaluating the efficacy of psychodynamic treatment on a single case of autism. A qualitative research.

Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of diseases determined by multiple conditions and primarily defined on the basis of behavioral patterns. The literature and guidelines provide indications regarding adequate treatments, underlying how psychologically and behaviorally structured interventions, should be considered the best programs. Anyway, there is still a scarcity of studies evidencing the effectiveness of therapeutic and developmental approaches situated in a psychodynamic framework and researches aimed to evaluate the quality of psychodynamic interventions on autism are rare. The present study illustrate a qualitative research on the single-case intervention with an autistic adolescent, admitted to the Educational - Rehabilitation Centre Antenna 112. The Centre bases its intervention on a specific psychodynamic approach, Lacanian Psychoanalysis, named Pratique \ue0 Plusieurs. The efficacy of the psychodynamic intervention is evaluated by monitoring the therapeutic process with the adolescent from his admission. The evaluation took place in three different stages of the intervention: at the beginning of the treatment, after 6 months and after 12 months. In particular, the level of adaptive behaviors (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale), Social Communication (Social Communication Questionnaire), and the seriousness of behavioral patterns, specific for the autism disorders (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) have been assessed. Results highlight that the psychodynamic setting of the Centre and the therapeutic intervention, which takes place in it, foster an improvement of adaptive behavior, such as life skills and socialization. Limitations of the present study and clinical implications regarding residential psychodynamic treatments in cases of autism disorders are discussed

‘Ethnography as negotiated lived experience’: researching the fluid and multi-sited uses of digital technologies in journalism practice

The permeation of digital technologies into social practices, including journalism has posed significant challenges to our understanding of what really counts as ‘ethnographic’. However, there is consensus among researchers that ethnography inscribes a particular relationship between the researcher, the researched, and the context of research. Specifically, it brings a variety of techniques of inquiry into play, attempting always to observe things that happen, to listen to what people say and to question people in the setting under investigation. Drawing on my ethnographic exploration of how Zimbabwean print journalists use the internet (and its associated digital technologies) in newsmaking, this study suggests the continued relevance of traditional ethnographic methods (observation; informal conversations and in-depth interviews) in studying internetbased phenomena in the context of journalism practice. While advancing the argument that ethnography is a negotiated self-reflexive ‘lived experience’, I also emphasize the importance of sustained intuitive and creative inclinations throughout the research process

Dialogic Communication in the One-to-One Improvisation Lesson: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study investigates the dialogic interactions between teacher and student that enhance learning and teaching within the one-to-one music improvisation lesson. This study analyses the ways teachers elicit student actions, thoughts and processes that develop student skills, critical and creative thinking processes necessary for improvisational development. Interactions and interplay between six Australian conservatoire improvisation students and their teachers were investigated. Data reveal dialogic interactions that span instruction, conversation, inquiry and enablement of student knowledge and skills that constitute a complex socio-cultural tapestry of discursive threads. Teacher-student interactions that activate desired creative student activity engage meta-cognitive processes and the cultivation of creative habits of mind that allow improvisational skill to flourish. Teachers engage in dialogic interaction and shape interactional behaviour, asserting a learning culture that makes explicit and visible the acquiring of skills and knowledge. Implications for skilled teaching that can effectively craft the at times improvisatory and ephemeral nature of teacher-student interactions are suggested