The Dynamic Story Mosaic: Defining Narrative Strategies in Transmedia Environments

Transmedia storytelling became one of the most prevalent buzzwords in the mid- 2000s used to describe a wide array of storytelling forms ranging from entertainment franchises to alternate reality games to any project that told stories across more than one medium. Over time, the term had been diluted so significantly that it has lost most of its meaning, and the opaque discourse has left practitioners, scholars, and audiences alike confused about its true meaning. The Dynamic Story Mosaic: Defining Narrative Strategies in Transmedia Environments charts this development and offers a typology to identify and explain narrative strategies in multi-platform environments. The typology anchors on the two dimensions of narrative deviation and the number of release events over time; these dimensions are constitutive for the production, reception and marketing and branding of transmedia projects, and provide a stable basis for analysis and interpretation. Through a blend of analytic, comparative, and descriptive approaches, paired with a number of case studies, this dissertation is a historical analysis of the emergence of transmedia storytelling and transmedia discourse, and provides a direction in the analysis of transmedia projects by providing a typology that remains stable regardless of the future of storytelling in this area

Organizacijsko modeliranje višeagentnih sustava velikih razmjera s primjenom na računalne igre

The most popular and frequent methods of conducting a system of agents, of smallor large-scale, are those based on swarm intelligence, and organisational models. Organisational models for multi-agent systems are being developed alongside their role in the modern world. Technological improvements lead to creation of systems comprising thousands, or millions, of agents – large-scale multiagent system (LSMAS). Numerous LSMAS application domains (Internet of Everything (IoE), massively multi-player online games (MMOGs), smart cities, etc.) make LSMAS a genuinely useful concept in the modern era. Recent studies argue higher efficiency of LSMAS with imposed organisation, as opposed to systems with emerging intelligence. This makes organisational modelling of LSMAS a particularly interesting research subject. Organisational model based on ontology comprising LSMAS-related organisational concepts, built conforming to modern organisational perspectives for LSMAS, is a step towards easier LSMAS modelling. The ontology is basis for an organisational metamodel for LSMAS, which, coupled with graph grammars and logic, is suitable for modelling organisational dynamics, especially in the domain of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs).Najpoznatiji i najučestaliji oblici uređenja sustava agenata, velikog ili malog razmjera, su oni koji se temelje na inteligenciji roja i oni koji svoje osnove vuku iz organizacijskih modela. Organizacijski modeli višeagentnih sustava razvijaju se usporedno s ulogom takvih sustava u modernom svijetu. Razvojem tehnologije stvaraju se sustavi koji broje tisuće ili milijuneagenata–višeagentnisustavivelikihrazmjera(VASVR).Mnogobrojneaplikacijske domene za VASVR (Internet svega, mrežne računalne igre namijenjene većem broju igrača (MMORPG), pametni gradovi i sl.) čine VASVR realno potrebnim konceptom u moderno doba. Recentna istraživanja ukazuju na veću učinkovitost VASVR uređenih temeljem organizacijske teorije, od onih koji prate inteligencija roja, te je stoga organizacijsko modeliranje VASVR iznimno interesantno podučje za istraživanje. Organizacijski model temeljen na ontologiji organizacijskih koncepata i modernim načelima organizacije VASVR korak je prema lakšem oblikovanju VASVR. Ontologija je baza za organizacijski metamodel za VASVR koji, spojen s gramatikama grafova i logikom, dobiva na prikladnosti za modeliranje organizacijske dinamike, naročito u domeni MMORPG

Organizacijsko modeliranje višeagentnih sustava velikih razmjera s primjenom na računalne igre

The most popular and frequent methods of conducting a system of agents, of smallor large-scale, are those based on swarm intelligence, and organisational models. Organisational models for multi-agent systems are being developed alongside their role in the modern world. Technological improvements lead to creation of systems comprising thousands, or millions, of agents – large-scale multiagent system (LSMAS). Numerous LSMAS application domains (Internet of Everything (IoE), massively multi-player online games (MMOGs), smart cities, etc.) make LSMAS a genuinely useful concept in the modern era. Recent studies argue higher efficiency of LSMAS with imposed organisation, as opposed to systems with emerging intelligence. This makes organisational modelling of LSMAS a particularly interesting research subject. Organisational model based on ontology comprising LSMAS-related organisational concepts, built conforming to modern organisational perspectives for LSMAS, is a step towards easier LSMAS modelling. The ontology is basis for an organisational metamodel for LSMAS, which, coupled with graph grammars and logic, is suitable for modelling organisational dynamics, especially in the domain of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs).Najpoznatiji i najučestaliji oblici uređenja sustava agenata, velikog ili malog razmjera, su oni koji se temelje na inteligenciji roja i oni koji svoje osnove vuku iz organizacijskih modela. Organizacijski modeli višeagentnih sustava razvijaju se usporedno s ulogom takvih sustava u modernom svijetu. Razvojem tehnologije stvaraju se sustavi koji broje tisuće ili milijuneagenata–višeagentnisustavivelikihrazmjera(VASVR).Mnogobrojneaplikacijske domene za VASVR (Internet svega, mrežne računalne igre namijenjene većem broju igrača (MMORPG), pametni gradovi i sl.) čine VASVR realno potrebnim konceptom u moderno doba. Recentna istraživanja ukazuju na veću učinkovitost VASVR uređenih temeljem organizacijske teorije, od onih koji prate inteligencija roja, te je stoga organizacijsko modeliranje VASVR iznimno interesantno podučje za istraživanje. Organizacijski model temeljen na ontologiji organizacijskih koncepata i modernim načelima organizacije VASVR korak je prema lakšem oblikovanju VASVR. Ontologija je baza za organizacijski metamodel za VASVR koji, spojen s gramatikama grafova i logikom, dobiva na prikladnosti za modeliranje organizacijske dinamike, naročito u domeni MMORPG

Intelligence, Creativity and Fantasy

UID/HIS/04666/2019 This is the 2nd volume of PHI series, published by CRC Press, the 4th published by CRC Press and the 5th volume of PHI proceedings.The texts presented in Proportion Harmonies and Identities (PHI) - INTELLIGENCE, CREATIVITY AND FANTASY were compiled with the intent to establish a multidisciplinary platform for the presentation, interaction and dissemination of research. The aim is also to foster the awareness and discussion on the topics of Harmony and Proportion with a focus on different visions relevant to Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Design, Engineering, Social and Natural Sciences, and their importance and benefits for the sense of both individual and community identity. The idea of modernity has been a significant motor for development since the Western Early Modern Age. Its theoretical and practical foundations have become the working tools of scientists, philosophers, and artists, who seek strategies and policies to accelerate the development process in different contexts.authorsversionpublishe

Van Der Waals heterostructures:Fabrication and nanoscale and thermal characterisation via SPM methods

Since the dawn of two-dimensional (2D) era, graphene and the plethora of other atomically thin layered materials cousins, including their combinations in heterostructures, have revolutionized material science and established themselves as promising candidates for the next-generation of nanoscale devices. However, the landscape of opportunities and possible combinations is so vast, that many promising research topics remain widely unexplored. The aim of this work is to address some of these questions, contributing to the progress and understanding in three different areas: fabrication of novel 2D materials and their heterostructures; electronic properties and doping mechanisms in these at the nanoscale; and characterization of the nanoscale thermal and thermoelectric properties of 2D materials. Starting with the fabrication procedures, different techniques for mechanical exfoliation and polymeric dry transfer of 2D materials and heterostructures were explored. This research route led to the establishment of a new fabrication facility at the National Physical laboratory (NPL), and to the production of a wide variety of samples, from exfoliated flakes to complex heterostructures and devices. A selection of the produced samples was employed during this thesis to investigate the electronic and thermal properties of 2D materials via spectroscopic and advanced scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques. Regarding the electronic response of graphene, two routes were undertaken: first, the electronic response of different types of graphene towards humidity acting as a p-dopant was studied for the first time using Raman spectroscopy. Second, a procedure improving current methods of quantitative probe calibration in Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was developed, establishing the determination of reliable and consistent work-function values with high-resolution. This method was then employed to study the electronic properties and doping of encapsulated graphene heterostructures, providing quantitative values of the work-function of the system, as well as demonstrating the capability of KPFM as an excellent visualisation and characterisation technique for buried layers otherwise inaccessible by other methods. Finally, various thermal properties of 2D materials were studied via advanced SPM techniques: Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) that was used for the determination of the thickness dependence of the thermal conductance of exfoliated InSe, and scanning thermal gate microscopy (STGM) that was employed to explore the thermovoltage, and thus Seebeck coefficient, variation in encapsulated graphene heterostructures with patterned constrictions. The main highlights of the work developed during this thesis are: (1) the formulated need and subsequent realisation of various approaches towards the fabrication of 2D materials and heterostructures. For this, shared expertise with other researchers and institutions, and access to different fabrication facilities were essential; and (2) the exploitation of the potential of spectroscopic and advanced SPM methods in providing reliable characterisation of the 2D material and heterostructure’s properties with nanoscale resolution. The findings of this thesis have provided new insights in a varied number of areas, and hold promise for different future applications: from single material thermocouples to graphene-gas sensors, including improved fabrication procedures for 2D materials, or even, probe-calibration and characterisation methods

Narrative-Focused Video Games As Situated Learning: Media Literacy Implications of Play, Identity, and Perspective Taking

With the emergence of more narrative-focused video games, this study attempted to better understand how college students construct meaning through these interactive experiences as a means of understanding social and cultural differences and perspectives. This study explored how playing narrative-focused video games may interconnect with college students' lived experiences, their understanding of others through perspective taking, and their sense of identity in reality and in-game through the lens of media literacy. The theoretical framework utilized in this study drew from situated learning theory and Gee's theory of identity and identity stories. Data collection for this study used multiple data sources including college student focus groups, gameplay observations of students playing Gone Home, and individual participant interviews. Qualitative, narrative analysis was utilized to explore the identity stories shared by five college student participants as well as the themes that emerged across the various data sources. The results of this study found that participants situated video game narratives within their lived experiences, assimilating the experiences within the game with their own stories and reflections. Preliminary evidence emerged that participants engaged in perspective taking tendencies while playing narrative-focused games; however, this finding appears to be connected with the participant's level of awareness and attention to detail while playing the game. This study also explored concepts of the real, virtual, and projective identities (Gee, 2007). Results found that participants utilized video games that tell stories as a vehicle for exploring their own identity as they project themselves into the characters they embody within the game. While participants primarily described their real identity in regard to discursively established identity traits, video games allowed them to explore alternative points of view. Through gameplay observations and the stories participants shared, evidence in support for the media literacy concepts of play and performance emerged, while the media literacies of simulation and negotiation were less prominently featured. Implications for education and future research are also discussed.Educatio

Chasing Mythical Beasts

Classical Antiquity is strongly present in youth culture globally. It accompanies children during their initiation into adulthood and thereby deepens their knowledge of the cultural code based on the Greek and Roman heritage. It enables intergenerational communication, with the reception of the Classics being able to serve as a marker of transformations underway in societies the world over. The team of contributors from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand focuses on the reception of mythical creatures as the key to these transformations, including the changes in human mentality. The volume gathers the results of a stage of the programme ‘Our Mythical Childhood’, supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives and an ERC Consolidator Grant. Thanks to the multidisciplinary character of its research (Classics, Modern Philologies, Animal Studies) and to the universal importance of the theme of childhood, the volume offers stimulating reading for scholars, students, and educators, as well as for a wider audience

O aprendizado na internet utilizando estratégias de Roleplaying Game (RPG)

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.Este trabalho estuda uma proposta de melhoria do processo de ensino-aprendizagem utilizando estratégias de Roleplaying Game (RPG). Para isso relata o desenvolvimento da disciplina "Teorias Contemporâneas de Aprendizagem Aplicadas a Tecnologia" no ano de 1999 a 2001 e a análise de resultados da pesquisa realizada com os alunos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção da área de Mídia e Conhecimento da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina que utilizaram RPG. A disciplina foi ministrada na modalidade de videoconferência e no ensino presencial e a aula convencional de repassar conteúdos foi substituída pela metodologia de Roleplaying Game. O estudo pretende também apresentar o design instrucional para cursos e-Learning, fundamentado nas teorias de aprendizagem e em RPG

Chasing Mythical Beasts

Classical Antiquity is strongly present in youth culture globally. It accompanies children during their initiation into adulthood and thereby deepens their knowledge of the cultural code based on the Greek and Roman heritage. It enables intergenerational communication, with the reception of the Classics being able to serve as a marker of transformations underway in societies the world over. The team of contributors from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand focuses on the reception of mythical creatures as the key to these transformations, including the changes in human mentality. The volume gathers the results of a stage of the programme ‘Our Mythical Childhood’, supported by an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Alumni Award for Innovative Networking Initiatives and an ERC Consolidator Grant. Thanks to the multidisciplinary character of its research (Classics, Modern Philologies, Animal Studies) and to the universal importance of the theme of childhood, the volume offers stimulating reading for scholars, students, and educators, as well as for a wider audience