Virual world users evaluated according to environment design, task based adn affective attention measures

This paper presents research that engages with virtual worlds for education users to understand design of these applications for their needs. An in-depth multi-method investigation from 12 virtual worlds participants was undertaken in three stages; initially a small scale within-subjects eye-tracking comparison was made between the role playing game 'RuneScape' and the virtual social world 'Second Life', secondly an in-depth evaluation of eye-tracking data for Second Life tasks (i.e. avatar, object and world based) was conducted, finally a qualitative evaluation of Second Life tutorials in comparative 3D situations (i.e. environments that are; realistic to surreal, enclosed to open, formal to informal) was conducted. Initial findings identified increased users attention within comparable gaming and social world interactions. Further analysis identified that 3D world focused interactions increased participants' attention more than object and avatar tasks. Finally different 3D situation designs altered levels of task engagement and distraction through perceptions of comfort, fun and fear. Ultimately goal based and environment interaction tasks can increase attention and potentially immersion. However, affective perceptions of 3D situations can negatively impact on attention. An objective discussion of the limitations and benefits of virtual world immersion for student learning is presented

A probabilistic database extension

Data exchange between embedded systems and other small or large computing devices increases. Since data in different data sources may refer to the same real world objects, data cannot simply be merged. Furthermore, in many situations, conflicts in data about the same real world objects need to be resolved without interference from a user. In this report, we report on an attempt to make a RDBMS probabilistic, i.e., data in a relation represents all possible views on the real world, in order to achieve unattended data integration. We define a probabilistic relational data model and review standard SQL query primitives in the light of probabilistic data. It appears that thinking in terms of `possible worlds¿ is powerful in determining the proper semantics of these query primitives

Collaborative Worlds and Avatar-Based Communication: A Comparison of Virtual Worlds with Traditional Computer-Mediated Communications Media

Interest in virtual worlds from both academic and practitioner perspectives continues to grow. As a relatively new area of research, exploratory efforts to capitalize on and understand this new computer-mediated communications medium have been varied and multi-disciplinary, but also dangerously fragmented. Avatar-based communication distinguishes virtual worlds from traditional communications media and conceptually enables a potentially richer communications medium. Utilizing an integrative theoretical approach drawing from theories of social presence, media richness, media synchronicity, social influence, technology acceptance, and channel expansion, we seek to understand how virtual worlds compare with other communications media. Preliminary results from two phases of a Delphi study with expert participants present interesting findings. While not surprising that face-to-face communications are preferred in a wide variety of situations, what is surprising is that virtual worlds do not appear to be favorably ranked as compared to other leaner traditional communications media. Other results, implications and directions for future research are discussed

Changing Nigerian cultures: two films against witchcraft and an impossible dialogue

The prominent place of witchcraft in Nollywood films produced in the 1990s is widely acknowledged, and has prompted a number of comments from critics. While filmmakers’ opinion is divided on the subject, these films obviously echo familiar situations. The dissemination of Nigerian films outside Africa and their entering new geographical and cultural areas, and the didactic nature of Nollywood, have led to a clash between Nigerian and the British cultures in the bid to fight the widespread practice of witchcraft and its attendant casualties, which now affect both worlds. This paper reflects on the difficulty of intercultural communication on the subject as illustrated by the recent controversy sparked by a British NGO’s discovery of Nollywood in 2008. The film born of this culture-shock presents a novel way of dealing with screen-mediated witchcraft and its impact

The Situationalist Account of Change

In this paper I propose a new solution to the problem of change: situationalism. According to this view, parts of reality fundamentally disagree about what is the case and reality as a whole is unsettled (i.e. metaphysically indeterminate). When something changes, parts of the world irreconcilably disagree about what properties it has. From this irreconcilable disagreement, indeterminacy arises. I develop this picture using situations, which are parts of possible worlds; this gives it the name situationalism. It allows a B-theory endurance view on which there is genuine incompatibility when things change. There are costs to the view, which are explored, but it is a novel approach which offers a distinct explanation of what happens when things exist through change

Towards an explanation of copula effects

This paper deals with a series of semantic contrasts between the copula "be" and the preposition "as", two functional elements that both head elementary predication structures. It will be argued that the meaning of "as" is a type lowering device shifting the meaning of its complement NP from generalized quantifier type to property type (where properties are conceived as relations between individuals and situations), while the copula "be" induces a type coercion from (partial) situations to (total) possible worlds. Paired with van der Sandt's 1992 theory of presupposition accommodation, these assumptions will account for the observed contrasts between "as" and "be"

The Unwantables: An Exploration of Visual Narrative

The Unwantables is a creative project that has evolved from my lifelong interest in and relationship with visual stories. To me the most compelling aspect of visual storytelling is imagination . The author possesses the ability to create new worlds, interesting characters, and situations that can have the potential to communicate about any topic. My project explores visual narrative as a communication tool to explain the role of imagination in my life