Interactivity and thought

A shared tenet of embodied, embedded, situated and distributed cognition is that people make sense of things interactively. They run a simulation, they exchange words, often taking turns to change and steer the flow of interaction; they gesture, they handle or manipulate things, they write, sketch or model. Because the concept of interaction seems intuitive, and the phenomena so pervasive, researchers tend to use the term to do more work than they have time to explain. This symposium explores different ideas about the way interactivity is understood, and how it figures in thought processe

The use of an e-learning constructivist solution in workplace learning

We wished to investigate whether an e-learning approach which uses constructivist principles can be successfully applied to train employees in a highly specialised skill thought to require expert individuals and extensive prolonged training. The approach involved the development of an e-learning package which included simulations and interactivity, then experimental testing in a case study workplace environment with the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the effectiveness of the package. Our study shows that this e-learning strategy improved the skills of the inexperienced operator significantly. We therefore propose that such programmes could be used as a work based training aid and used as a model system for the training of employees in complex skilled tasks in the workplace. This research demonstrates that the e-learning can be applied outside the traditional learning environment to train unskilled employees to undertake complex practical tasks which traditionally would involve prohibitively expensive instruction. This work also illustrates that simulations and interactivity are powerful tools in the design of successful e-learning packages in preparing learners for real world practical situations. Finally this study shows that workplace learners can be better served by elearning environments rather than conventional training as they allow asynchronous learning and private study which are valued by employees who have other demands on their time and are more comfortable receiving tuition privately Relevance to industry: E-learning using constructivist principles, and incorporating simulations and interactivity can be used successfully in the training of highly specialised and skilled tasks required in the modern workplace

The genome incorporated: constructing biodigital identity

The Genome Incorporated examines the proliferation of human genomics across contemporary media cultures. It explores questions about what it means for a technoscience to thoroughly saturate everyday life, and places the interrogation of the science/media relationship at the heart of this enquiry. The book develops a number of case studies in the mediation and consumption of genomics, including: the emergence of new direct-to-the-consumer bioinformatics companies; the mundane propagation of testing and genetic information through lifestyle television programming; and public and private engagements with art and science institutions and events. Through these novel sites, this book examines the proliferating circuits of production and consumption of genetic information and theorizes this as a process of incorporation. Its wide-ranging case studies ensure its appeal to readers across the social sciences

Reservoir hill and audiences for online interactive drama

This paper analyses the interactive experiences constructed for users of the New Zealand online interactive drama Reservoir Hill (2009, 2010), focusing both on the nature and levels of engagement which the series provided to users and the difficulties of audience research into this kind of media content. The series itself provided tightly prescribed forms of interactivity across multiple platforms, allowing forms of engagement that were greatly appreciated by its audience overall but actively explored only by a small proportion of users. The responses from members of the Reservoir Hill audience suggests that online users themselves are still learning the nature of, and constraints on, their engagements with various forms of online interactive media. This paper also engages with issue of how interactivity itself is defined, the difficulties of both connecting with audience members and securing timely access to online data, and the challenges of undertaking collaborative research with media producers in order to gain access to user data

Interaction as enquiry: learning with layered dynamic media

The interactivity afforded to the learner by the computer based media is often fairly restricted. This may be by design choice but is often brought about by resource constraints. The new layered media forms give educational media developers an opportunity to provide richer forms of interactivity, and some of the issues related to changes in the way that interactive materials might be created are discussed. The distinction is made between the interface viewed simply as an information source and the interface regarded as an environment to be manipulated and explored

Attitudes, behaviour, and engagement toward water consumption and conservation in a higher education setting

There is a need to develop more nuanced and playfully informed understandings of people’s attitudes and behaviour toward water consumption and conservation in particular settings, particularly if we are to design initiatives designed to engage and then change behaviour. The Southeast of England, in the United Kingdom, is an example of a water stressed region where better understandings have a potentially key role to play in helping to tackle the issue of water scarcity through attempts to reduce the personal consumption of water. Therefore, this paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project that sought to playfully engage participants in an exploration of their attitudes and behaviour toward water use in a university setting. In particular, an interactive questionnaire was designed whereby participants were encouraged to give their answers by placing counters in buckets of differently coloured water. From an awareness perspective, the study found that whilst females appeared to be more aware of their water usage, participants in general appeared to be unaware of retro fit programmes design to improve water conservation. As a result of these findings, it is suggested that future education campaigns better reflect the needs of different groups, particularly in communities with highly transient populations, such as those in University towns. From an engagement perspective, the interactive nature of the data collection was noted as appearing to be successful in encouraging engagement over time. In conclusion, it is suggested that such playful approaches to data collection and awarweness raising can be a useful in not only enaging but promoting a better understanding and awareness of water usage.Peer reviewe

Making 'The Daily Me': Technology, economics and habit in the mainstream assimilation of personalized news

The mechanisms of personalization deployed by news websites are resulting in an increasing number of editorial decisions being taken by computer algorithms — many of which are under the control of external companies — and by end users. Despite its prevalence, personalization has yet to be addressed fully by the journalism studies literature. This study defines personalization as a distinct form of interactivity and classifies its explicit and implicit forms. Using this taxonomy, it surveys the use of personalization at 11 national news websites in the UK and USA. Research interviews bring a qualitative dimension to the analysis, acknowledging the influence that institutional contexts and journalists’ attitudes have on the adoption of technology. The study shows how: personalization informs debates on news consumption, content diversity, and the economic context for journalism; and how it challenges the continuing relevance of established theories of journalistic gate-keeping

A Pilot Evaluation Study Using LectureTools to Enhance Interactivity in Classroom-Based Teaching in a Project Management Course

With students’ ownership of laptops and mobile devices increasing, there exists an opportunity to harness their use to support interactivity within the traditional classroom. Two educators, motivated to enhance interactivity in a two-day project management course at a UK university, trialled LectureTools, a cloud-based audience-response system. To assess potential benefits to learning and teaching, as well as identifying accompanying challenges, an evaluation study was carried out comprising a range of data sources. These included observation of a LectureTools-based lecture and a student questionnaire followed by a focus group discussion with a subset of students about their experiences throughout the two days. Interviews with both teachers were also conducted, adding to the evaluation research data and giving them an opportunity to reflect on their teaching practice. All participants recognised the benefits of LectureTools in promoting student engagement, learning and discussion while students acknowledged the distractive potential of having laptops in the lecture theatre. Efforts are required by educators to ensure that the interactive potential of laptops in classrooms to enhance learning and teaching is supported while controlling the potential for distraction. Future research is needed to ascertain the impact of using LectureTools on approaches to learning and teaching