Teaching Computational Creativity

The increasing popularity of computational creativity (CC) in recent years gives rise to the need for educational resources. This paper presents several modules that together act as a guide for developing new CC courses as well as improving existing curricula. As well as introducing core CC concepts, we address pedagogical approaches to this interdisciplinary subject. An accessible overview of the field lets this paper double as an introductory tutorial to computational creativity

The draw-a-computational-creativity-researcher test (DACCRT): Exploring stereotypic images and descriptions of computational creativity

Prior work investigating student perceptions of scientists has revealed commonly-held beliefs, stereotypes, and even connections to career choices. We adapt the “Draw-A-Scientist” instrument to examine how undergraduates depict computational creativity researchers and the field of computational creativity as a whole. Our results indicate that there are significant differences when students are asked to draw or describe a computer scientist versus a computational creativity researcher. Whether the student is an upper-level or introductory computer science student appears to also influence responses

public class Graphic_Design implements Code { // Yes, but how? }: An investigation towards bespoke Creative Coding programming courses in graphic design education

Situated in the intersection of graphic design, computer science, and pedagogy, this dissertation investigates how programming is taught within graphic design education. The research adds to the understanding of the process, practice, and challenges associated with introducing an audience of visually inclined practitioners—who are often guided by instinct—to the formal and unforgiving world of syntax, algorithms, and logic. Motivating the research is a personal desire to contribute towards the development of bespoke contextualized syllabi specifically designed to accommodate how graphic designers learn, understand, and use programming as an integral skill in their vocational practice.The initial literature review identifies a gap needing to be filled to increase both practical and theoretical knowledge within the interdisciplinary field of computational graphic design. This gap concerns a lack of solid, empirically based epistemological frameworks for teaching programming to non-programmers in a visual context, partly caused by a dichotomy in traditional pedagogical practices associated with teaching programming and graphic design, respectively. Based on this gap, the overarching research question posed in this dissertation is: “How should programming ideally be taught to graphic designers to account for how they learn and how they intend to integrate programming into their vocational practice?”A mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative analyses is taken to answer the research questions. The three papers comprising the dissertation are all built on individual hypotheses that are subsequently used to define three specific research questions.Paper 1 performs a quantitative mapping of contemporary, introductory programming courses taught in design schools to establish a broader understanding of their structure and content. The paper concludes that most courses are planned to favor programming concepts rather than graphic design concepts. The paper’s finding can serve as a point of departure for a critical discussion among researchers and educators regarding the integration of programming in graphic design education.Paper 2 quantitatively assesses how the learning style profile of graphic design students compares with that of students in technical disciplines. The paper identifies a number of significant differences that call for a variety of pedagogic and didactic strategies to be employed by educators to effectively teach programming to graphic designers. Based on the results, specific recommendations are given.Paper 3 proposes a hands-on, experiential pedagogic method specifically designed to introduce graphic design students to programming. The method relies on pre-existing commercial graphic design specimens to contextualize programming into a domain familiar to graphic designers. The method was tested on the target audience and observations on its use are reported. Qualitative evaluation of student feedback suggests the method is effective and well-received. Additionally, twenty-four heuristics that elaborate and extend the paper’s findings by interweaving other relevant and influential sources encountered during the research project are provided. Together, the literature review, the three papers, and the heuristics provide comprehensive and valuable theoretical and practical insights to both researchers and educators, regarding key aspects related to introducing programming as a creative practice in graphic design education

Advantages of using Virtual Reality as a financial instrument

In recent years, the phenomenon of Virtual Reality has been highlighted by most technology-interested persons around the world. The technology allows visualization and interaction with environments, which in real life would be too costly to recreate. At the same time, the banking sector’s ways of presenting financial information are relatively old fashioned and still consist of lists and 2D graphs. This study will examine whether VR can be used by financial actors as an instruments and what the technology can contribute to in economics. The present work will lay the foundation for a VR test environment that will be tested and evaluated by potential users. The design process of the environment will include 1) Investigation phase – flaws in current systems will be identified, meetings with bank representatives and end user identification will be conducted. 2) Idea-generating - through brainstorming, ideas on the design of the environment will be developed. 3) Prototypes - In this phase, prototypes from sketches will be forwarded into 3D simulation which will be developed and evaluated. The prototypes will form the development of the final creation of the environment. 4) Final phase - The final part of the process will include testing on the developed environment and present conclusions as to whether VR has a future in the banking system. The testing will be conducted in two different groups, one with people with financial experience and one with people without economics knowledge. The test embraces a scenario-based model with physical and analytical tasks ending with a feedback survey.Fenomenet Virtual Reality (VR) har dom senaste åren uppmärksammats av de flesta teknikintresserade världen över. Tekniken möjliggör bland annat visualisering och interaktion med miljöer och som i verkligheten skulle bli för kostsamma att återskapa. Samtidigt så står bankernas sätt att presentera finansiell information förhållandevis stilla och utgörs fortfarande av listor och 2D-grafer. I studien kommer det undersökas huruvida VR kan användas av finansiella aktörer som instrument och vad tekniken kan bidra till inom ekonomi. Föreliggande arbete kommer lägga grunden för en VR-testmiljö som kommer att testas och utvärderas av tänkta användare. Designprocessen av miljön kommer att innefatta 1) Definierande fas – då kommer brister i nuvarande system identifieras, möten från bankrepresentanter och identifiering av slutanvändare att genomföras. 2) Idegenererande – genom brainstorming kommer idéer på utformningen av miljön att tas fram. 3) Protyper –I denna fas kommer prototyper i form av skisser vidare fram till 3D-ritningar att tas fram och utvärderas. Prototyperna kommer att lägga grunden till utvecklingen av det slutgiltiga skapandet av miljön. 4) Slutfasen – Sista delen av processen kommer att innehålla testning på den framtagna miljö och presentera slutsatser huruvida VR har en framtid inom bankväsendet. Testningen kommer att genomföras på två olika grupper, en med personer som har ekonomisk erfarenhet och en med personer utan ekonomierfarenheter. Testet anammar en scenariobaserad modell med fysiska och analyserande uppgifter som avslutas med en feedback-enkät

Annual Report 2016-2017

The College of Computing and Digital Media has always prided itself on curriculum, creative work, and research that stays current with changes in our various fields of instruction. As we looked back on our 2016-17 academic year, the need to chronicle the breadth and excellence of this work became clear. We are pleased to share with you this annual report, our first, highlighting our accomplishments. Last year, we began offering three new graduate programs and two new certificate programs. We also planned six degree programs and three new certificate programs for implementation in the current academic year. CDM faculty were published more than 100 times, had their films screened more than 200 times, and participated in over two dozen exhibitions. Our students were recognized for their scholarly and creative work, and our alumni accomplished amazing things, from winning a Student Academy Award to receiving a Pulitzer. We are proud of all the work we have done together. One notable priority for us in 2016-17 was creating and strengthening relationships with industry—including expanding our footprint at Cinespace and developing the iD Lab—as well as with the community, through partnerships with the Chicago Housing Authority, Wabash Lights, and other nonprofit organizations. We look forward to continuing to provide innovative programs and spaces this academic year. Two areas in particular we’ve been watching closely are makerspaces and the “internet of things.” We’ve already made significant commitments to these areas through the creation of our 4,500 square foot makerspace, the Idea Realization Lab, and our new cyber-physical systems bachelor’s program and lab. We are excited to continue providing the opportunities, curriculum, and facilities to support our remarkable students. David MillerDean, College of Computing and Digital Mediahttps://via.library.depaul.edu/cdmannual/1000/thumbnail.jp

Increasing the Number of High School Seniors Meeting the South Carolina Profile of a Graduate Mandate

This applied study aimed to solve the problem of the inadequate number of high school seniors at Avenger Career Technology Center that meet the requirement of South Carolina\u27s Profile of a Graduate. A multimethod approach was utilized to examine the problem of high school seniors not meeting college and career mandates. Data was collected through interviews with administrators, a focus group of ACTC students, and a quantitative survey from Avenger Career Technology Center teachers. Interviews were conducted with five administrators. A focus group of 10 students was held. Eighteen teachers completed a quantitative survey. Data were analyzed for codes and themes to solve the problem of high school seniors at Avenger Career Technology Center not meeting the requirement of South Carolina\u27s Profile of a Graduate

The Impact of Mindfulness on Communication With Health Care Providers for Older Adult Quilters

AbstractActive aging plays a pivotal role in countering the effects of multimorbidities and enhancing mental and physical well-being of individuals. Prior research supports the benefits of mindfulness, a key component of active aging, in enhancing older adults’ physical and mental health, but the effect of mindfulness on older adults’ communication with medical social workers and other health care providers has not been studied. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of how older quiltmakers experienced mindfulness and how this affected their communication with their health care providers. The study, which drew from empowerment theory, included eight women and one man in East Central Kansas who were 65 and older, lived independently, and quilted. The participants engaged in interviews that were transcribed and coded to identify key themes. One of the themes that emerged was connection to others. Although all of the participants reported that quilting enhances communication with others, only half of the respondents perceived that quilt making increased communication with their healthcare providers. The other themes that emerged were creating and mental health. Through this research, older adults can gain an understanding of the importance that hobbies or engaging in other interests can potentially provide a means to practice mindfulness and communicate with others. This can possibly improve mental and physical health. This study affirmed the importance of connection with others, productivity, and the feeling of well-being that can be generated through quiltmaking

Exploring Creation and Curation as Steps Towards a Gamification of the Arts Through Game Engines

Game engines enable the creation of novel applications that can enhance how art is created and presented and provide new tools to artists. This thesis presents study, research, and development within the frontiers between the arts and computer science, namely about a perceived dual phenomenon of the artification of games and the gamification of the arts. It proposes the hypothesis that through gamification, one can create environments that enable artists to give new possibilities to their art and communicate differently with their audiences, as the digital game engines’ artistic multimodality opens possibilities of new kinds of art forms, and artistic creation, experience and curation, and also raises questions about if it could extend the arts’ domain and if it could be a resource for the endeavours of the research in computational creativity. This hypothesis is tested with the development of an art studio for multimedia sculptures - TIMAEUS – and an infrastructure that enables people to render such sculptures in virtual spaces, made in collaboration with artists to create examples of their art transformed into digital forms. The work also approaches the gamified possibilities of art curation to create a virtual stoa - or colonnade - for teaching Stoicism and a virtual Odyssey, enabling the presentation of artistic work as a virtual art gallery. The artistic evaluation of the prototypes, in collaboration with creators on different branches of the arts – painting, drawing, poetry – aims to assess the qualities of this approach that has been presented in relevant conferences and evaluated by peers and artists. ‘The arts’ are here treated as an umbrella term comprehending the whole field of creative expression and are the subject of an experiment of a special kind of gamification, thought as a sort of gamification that is extended to the use and transformation of the digital game software infrastructure itself – the game engine