Making the Virtual Actual: a research model to understand music of contemporary open-world video games

The global video game industry has in part achieved its ubiquitous cultural influence through the creation of increasingly realistic gameworlds. Of these, contemporary open-world games offer vast internal environments presenting complex narrative constructs and ever-higher production values, including music content. Research into these games has typically ranged from their characteristic technical design and storytelling attributes, to ethnographic studies of their gameworlds, through to commercially based evaluations of the games’ soundtrack content. Breaking new ground by merging these disparate lines of enquiry into a cohesive whole, the purpose of this study is to examine the music of open-world game soundscapes as sociocultural artefacts. This study seeks to offer a foundation for explaining the musical functions causal to the popularity of these games according to a research model that determines and separates the constitutive musical components of a gameworld’s soundscape into diegetic categories. These components are examined according to a tripartite model with a methodological basis in game music design principles, adopting a gameworld as a virtual ethnography fieldsite, and studies of game music in culture. This study takes Grand Theft Auto V as its focus in demonstrating an application of the proposed model. As an open-world game grossing more than any other form of media and featuring more musical content than any previous title of its series, it is shown that the proposed model does greater intellectual justice to the technical, aesthetic, and sociocultural sophistication of this artefact. The development and application of the proposed research model enables a shift of analytical approach in ludomusicology from an outside-in perspective to one of an inside-out nature. In addition to its application to other games, the offered model affords theorists and game designers a valuable analytical and conceptual tool to see the virtual music of a game as anchored in the actual world.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 201

Learning from Digital Natives: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning. Final Report

Overview This report suggests that students are increasingly making use of a variety of etools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) to support their informal learning within formalised educational settings, and that they use the tools that they have available if none are provided for them. Therefore, higher education institutions should encourage the use of these tools. Aims and background This study aimed to explore how e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras, games consoles and social networking sites) and the processes that underpin their use can support learning within educational institutions and help improve the quality of students’ experiences of learning in higher education (pgs 9-11). Methodology The study entailed: (i) desk research to identify related international research and practice and examples of integration of e-tools and learning processes in formal educational settings; (ii) a survey of 160 engineering and social work students across two contrasting Scottish universities (pre- and post-1992) – the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University – and follow-up interviews with eight students across the two subject areas to explore which technologies students were using for both learning and leisure activities within and outside the formal educational settings and how they would like to use such technologies to support their learning in both formal and informal settings; and (iii) interviews with eight members of staff from across the institutions and two subject areas to identify their perceptions of the educational value of the e-tools. (pgs 24-27). Key findings • Students reported making extensive use of a variety of both e-tools (such as mobile phones, email, MSN, digital cameras) and social networking tools (such as Bebo, MySpace, Wikipedia and YouTube) for informal socialisation, communication, information gathering, content creation and sharing, alongside using the institutionally provided technologies and learning environments. • Most of the students owned their own computer or had access to a sibling or parent’s computer. Many students owned a laptop but preferred not to bring it onto campus due to security concerns and because they found it too heavy to carry about. • Ownership of mobile phones was ubiquitous. • Whilst the students’ information searching literacy seemed adequate, the ability of these students to harness the power of social networking tools and informal processes for their learning was low. Staff reported using a few Web 2.0 and social software tools but they were generally less familiar with how these could be used to support learning and teaching. There were misconceptions surrounding the affordances of the tools and fears expressed about security and invasion of personal space. Considerations of the costs and the time it would take staff to develop their skills meant that there was a reluctance to take up new technologies at an institutional level. • Subject differences emerged in both staff and student perceptions as to which type of tools they would find most useful. Attitudes to Web 2.0 tools were different. Engineers were concerned with reliability, using institutional systems and inter-operability. Social workers were more flexible because they were focused on communication and professional needs. • The study concluded that digital tools, personal devices, social networking software and many of the other tools explored all have a large educational potential to support learning processing and teaching practices. Therefore, use of these tools and processes within institutions, amongst staff and students should be encouraged. • The report goes on to suggest ways in which the use of such technologies can help strengthen the links between informal and formal learning in higher education. The recommendations are grouped under four areas – pedagogical, socio-cultural, organisational and technological

Mixed reality entertainment with wearable computers

Master'sMASTER OF ENGINEERIN

Learning Spaces

Edited by Diana G. Oblinger. Includes a chapter by former College at Brockport Faculty member Joan K. Lippincott: Linking the Information Commons to learning. Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning. Learning Spaces focuses on how learner expectations influence such spaces, the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty, learning technologists, librarians, and administrators. Information technology has brought unique capabilities to learning spaces, whether stimulating greater interaction through the use of collaborative tools, videoconferencing with international experts, or opening virtual worlds for exploration. This e-book represents an ongoing exploration as we bring together space, technology, and pedagogy to ensure learner success.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bookshelf/1077/thumbnail.jp

On air.

Lo Kong Alvin."Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 1996-97, design report."Includes bibliographical references.Chapter 1.0 --- INTRODUCTIONChapter 1.1 --- GENERAL BACKGROUNDChapter 1.2 --- DEFICIENCY IN RTHKChapter 1.3 --- TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTIONChapter 1.4 --- COMPARISONChapter 1.5 --- RATIONALIZATIONChapter 1.6 --- ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSEChapter 1.7 --- SUMMARYChapter 1.8 --- METHODOLOGYChapter 2.0 --- BACKGROUND OF RTHKChapter 2.1 --- OBJECTIVESChapter 2.2 --- ROLES OF RTHKChapter 2.3 --- HISTORYChapter 2.4 --- ORGANIZATIONChapter 2.5 --- OPERATIONChapter 2.6 --- PROGRAMChapter 3.0 --- PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF EXISTING RTHKChapter 3.1 --- REGIONAL CONTEXT OF KOWLOON TONGChapter 3.2 --- SITE AND FACILITIESChapter 3.3 --- BROADCASTING HOUSEChapter 3.4 --- TELEVISION HOUSEChapter 3.5 --- EDUCATION TELEVISION CENTERChapter 4.0 --- THE PROPOSALChapter 4.1 --- MISSIONChapter 4.2 --- GOALSChapter 4.3 --- OBJECTIVESChapter 4.4 --- PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTSChapter 4.5 --- SITE OPPORTUNITIESChapter 4.6 --- SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATIONChapter 5.0 --- DESIGN REPORTChapter 5.1 --- CONCEPTSChapter 5.2 --- DESIGN DEVELOPMENTChapter 5.3 --- DESIGN OPTIONSChapter 6.0 --- SCHEMATIC DESIGNChapter 6.1 --- CONCEPTChapter 6.2 --- DESIGN OPTIONSChapter 6.3 --- DETAIL DESIGNChapter 7.0 --- RESEARCH AND FIELD WORKS (I) ENERGYChapter 7.1 --- PHOTOVOLTAIC ENGINEERINGChapter 7.2 --- STRUCTURE OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMChapter 7.3 --- ENERGY STORAGEChapter 7.4 --- APPLICATION: SOLAR TELECOMMUNICATIONChapter 8.0 --- RESEARCH AND FIELD WORKS (II) STUDIOChapter 8.1 --- TYPES OF STUDIOSChapter 8.2 --- PERFORMANCE STUDIOSChapter 8.3 --- PRODUCTION STUDIOSChapter 8.4 --- POSTPRODUCTION STUDIOSChapter 8.5 --- MOBILE STUDIOSChapter 8.6 --- PORTABLE EQUIPMENTChapter 8.7 --- STUDIO DESIGNChapter 8.8 --- ERGONOMICSChapter 9.0 --- CASE STUDIESChapter 9.1 --- STUDIO CASE STUDIESChapter 9.2 --- RELOCATABLE ARCHITECTURE CASE STUDIE