Old plays, new narratives: fan production of new media texts from broadcast theatre

When a theatrical performance is digitally broadcast live to cinemas, the limitations of temporal and spatial specificity are removed and the theatrical experience is simultaneously opened up to a wider audience and inherently altered. One such production, Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse, 2013-14), starring an actor with a particularly enthusiastic online fan community, was broadcast to cinemas by National Theatre Live where fans recorded it on digital devices, extracted clips and produced animated gifs, which they captioned to reinterpret the play, sharing them online, removed from their original context. The transformation of theatre texts to cinemas to social media platforms raises exciting questions related to how fans interact with culture both as consumers and as producers of new media texts. How do the different transformations (technical and actively fan-produced) affect both the narrative and the cultural experience? How do new texts function as surrogates for, and extensions of, the ‘official’ narrative, as well as new interactive narratives in their own right? This paper addresses these questions in the context of as specific theatrical event as it crossed the boundary from a live, co-located experience into first cinema, then interactive hypertexts and memes. Drawing on theories of fandom and participatory culture, as well as post Web 2.0 analysis of Internet behaviours, the paper examines fan production of new media texts and how they both transmit and transform the source narrative via interpretation, re-interpretation, and misinterpretation

Digital Curation and Doctoral Research

This article considers digital curation in doctoral study and the role of the doctoral supervisor and institution in facilitating students’ acquisition of digital curation skills, including some of the potentially problematic expectations of the supervisory relationship with regards to digital curation. Research took the form of an analysis of the current digital curation training landscape, focussing on doctoral study and supervision. This was followed by a survey (n=116) investigating attitudes towards importance, expertise, and responsibilities regarding digital curation. This research confirms that digital curation is considered to be very important within doctoral study but that doctoral supervisors and particularly students consider themselves to be largely unskilled at curation tasks. It provides a detailed picture of curation activity within doctoral study and identifies the areas of most concern. A detailed analysis demonstrates that most of the responsibility for curation is thought to lie with students and that institutions are perceived to have very low responsibility and that individuals tend to over-assign responsibility to themselves. Finally, the research identifies which types of support system for curation are most used and makes suggestions for ways in which students, supervisors, institutions, and others can effectively and efficiently address problematic areas and improve digital curation within doctoral study

Game-based learning for postgraduates: an empirical study of an educational game to teach research skills

Research skills are challenging to teach in a way that is meaningful to students and has ongoing impact in research practice. This paper investigates constructivist and experiential strategies for the effective learning and deep understanding of postgraduate research skills and proposes a game-based learning (GBL) solution. A (non-digital) game called How to Fail Your Research Degree was designed and iteratively developed. Gameplay loop analysis identifies various learning and game mechanics and contextualises them in relation to GBL theory. Evaluation of gameplay (n=127) demonstrates effective transmission of intended learning outcomes and positive game experience based on Keller’s Attention-Relevance-Confidence-Satisfaction (ARCS) model. Discussion proposes that the game has high cognitive authenticity, relies heavily on tutor facilitation, can create tension between knowledge and confidence, and is applicable to multiple domains and learning situations. GBL is proposed to be an original and effective approach to teaching high-level, functional learning outcomes such as academic research skills

On the Shoulders of Giants [Educational game]

This tabletop game focusses on increasing students’ knowledge and confidence of literature search and literature review techniques. It is a mod of Meeple Circus and you will need to buy a copy of Meeple Circus to play. The files presented here allow the game to be used for purposeful play for learning about how to do a literature review

Redefining the performing arts archive

This paper investigates representations of performance and the role of the archive. Notions of record and archive are critically investigated, raising questions about applying traditional archival definitions to the performing arts. Defining the nature of performances is at the root of all difficulties regarding their representation. Performances are live events, so for many people the idea of recording them for posterity is inappropriate. The challenge of creating and curating representations of an ephemeral art form are explored and performance-specific concepts of record and archive are posited. An open model of archives, encouraging multiple representations and allowing for creative reuse and reinterpretation to keep the spirit of the performance alive, is envisaged as the future of the performing arts archive

Another View of the Empire – Camera Control for Heritage Applications

‘Another View of the Empire’ focused on the evaluation of user perspectives and control techniques to help define best practice for the design and implementation of interactive heritage applications. A comparison study was undertaken on two popular avatar control techniques from the field of video games to determine the suitability for integration into interactive heritage environments, where the typical user may not be a regular player of 3D action games. This paper outlines the preliminary research, the design and build of a set of research orientated interactive environments, and the resulting user focused exploratory heuristic qualitative analysis – which found that a hybrid control system may provide the optimum experience for a typical heritage audience

Health Care Providers’ Readiness to Adopt an Interactive 3D Web App in Consultations About Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Qualitative Evaluation of a Prototype

Background: Comprehensive and appropriate health care provision to women and girls with female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is lacking. Use of visuals in health care provider (HCP) consultations facilitates the communication of health information and its comprehension by patients. A web app featuring a 3D visualization of the genitourinary anatomy was developed to support HCPs in conferring clinical information about FGM/C to patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore HCP perspectives on the use of visuals in discussion about FGM/C with their patients as well as to obtain their feedback on whether an interactive 3D web app showing the genitourinary anatomy would be helpful in patient consultations about FGM/C, identifying key features that are relevant to their clinical practice. Methods: We evaluated the web app through a semistructured interview protocol with seven HCPs from various disciplines experienced in care for women and girls with FGM/C in migration-destination settings. Interviews were audio- and video-recorded for transcription, and were then analyzed thematically for contextualized data regarding HCPs’ willingness to use a 3D web app visualizing anatomy in FGM/C consultations with patients. Results: All but one of the seven participants expressed keen interest in using this web app and its 3D visuals of anatomy in FGM/C consultations with patients. Participants shared the common contexts for the use of visuals in health care for FGM/C and the concepts they are used to support, such as to help describe a patient’s genitals after FGM/C and reinforce an understanding of clitoral anatomy, to illustrate the process of defibulation, or to explain the physiological effects of FGM/C. Participants also highlighted the benefit of using visuals that patients can relate to, expressing approval for the ability to customize the vulva by FGM/C subtype, skin tone, and complexity of the visual shown in the web app. Despite critiques that the visualization may serve to perpetuate idealistic standards for how a vulva should look, participants largely agreed on the web app’s perceived usefulness to clinical practice and beyond. Conclusions: Evaluation of the web app developed in this study identified that digital tools with 3D models of the genitourinary anatomy that are accessible, informative, and customizable to any specific patient are likely to aid HCPs in communicating clinical information about FGM/C in consultations. Universal access to the web app may be particularly useful for HCPs with less experience in FGM/C. The app also prompts options for applications such as for personal use, in medical education, in patient medical records, or in legal settings. Further qualitative research with patients is required to confirm that adoption of the web app by HCPs in a consultation setting will indeed benefit patient care for women and girls with FGM/C. JMIR Form Res 2023;7:e44696 doi:10.2196/4469

Provocative Approaches to Serious Game Design and Analysis

Small Provoking Games (SPG) are physical or digital serious games that intend to incite reflection, discussion, or a shift in attitude regarding a particular application domain. They are built upon the principles of reflective game design to ``produce cognitive and affective challenge'' and ``emphasise a player’s sense of purpose and aim to create exo-transformation (change in attitudes and/or practice outside the game) SPGs may be stand-alone or integrated into a more structured context such as a serious game jam, in order to provoke discussion and reflection. SPGs challenge the assumption of, and importance placed on `fun' in serious gaming, focusing more on the `serious experience' toward the goal of effective reflection and attitude-shifting as opposed to direct learning of content

Serious ‘Slow’ Game Jam - A Game Jam Model for Serious Game Design

The Serious ‘Slow’ Game Jam (SSGJ) is a new model for use in serious game design and research. Game jams contribute to creative, innovative and collaborative design, however, game jams for serious purposes require an alternative model that integrates domain experts within the jammer community to ensure the validity of their designs and content. Furthermore, a rigorous yet accessible design methodology is required to balance pedagogic and game aspects to support jammers, as well as to assist researchers in subsequent analysis and evaluation. A standard entertainment game jam model does not afford support for these aspects. The SSGJ model addresses these needs through an inclusive, collaborative, and creative framework for multidisciplinary teams, which includes: encouraging reflection and knowledge exchange; improving content validity; and providing continuous support and mentoring to participants. Reflection on the model highlights the importance of framing serious game jams as explicitly educational activities and embedding them into existing training contexts. The SSGJ model contributes to a collaborative serious game design methodology for the wider research community, irrespective of application domains

The Iowa Homemaker vol.18, no.3

Inside Information, page 1 Our Heritage by Daisy Mary Kimberley, page 2 Welcome by Genevieve Fisher, Dean, Home Economics Division, page 3 We Wondered “How?” – So We Asked by Berniece Williams, page 4 Behind the Kitchen Door by Myrtle Marie Campbell, page 5 Shopper Sally at Your Service by Barbara Field, page 6 Conventioning from Coast to Coast by Alvina Iverson, page 7 All Aboard for Mortar Board by Jane Currie, page 7 Dear Freshman, by Winnifred Cannon, page 8 Equipment Economics by Gwen Griffith, page 9 What’s New in Home Economics edited by Marjorie Pettinger, page 10 Coed Training for Football by Ida Halpin, page 12 “This Is the Way We Wash Our Clothes” by Marian Abbott, page 13 Alums in the News by Faithe Danielson, page 14 How Do You Rate? by Dorothy Evans, page 16 Behind Bright Jackets, page 18 To Your Dresser by Eunice Anderson, page 20 Keeping Posted by the editor, page 2