Licking planets and stomping on buildings: children’s interactions with curated spaces in virtual reality

This visual essay draws upon data from a commercially funded project on which I was the lead researcher (Yamada-Rice et al. 2017). The study was undertaken to develop a set of best practices for the production of Virtual Reality (VR) content for children. The project combined large-scale quantitative data from a global survey with qualitative methods used to observe and interview a smaller sample of 8–12 year-olds. There was also a health and safety element that tested for changes in vision and balance pre and post VR use. This article draws from the qualitative dataset that investigated children’s interaction with a range of VR content and devices, the aspects that engaged them and how easy it was to use

'A critical autoethnography of a doctoral students ’ research journey: learning to take risks in the academy

What is missing in present-day physical education teacher education research is the individual female doctoral student perspective and how individuals come to understand academic research culture within the neoliberal university. Through a critical autoethnography, this paper uncovered a transformative learning journey of one doctoral student as she encountered the field of research in higher education. After taking a critically orientated qualitative methods class, the doctoral student recognised that the neoliberal university includes a research agenda entwined in politics, finding that neophyte researchers should be aware of the ‘mess’ (Cheek, J. (2017). Qualitative inquiry, research marketplaces, and neoliberalism. In N. K. Denzin, & M. D. Giardina (Eds.), Qualitative Inquiry in Neoliberal Times (pp. 19–36). New York: Routledge). By questioning how one is disciplined in research and through becoming aware of normalising techniques, the doctoral student interrogated her research methods and philosophical orientation. Ethnodrama (Denzin, N. K. (2010). The qualitative manifesto. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press) and autoethnography provided the doctoral student with an opportunity for alternate meaning-making, which can be productive in understanding the journey of becoming in academia

Material and Energy Beneficiation of the Automobile Shredder Residues

11 pagesInternational audienceAlthough vehicles represent a main key of our modern society, they affect our environment via the energy and resource consumption, waste generation during their manufacturing as well as greenhouse gas emissions all along their use. Further, hazardous residues are produced at the end-of-life vehicles "ELV". After collection and dismantling, the remainders of the ELV are directed to shredding operator followed by a series of mechanical and physical separations in order to recover the ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The residue of the shredding process, called automobile shredder residue "ASR" represents about 20-25% of the ELV. The ASR, while toxic enough to be classified as hazardous waste, could be considered as material and energy sources. The present study deals with the possibility of material and energy beneficiation of the ASR by its use in the metallurgical units. ASR samples from an European automobile shredder company were collected and subjected to the physical separation process followed by a thermodynamic approach and isothermal batch tests to assess the reducing performance and energy capacity of the ASR hydrocarbon matter. Particular attention was devoted to the behavior of several residual and tramp elements (Cl, Pb, Cu, Zn) affecting the metallurgical process and the product quality. Results showed that physical operations (screening, attrition, dry low intensity magnetic separation) lead to a selective extraction of the mineral part of the ASR which can be directed to the blast furnace unit. Direct reduction of hematite by the plastics contained in the ASR was obtained at 1000-1050 °C resulting into multistage steps of Fe2O3 converting into metallic iron. Multi-parametric analysis of the results suggests that the purified ASR can partially substitute raw materials used in pig iron and steel production

Sketching the Polyphonic Design Space of Theme Parks

Drawing is a fundamental human practice of making sense of the world and communicating ideas. It embodies and gives form to acts of imagination and free thought, and it enables not only collaboration but also co-creation. As such, drawing is also fundamental to design practice; it is core to design ideation, design reasoning, technical specification, and also practice-based inquiry. The direct relationship between drawing, cognition and expression through action is well understood, and has been open to new interpretation and relevance as computer-related technologies have developed and proliferated. In the field of Human Computer Interaction, understandings of drawing practice have informed, amongst other things, the development of digital tools for communication and collaboration, and design methodologies for research and development. Sketching as a distinct form of drawing, is recognised as being central to methods for attending to user experience. In this chapter, we further consider drawing practice in the context of an HCI research project investigating technology and service design in a UK theme park, based on experiences of visiting. As members of the project team – with backgrounds in art and design, and psychology and ergonomics, we reflect on the practice of sketching in our design process of ideating, prototyping, evaluation and stakeholder engagement. Specifically, we consider the aesthetic experience of sketching as designing, and how we used the medium of sequential art for pictorial expression in a way that enabled the complexity of both our setting and our design space to be identified, critically engaged, and worked with. We had a precedent for working with this medium in the HCI field, that informed our thinking. Central to our account is a proposition that sketching afforded us a deep and at times optimal level of collaborative engagement with our research subject, one both constructive and enjoyable