Integrating Work Experience into the Digital Media Curriculum: A Case Study

We present a case study of the integration of a work experience component into an undergraduate degree in Creative Digital Media. This is a fully accredited academic module that immerses the student in a professional working environment for most of a semester. The aim is to facilitate the development of digital media skills by applying them within the workplace and to leverage the use of work-based learning in order to produce more competent, confident and employable graduates. Our case study is informed firstly by analysis of, and reflection on, our experiences of running the programme since its inception in 2010. We describe the Creative Digital Media degree and how work experience is integrated into it, and also explain our strategies for securing, managing and assessing placements. Secondly we present the results of a substantial survey of the student experience of the process. We report on student attitudes to work experience and analyze the impact that it has on both undergraduate learning and post- graduation employment. Our findings indicate a strong belief within the graduate cohort that work experience is a valuable addition to the undergraduate programme particularly with respect to future employability. We also find that the effectiveness of the placement is closely linked to the type of organisation in which the student is placed. We conclude with some discussion of the results and some recent changes to the work experience process

Interactive 2D and 3D Graphics over the World-Wide Web with ActionScript

Many efforts have been made to provide a mechanism for delivering interactive 3D content over the World-Wide Web. The majority of the solutions put forward require the use of a proprietary plug-in on the client browser and none of these required plug-ins have so far become part of the standard browser installation package. The Macromedia Flash player has however achieved near ubiquitous status as the standard plug-in for displaying interactive multimedia and graphics content. Flash does not provide native support for 3D graphics but the recent addition of the Shape Drawing API opens up the possibility of developers using ActionScript for this purpose. This paper describes the development of an ActionScript graphics library that consists of a set of reusable classes for adding interactive 2D and 3D graphics to Flash content. We describe these classes in detail, show examples of programs developed using them, and discuss the advantages of this approach

Civil war: A board game as pedagogy and critique

This paper describes the use of a board game, Civil War, as a learning experience in the context of a course on critical theory. Civil War was created by the Educational Games Company of Lebanon and is set during the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. The game functions both as a pedagogical instrument, in that players learn about the situation in Lebanon while playing the game, but also as a form of critique, in that its makers are clearly using it as a means of articulating their lived experiences and challenging the dominant narratives around the conflict. We suggest that the game is a rare example of one that is counter ideological in nature, as rather than perpetuating stereotyped views of Middle East conflicts that are constructed and imposed from outside, it instead directly presents the experience of those who are inside. A case study of using the game in the context of a class on postcolonialism is presented and responses by students are analysed. We argue that the active experience of playing a board game is an effective way of engaging students with a topic, and in this case in particular, an effective way of connecting them with the lived experiences of others

A Survey of Procedural Techniques for City Generation

The computer game industry requires a skilled workforce and this combined with the complexity of modern games, means that production costs are extremely high. One of the most time consuming aspects is the creation of game geometry, the virtual world which the players inhabit. Procedural techniques have been used within computer graphics to create natural textures, simulate special effects and generate complex natural models including trees and waterfalls. It is these procedural techniques that we intend to harness to generate geometry and textures suitable for a game situated in an urban environment. Procedural techniques can provide many benefits for computer graphics applications when the correct algorithm is used. An overview of several commonly used procedural techniques including fractals, L-systems, Perlin noise, tiling systems and cellular basis is provided. The function of each technique and the resulting output they create are discussed to better understand their characteristics, benefits and relevance to the city generation problem. City generation is the creation of an urban area which necessitates the creation of buildings, situated along streets and arranged in appropriate patterns. Some research has already taken place into recreating road network patterns and generating buildings that can vary in function and architectural style. We will study the main body of existing research into procedural city generation and provide an overview of their implementations and a critique of their functionality and results. Finally we present areas in which further research into the generation of cities is required and outline our research goals for city generation

Extending Physical Simulation to the Audio Domain

Using physical simulation to control movement and interactions between objects in a 3D environment, such as a computer game, has become increasingly common However; this idea has not been extended in a general sense to the audio domain. The audio component of these systems usually comprises of pre-recorded WAV files that are triggered in response to events. We argue that this approach has serious limitations and propose instead that the physical information made available by physics engines provides an opportunity to carry out synthesis of appropriate sounds from scratch. We outline a framework for adding a sound synthesis module to a physics engine and discuss some approaches to implementing this

Camera Control through Cinematography in 3D Computer Games

Modern 3D computer games have the potential to employ principles from cinematography in rendering the action in the game. Using principles of cinematography would take advantage of techniques that have been used to render action in cinematic films for more than a century. This paper outlines our proposal to develop a camera control system that uses principles of cinematography for 3D computer games and provides a critical review of related research

Pathfinding in Computer Games

One of the greatest challenges in the design of realistic Artificial Intelligence (AI) in computer games is agent movement. Pathfinding strategies are usually employed as the core of any AI movement system. This report will highlight pathfinding algorithms used presently in games and their shortcomings especially when dealing with real-time pathfinding. With the advances being made in other components, such as physics engines, it is AI that is impeding the next generation of computer games. This report will focus on how machine learning techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms can be used to enhance an agents ability to handle pathfinding in real-time

Sensory Seduction and Narrative Pull

User experience design is a process that has been defined, developed and refined over the last few decades. It is a process of shaping a user\u27s movements through a website or mobile application. It is user-focussed, prioritising utility, ease-of-use and efficiency. It is widely used and has helped advance the way in which users interact with websites and mobile applications, making it far less frustrating. User experience design is a key element in how the internet and mobile technology have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. Given this success, it would seem that continuing to use this process for new communication technologies would be the best way forward. However, it could limit the discovery of opportunities and uses for these new technologies. This paper looks at the importance of visual inquiry, experimentation and play for new technologies, particularly Augmented Reality (AR). AR is an emerging visual communication medium, and it is our contention that only through visual exploration and experimentation with the technology can a unique visual language emerge that will engage users in a manner befitting it. We explore the creative input that has helped shape the aesthetics of communication media at various points in history, from the humble poster to the internet aesthetic we know today, and look forward to the opportunities that lie waiting for the creation of new user experiences that have the sensory seduction and narrative pull that AR promises

Smokers and ex-smokers have shared differences in the neural substrates for potential monetary gains and losses

Despite an increased understanding of nicotine addiction, there is a scarcity of research comparing the neural correlates of non-drug reward between smokers and ex-smokers. Long-term changes in reward-related brain functioning for non-drug incentives may elucidate patterns of functioning that potentially contribute to ongoing smoking behaviour in current smokers. Similarly, examining the effects of previous chronic nicotine exposure during a period of extended abstinence may reveal whether there are neural correlates responsible for non-drug reward processing that are different from current smokers