Collage of The Stages of Life by Casper David Fredrich
with my jewelry designs
This has been an interesting semester.
You can access my Final Reflection paper here:
Assessment
Assessment plan
This course is designed to fill a knowledge gap of how art and scientific fields such as engineering are connected. Additionally, learners will examine how different fields visualize ideas and look at how technology can assist with that process.
This unit consists of three sections. In the first section, learners watch videos and read about how people and professionals in many different fields use technology to expand their design practice. After watching the videos and reading the material, the learner will write an essay about how these technologies can assist with the design practice. In writing this essay, the learner will be able to reflect on the material and synthesize it. This process calls for the learner to self assess the material presented and synthesize how it could help them form new ideas and concepts.
As this course is self paced and an elective, the assessment strategies are focused on encouraging person to complete the course. Badges are awarded for completing each module. Some elements of the course rely on the participant to self assess their progress. As an example, in learning software such as Sculptris, one needs to evaluate their knowledge of the software and reflect on how their knowledge base affects their ability to build their skills in using the software. The learner would be encouraged to experiment as much as possible as the key to success with Sculptris is being able to know how the controls affect the degree to which one can manipulate the digital clay. If one gains a great deal of understanding about how the digital clay will transform, they will know how much they can push the clay. If they manipulate it too much, they could destroy their creation which would be very frustrating for them which could contribute to a learner not wanting to continue.
If I were to offer this course at an institution where the learners were graded for their work, I would need to modify and refine the grading system.
Design a Presentation
In creating a presentation, the learner will be able to use the material covered in the course and show what they have learned. They will self assess while designing their project.
Use 3-d sculpting to create a project
In creating a project with the digital software program, the learner will initially watch the videos which introduce the software.
Questionnaire
This questionnaire is designed to assess how learners view this course and whether it helped them to gain a greater understanding of how technology can assist with design processes of experimentation, conceptualization, planning and other design problem solving.
Do you feel that the material in this course has given you a greater understanding of how art and science can compliment each other?
Has the material in this course given you a better idea of how technology can be used to visualize solutions to design problems?
Storyboard and Script
In this course, we will look at how art and science influence each other. In many ways, art and science go hand in hand. One benefits the other. For thousands of years, art and science were not separated, but were part of a creative process of discovery and problem solving. In the 21st century, these fields have become increasingly compartmentalized. There is a movement called STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) which is interested in bringing the arts into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) courses. (RISD, n.d.)
Drawing has been used as a method for visualization in the arts as well as engineering and other fields. Computers have opened up new possibilities for artists, designers, architects engineers to expand their toolbox to new possibilities for conceptualizing ideas and visualizing solutions to design challenges.
In this course, we will examine some ways people have visualized ideas in the past. We will explore how 3-D computer modeling is an extension of drawing tools used in the past. From there, we will look at of the uses of 3-D modeling and consider how 3-D modeling and virtual reality can be used for conceptualization. Finally, we will look at the digital modeling program Skulptris (Pixologic, 2015) and create a digital model which can be downloaded and used in virtual reality environments.
Storyboards and Scripts for videos
Leonardo Da Vinci video
Cubism video
Introduction to digital modeling
Modeling a Digital Skull
Discussion format
For each module, watch the videos and read the selected material. Choose 2 questions(if there are more than 2) and write a short essay (350 words minimum) about how these ideas about technology affect your approach to art, design or other projects. Respond to 2 other discussions, 150 word minimum. Each module will be on a different page within a blog. There is a place to comment at the end of each post.
Learning Objectives:
Virtual Reality visualization/Leonardo Da Vinci learning module:
- Gain a greater understanding of the intersection between art and science
- To get an understand of how artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and more contemporary designers visualize ideas.
- introduce audience to models of some of his inventions
- Gain an understanding how virtual reality can assist as a tool with visualization
Modernism learning module:
- Consider how computer software can assist with creative expression
- From the product development perspective, consider how 3-D technology can aid the design process
- Examine how multimedia as a convergence of different fields can be used as a creative tool
Digital Sculpting learning module
- To gain an introduction to the digital sculpting Program Skulptris
- Learn about the controls, how to manipulate the Skulptris material in digital reality
- Learn how to sculpt a skull
- Learn how to save and export a model
Virtual reality for visualization
First:
- Watch the Da Vinci video story board
- Read the paper, Scientific Visualization, 3D Immersive Virtual Reality Environments, and Archaeology in Jordan and the Near East by Kyle A. Knabb, Jurgen P. Schulze, Falko Kuester, Thomas A. DeFanti, and Thomas E. Levy: archaeological visualization
- Read: Houseal Lavigne: A workflow for city planning in SketchUp by Matt Robison
http://blog.sketchup.com/sketchupdate/houseal-lavigne-workflow-city-planning-sketchup
- Read:A pedal-powered lathe in SketchUp by David Heim
http://blog.sketchup.com/sketchupdate/pedal-powered-lathe-sketchup
Questions
- How are the methods Da Vinci used in his notebooks for visualizing projects similar to virtual reality?
- How would Da Vinci’s method for visualization be superior to working on a computer?
- How do you think Da Vinci would use computer technology?
- Did you find Da Vinci’s work easier to understand after seeing the video?
- If you were an archaeologist with only a few artifacts, how could you use virtual reality to visualize the civilization that the artifacts came from?
Project
Design a virtual reality environment to visualize the solution to a design problem
- State the problem
- Explain how virtual reality could make the design solution easier to figure out
Virtual Reality for Creativity
First:
- Watch the video Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmsR8eR2-MI
- Watch the Homage to Three Musicians Homage to the Three Musicians
- Watch the video TEd Talk by Theo Jansen
https://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures?language=e
- Read Fabulous Beasts A Developer Story by Alex Wiltshire
http://madewith.unity.com/stories/fabulous-beasts
Discussion Questions
- How could you incorporate virtual reality in designing a product or work of art for the real world?
- Discuss a design you would create which incorporates costume design, sets, music, and dance.
Digital Sculpting
First:
- Watch the Sculptris instructional videos
These will be sourced through videos published on YouTube.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think you will try Sculptris?
- Did the introductory video make the sculpting process clear?
References
Heim, D. (2015) A pedal-powered lathe in SketchUp, SketchUpdate News & Updates, Sketchup website. retrieved from:
http://blog.sketchup.com/sketchupdate/pedal-powered-lathe-sketchup
Jansen, T. (2007) My Creations: A New Form of Life, TED Talk website, March 2007. retrieved from:
https://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures?language=en
Knabb, K. A., Schulze, J. P., Kuester, F., DeFanti, T. A., and Levy, T. E., (2014) Scientific Visualization, 3D Immersive Virtual Reality Environments, and Archaeology in Jordan and the Near East, Near Eastern Archaeology, 77:3, p. 228-232.
National Gallery of Art (2014)Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, Youtube, published May 30, 2014. retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmsR8eR2-MI
Pixologic (2015) Sculptris, Pixologic, Inc. retrieved from
http://pixologic.com/sculptris/
RISD (n.d.) RISD + Arts Advocacy, STEM to STEAM, RISD website, Rhode Island School of Design. retrieved from:
http://www.risd.edu/about/STEM_to_STEAM/
Robison, M., (2015) Houseal Lavigne: A workflow for city planning in SketchUp SketchUpdate News & Updates, Sketchup website. retrieved from:
http://blog.sketchup.com/sketchupdate/houseal-lavigne-workflow-city-planning-sketchup
Wiltshire, A. (2015) Fabulous Beasts A Developer Story, Made With Unity, October 21, 2015. retrieved from:
http://madewith.unity.com/stories/fabulous-beasts
Selection of My Environment
The environment for my project will be the WordPress blog which I have been posting my Blog entries on. I will set up pages for each separate film and will post questions about the material withing the post. People will be able to leave comments on each page.
I had originally thought that I could create a learning environment installation on the Kitely island which included information about da Vinci. I thought that people could read the information, after which the avatar would answer questions which were posted on signs. If they clicked on the right answer, they would find a teleport to the next subject area. This idea had a few glitches. As I tried out my links, I found my avatar ended up in uncharted water several times, with a message that the territory no longer exists as a message. While I have set up teleport scripts before, I actually did not realize how unreliable the X,Y, Z coordinates are when entered into the script for teleporting. With this in mind, I thought that I should use a different approach to creating a presentation.
I had also thought that designing within the Kitely environment would be closer to a game environment. For the first few weeks of class, I was trying to figure out what I could design through modeling software programs and the content from da Vinci’s life I should focus on so I guess I had really not thought the final product completely through. In the final analysis, I will need some sort of documentation of the project from this semester. Although I will still create the virtual reality environment installation on Kitely, I will use the environment as a set and create a film from the Kitely installation. This is the best solution as I do not plan on keeping the Kitely islands “live” after the end of the semester.
By creating a film, I can retain access to the project that I created during this semester and use it as part of my portfolio. A Kitely island as an artifact would be somewhat impossible to include in one’s portfolio. By using WordPress as a site to post my project with assessment questions, I will be able to organize the project in one place with the other elements of my portfolio from previous classes.
I previously wrote that I was not going to include the video inspired by Picasso. I have rethought the project through and will include it. These projects are ultimately about 3-D visualizations and creating game and virtual reality environments.
The WordPress design I am currently using is Boardwalk. I am not sure that it provides a clear and easy to use format so I may change the design of the blog in the next few days. I decided to change the design to Edda which offers a better format for organizing. There is a menu at the top right of the page. This indexes different subjects and will make finding other pages easier when I add pages under other topics.
I will create a separate page for my ethics statement was well as separate pages for content created in previous courses as I move forward to assemble a portfolio of material created for the MALET program
Other content includes two other literature reviews, other videos of virtual reality islands, blogs written about the projects for other classes.
If you would like to visit my Kitely island, Computer Castle, I hope that you would let me know so that I could meet you there. I am in the middle of setting up the installation for this project so it’s a bit disorganized. Here is a link:
hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/computer castle/118/31/42
Please let me know if you have questions.
Project Proposal
Full Project Proposal
Creativity and Influences
Re configuring my project concept
In my project proposal, my idea was to create a game in which I utilized concepts such as flow. Flow is a complicated state. It is influenced by one’s skills, training, interests, background, concept of the world and many other things. The subjects one studies influences their perspective as well as their skills.
As I have continued to explore this game environment concept, I have run into some obstacles or constraints to this idea. The first is that the models that I have created have too high a polygon count to upload into the Unity game engine. I am planning on developing a game using Unreal, another game engine, but I do not think I will have enough time this semester to completely develop that game environment.
I previously created the beginnings of a game environment in Unity and I am planning on using that environment to creating a film explore how the work of Picasso’s work in Cubism influenced some of my work. It would be more of a personal statement about influences but would also address the idea of flow as an element of creativity.
Audience analysis
As I do not have a specific group of people that I am designing educational curriculum for, my audience would be a person who is interested in experimenting with multimedia or a person who is interested in game design.This person could be other artists, a high school students or college art students unfamiliar with virtual reality, game design or 3-D digital sculpting.
Context Development
I am planning on creating an environment on a Kitely island that I set up. I am planning on using my Kitely island as well as the environment that was created in Unity as sets for the video about Cubism. Finally I will film a video about digital sculpting in Sculptris and edit it in Movie Maker. I will upload the videos onto a WordPress blog or a Wix website which I will set up.
Discussion of Constraints
Time, skills, money, computer capabilities are some constraints I have come up against. Although I have researched game design, I need to learn more about game engines. I have tried Blender and Unity as game engines. I can’t use unity as the polycount of my models is too high. I found that Blender was somewhat complicated to use. It did not allow for manipulation of objects in a viewer screen and required that one move items by going into a edit screen (not is what it’s called) This is a very clumsy designing process. Unity is somewhat easier to use but I have found that uploading textures onto models in Unity to be more complicated than I anticipated. I was able to upload higher polycount models into Blender but it is harder to use than Unity. Many games are created in Unreal so I am hoping that this game engine is easier to texture models and can accommodate higher polycount models.
Development of Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for the environment about Leonardo da Vinci are to create an environment where it is easier to visualize the work of da Vinci. Another learning objective is to create models of some of his inventions. Many of his inventions were created for his patron Ludovico Sforza, who commissioned the Last Supper as well as several portraits and an equestrian statue commemorating his father. As these works are presented in art history books, the works are spread out and unless one takes the time to study his works in detail, this detail might be lost. Another learning objective is an introduction to the digital modeling software program Sculptris. The final learning objective is to examine the influence Modernism had on my work through a video.
Inclusion of Instructional Strategies
The instructional strategies will include how to videos about Sculptris, info on Kitely about Leonardo da Vinci, questions about material on Kitely which if answered correctly, will provide a teleport to another area of the island.
Content Creation
Installation
Build da Vinci installation on Kitely. This installation will be based on biographical elements as well as his work. I am interested in creating models of some of the machines and weapons he invented and setting them up on an island in Kitely which features a Medieval fort. There are rocks as well as water features which I will use as a backdrop to show some of da Vinci’s drawings and inventions. I am also interested in arranging this installation in chronological order according to how these events occurred in Leonardo da Vinci’s life. As an example, many of the weapons he designed were for the same patron the person who commissioned the Last Supper.
Create documents in word which I upload into Kitely as textures and create signs out of them
Videos
Film sculpting with Screen Cast-O-Matic. Upload into Movie Maker with narration created with Movie Maker. Add music track
Video about Picasso influence: Film Unity game. Add photos and music. Create with Animoto or Movie Maker.
Learning Activities Design
This will include videos about Sculptris on a website or blog, possibly a link to videos imbedded within the Leonardo da Vinci installation, info about Leonardo da Vinci placed on writing desks next to the corresponding work, questions which invite the visitor to click on the right answer to access a teleport link to the next art area. Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of inventions will be next to models created from them.
Assessment
In the Leonardo da Vinci environment, questions will be created as signs and they will be placed next to information about the art. The visitor will be invited to answer the question and the right answer will give access to a teleport link to the next art area. For the instructional videos, I will create a short questionnaire to gauge thoughts about the video(s)
Needs analysis
From my research, I found that many people see virtual reality as an end in itself. They do not see a connection to other design possibilities. I hope that by showing some of da Vinci’s drawings of inventions next to models created from them, people will make the connection to engineering. From own perspective, this project will serve as scaffolding for my final project.
Project Timeline
- Week 1-Oct 14
- Oct 18 Full Project proposal due
-Begin to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Begin to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Begin to build environment in Kitely
- Week 2-Oct 21
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 3-Oct 28
- Nov 1-Project: Script and Storyboard
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 4-Nov 4
- Nov 8-Ethics Statement
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 5-Nov 11
- Nov 15-Integrate project elements into portfolio
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 6-Nov 18
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 7-Nov 25
-Continue to film Sculptris instructional videos
-Continue to assemble video shot in Unity about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Continue to build environment in Kitely
- Week 8-Dec 3
-Finalize Sculptris instructional videos
-Finalize video about Picasso’s Three Musicians
-Finalize environment in Kitely
- Week 9-Dec 10
- Dec 13-Final Reflection
- Week 10-Dec 17–
- Dec 17-Final project due
- Dec 17-Showcase Dry Run: live in Second Life, Thursday, at 7 PM.
- Dec 20-Finalized Portfolio due
Project Budget
- Kitely-3 months at 20.00/mo……..………………………………….………$60.00
- Hughesnet-3 months at 60.00/mo…………………………………………..$180.00
- Computer-already own
- Animoto-3 months at 5.00/mo………………………….…………………..$15.00
- Screencast-o-matic-free version
- Movie Maker-software on my computer
- Sculptris-free software
- Music-open source music library
- TOTAL $255.00
Project Abstract
Project abstract
With the current interest in STEM curriculum and the research into how virtual reality environments are a place for creative expression, there is not much showing the connection between the arts and sciences like engineering.
My project will address the gap that exists in virtual reality research regarding creativity in the arts as a scaffold to other fields such as design, engineering. My project will comprise a Kitely virtual reality environment centered on the work of Leonardo da Vinci, a video about Picasso as an influence on my art created from machinima filmed in Unity along with photographs, as well as one or 2 instructional videos about sculpting with Sculptris, digital sculpting software similar to ZBrush, also created by Pixologic.
Digital sculpting has similarities to sculpting physical material. The Sculptris sculpting videos will included detailed instructions about the functions of the sculpting controls. Most videos show modeling without explanation. This makes the process appear automatic. Through these videos, I hope to address the fact that sculpting digital material is similar to sculpting physical material. My audience would be other artists, engineers, architects, students, educators or anyone who considered using digital medium for expression.
Literature Review
Marjorie Thompson
Master of Arts in Learning and Emerging Technology
Advanced Design Seminar
Literature Review
Virtual Reality Visualization Aiding Information Synthesis, Design, and Creativity
Abstract
Virtual reality environments are increasingly used in many fields as a way to visualize designs as well as a way to contextualize data. Virtual reality provides a state of immersion for designers as well as audience. Many people are familiar with the virtual reality website Second Life. However numerous fields create virtual reality environment utilizing many different software programs. In this literature review, I have focused on literature that considers how virtual reality is being used in the fields archaeology, architecture, art and design This literature review considers research into virtual reality environments as they relate to the topic on my Advanced Design Seminar project, Virtual Reality as an creative tool and aid in visualization for the fields of art design. Having an understanding of how virtual reality is being used in different fields will help me design my project for this course as well as my final project.
In the book, Reality is Broken, game designer Jane McGonigal discusses why games aid in learning. She writes, “Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good, hard work.”McGonigal, 2011) She cites a 1975 study by psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Beyond Bordom and Anxiety in which “the focus of the study was a specific kind of happiness that Csikszentmihalyi named flow:”the statisfying, exhilarating feeling of creative accomplishment and heightened accomplishment.” (McGonigal, 2011) In the paper, “Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory”, this concept is further defined:” Flow is a state of deep absorption in an activity that is intrinsically enjoyable, as when artists or athletes are focused on their play or performance (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Individuals in this state perceive their performance to be pleasurable and successful, and the activity is perceived as worth doing for its own sake, even if no further goal is reached (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2002). The individual functions at his or her fullest capacity, and the experience itself becomes its own reward (DeCharms, 1968; Deci, 1975). Highly creative artists and scholars have reported the experience of flow when engaged in their best work (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).”(Shernoff et al., 2003)
Video games like World of Warcraft or Skyrim use virtual reality environments. Virtual reality environments like Second Life have also been categorized as games. Although virtual reality has been characterized as having a steep learning curve, there are many creative possibilities in art education. In the paper, “Art Education Avatars in Action: Preparing Art Teachers for Learning and Teaching in a Virtual Age”, Lilly Lu discusses why virtual reality is an ideal medium to teach art. She writes,” This is especially true and important in the field of art education because visualization, which Taylor (2009) has described as “visual digital, and conceptual metaphors” that drive avatars and VWs, is the key component of the 3D VW environment….Learning through visual perception and creation is what art education is about.” (Lu, 2011) Lu highlights five unique capabilities of the 3D VW: creating art objects/spaces for artistic expression, adding animated and interactive elements to avatars and objects, exhibiting virtual artifacts, allowing global audience members to access and comment on art, and designing visual-learning experiences with interaction and interactivity. She writes the virtual reality spaces can “serve as a contemporary art medium, an innovative learning tool, a creation and exhibition arena, and a common ground that allows art educators and students to experience, learn, and teach about aspects of digital visual culture”(Lu, 2011)
In her paper, Ms Lu points out that learning in virtual reality takes place in four stages and that each stage is built on knowledge and skills learned from the preceding stage. These 4 stages are characterized by Ms Lu as Newbie, Resident, Builder, and Host. In these stages one becomes more familiar with the virtual environment and gradually becomes more sure of their abilities.(Lu, 2011) By breaking down the skill acquisition process in this way, one can see how students could become more adept at using the unfamiliar 3-D environment and note how their skill level increased.
How could an artist use the principles of gamification to create interactive art exhibits in virtual reality? In the paper, “Gamification in Virtual Reality Digital Game Art”, the authors write about how virtual reality is being used to create interactive art platforms where the audience can participate in the art work, which they term a form of New Media Art. The authors explain it thus: “Many artists use the digital technology for their art works. The technology applied in the art works makes the audience as a participant of the art because the digital art works can be complete with the audience’s active participation. The audience’s active intervention changes the contents of the art works through the interaction between the art work and the audience. Therefore, currently, the audience becomes a ‘user’ or a ‘participant’. When the audience immersed in the art work and enjoy it optically, acoustically and tactually then emotional rewards are accompanied like a game play system. Therefore, in this paper, we applied Gamification to Digital Game Art to increase the audience’s participation and commitment.” (Lee et al, 2013)
They cite several art pieces where players interact with art and are watched by a worldwide audience. They define gameification as the interplay of fiction and “It is use of game mechanics such as, motivation and entertainment or use game design elements as rule and goal in other than a game.” It was interesting to read about different art pieces which incorporate fictional elements into art. This opens art work in virtual reality up to many possibilities. (Lee et al, 2013)
In the paper, “3-D Virtual Worlds as Art Media and Exhibition Arenas: Students’ Responses and Challenges in Contemporary Art Education”, Lilly Lu continues her research with students using virtual reality as a vehicle for creating art creation and exhibition. Having worked with art education students on projects, she notes that she had found some negative reactions to virtual reality: ”Some students were unwilling to accept or adopt 3-D VWs for education because they did not see its value as an educational tool (Lambert & Kidd, 2008) and did not take it seriously (FitzGibbon, Oldham, & Johnston, 2008).” (Lu, 2013) In her research she asks 3 questions: “How do the students respond to a 3-D VW as an art medium and exhibit arena in art education? What is the art education students’ perceived learning within 3-D VWs? Will they adopt 3-D VWs in their future art practice?”(Lu, 2013) The paper details a project where students used Second Life to create art and then had an art exhibit which was attended by avatars from all over the world. The students expressed they liked the idea of interacting with people from all over the world and the anonymity of the avatar persona gave them greater freedom to express themselves. (Lu, 2013)
How can virtual reality experience be applied to other situations? In addition to exploring the many sites created in Second Life or Kitely, there are many other applications for virtual reality. Virtual reality is used in many fields to visualize concepts in 3-D virtual space. This renders the software a central part of design process. Virtual reality has been used by many industries as a space to create working models, engage the viewer or client as well as an aid in visualization. Understanding how virtual reality is being used by different fields gives insight into the capabilities of programs like Sketchup, the Unity game engine as well as Kitely or Second Life where many people have experienced virtual reality environments. In the paper,”Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory”, high school students were studied to determine the conditions under which students felt engaged with the course curriculum within the context of Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory: “Participants experienced increased engagement when the perceived challenge of the task and their own skills were high and in balance, the instruction was relevant, and the learning environment was under their control.” Showing how different fields use virtual reality as a tool would be a valuable method of providing scaffolding to students, a sort of virtual internship, in preparation for professional practice. “Issuing appropriate challenges and providing opportunities to enhance skills (e.g., providing immediate feedback and incrementally teaching more complex skills that build upon previously learned skills) may be one of the most ideal ways of engaging students.” (Shernoff et al, 2003)
There are many areas in the fields of art, architecture and design where virtual reality is utilized as a visualization tool in the design process. Architects and engineers are trained in computer aided drafting or CAD programs to create drawings of products, building plans, elevations of architectural designs, and renderings of the design proposed buildings. Software programs such as Blender, Sketchup and Unity give people the opportunity to create virtual reality environments and build architectural constructions. These software programs also offer the opportunity to import models created with other software such as AutoCAD, ZBrush, Rhino or entire constructions into the 3-D environment. Each software program has elements that are slightly different, resulting in programs that range in difficulty to learn from moderate to difficult. In addition, websites such as Second Life, Blender or Sketchup have marketplaces or design warehouses where models or entire environments are available to download. Some of these can be downloaded for free and others designers charge a fee for. This gives “newbies” the opportunity to create virtual worlds fairly quickly, which lowers the learning curve.
Architect Nick Sonder uses Sketchup software to create architectural drawings, construction details and then uses the software to create a 3-D models of his designs. He has made many videos about his design process. In them, he discusses how this software has changed his architectural practice. It has helped him to speed up the design process and the visualizations help his clients understand his designs. Committing to build a house takes a lot of trust on the part of the client. It is a huge financial commitment and many people can’t read blueprints. Being able to see the future construction in understandable, clear drawings as opposed to blueprints would help the client comprehend what their house would look like. The models of houses created in virtual reality give people the opportunity to tour the design, gaining an understanding of the room layout, which includes site layout, positioning of windows, and details such as fixture hardware, inbuilt furniture and lighting. This process also gives clients the opportunity to decide if the design would suit their needs or if they would like to modify it and create house specifically tailored to them. For contractors, this gives them a clear idea of how a building and project will come together, eliminating guesswork and/or mistakes.(CGwerx, 2014)
When considering virtual reality as an educational tool, one is confronted by the question, What is virtual reality? Is virtual reality technology dependent? In Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, the authors point out that a virtual world does not have to be computer based. ”Human Beings have always been adept at creating virtual worlds in their minds based on stories they hear and books they read.”(Nelson et al., 2012)
In his art history dissertation, “Creating the Elsewhere: Virtual Reality in the Ancient Roman World”, Michael R. Bowman discusses the idea that the virtual world is not dependent on technology, but has been a concept from ancient times. He examines the concept of the virtual world in the context of the theory of Cognitive Linguistics. He writes, “cognitive linguistics known as Text-world Theory,…attempts to provide an understanding of how humans universally process discourse through the creation of mental “worlds” into which they project themselves, a projection which I believe forms the basis of virtual experience….My dissertation research suggests that the architecture and decorative programs of many Roman houses created just such not-quite-closed sets…engaging…in imagination of a “more radical elsewhere.”(Bowman, 2015)
Beginning in ancient Greece, he writes about how Aristotle’s definition of potential of matter in contrast to actual matter is relevant to the concept of virtual reality:
“Actuality” means the presence of the thing, not in the sense which we mean by”potentially.” We say that a thing is present potentially as Hermes is present in the wood, or the half-line in the whole, because it can be separated from it; and as we call even a man who is not studying “a scholar” if he is capable of studying.” (Bowman, 2015)
Bowman reflects on how these concepts were represented in the language which also became present in the art and other cultural expressions. In this context, he analyses the meaning of wall art in the houses of the Classical world such as Pompeii and other city states of what is now Italy. Rather than mere decoration, he argues that the murals of symbolic architectural landscapes served as theatrical sets within which home owners framed their experiences of life. (Bowman, 2015)
This interest in creating immersive fantasy landscapes extended to garden design as well. “In the end, we can see how Roman gardens, as well enveloping wall painting programs indoors, were used to create environments that were intended to transport the viewer to another place, to an “elsewhere,” whether that be a mythological, foreign, or class based one. These spaces, often times elaborated with sculpture and mosaic, in creating an environment that could be entered and surround a viewer, provided even more forceful engagement through which a viewer could create the mental text-worlds needed for a transportative experience.” (Bowman, 2015)
In considering the wall art and garden design from this perspective, one obtains a greater understanding of the mindset at the time from the subjective point of view in the present tense rather than as a historical revisionist perspective.
In the field of archaeology, the technological innovations of virtual reality 3-D environments are being used to visualize the past. In the paper, “The MayaArch 3D project: A 3D WebGIS for analyzing ancient architecture and landscapes”, several archaeological projects which implement the technology of virtual reality along with other technological innovations to visualize archaeological sites are discussed. The authors note: “But the first challenge is simply to bring together data on the temple that is spread around the world in various archives and museums and to determine how the building once appeared in the past.“ ( Schwerin et al, 2013)
Using various 3-D modeling software programs such as Sketchup and 3DStudioCAD, 3-D buildings were created and then imported into the game engine Unity to create models of archaeological sites. These models included the architecture as well as the layout of the city, according to the data from the landscape. The 3-D modeling was linked with GIS to assure accurate location information. Images of Mayan carvings were superimposed onto the architectural forms, giving scholars an idea of how architectural fragments were part of buildings and how they fit into the overall plan of a site. The authors write,” It has grown into an international, interdisciplinary project that brings together art historians, archaeologists, and cultural resource managers with experts in remote sensing, photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and VR.” ( Schwerin et al, 2013)
The paper, “Scientific Visualization, 3D Immersive Virtual Reality Environments, and Archaeology in Jordan and the Near East”, details an immersive virtual reality archaeological project, Cave Automated Virtual Environments, or CAVEs. This virtual reality project involves archaeological sites, recreated as “semi- or fully-immersive virtual reality systems constructed from multiple screens displaying stereo images. These stereo images are then separated into the left and right eyes by polarized glasses worn by users. This way, a 3D stereoscopic perspective is created that mimics the way humans see in 3D in real life.” (Knabb et al, 2014) The authors describe the context in which the virtual reality project was initiated: ”For centuries, practitioners of archaeology have meticulously drafted maps and illustrations, and captured photographs of sites and landscapes.” (Knabb et al, 2014) They describe the scientific visualization goals of the project as bridging the gap between the maps and illustrations created by archaeologists and the archaeological site itself. The project is a synthesis of data and the archaeological site and has 3 goals. The first is to organize and present “compelling visual imagery using a variety of data sets.” This includes excavation data, digital images, site reports, remote sensing, etc., presented in an easily understandable format. The second goal is to create an environment that archaeologists can revisit multiple times to take measurements and make observations. The third goal is to integrate the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with the virtual reality environment, allowing a user to browse the space and locate individual artifacts. The paper goes into details of how the virtual reality environment was constructed, how models were created in Sketchup, modified as well as how the terrain was created from data NASA’s ASTER global digital elevation models as well as other computer systems. The article has images of the virtual reality environment which are quite impressive. Clearly, the possibilities for virtual reality environments are quite astonishing. (Knabb et al, 2014)
Most art history survey courses require students to learn many art works. In the paper, “Art Thief: An Educational Computer Game Model for Art Historical Instruction”, Robert Bersson asks, “Why are we so tied to the lecture method?” (Kinkley, 2009) This paper describes the situation with art history professors who “are generally not taught how to teach—and a tenure system in universities that rewards scholarly publication over teaching skills” (Kinkley, 2009) Some art history teachers quoted in the paper, found that IM is an “effective tutorial for art history classes” and further that IM “can contribute to the attainment of higher-order understandings and choice of appropriate search strategies in thinking and writing about art” (Kinkley, 2009) Although I have not played the game, I think it would be difficult to include the amount of knowledge required in an art history class in the game described in this paper. I really never had problems becoming immersed in art history. However, a student might become more enthusiastic about a subject by playing. The other point I would note is that most students do not have time for games during a semester, although a game such as this might provide a fun break from study.
In conclusion, virtual reality offers many possibilities for enhancing the learning experience. For many fields, virtual reality is becoming a valuable tool for visualization. In the fields of art and design, virtual reality is being used as a design tool. By designing educational curriculum which incorporates the use of virtual reality environments as well as information about how this technology is being used in different fields, students would have greater understanding of how to direct their learning goals. “With respect to instructional relevance, students are more likely to become engaged with authentic academic work that intellectually involves them in a process of meaningful inquiry to solve real life problems that extend beyond the classroom.” (Shernoff et al, 2003) As Ernst Schraube points out in his paper,” First-person perspective and sociomaterial decentering: Studying technology from the standpoint of the subject.”, “The experiencing, acting subject, equipped with the possibility of consciousness, represents a sociomaterially situated being….the process of experience (such as the process of developing consciousness or reasons for actions) is mediated by others and by the particular socio-historical conditions (with their social, cultural, technological or linguistic-discursive dimensions) in which the subject conducts her/his life.” (Schraube, 2013)
Second Life can act as a scaffold as lifelong learners become adept at using the software and it can also to facilitate further inquiry by students into the capabilities of virtual reality. In order for students to understand the possibilities of the technology, it would be necessary for them to understand how it is used in different professions. This knowledge would give greater certainty for directing learning goals.
Bibliography
Bowman, M.R. (2015). “Creating the Elsewhere: Virtual Reality in the Ancient Roman World, Dissertation”, Ohio State University.
CGwerx (2014). “Sketchup and layout with Nick Sonder, Architect”, Youtube, June 11, 2014.
Kinkley, J. (2009). “Art Thief: An Educational Computer Game Model for Art Historical Instruction”, LEONARDO, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 133–137.
Knabb, K. A., Schulze, J. P.,Kuester, F., DeFanti,T. A., and Levy, T. E. (2014). “Scientific Visualization,3D Immersive Virtual Reality Environments, and Archaeology in Jordan and the Near East” Near Eastern Archaeology, 77:3.
Lee, H. Y., Kim, J. Y., Lee, W. H. (2013).”Gamification in Virtual Reality Digital Game Art”, International Journal of Digital Content Technology and its Applications(JDCTA) Volume7, Number13, Sep 2013.
Lu, L. (2011). Art Education Avatars in Action: Preparing Art Teachers for Learning and Teaching in a Virtual Age, Jl. of Technology and Teacher Education19(3), 287-301.
Lu, L. (2013). “3D Virtual Worlds as Art Media and Exhibition Arenas: Students’ Responses and Challenges in Contemporary Art Education”, Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research, 54(31),232-245.
McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is Broken, The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group, New York, New York.
Moneta, G. B., Csiksientmihalyi , M. (1996). “The Effect of Perceived Challenges and Skills on the Quality of Subjective Experience”, Journal of Personality 64:2, June 1996, Duke University Press.
Nelson, B. C., Erlandson, B.E. (2012). Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, Routledge, 711 Third Ave., New York, New York.
Schraube, E. (2013). “First-person perspective and sociomaterial decentering: Studying technology from the standpoint of the subject”. Subjectivity, 6(1), 12-32. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/sub.2012.28
Schwerin, J. v., Richards-Rissetto, H., Remondino, F., Agugiaro, G, Girardi, G. (2013). “The MayaArch3D project: A 3D Web GIS for analyzing ancient architecture and landscapes”, Literary and Linguistic Computing, Vol. 28, No. 4.
Shernoff, D. J., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Schneider, B., Shernoff, E. S. (2003). “Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory”, School Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2003, pp. 158–176.
Concept Proposal
My concept for this project is a game environment as well as videos created using images to illustrate text from mythology or Classical literature. I am really interested in the interface between narrative and flow. Projects examining this would involve how narrative is tied into the game environment as well as how individual depictions of Classical motifs would come together to create a longer narrative.
I began creating the game environment over the summer by creating 3-D designs in Rhino as well as Sculptris, the free version of ZBrush. In the example of this portrait I created, I really did not have any persona in mind. However when I uploaded it into the Unity game environment, I used it for a Man in the Moon character and then it occurred to me that it looked a little like Picasso.
As I was learning some of the software, I found myself engaging in a narrative that had more to do with other areas of art and design that I have been interested in. As I was working on the environment, I realized that the Three Musician painting was at the back of my mind and that the portrait looked like Picasso. This painting has always been one of my favorites and the period of early Modernism in art has remained as a huge influence on my interest in art.
When one is learning new software such as Rhino, there are many things one does to practice the controls in order to get an idea of how they work. I actually have used Rhino for a number of years. Previous versions did not work as well as the current version I have been using. In any case, I have found that one ends up with a great deal of designs that are not usable. Also the process of learning the software can be a little tedious, as there is a lot of trial and error involved with perfecting designs. As I have worked as a consultant model maker and designer for jewelry for more than 10 years for different companies and have also worked as a drafts person for engineering companies, I am aware of some of the methods used to teach AutoCAD and drafting. In the case of this design, it started out as a pawn design for a chess set. I decided to experiment with it by twisting it and duplicating it. It was interesting to experiment with but would not make a good chess piece. It might be interesting in a game environment, however.
As I was researching games in education, I came across a game used to teach AutoCAD software called The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy. Marc Prensky designed it through his company Games2Train for a company that developed AutoCAD software. Here is a video of the trailer of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsD9BSW_-B4 I could not find a current version of the game and was really interested in it because I thought my son would really enjoy it so I called his company to find out if there was a current version on the market. He told me that the company had changed the software so the game no longer worked. Too bad because the videos I have seen of it are really interesting. (Prensky, 2003)
I wondered if one could create their own narrative for a game and whether this would encourage them to continue to learn the software. Many of the software programs have a bit of a learning curve and it takes a little to get over that to be able to get to the next step. Students could use the items created in their game and decide what use they had after they were created. This would leave a lot of room for error and also create a game when they were done. In the Wankel and Blessinger text, constructivism as a process is described as the learner using their own experiences to construct new knowledge and meaning.(Wankel et al, 2012) By encouraging students to create an environment structured around their designs, they would continue to learn how to use more complicated elements of the software.
The videos based on ancient myths or Classical stories continues the exploration of the theme of narrative and flow. Many art works use classical themes. However they are individual works and the narrative element is separate from them. By creating a video, the image would be re contextualized, thereby reintroducing the classical context. I am still working on this idea and will have to see how much time I have after I create the game and the other supporting documentation which will involve a video journal of creative processes. As I was developing a previous virtual reality island in Kitely, I created 6 video diaries of the process. You can see these videos at this link:http://www.art-3d-2d.com/#!videos/cjik By creating a narrative, I was able to organize the process as well as the images, which I would not have done as easily otherwise.
References
Bower, Matt, John G. Hedberg, and Andreas Kuswara. “A framework for Web 2.0 learning design.” Educational Media International 47, no. 3: 177-198. 2010.
Nelson, B. C., Erlandson, B. E., 2012. Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, Routledge, 711 Third Ave.,
New York, New York.
Prensky, M., 2003. The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy, Youtube, Games2Train.
Wankel, C., Blessinger, P., 2012. Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces: Virtual Worlds, Gaming, and Simulation, Emerald Publishing Group Limited, Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingly, UK.
Initial Thoughts
In the book, A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway wrote that Gertrude Stein would have lavish dinner parties, inviting many artists, including Matisse, Braque, Gris and Picasso. She would seat each artists across from their own works. (Hemingway, 1964) The idea of pairing art with the creator got me thinking about the idea of art as virtual reality experience. This in turn made me wonder about the concept of the Zeitgeist and how art, as it changes over time, is also like a virtual world experience.
In Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, Nelson and Erlandson state that “human beings have always been adept at creating virtual worlds in their minds based on stories they hear and books they read.” They point out that this is “what game designers call a “flow state” (Nelson et al, 2012)
Flow state. What is it really? Is it dopamine or endorphins affecting the brain? In Reality is Broken, Jane McGonigal wrote about how this sense of immersion would get gamers to play for hours on end. (McGonigal, 2011) I would like to look into this to try to figure out what causes people to be able to reach a sense of immersion in the learning process so that they are able to learn more quickly and easily.
I thought the virtual reality environments cited in Design for Learning had interesting concepts. Whyville is interesting in that it appeals to girls and the focus is on science education. River City is also interesting in the way mysterious illness scenarios are presented to students. The students need to solve the mystery of the illnesses by gathering clues and creating hypotheses with the data they find. This encourages them to participate in the inquiry, which in turn encourages their curiosity. (Nelson et al, 2012)
Learning environments of interest would be blended learning environments using games, online environments as well as participatory learning by having students create projects or learn by immersive virtual reality. In the virtual worlds cited, the idea of solving a problem was used to motivate students to explore the virtual world to look for clues to solve puzzles proposed within the context of the game. This increased their observation skills and interest in scientific inquiry. Wankel and Blessinger point out that “immersive technologies,…game based, problem based and inquiry-based…enable higher levels of participation and a higher quality of effort among students.” (Wankel et al, 2012)
In Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces, Wankel and Blessinger point out that with constructivism, the learner constructs new knowledge and meaning based on his own experiences. “Hence the need for more individualized learning contexts that recognize each student’s personal values and goals is important” (Wankel et al, 2012)
I spent some of the summer researching game environments as well as game development. I began to put together a game environment in Unity. I am primarily interested in looking at virtual worlds and virtual reality as they create immersive experiences for participants, causing them to experience a state of flow which assists in learning new ideas and also assists in information retention. I just hope I have enough time to create the game environment that I have in mind.
References
Bower, Matt, John G. Hedberg, and Andreas Kuswara. “A framework for Web 2.0 learning design.” Educational Media International 47, no. 3: 177-198. 2010.
Hemingway, E, 1964. A Moveable Feast, Scribner, New York, New York.
McGonigal, J., 2011. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, The Penguin Press, New York, New York.
Nelson, B. C., Erlandson, B. E., 2012. Design for Learning in Virtual Worlds, Routledge, 711 Third Ave.,
New York, New York.
Wankel, C., Blessinger, P., 2012. Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces: Virtual Worlds, Gaming, and Simulation, Emerald Publishing Group Limited, Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingly, UK.
marjoriethompsonblog 