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communication_of_science [2007-10-12 09:32] – theunkarelsecommunication_of_science [2007-10-12 12:42] (current) – theunkarelse
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-=== PCST: Public Communication of Science and Technology ===+=== New Media and PCST: Public Communication of Science and Technology ===
  
 Notes from the __Sharing Knowledge__ conference organized by the __Da Vinchi Institute__ in Amsterdam.\\ Notes from the __Sharing Knowledge__ conference organized by the __Da Vinchi Institute__ in Amsterdam.\\
  
 +== Some of this may be useful for our research into an ARG for groworld, what attracts people, what problems are associated with informative games, etc. ==
  
  
  
-=== Communication of Science and New Media === 
  
- +==== > Role of Gaming in PCST: ====
- +
-=== > Role of Gaming in PCST: ===+
 ---- ----
  
 Lecture by __Peter Vorderer__\\ Lecture by __Peter Vorderer__\\
  
-What attracts people to games or anything else for that matter?\\+**What attracts people to games or anything else for that matter?**\\ 
 The standard way of looking at this is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_Gratifications_Theory|uses and gratification theory]]\\ The standard way of looking at this is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_Gratifications_Theory|uses and gratification theory]]\\
 But Vorderer advocates the use of __entertainment research/theory__: effect-dependent theory of stimulus arrangement. But Vorderer advocates the use of __entertainment research/theory__: effect-dependent theory of stimulus arrangement.
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 PSI/PSR affective dispositions. This is of mayor importance. The success of a tv-show or game (MMOG) or a film depends very much on the popularity or unpopularity of show-hosts, avatars, movie-stars. Do we feel related, this is crucial to success.\\ PSI/PSR affective dispositions. This is of mayor importance. The success of a tv-show or game (MMOG) or a film depends very much on the popularity or unpopularity of show-hosts, avatars, movie-stars. Do we feel related, this is crucial to success.\\
  
-== Conclusion: PCST has to target these three needs just like entertainment has to and gaming meets them better than any other media. ==+=== Conclusion. === 
 +**PCST has to target these three needs just like entertainment has to and gaming meets them better than any other media.**
  
-Notes:+== Notes: ==
   * **the popularity of destruction**. We like things exploding, falling over, and crashing, especially old and expensive things. Vorderer speculates that this tapps into a deep longing for change and renewal and the liberation from existing structures. The collapsing of the World Trade Center has overtaken the Challenger-explosion as the most broadcast picture of all time.   * **the popularity of destruction**. We like things exploding, falling over, and crashing, especially old and expensive things. Vorderer speculates that this tapps into a deep longing for change and renewal and the liberation from existing structures. The collapsing of the World Trade Center has overtaken the Challenger-explosion as the most broadcast picture of all time.
   * **The budged for research into education in the USA is dominated by exploring the use of avatars as a learning tool**.   * **The budged for research into education in the USA is dominated by exploring the use of avatars as a learning tool**.
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-=== > Games and Learning. ===+==== > Games and Learning. ====
 ---- ----
-Lecture by Ute Ritterfeld.+Lecture by Ute Ritterfeld.\\
  
-If kids would only devote this kind of attention to their education.+**Games, if kids would only devote this kind of attention to their education.**
  
 == Three ways to improve learning: == == Three ways to improve learning: ==
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   - blending paradigm: (as she calls it) enjoying the process of learning.   - blending paradigm: (as she calls it) enjoying the process of learning.
  
-== Serious Games. ==+== Serious Games, some statistics: ==
  
 Ritterfeld looked into serious games in the English language.\\ Ritterfeld looked into serious games in the English language.\\
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 ^  5%    | military training           | Americas Army     | ^  5%    | military training           | Americas Army     |
 ^  1%    | consumer behavior           | The Arcade Wire   | ^  1%    | consumer behavior           | The Arcade Wire   |
 +
 +My rough translation of her statistics:
  
 |        ^ age group        ^ |        ^ age group        ^
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 ^  5%    | preschool        | ^  5%    | preschool        |
  
 +|        ^ educational goal           ^ example          ^
 +^ 50%    | skills                     | maths / reading  |
 +^ 25%    | problem solving            | saving seals game|
 +^ 20%    | discovery / exploration    | history          |
 +^  5%    | awareness / attitude change| behaving well    |
 +
 +== Gaming environments; some results: ==
 +
 +In working with disadvantaged children in LA she found that it remains extremely difficult to engage children into a topic they are not already interested in, even with gaming-environments.
 +
 +They did an experiment where they presented the exact same content in 4 different ways:
 +  - interactive game.
 +  - just action replay.
 +  - hypertext.
 +  - text.
 +
 +(I will develop this further later.)
 +
 +== Determinants of presence. ==
 +
 +What holds the attention / increases engagement in educational games?
 +  * aesthetics.
 +  * challenge (at the optimal level).
 +  * narrative, the power of which she feels, is only very recently acknowledged.
 +  * personal relevance;
 +    * as a private laboratory for identity development.
 +    * developmental tasks such as dealing with competition, fear, joy, losing, winning.
 +    * mimic past experiences, for instance to deal with traumatic experiences.
 +    * enabling you to go beyond limitations, like a boy with muscular dystrophy who claims walking around a game environment are his happiest moments.
 +    * physiological arousal.
 +    * suspense / arousal due to the use of time and time-limits. 
 +
 +== Some Interesting Experiments with Games: ==
 +
 +Virtual Cliff (Blascovich 2006)\\
 +Person enters a room then gets a VR-headset which presents a cliff. The rendering is just with simple lines, nothing very intricate, and the person is asked to walk forward. 50% refuse to go there and 40% of those still refuse with a guide. 
 +
 +Virtual Combat 1 (Rizzo et al. 2007)\\
 +War veterans are helped to overcome their Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.
 +
 +Virtual Combat 2 (Henderlite 2005)
 +War veterans with and without combat experience are allowed to play for as long as they like.
 +  * without combat experience - 4 hours.
 +  * with combat experience - 9 hours.
 +
 +
 +Temporary Suspension of Disbelief.\\
 +From neurological data gathered on gaming in a MRI-scanner, Ritterfeld speculates that subjects when gaming are constantly engaged in a balancing-act between accepting the fiction as real and sometimes letting it collapse into disbelief.
 +
 +
 +== Attributes of the Perfect Educational Game. ==
 +
 +  * scaffolding learning environment.
 +  * encourages self regulated learning.
 +  * is a safe and private environment.
 +  * challenges you to go beyond impasses and problems.
 +
 +
 +=== Conclusion.===
 +
 +  * Games can be shallow entertainment, but they can also give very meaningful experiences to people.
 +  * Games are excellent at keeping the attention of individuals.
 +  * deliberate and sustained practice is the most important factor in learning, not just talent.
 +  * future games will respond to the learner state more closely to give the optimal challenge level by monitoring physical behavior:
 +    * hart rate and other physiological measures.
 +    * keyboard speed and correctness.
 +    * monitor facial expression.
 +    * body posture.
 +    * monitor voice and language.
 +
 +
 +==== > Transaction approach to Interactive Learning. ====
 +
 +Lecture by Jaqueline Broerse.\\
 +----
 +**Science communication and public health.**
 +
 +== Two Models: ==
 +
 +|        ^ model        ^ methods                             ^ influences ^ 
 +^ old    | transmission | top down dissemination of knowledge | public     |
 +^ new    | transaction  | consultation / dialog / discussion  | scientists |
 +
 +In the transaction model scientists and general public meet on equal terms and share their knowledge.
 +
 +This leads to a win /win situation:
 +  - More contextualized science.
 +  - More societal legitimacy of science.
 +  - More implementation of research.
 +
 +Anticipated problems:
 +  * small impact on policy and science.
 +  * little public interest.
 +  * results are not representative in any general sense.
 +  * expensive.
 +  * how to deal with science-illiteracy among non-scientific participants.
 +
 +
 +== Design Research for Interactive Learning. ==
 +
 +Broerse has developed processes for interactive learning with various patient groups for eight years.\\
 +Working with:
 +  * diabetics.
 +  * people with burns.
 +  * congenital heart defects.
 +  * mentally disabled.
 +  * //and several others//
 +
 +=== Ingredients. ===
 +
 +To achieve a good dialog between physicians and patients:\\
 +  * mutual respect.
 +  * active involvement throughout the project, there was a mentally disabled person involved from day 1 in all meetings for that project.
 +  * attention for diversity and plurality, many age-groups, and social groups involved.
 +  * integration of different kinds of knowledge, not a debate, because then people still tend to stick to their positions.
 +  * design the process as flexible as possible.
 +  * facilitators are key-persons for keeping things going.
 +  * don't start the dialog to early or the experts will dominate the process.
 +  * Visualization is a powerful tool for communicating between different groups.
 +
 +=== Results learned: ===
 +
 +  * Patients are able to set research priorities:
 +    * can prioritize topics (itching as top issue for people with burns)
 +    * have attention for long term value of research.
 +    * can bring new topics to research.
 +  * This process clears up differences in priorities for researchers and patients.
 +  * it remains difficult to address power differences between doctors and patients, but:
 +    * increasing the number of patients helps.
 +    * preparing patients for this helps.
 +  * the facilitator is crucial.
 +  * there are always issues with enthusiasm and mistrust.
 +  * the dialog is seen as very gratifying for all parties.
 +  * the use of peers increases impact of research results (like patient organizations)
 +  * tackling scientific illiteracy by giving lessons, just makes patients more shy to share their part of the story.
 +  * the dialog doesn't continue when the project ends.
 +  * the medical system is not organized to work well with this new approach:
 +    * scientists have to make a paradigm shift.
 +    * lack of sense of urgency.
 +    * fears of delay.
 +    * financing dominated by scientists themselves.
 +    * patients are not present in panels and boards.
 +    * appraisal procedures are based on scientific data only.
 +    * treating other types of knowledge such as a patients daily experience as equal to scientific knowledge can be felt as a threat to their authority by scientists.
 +    * patients are not 'naive' anymore but are well informed proto-professionals, which gives them a certain mindset similar to the scientists. The real 'naive' patients that you want, are hard to find.
 +
 +===Conclusion. ===
 +
 +== How do the anticipated results pan-out? ==
  
 +| ^ anticipated problems              ^ results                                        ^ 
 +^ |small impact on policy and science | a large impact due to involving patient groups |
 +^ |little public interest             | a much closer network with the general public  |
 +^ |results are not representative     | more implementation of research                |
 +^ |expensive                          | same                                           |
 +^ |science-illiteracy problem         | needs good moderation                          |
  
  

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