The use of Virtual Worlds (VWs) has increased in the last decade. VWs are used for communication, education, community building, creative arts, and more. A good deal of research has been conducted into learning and VWs, but other areas remain ripe for investigation. Factors from technological platforms to the nature and conventions of the communities that use VWs must be considered, in order to achieve the best possible interaction between virtual spaces and their users. Making Sense of Space focuses on the background to these issues, describing a range of case studies conducted by the authors. The book investigates the innovative and creative ways designers employ VWs for research, performance-making, and audience engagement. Secondly, it looks into how educators use these spaces to support their teaching practice. Lastly, the book examines the potential of VWs as new methods of communication, and the ways they are changing our perception of reality. This book is structured into four chapters. An introduction provides a history and outline of important themes for VWs, and subsequent chapters consider the design of virtual spaces, experience of virtual spaces, and communication in virtual spaces.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"It investigates the innovative and creative ways designers employ VWs for research, performance-making, and audience engagement. It also looks into how educators use these spaces to support their teaching practice, as well as the potential of VWs as new methods of communication, and the ways they are changing our perception of reality." --LISTrends.com, 2014
"...a detailed analysis of digital spaces and their use in educational, design, performance and cultural environments...contains performance and education case studies written by practitioners in those fields." --Multimedia Information & Technology, November 2014
Reihe
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Zielgruppe
Für Beruf und Forschung
Lecturers teaching in any discipline who plan to use virtual worlds as a space for learning activities; e-learning practitioners; developers of virtual worlds needing to gain a user perspective on their work; and students.
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-84334-740-8 (9781843347408)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Iryna Kuksa holds a permanent Research Fellowship in the School of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University, UK. In her research, Iryna examines a suite of rapidly-developing communication and computer-visualization techniques, which enable reciprocal exchange between viewers, artefacts and spaces, and transform the way we experience, learn and co-create our culture. She researches immersive virtual environments, which are already an important aspect of current teaching and research, and promise enormous future potential for scholars in terms of understanding virtual ecologies and sustainability of virtual performance spaces. Mark Childs is a Senior Research Fellow at Coventry University, UK, where he develops and researches online synchronous learning experiences and virtual collaborations, with 15 years experience in this field and work on over 30 educational technology projects. He holds a PhD on learners' experience of presence in virtual worlds, and his research interests include virtual collaboration; digital identity; embodiment; and telepresence. Mark also works as an independent educational consultant, conducting evaluation and writing on behalf of funding agencies, universities, private sector technology companies, and museums.
Autor*in
Nottingham Trent University
Coventry University, UK
List of figures
Acknowledgements
About the authors
Introduction
Part 1: Spaces, presence, realities ...
Chapter 1: Remediating technology, translating experience, immersing in spaces
Abstract:
A history of virtual spaces and definitions of basic terms
Spaces in virtual and augmented reality: an explanation of the concept of telepresence and mixed reality
Cultural use of cyberspace - paradigms of digital reality
Remediation and translation: the different theoretical approaches adopted in this book
Conclusion
Part 2: Creating virtual spaces
Chapter 2: Virtual spaces - 'work-in-progress': software, devices and design principles
Abstract:
Chapter 3: Art, history and culture in digital spaces
Abstract:
Chapter 4: Theatre in the virtual day and age
Abstract:
Conclusion
Note
Part 3: Experiencing virtual spaces
Chapter 5: Two models to conceptualize space
Abstract:
Living in virtual spaces
The experience of spatiality
Emotional agency in virtual spaces
The engagement of belief
To Activity Theory and beyond
Chapter 6: Other spaces, and other ways of making sense of them
Abstract:
Entering into a world of make-believe
Neither here nor there - the state of metaxis
Passing between: crossing the threshold between realities
More spin on the concept: the dichotomy between apparent and actual intent
Chapter 7: First, second, third and fourth places - making extra sense of space
Abstract:
Chapter 8: Virtual worlds in education
Abstract:
The status of virtual worlds c. 2010
Conclusion
Part 4: Making sense of space - the practitioner perspective
Chapter 9: Moving towards the alien 'other' ...
Abstract:
Conclusion
Part 5: Conclusion
Chapter 10: The future of spaces - physical or virtual?
Abstract:
Digital to virtual: is cyberspace a space?
Moving from physical to virtual: losses and gains
Psychological and perceptual immersion in physical, virtual and augmented realities
Learning in virtual worlds
Communicating history in virtual worlds
Communicating performance in virtual worlds
Is the future 'phyrtual'?
Glossary
References
Index
