Dec 28, 2013

The Art of Video Games Exhibition - Coming to a Museum Near You!

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has an impressive collection, and video games are some of the most recent additions.  The study and preservation of video games as an artistic medium is now a part of the museum's Film and Media Arts Initiative.  The Art of Video Games exhibition took place at the museum in 2012, and set off for a tour of museums around the U.S.  (See below.)

The following video trailer provides a brief overview of some of the video games included in the exhibition:


A few quotes from the Art of Video Games trailer:

"Games are so much more than just code that runs inside of a computer.  You are looking at the output of passion, of love, of art, and the people who create these games." - Chris Melissinos, Curator, The Art of Video Games

"One of the things that is really fun with games is the whole idea of the playful mind…and how can we make games surprise you." - Nolan Bushnell, Founder of Atari

"You don't need technology to create feelings, and love, and fear, and hate, and passion…you need great storytelling." -Jen MacLean, Video game developer


The trailer and photo below are from "Flower", the first video game included in the museum's collection.  Flower was created by Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago (ThatGameCompany).  It is a delightful, stress-reducing game - and one of my favorites.




Credit: Sony Entertainment/Smithsonian American Art Museum, Via NPR

(I first learned about Jenova Chen's work when he was a student at UCS's School of Cinema and Television. At the time, he wrote his MFA thesis on the topic of "Flow in Games", building on psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihali's theory of flow.  Part of his MFA work included the game "Cloud", which was available for free download.  I found the game to be very useful in my worked with teens who were considered "at-risk" or who had special needs.)

MoMA and Video Games
The Smithsonian isn't the only place where video games are curated.  The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has invested in a number of video games, supported by Paola Antonelli, the MoMA's senior curator of architecture and design.  

"The real core issue of interaction design is behavior.  Designers that deal with interaction design behaviors that go to influence the rest of our lives. They're not just limited to our interaction with the screen…" -Paola Antonelli

The following TED-Talk video explains the rationale behind MoMA's video game curation efforts.  It is worth taking the time to watch!


National Tour: The Art of Video Games 

Present:
Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York 
(October 25, 2013–January 19, 2014) 

Upcoming:
Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York 
(February 15, 2014–May 18, 2014) 
Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio 
(June 19, 2014–September 28, 2014) 
Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Michigan 
(October 25, 2014–January 18, 2015) 
Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia 
(February 13, 2015–May 10, 2015) 
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, Tennessee 
(June 6, 2015–September 13, 2015) 
The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami, Florida (October 9, 2015–January 25, 2016) 

Past venues:
Boca Raton Museum of Art in Boca Raton, Florida 
(October 24, 2012–January 13, 2013) 
EMP Museum in Seattle, Washington 
(February 16, 2013–May 13, 2013) 
Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, Arizona 
(June 16, 2013—September 29, 2013) 

Here is a description of the original Art of Video Games exhibition:

"The Art of Video Games is one of the first exhibitions to explore the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. It features some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early pioneers to contemporary designers. The exhibition focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology and storytelling through some of the best games for twenty gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3. Eighty games, selected with the help of the public, demonstrate the evolution of the medium. The games are presented through still images and video footage. In addition, the galleries will include video interviews with twenty developers and artists, large prints of in-game screen shots, and historic game consoles. Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and collector of video games and gaming systems, is the curator of the exhibition..." -Smithsonian American Art Museum

RELATED
Video Games: Now A Part of American ARt's Collection
Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 12/17/13
April Fehling, NPR All Tech Considered, 12/22/13
The Art of Video Games (Exhibit website, Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Book: The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect (Chris Melissinos, Patrick O'Rourke
The art of Video Games Book Cover













Film and Media Arts Initiative, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Games to lift stress away:  Flower, flOw, (and Cloud), from thatgamecompany
Lynn Marentette, Interactive Multimedia Technology Blog, 8/15/09
That Game Company  "Our Mission:  Create timeless interactive entertainment that makes positive change to the human psyche world wide."   Hiring!
Video Games: 14 in the Collection, for Starters
Paola Antonelli, Inside/Out, MoMA PS1Blog
Video Games: Seven More Building Blocks in MoMA's Collection
Paul Galloway, Inside/Out PS1Blog, 6/28/13
'All Hell Broke Loose': Why MoMA Is Exhibiting Tetris and Pac-Man




Dec 2, 2013

It is in our DNA: Chromosome Painting, DNA Music

I hadn't planned on testing my DNA, but on a whim, I ordered a kit from Ancestry.com.  I downloaded the raw data file of my DNA, thinking that it would be nice to play with some day, and then learned about a free online resource, Gedmatch, that would make it easy to upload my raw DNA file and go exploring.  I'm happy that I did, since the FDA is trying to stop personal genome testing. At the time of this post, Ancestry.com and Family Tree DNA were not impacted by this effort. 23andMe was the target, because the company provides customers with information about health risks and possible genetic conditions.

The picture below is segment of a screenshot of the results of chromosome painting, created using the Ad-Mix utilities and "Davidski's" Eurogenes K13 model.  Each color represents a different group of my ancestors, and each chromosome has a different mix. 

I knew I'd get some very colorful results, given the fact that my ancestors came from all over the planet!  






































Although I like the interplay of color an pattern of my of my DNA Ad-Mixture results, and think the above section would make a great piece of modern art, I learned this morning about that there is a company, DNA11 that creates personalized DNA art that is suitable for displaying in homes - or offices. DNA 11 was featured in my local paper this morning, recommended DNA art as a great holiday gift for science buffs.


Credit:  DNAll http:www.dna11.com/images-gallery













DNA MUSIC
Looking at picture of my painted chromosomes, I was reminded of waveforms, and remembered reading something about DNA music. After a quick search, I came across the Your DNA Song website. Your DNA Song is a company that provides customers with a DNA testing kit , using a sample of saliva, that is processed by a lab, and then bio-sequenced to generate music.  To hear it, take a look at the video - a nice rendition of Chromosome #1, by Stuart Mitchell.

Be forewarned. The Your DNA Song website suggests that the protein translation of your DNA, set to music tuned to 432 Hz, has healing powers.  Yes, it sounds very New Age, but there is a story behind it.  Composers of classical music used this tuning, but in 1939, the standards were changed to A=440 Hz. There is an interesting story behind the change, and a controversy still exists. 

If you don't want to shell out money to hear your personal DNA patterns sing, you might like the DyNAMixers on the Your DNA Song website.  Created by the musician Stuart Mitchell, the mixers provide a nice way of experimenting and remixing music based on DNA and proteins.  The screenshot below gives you an idea of what you'll find if you play with the DyNAMixers on the site
Credit: Your DNA Song http:yourdnasong.com/music_samples.htm

RELATED
F.D.A. Orders Genetic Testing Firm to Stop Selling DNA Analysis Service
Andrew Pollack, New York Times, 11/25/13
AncestryDNA Test
23andMe
Family Tree DNA
GEDMATCH
openSNP
Eurogenes Genetic Ancestry Project;  Eurogenes Blog
Davidski Polako
Ondrizek's Chromosome Painting...and our beautiful DNA
Tina Hoggat, 4Culture Blog, 7/2/12
Gifts for the wcience whiz
DNA11
DNA11 Images Gallery
Go Inside The World's First LAb That Turns DNA Into Custom Art
Dina Spector, Business Insider, 6/12/13
Gedmatch: a DNA geek's dream site
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist, 8/12/12
John Roach, National Geographic News, 10/21/05
Michael Zev Gordon, The Guardian, 6/24/10
Proportion in Musical Scales (Sacred Geometry website)
Return of the 432hz: Mozart/Cold Play/Radiohead/The Doors
AltoEgo Blog 7/16/13  (scroll down for examples of familiar music in 432 Hz)

Support@DNA11.com



Dec 1, 2013

Usability in the Era of HealthCare.Gov

It is hard not to be frustrated at all of the glitches that have surfaced during the recent deployment of the US government's HealthCare.gov website.   Since the website was planned to play an integral role in making "Obamacare" a reality for a large segment of U.S. citizens, I assumed that strict attention to details would have been followed, from the initial conceptualization of the site until it was "ready" for the world.  

I was wrong. 

Maybe there was a miscommunication between the folks at CGI Federal, the company contracted to work on the HealthCare.gov website, and the HealthCare.gov project team, I don't know...

My guess is that there weren't enough people knowledgable about usability and user-centered design on the planning teams from the start.  Whatever the case, it seems like someone forgot to check the US government's very own Usability.Gov "Improving the User Experience" website!   

Usability.Gov






















The wealth of information on the Usability.Gov  website been available for years - online, in books, and taught in a number of IT-related courses.  Usability is not limited to ease-of-navigation principles for websites and software user interfaces - a common mis-perception. It is an important component of user-centered software engineering and design, and more.  

In the following video, featured in the User-Centered Design (UCD) section of the Usability.Gov website,  it is noted that "at least 50% of a programmers' time during a project is spent doing rework that is avoidable."   Citing a 2005 study by IEEE, the narrator explains that the three top reasons for tech projects to fail are poorly defined requirements, poor communications, and stakeholder politics.   

So true for the Healthcare.gov website!


Was the Healthcare.Gov website doomed to fail, given all of the confusion and controversy surrounding the Affordable HealthCare Act from the start? 

Perhaps.   

So how can things be prevented?

If this is a topic that interests you - even if you aren't a developer, take the time to soak in some of the information from the Usability.Gov website to learn more about user-centered design, usability, and ways to prevent costly mistakes.  

If you are a computer science, software engineering, or preparing for a career that intersects with technology development or implementation in some way, plan to take a course or two that covers topics such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI),  Human Factors, and User-Centered Design (UCD). 

Consider joining professional organizations, interest groups, or meet-ups if you are already working in the tech world, but lacking in up-to-date knowledge and skills in this area. 

Places to start:

ACM SIGCHI  - Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction
Usability Professional's Association
IXDA - Interaction Design Association
HFES: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
IEDO's Human-Centered Design Toolkit


RELATED
Why Obama's Healthcare.gov launch was doomed to fail
Adrianne Jeffried, The Verge, 10/8/13
How we're working to improve HealthCare.gov  (Health Insurance Blog)
HealthCare.gov contractors testify they warned of glitch risk before launch
Hari Sreenivasen, PBS Newshour Transcript
Health Care Site Rushing to Make Fixes by Sunday
Sharon LaFraniere, Eric Lipton and Ian Austen, NYT, 11/29/13
Software, Design Defects Cripple Health-Care Website
Christopher Weaver, Shira Ovide and Louise Radnofsky, WSJ, 10/6/13
Meet CGI Federal, the company behind the botched launch of HealthCare.gov
Lydia DePillis, 10/16/13
CGI Federal
Why Software Fails: We waste billions of dollars each year on entirely preventable mistakes
Robert N. Charette, IEEE Spectrum, 9/2/2005
The ROI of User Experience with Dr. Susan Weinschenk (Video 1/27/11)
Usability.Gov
Aquilent Proudly Supports Usability.gov "Re-Boot" to Further User Experience Best Practices"  Business Wire, 7/18/13Aquilent
Digital Government (Whitehouse.gov)


Nov 29, 2013

Does Google Know All? Google's ways of encouraging my on-line participation.

For the past couple of months I have had quite a busy off-line work/life situation.  Sad to say, I've had little time to tinker with code, write blog posts, keep up with my tech journals (the short stack is now growing into a little pile), and attend to the people I follow on the web.

I'm not totally off the grid.  

While walking my dog, I check Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, peek at my email. To be social, I quickly retweet, "like",  comment, or post a pic from time-to-time.  

Things just aren't the same.

Google noticed.

I hadn't been checking my Analytics account, and Google let me know.   I hadn't been nurturing my blog as in the past, and I guess this was a cause for concern.  I was amused that Google was prepared to delve deeper with short survey!



























Yes, Google, I have been neglecting you.

Although I regularly check Facebook, I ignored the Google Plus world.  So today, I decided to take a few steps to get back on track.

I saw that a number of people had added me to their circles.  I added a few back.  

I noticed that many people shared similar interests in technology, and sighed, longing for the days when I was taking interesting graduate computer courses and happily working on innovative projects.....

I perked up when I noticed that Google Plus had a "recommended communities" feature.

I was curious.  What sort of communities would be in store for me?    Could Google really read my ming?!   :  }

Well, maybe.  Almost.   

And I am thankful.

This was the nudge I needed -  a huge rabbit hole for me to explore:






























There were more communities to consider, but scanning through the recommendations, I could see that Google was pretty much on-target regarding the technology interests.    

Google was off a bit regarding my educational and assistive technology interests, which I'd expect to see represented in the array.   

I'm still a school psychologist in my "day" job.   Early retirement is an option for me someday. When I do, I know I will devote more TLC to my NUI/interactive multimedia tech-related passions.  

Google, now you know!



RELATED
Google+ Communities
Join a Google+ Community
Google launches restricted Google+ communities to let businesses make conversations private or invite-only.  Emil Protalinski, The NextWeb, 11/5/13
Google Plus Communities-Complete User Guide
Martin Shervington, Are you commoogling, 3/6/13

Oct 22, 2013

Kinetic Infovis: Dance vs Powerpoint - Dance Your (Science) Ph.D.

Why NOT use dance to convey information and data?

John Bohannon's TED Talk, "Dance vs. Powerpoint"  explains how dance can demonstrate scientific principles, and more.  John is a scientist and writer who runs the annual Dance Your Ph.D. contest.   In the following video he walks the talk as dancers dance the point.    




RELATED

Dance Your Ph.D. 2012 Videos

Dance Your Ph.D. 2011 Videos

Dance Your Ph.D. Tips and Tricks

Dance Your Ph.D. 2013 Website FAQs

The Science Dance Match-Up Challenge
John Bohannon, Science, 4/17/09

Thesis Twist:  Dancing Your Ph.D. 
Robert Lee Hotz, Wall Street Journal, 9/23/13

Folk Dance Your Algorithms!
Lynn Marentette, ITM blog, 4/14/11

Oct 13, 2013

UPDATE: NUITEQ's Snowflake ABC has been updated, improved, and retitled-- Snowflake MultiTeach®

August 24, 2016 Update

This post was originally published on October 13, 2013, and focused on Snowflake ABC, a software suite of entertaining educational apps developed by NUITEQ®.

Fast forward to 2016, and you'll see many great improvements have been made by the NUITEQ® team.  Along with the changes came a new name, Snowflake MultiTeach®


Snowflake MultiTeach® was designed for multi-touch, multi-user displays and tables, but can be used on single-touch displays or traditional computers/laptops with a mouse. It works well for "front-of-class" presentations and has many features that support collaborative group work.



So what is new?

The Lessons app was added to the suite of applications, along with Nodes, a concept-mapping and presentation application that supports project and problem based learning, STEM, and STEAM.

The Lessons app is a powerful addition to Snowflake MultiTeach®.  Within this app,  teachers (and students) can build a variety of interactive, engaging lessons, learning games, and quizzes, with little effort. 

Snowflake MultiTeach® can support several lessons and apps running at the same time, using the Zones feature, which makes it ideal for students working in pairs or small groups.

To compliment the Lessons app, the online MultiTeach® Lessons Community  was developed to provide a way for teachers to share lessons they've created.  The lessons posted on the MultiTeach® Lessons Community can be accessed from within the Lessons home screen.  Lessons can be searched by subject and level and imported directly into the Lessons home screen.  

Lessons created with Snowflake MultiTeach® can be exported directly from the Lessons home screen to the MultiTeach® Lessons Community so they can be shared with others. Snowflake MultiTeach® and sign-up to the MultiTeach® Lessons Community is required for access.

To support teachers as they make the transition from single-touch whiteboards to multi-user displays, the MultiTeach® Pinterest site was created.  There you can find curated and regularly updated information about how to use Snowflake MultiTeach®, 21st century teaching and learning, free digital resources for the classroom, and much more.

For information about how teachers can integrate Snowflake MultiTeach® into their classrooms, take some time to read the following blog posts. Share with your peers!

Infuse Arts into STEM Projects Using Collaborative Touch Screen Technology

Collaborative STEM Education and Careers Exploration

How to MultiTeach®: Introduction to Snowflake MultiTeach® Nodes App

Differentiated instruction through Snowflake MultiTeach®


Like what you see?

If you are interested in replacing your current single-touch interactive whiteboard with a multi-touch display, contact a representative from NUITEQ® by following the email link on the website, and you will be connected to someone in your region who can assist you. 

Here is the old post for reference.  

FYI: Most of the ABC apps shown below can be found within the current version of Snowflake MultiTeach®.

NUITEQ is a multi-touch & gesture tech company based in Sweden focused on collaborative natural user interfaces and interaction. Instead of using a traditional mouse and keyboard, NUITEQ's products support the effective use of fingers and hands to interact and explore digital content. I've been following this company since it was launched by Harry van der Veen in 2007 and have been happy to share NUITEQ's updates on this blog over the years.

NUITEQ's products can be found in public spaces, such as museums, retail centers, and transportation hubs,  at special events, such as trade shows and exhibitions, in collaborative work settings, such as board rooms and design studios, and in educational settings.   

One of the latest innovations from NUITEQ is Snowflake ABC, multi-touch software for children and teens. It runs on a range of multi-touch hardware surfaces, including Lenovo, 3M Touch Systems,  Zytronic, Flatfrog, PQ Labs, Touch International, Lumio, and others.  



Multitouch software Snowflake ABC for kids (K-12) from multitouch software on Vimeo.

In my opinion, Snowflake ABC would be great for use in homes, libraries, and classrooms. Although the video shows children using the software on large displays and tables, it works well on smaller 27-inch touch screens, preferably those that support multi-touch interaction. A free trial version is available.  For parents considering purchasing a home computer, the Lenovo IdeaCenter A520 and other multi-touch "all-in-ones" come loaded with a variety of Snowflake apps.

Below is a screen shot various Snowflake ABC educational apps, from the Snowflake Suite website.


Credit: NUITEQ








































RELATED
Multi-touch software Snowflake ABC 1.3 for kids released (K-13) - Now with 18 languages out of the box!  NUITEQ Blog, 9/26/13
Snowflake ABC Brochure (pdf)
NUITEQ Signs OEM Agreement with Lenovo for its Multitouch Software Platform Snowflake Suite PRWEB, 8/31/12
Review:  Lenova IdeaCentre A520
Jason Palaszewski, 8/22/13, Lenovo Blog

Snowflake Interactive Display at SkellefteÃ¥ Airport (Snowflake Suite)

Oct 2, 2013

LUMO, by PO-Motion: Projection system for children that transforms kid's designs into interactive creations (Kickstarter)

I'd like to give a shout-out to Meghan Athavale, Curtis Wachs and the other interactive minds at PO-MO for their Kickstarter project.  LUMO is an interactive system that allows any room - not just a kid's room - to be transformed into an environment that encourages play, interaction, and creativity.

From what I know about PO-MO-s other creative projects, LUMO is deserving of financial backing. Although this is the company's first venture into a hardware solution, it looks promising.  If it can be produced on a larger scale, children - as well as kids at heart - will have a new opportunity use technology to create interactive mixed reality play-scapes, right in their homes.

Watch the video, and then head over to LUMO on Kickstarter and make your pledge!

"LUMO turns a kid's room into an interactive playground, encouraging movement and imaginative play in children of any age."


Screen shot of the creation tools for children to use when creating their LUMO interactive effects:

Credit: PO-MO




































ABOUT PO-MO

The following information was taken from the Kickstarter website:


PO-MO Inc. creates interactive experiences for museums, retail environments and events.
They also offer SaaS platform Po-motion.com, a website which enables people all over the world to create their own interactive floor and wall installations.
In 2010, Meghan Athavale and her business partner Curtis Wachs decided to quit their day jobs and design interactive experiences for a living. They launched PO-MO Inc. in July 2010. Within a few months, Keith Otto and Matt Gillies joined PO-MO. Meghan and the PO-MO team launched Po-motion interactive floor and wall projection software as a beta in early 2011. In 2012, the full version of Po-motion was launched and Meghan won many awards at investment pitch contests, was one of 12 people chosen to participate in Tech Women Canada in Silicon Valley, and closed the year with an amazing advisory board, another member of the team (Joss Le Leannec) and a profitable, global company.
Meghan Athavale (CEO) and partner Curtis Wachs (CTO), along with Matt Gillies, Keith Otto, Jocelyne Le Leannec and Dave Kelly spend their days making, playing with, and dreaming of interactive surfaces.
RELATED
PO-MO Website
LUMOPlay
PO-MO interactive effects for special events and parties:
PO-MO Inc. interactive visuals for parties from PO-MO Inc. on Vimeo.



Oct 1, 2013

Learning to Teach through Mixed Reality: UCF's TeachLivE

Imagine this.  A mixed-reality environment designed to provide pre-service student teachers and teachers looking to improve their skills a chance to try out new strategies, without messing up with real kids!   TLE TeachLiveEwas developed by researchers at the Synthetic Reality Lab located at the Institute for Simulation & Training at the University of Central Florida. It  looks like a great training tool for young college students who are planning to take on the challenge of a career in education.  

With modifications, the TeachLivE system looks like it would be a good tool for building skills of principals-in-training, as well as others who plan to work in the schools, such as  future school psychologists, school nurses, and school resource officers.

Below is a description of the system from the TeachLivE website, along with some videos and related links. 

(Be sure to watch the video of MILES, near the end of this post. MILES is a similar application designed to support the training of social workers and therapists, and features that could be used to enhance the TeachLiveE system.)


"TLE TeachLivE™ is a mixed-reality classroom with simulated students that provides teachers the opportunity to develop their pedagogical practice in a safe environment that doesn’t place real students at risk. This lab is currently the only one in the country using a mixed reality environment to prepare or retrain pre-service and in-service teachers. The use of TLE TeachLivE™ Lab has also been instrumental in developing transition skills for students with significant disabilities, providing immediate feedback through bug-in-ear technology to pre-service teachers, developing discreet trial skills in pre-service and in-service teachers, and preparing teachers in the use of STEM-related instructional strategies." -TeachLivE 

Virtual Reality Classroom Trains Teacher

"There is a child with ADHD, there is a child who is going to take out their cell phone, and do something with his cell phone right there for our pre-service teacher, if our preservice teacher is not paying attention to that child.  So what they've tried to do is actually program different types of children into each simulated avatar." -Dr. David Rock, Dean, School of Education, University of Mississippi. 




RELATED
A good overview of the use of virtual worlds and environments for learning.At 7:44, Stephen Bronack, of Learn NC, provides an overview of TeachLivE at TEDX Greenville. TeachLivE is in place at Clemson University in S.C.
 


MILES: Motivation Interviewing Learning Environment and Simulation (MILES) was created by researchers at the USC Institute of Creative Technologies and uses the power of a game engine to create the main character.  MILES is used at the USC School of Social Work to help future therapist develop their therapist/client interactive skills to provide treatment for service members, veterans, or family members of people impacted by the military, and is used by group of students in social work graduate courses in a way that tracks learning progress and informs classroom discussion.



TeachLivE Website
TeachLivE program at UCF attracts interest from Sesame Street Creators
Amanda Palmiera, Central Florida Future, 7/21/13
My World Has Been Rocked: Educator reviews 'TeachLive', a virtual teaching environment
Brian Greenberg, edSurge 6/24/13
UM Uses Student Avatars for Teacher Training
Andrew Mark Abernathy, Ole Miss News 3/18/13
SLU using avatars, virtual classrooms as teaching tools
The Times-Picayune, 4/9/13

TeachLivE publications:
Elford, M., Carter, R., & Aronin, S. (2013). Virtual reality check: Teachers use bug-in-ear coaching to practice feedback techniques with student avatars. JSD34(1), 40–43.

Hayes, A. T., Straub, C. L., Dieker, L. A., Hughes, C. E., & Hynes, M. C. (2013). Ludic Learning: Exploration of TLE TeachLivETM and Effective Teacher Training. Int. J. Gaming Comput. Mediat. Simul., 5(2), 20-33. doi: 10.4018/jgcms.2013040102

Andreasen, J. B. & Haciomeroglu, E. S. (2009). Teacher training in virtual environments. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Atlanta, GA. 

USC Develops Virtual Tool to Train Child Interviewers
Evy Jacobson, USC Gould School Of Law, 5/14/13
Emergent Leader Immersive Training Environment
USC Institute for Creative Technologies

SOMEWHAT RELATED
Blend My Learning 
NewSchools Venture Fund

Sep 26, 2013

ACO VIRTUAL: Interactive virtual chamber orchestra, with 3D musicians

The Australian Chamber Orchestra has unveiled ACO VIRTUAL, an installation that provides music-lovers the opportunity to experience what it is like to be surrounded by thirteen performing musicians, with the opportunity to control what you choose what is heard. The installation was created in collaboration with Mod Productions, an interactive multimedia company.

This promises to become a fantastic music education and performance tool!  To get a better understanding of ACO VIRTUAL, view the following video clips:

ACO VIRTUAL Trailer


"Each instrumentalist was filmed at Fox Studios, ACO artistic director and lead violin Richard Tognetti said, using the same "bullet-time" camera equipment used to shoot The Matrix, in both 2D and 3D. Visitors can enjoy the full stereoscopic experience with provided 3D glasses." -CNET

ACO Virtual Launch of Touring Installation

ACO VIRTUAL launch at MCA from Mod Productions on Vimeo.


CNET Interview: Building an Interactive Virtual Chamber Orchestra



How they did it:



The experience is controlled by a touch-pad app:
Picture of the touch pad app used to control the virtual musicians
Credit: Will Huxley, ACO VIRTUAL



(Information for exhibitors)