Idea #1: Experience Greenwich Village
My first idea is a modification of the original idea I developed earlier this semester. I am interested in developing an augmented reality app that would would provide a guided walking tour of Greenwich Village in the 1920’s. Using programming similar to Roundware, I would map audio information (music, oral histories, radio programming, news stories) onto Washington Square Park to bring the cultural history of Greenwich village to life. This project would target students interested in arts history and cultural tourists.
Idea #2: Hybrid Theatre Curriculum
This project would explore the possibilities of creating a hybrid curriculum for an Introduction to theatre class. Rather than the course work being primarily focused on a lecture based model, this curriculum would explore the use of online discussion, interactive instructional modules, and games to enhance the learning experience. These online activities would substitute for the traditional textbook and better prepare students for in-class discussion. Such a model would extend the students’ exposure to various forms of theatrical performance around the world and throughout history that cannot be understood only by reading.
Idea #3: Platform for Works-in-Progress
I recently heard a podcast “Reshaping the Book” in which Bob Stein stressed the important contribution that social reading and writing can contribute to scholarship. While I am still leary of mass collaboration, I think that peer input can be incredibly helpful in the development of our work. I know form my own experience that I often find myself in a situation where I cannot find a solution to a particular problem; or, I am no longer able to recognize certain flaws in my logic. Stein introduced the Beta version of “SocialBook” as a way to build community through social reading and collaborative writing. Inspired by SocialBook and CommentPress, this project would build a digital platform for theatre scholars to share and respond to research projects-in-progress. It would begin with current GC theatre students and could then easily branch out through the network of GC Theatre alumni.
Hi Jared, another application for AR that might be of use to you is Layar — I haven’t played with it myself but know folks who have, it might be useful for your first idea. Like Michael I also wonder if you could collaborate with Pamela on your second idea — your and her ideas have elements in common as well as distinctive elements, which might make for a good collaboration.
Re: your third idea, I wonder if that could even be something you test out in our class? Could take the motivators/responses idea a bit further if we could each jump in to highlight/discuss parts of one of the texts we’re reading.
@mandiberg –
#1, I am still looking into roundware to see if it will do what I am trying to do. It is an open source software, which is preferable, but I am still looking around for similar programs to see what is out there.
#3, SocialBook is still in Beta as far as I can tell. I haven’t been able to gain access to it. I would love to play around with it to see its functionality. I would most likely be building off of SocialBook or CommentPress for the project. There is still a great deal of anxiety in the Theatre department around opening up scholarship, especially in a digital form. In the early stages the platform would need to be fairly closed in order to encourage scholars to use the platform without fear that their research will be stolen.
#1 I like that this idea is becoming more focused as you explore it. Would you use roundware, or try to find something roundware-like that does AR?
#2 seems like it shares some of the interests with one of Pamela’s ideas. I left a similar note on hers. Take a look.
#3 Are you proposing using SocialBook in a group of GC students, or building a tool like SocialBook and CommentPress (built off of them?) that would be used by GC students? I had not seen SocialBook, but went and looked at it after your posting. I knew that Stein was working on something, but hadn’t followed up. Maybe we can all use it for one of our upcoming readings. We would need to find something with an appropriate CC license…