October 2010 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

ir11 - Thank youI
by andrea baker 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Andrew, I'd like to second what you've said here, adding to Jeremy, Steve's and any other sentiments: "Yes, yes, yes. It was not only one of the best IRs I have attended, it was one of my best conference experiences ever. Thanks to the organizing committee and the executive for their hard work. AH" -- cheers, --andee

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Re: [Air-L] Fwd: Faculty position in Archival Studies at SLAIS, University of British Columbia
by Caroline Haythornthwaite 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

FYI. Not quite Internet research, but please contact me at haythorn(a)interchange.ubc.ca if you have interest in this position. /Caroline > THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA > > Faculty position (tenure-stream) > > ARCHIVAL STUDIES > > The School of Library, Archival and Information > Studies (SLAIS) at the University of British > Columbia invites applications for a full-time > position to begin July 1, 2011, subject to final > budgetary approval. The position is expected to be > filled at the rank of tenure-track Assistant > Professor, although outstanding candidates may be > considered for appointment at a higher rank. > Salary will be commensurate with qualifications > and experience. Candidates should demonstrate > achievement of, or potential for, excellence in > teaching, research, and service in an > interdisciplinary environment. > > The successful candidate will be expected to teach > and conduct research in the area of archival > studies, broadly interpreted. Applications are > particularly encouraged from candidates with > knowledge in areas of archives theory and > practice that complement the strengths of the > archival program and the faculty at the School; a > strong research record appropriate to their > experience; and the ability to forge > interdisciplinary research and/or teaching > relationships within the School and beyond. As the > School moves into a phase of growth and new > leadership, the successful candidate will have the > opportunity to help shape the direction of > archival education for the 21st century, and to > work with outstanding Masters and doctoral > students. > > Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree > in a field related to the teaching and research > areas of the position, or anticipate early > completion of the doctorate within six months > following the position start date. Applicants must > demonstrate excellence in research and scholarly > activity; have a publication record commensurate > with their experience; and provide evidence of > teaching effectiveness. > > The University of British Columbia holds an > international reputation for excellence in > advanced research and learning. It is located in > Vancouver, Canada, one of the world’s most > beautiful and culturally-diverse cities. The > School offers an ALA-accredited Master of Library > and Information Studies (MLIS), a Master of > Archival Studies (MAS) (both with an optional > First Nations Concentration), a joint MAS/MLIS, a > multidisciplinary Master of Arts in Children’s > Literature (MACL), and a doctorate in library, > archival and information studies leading to the > awarding of a Ph.D. Further information about the > School can be found at www.slais.ubc.ca. > > The deadline date for receipt of applications is > January 10, 2011. Application materials should > include a cover letter stating the candidate’s > qualifications for the position, projected > research agenda, and teaching philosophy; current > curriculum vitae; and the names and contact > information of a minimum of three referees. > > Address enquiries and applications to: > > Caroline Haythornthwaite, Director and > Professor > > Chair, Faculty Search Committee > > School of Library, Archival and Information > Studies (SLAIS) > The University of British Columbia > The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre > Suite 470, 1961 East Mall > Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1 CANADA > > The University of British Columbia hires on the > basis of merit, and is committed to employment > equity. We encourage all qualified persons to > apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent > residents of Canada will be given priority. -------------------------------------- Caroline Haythornthwaite I will be using this @illinois email for a few more months for projects started at UIUC. However, if your email is in relation to my position as Director, SLAIS, UBC please use haythorn(a)interchange.ubc.ca

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Re: [Air-L] Plot retention rates in AAA titles
by David Jones 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

The complications that Rob offered are good ones, and I would add a couple more. To some degree, it's easy to assume that plot is a structure entirely contained within a text. To my mind, this is a difficult assertion to sustain, particularly with games. Torben Grodal's book _Embodied Visions: Emotion, Evolution, Culture and Film_ looks at narrative as a cognitive phenomenon tied to the biology of brain. His model for understanding this is extremely similar to many of the cognitive theories of perception and understanding that form a lot of HCI and interaction design work. To this end, I've always considered games to have plots (plural), even FPS games. Even if players aren't paying attention to the scripted moments that are supposed to drive the logic of the game's action, they're still experiencing some sort of cohesive thread that connects events. These will vary to some degree, if only slightly. I've never done it because it's outside my research focus, but I've been tempted to ask players to write narrative descriptions of the in-game events they experience, and then do a discourse analysis that codes for similarities and differences in the narratives that compares those reports to the in-game events themselves. For me, it would be a matter of looking at how different technologies impact player experiences. PC vs console. Keyboard/mouse vs light gun vs controller. How those experiences are embodied during play and afterward. But, I can see this as a way to start to tackle the issue of narrative/plot perception during gameplay. -- Dave Jones PhD Student Professional Writing and New Media Old Dominion University Chair, SIGDOC ODU djone111(a)odu.edu Message: 8 Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:16:38 -0500 From: Jordan Lynn <jordanl(a)uga.edu> To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-L] Plot retention rates in AAA titles Message-ID: <AANLkTikh7_7XENWgCKz4wA7twZSLVL_giL0gxnSY2i5O(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Good afternoon, everyone! I have a question, and this group seems like the place to ask. What level of plot retention would you consider to be average in a First or Third-Person Shooter? Studying AAA titles for plot retention is difficult, since there are several subsets of gamers that ignore plotlines as a matter of course, and shooters aren't usually noted for narrative depth. My primary issue is figuring out what percentage of gamers are ignoring the plot, and what percentage are not getting it because the game is not delivering it effectively. Also, there is some difference between total narrative comprehension and getting "the gist" of the game's plot- what percentages of players would you expect to fully understand the narrative, and what percentage understand the basics of the story? Thoughts? -Jordan ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:38:52 -0500 From: Rob Baron <baro0033(a)umn.edu> To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-L] Plot retention rates in AAA titles Message-ID: <4CC5B29C.4040400(a)umn.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Jordan, That's an interesting question, especially when you consider that the single-player (more plot driven) portion of many FPS is a small part of the overall game-playing experience. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of the retention of a game's plot, or ignoring the plot of a game, but rather how much players engage with that plot as part of their overall gaming experience. For example /Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/ has a much bigger presence as a multiplayer community than as as a single player game. I would argue that this multiplayer portion has more to do with pure ludic experience rather than a narrative experience of the single player campaign. I think the question has more to do with the number of player that want to engage with a FPS's plot as opposed to the effectiveness of that plots presentation, especially considering that some of the earliest examples of this genre only used plot as a way to set up the "shooty parts" of the game. You could look at the extent to which players engage in single-player portions of a FPS to try to assess this. I'd also be careful of lumping all FPS games together. I know that there are a number of games that put a premium on plot and totally eschew multiplayer gameplay (like /Bioshock/). You may want to specify the kinds of FPSs that you're looking at. -- Rob Baron PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor Rhetoric, Scientific and Technical Communication Department of Writing Studies University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

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senior or student fellowships
by Tuszynski, Stephanie 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

All - does anyone work for an institution that grants fellowships or the title of "fellow" to your students? I foolishly volunteered to do some research on how other colleges handle this and am getting little information via web searches. If anyone who has some info could reply off-list I'd appreciate it. stuszynski(a)bethanywv.edu Thanks This message may contain confidential information for the use of the addressee(s) above and may contain legally privileged information. If you are not the addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that reading, disseminating, distributing or copying this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message by mistake, immediately notify us by replying to the message and delete the original message immediately. Thank you.

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Canada Research Chair II in Digital Media
by ganaele langlois 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

*Hello all,*The following position might be of interest to some of you. http://www.uoit.ca/EN/main/11259/11270/16583/14479/196542/core_factulty/509… Faculty of Social Science and Humanities - Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Tier II - UOIT 10-153 *Competition No*: UOIT 10-153 *Posting Date*: October 25, 2010 *Closing Date*: December 31, 2010 *Position Title*: Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Tier II *Faculty or Department*: Faculty of Social Science and Humanities *Level*: Tenure-track or tenured Associate/Assistant Professor *Salary*: Commensurate with experience and skills *Appointment Type*: Continuing Full Time The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology invites applications for a Tier II CRC appointment. The Faculty is seeking an internationally recognized candidate who examines the rapidly evolving connections between communication, digital media, and the information needs and practices of local and global communities. The ideal candidate's research focus would address, for example, the conditions that can influence new media and communication technologies and the ways in which these factors enhance democracy, improve education, and help shape a vital and inclusive public culture. The candidate's research should inform, support, and shape professional practice, media innovations, and policy change. The successful candidate will join current faculty in the development of a new research group in Digital Life, a related undergraduate program, and a Masters program in Communication. Candidates with collaborative and/or interdisciplinary research experience are preferred. The successful candidate will find a welcoming and productive environment for concentrated studies in digital technologies. The Social Science and Humanities faculty see ourselves as cross-disciplinary scholars, providing insights derived from diverse fields: communication, education, criminology, history, legal studies, sociology, *inter alia*. Additionally, collaboration with the Faculties of Education, Health Sciences, and Science would allow a Chair to facilitate knowledge creation around such issues as the use and impact of information technologies and digital media in the context of education, and the role of digital technologies and informatics within the health care system, for example. The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities is emerging as an important site of teaching around digital worlds. We have an Information Law specialization and minor within the Legal Studies program. The Communication major includes a specialization in Digital Media, which promises to be highly successful. The newly created Public Policy program offers a number of courses on the social impact of new technologies. Our Master's in Criminology and Justice features a focus on cybercrime. UOIT's vision for research is to be committed to and engaged in academic activities of national and international standards, especially those activities with strong potential to address issues of local, regional, national, and global significance. Research activity at this young university has grown dramatically in just a few short years; UOIT has already developed a research profile that is both competitive with, and distinct from, other Canadian universities. UOIT has a 21st century vision of teaching and learning excellence. Our educational philosophy is to challenge, encourage innovation, and connect our faculty, students and the community, while respecting the best practice traditions of Canada's established universities. Applicants should have an earned doctoral degree in a relevant field, and must demonstrate extensive research experience in digital technologies, and their impacts. Demonstrated commitment to research excellence, ability to develop collaborative research partnerships and to conduct a dynamic and world-class research program, as well as strong teaching and communication skills, are essential. The appointment to this tenured or tenure-track faculty position will be at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, depending on the qualifications of the successful applicant. Review of applications will begin on December 31, 2010 until a suitable candidate is found. Applicants should submit in electronic format, with their name and the above competition number in the subject line, curriculum vitae including a list of publications, statements of research and teaching interests, , and a list of at least 3 referees to careers(a)uoit.ca<%63%61%72%65%65%72%73%40%75%6F%69%74%2E%63%61>. UOIT is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from qualified women and men, including members of visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Canada Research Chairs are subject to review and approval by the CRC Secretariat. Further details on the CRC Program can be viewed at http://www.chairs.gc.ca. -- Ganaele Langlois Assistant Professor Communication Program Faculty of Social Science and Humanities University of Ontario Institute of Technology Associate Director Infoscape Centre for the Study of Social Media www.infoscapelab.ca

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Fwd: call for paper "Artistic work and creativity in the digital era
by Peter Zackariasson 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Hi, Here's a conference that I know will interest many of you. /Peter Vidarebefordrat brev: > > Ämne: call for paper "Artistic work and creativity in the digital era > Svara till: domi.sagot(a)free.fr > > Dear Colleagues, > > > You will find herewith a call for paper for the international > conference "Artistic work and creativity in the digital era" which > will be held in Avignon France24-27 may 2010. http://www.iaspm.net/?p=238 > > Thank you for diffusing it in your networks ? > > Sincerely yours > > > Dominique Sagot-Duvauroux > Professeur des Universités > Directeur du GRANEM UMR-MA n°49 > Université d’Angers > 13 allée François Mitterrand > BP 3633 > 49 036 Angers cedex 01 > dominique.sagot(a)univ-angers.fr <mailto:dominique.sagot@univ-angers.fr> > Tel (secrétariat) 00 33 +2 41 96 21 06 > > Peter Zackariasson, Ph.D. Lecturer University of Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law Vasagatan 1 Box 600 405 30 Gothenburg Phone +46 31 786 5388 Mobile +46 707 197171 peter.zackariasson(a)handels.gu.se peter(a)zackariasson.com www.zackariasson.com

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Two New Open Positions At @ GA Tech
by Michael Zimmer 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

FYI.... Begin forwarded message: > > > Digital Media > > The School of Literature, Communication and Culture of the Georgia Institute of Technology seeks applications from digital media specialists with a Ph.D. (field open) to fill a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. > > The candidate should have an established program of research in digital media, which connects the humanities, design, and computation. Possible areas of expertise include but are not limited to: interactive narrative, electronic literature, game studies, information design, interaction/experience design, digital communication, the digital moving image, digital art, social media, and related fields. The specific area of practice is less important than a commitment to understanding and exploring digital media as a tool for expression, communication, and social change. > > The candidate's research should demonstrate success in or strong potential for sponsorship from government agencies, foundations, or corporate donors. The successful candidate should demonstrate a commitment to the integration of theory and practice. Preference will be given to candidates with interests that cross multiple fields, particularly blends of computing and liberal arts disciplines. > > The candidate should be prepared to teach and advise across the standard curriculum of the school's BS in Computational Media and MS/PhD in Digital Media, including introductory and advanced undergraduate courses in the theory, history, creation, and use of computational media, design, and theory. > > The School of Literature, Communication, and Culture supports several undergraduate and graduate degrees, offers a growing program in computational media and digital media, and provides a core of humanities studies for the Institute. New hires should be ready to engage in dialogue with faculty members from the different fields in LCC, and will have the opportunity to participate in LCC's drama, film, poetry, and science fiction initiatives. For additional information on the School, consult our web site at: http://lcc.gatech.edu. > > In addition to a letter of application, kindly submit sample syllabi, cv and portfolio, and the names of three references. Email materials to hiring(a)lcc.gatech.edu; or address correspondence to Jocelyn Thomas, Assistant to the Chair, School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0165. We shall begin reviewing completed applications on December 1. The Georgia Institute of Technology is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. LCC is especially interested in considering applications from women and minority candidates. > > > > Cultural Studies of Science and Technology > > The School of Literature, Communication and Culture of the Georgia Institute of Technology seeks applications from specialists in the cultural studies of science and technology with a Ph.D. in an appropriate area or with equivalent experience to fill a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. Candidates should have an established program of research that connects science, technology, and the humanities. Possible areas of expertise include but are not limited to: biomedia/biomedicine; cognitive studies; globalization; and science, technology, and literary studies. Applicants with strong expertise in the study of narrative across genres and media are especially encouraged to apply. > > The School of Literature, Communication and Culture is a unit of the Ivan Allen College, Georgia Tech's liberal arts college. The department offers two undergraduate degrees: a B.S. in Science, Technology and Culture that emphasizes the intersection of science, technology, and the humanities, and a B.S. in Computational Media that explores the use of the computer as a medium for communication and expression. At the graduate level, LCC offers both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Digital Media and M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction. Candidates should be prepared to teach primarily within the Science, Technology and Culture program. At the same time, candidates should be prepared to engage faculty and supervise students across the School's other programs. For additional information on the School, consult our web site at: http://www.lcc.gatech.edu. > > In addition to a letter of application, kindly submit sample syllabi, cv, and the names of three references. Email materials to hiring(a)lcc.gatech.edu; or address correspondence to Jocelyn Thomas, Assistant to the Chair, School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0165. We shall begin reviewing completed applications December 1. The Georgia Institute of Technology is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. LCC is especially interested in considering applications from women and minority candidates. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > VID-List mailing list > VID-List(a)uwm.edu > http://listserv.uwm.edu/mailman/listinfo/vid-list

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Plot retention rates in AAA titles
by Jordan Lynn 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Good afternoon, everyone! I have a question, and this group seems like the place to ask. What level of plot retention would you consider to be average in a First or Third-Person Shooter? Studying AAA titles for plot retention is difficult, since there are several subsets of gamers that ignore plotlines as a matter of course, and shooters aren't usually noted for narrative depth. My primary issue is figuring out what percentage of gamers are ignoring the plot, and what percentage are not getting it because the game is not delivering it effectively. Also, there is some difference between total narrative comprehension and getting "the gist" of the game's plot- what percentages of players would you expect to fully understand the narrative, and what percentage understand the basics of the story? Thoughts? -Jordan

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Re: [Air-L] Looking for examples of aggregation communities
by Matthew Bernius 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Two thoughts... Historically, there is some similarities with the Oxford English Dictionaries. Essentially contributors serve as first round editors, collecting and aggregating the earliest known usages of each word. Of course, this is still a hierarchical organization and traditionally I don't think it was much of a "community" -- still it might be a useful reference. Fictionally, you might want to look at the second part of Cory Doctorow's "Makers" which revolve around theme park/museums that are curated by people who ride them. - Matt Message: 2 Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:03:54 -0400 From: Derek Hansen <shakmatt(a)gmail.com> To: air-l(a)listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-L] Looking for examples of aggregation communities Message-ID: <AANLkTik9YJ1_bizCZs3sWi=qVf3= -gzFtgg3rLVcwO4A(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Colleagues, I'm looking for some examples of communities of volunteers that help amalgamate a collection of materials rather than create them. The example we are examining is the Encyclopedia of Life, which aggregates data from many different scientific databases (and user-generated content such as Flickr images) into a coherent whole. The participants are called "curators" and their main role is to validate and approve content rather than create it. They also do a lot of work to integrate the original content into a coherent whole. What similar examples exist on the web today? What examples have existed for decades or centuries? Thanks ahead of time for any examples or thoughts. Derek Hansen Assistant Professor iSchool University of Maryland ----------------------------- Matthew Bernius PhD Student | Cultural Anthropology | Cornell University | http://www.arts.cornell.edu/anthro/ Researcher At Large | Open Publishing Lab @ the Rochester Institute of Technology | http://opl.cias.rit.edu | @ritopl mBernius(a)gMail.com | http://www.waking-dream.com | @mattBernius

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Looking for examples of aggregation communities
by Derek Hansen 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Colleagues, I'm looking for some examples of communities of volunteers that help amalgamate a collection of materials rather than create them. The example we are examining is the Encyclopedia of Life, which aggregates data from many different scientific databases (and user-generated content such as Flickr images) into a coherent whole. The participants are called "curators" and their main role is to validate and approve content rather than create it. They also do a lot of work to integrate the original content into a coherent whole. What similar examples exist on the web today? What examples have existed for decades or centuries? Thanks ahead of time for any examples or thoughts. Derek Hansen Assistant Professor iSchool University of Maryland

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