Students from CS 855 and EM 825 joined graduates from prior classes and members of our learning community in a celebration at the end of Summer 2012 term.
Click here to view Lyr Lobo's Celebration Summer 2012 video on Animoto.
In Second Life, DJ Astoria Luminos hosted the music stream of hits from the 70s and 80s as we distributed gifts and discussed our plans after the term ends.
If you missed out on the treats and would like a copy, please contact Lyr Lobo in Second Life.
Showing posts with label socio-technical futuring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label socio-technical futuring. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Last CS 855 Class Session in Second Life
Tonight's CTU doctoral classes wove a discussion of innovation prediction techniques with an overview of expert systems, risk assessment, and the technological, social, cultural, ethical and legal issues that affect the success of a socio-technical innovation plan.
We reviewed the requirements for the project, including 2-3 models, 2-3 citations, good coverage of the risks and a discussion of one or more of the issues that affect success.
Our Second Life activities focused on testing how to improve voice interaction, using the physics system and setting physical, phantom and temporary properties on our objects. The class worked on a collaboration activity and discuss when to use phantom and the physical settings.
As we turned our attention to the recent activity for Burning Life, the second class session analyzed how to simulate a fire that consumes a sculpture. We rezzed particle and textured fires, blended them, then discussed the alternatives for simulating it.For the final project, document your ideas on your blogs, then continue it by gathering your entire blog into a document and weaving it into a coherent story. Look at the News forum for additional requirements and feedback throughout the next two weeks.
Class concluded with a discussion of how to find attachments using the Edit menubar and Detach object listing, then searching the inventory. Cheers to the student who discovered and reattached his head!Next week's classes are informal prototyping sessions where we will build models for our projects and discuss alternatives for simulating behavior. These prototypes include data visualization models and medical diagnostic systems. These sessions are optional and some students are scheduling them at alternative times.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Rezzers, a HUD and Innovation Project Discussions
Our CTU Week 9 class activity explored scenes that render at the touch of an object, a Second Life tour HUD, and how to complete the socio-technical innovation projects.
As the class began, we tested rezzing the Mahjong tiles on this game table in SL. We also removed and rezzed the island's castle within 10 seconds, showing the speed and power of larger virtual world rezzers and visited a variety of context-sensitive scenes that appeared around us.
If you missed class, be sure to visit and pick up your copy of the Touring Second Life folder. Inside are two notecards, one that organizes a set of landmarks and the other features touring information and a copy of the Boracay Hitchhiker's Guide to SL Heads-up Display (HUD) device. The HUD is included both in the folder and on the touring notecard.
While we were wearing the HUD and testing its interface, I quickly demonstrated how to create a similar prototype and link it.
During our socio-technical project discussion, we explored space travel and hovercraft vehicles as project topics. Both topics may require long-range projections beyond our 10-15 years for non-research topics and 15-30 years for topics within our research areas.
For space travel, the ideas ranged from exploration to a trucking system in space. Naturally, that led to a review of the technological, social, cultural, financial and political influences that need to be considered.
Related technologies may also be needed, such as a mid-air traffic control system for hovercraft vehicles. While it is challenging to consider everything that will be needed, discuss the influences and how they may impact success within the socio-technical plan.
The projects need to include 2-3 models that analyze it and address risk. For Second Life prototypes, one is sufficient. Types of models for the projects include physical (in SL), analogue (on paper or in SL), mathematical and schematic.
During the second class session, we explored a variety of prototypes and particle emitters for project ideas from the residency session, including the diagnostic and treatment medical system.
How will it look, how confident will we feel using it and how will we get feedback from it? Aside from technological capability, how secure, safe and ethical will this system be?
While we will not be able to address every contingency, as we explore an uncertain future, keep in mind the influences that support and hinder your innovation plan.
Next week, we will continue our discussion of the socio-technical innovation plan and summarize the course content. If you plan to design a project prototype in Second Life, contact me for design ideas, textures and scripts.
If you want to hold a graduation ceremony in Second Life during the last week of class, let me know.
As the class began, we tested rezzing the Mahjong tiles on this game table in SL. We also removed and rezzed the island's castle within 10 seconds, showing the speed and power of larger virtual world rezzers and visited a variety of context-sensitive scenes that appeared around us.
If you missed class, be sure to visit and pick up your copy of the Touring Second Life folder. Inside are two notecards, one that organizes a set of landmarks and the other features touring information and a copy of the Boracay Hitchhiker's Guide to SL Heads-up Display (HUD) device. The HUD is included both in the folder and on the touring notecard.While we were wearing the HUD and testing its interface, I quickly demonstrated how to create a similar prototype and link it.
During our socio-technical project discussion, we explored space travel and hovercraft vehicles as project topics. Both topics may require long-range projections beyond our 10-15 years for non-research topics and 15-30 years for topics within our research areas.
For space travel, the ideas ranged from exploration to a trucking system in space. Naturally, that led to a review of the technological, social, cultural, financial and political influences that need to be considered.
Related technologies may also be needed, such as a mid-air traffic control system for hovercraft vehicles. While it is challenging to consider everything that will be needed, discuss the influences and how they may impact success within the socio-technical plan.
The projects need to include 2-3 models that analyze it and address risk. For Second Life prototypes, one is sufficient. Types of models for the projects include physical (in SL), analogue (on paper or in SL), mathematical and schematic.
During the second class session, we explored a variety of prototypes and particle emitters for project ideas from the residency session, including the diagnostic and treatment medical system.
How will it look, how confident will we feel using it and how will we get feedback from it? Aside from technological capability, how secure, safe and ethical will this system be?
While we will not be able to address every contingency, as we explore an uncertain future, keep in mind the influences that support and hinder your innovation plan.
Next week, we will continue our discussion of the socio-technical innovation plan and summarize the course content. If you plan to design a project prototype in Second Life, contact me for design ideas, textures and scripts.
If you want to hold a graduation ceremony in Second Life during the last week of class, let me know.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Second Life Futuring and Innovation Class
Nine CS 855 students valiantly navigated Tuesday night's class in Second Life, studying camera controls, the profile, how to use Voice over IP, chat logs, sharing content, gestures and drinking hot cocoa.
*makes a note to add more gadgets to the next class*
The discussion shifted from SL mechanics to reflect on social media and how people collaborate online. Our use of the Web 2.0 tools and Second Life helps us to understand today's capabilities and to envision what will be needed in 10-15 years.
With a nod to famous futurists, Winston Churchill's observation that the future was "one damn thing after another" [1] made us ask why anyone would pursue a career in forecasting. Yet, given the $200 billion spent annually on predictions, it is no small wonder that many feel that the 85% (or higher) failure rate is well worth the risk.
Weather forecasting was noted as one of the more successful prediction systems in W. Sherdan's The Fortune Sellers. Why is the weather important to technological innovation? Its direct influence on the physical environment affects other systems and their outcomes.
Upcoming assignment: As you start to design an audio podcast, two presentation styles that came to mind were Ask Dr. Science and Bill Nye The Science Guy. In your podcast, tell us about your favorite futurist (real or fictional), or share tips about a Web 2.0 tool.
Tip: Keep it short, offer new information and have a great time sharing your ideas!
Don't forget to post feedback about Dr. Rheingold's video from Monday's discussion.
Class ended with a description of the Programmatic Research paper and information regarding the final doctoral defense. Next week, we will continue our discussion of socio-technical futuring and discuss additional virtual world capabilities.
[1] Sherdan, W. A. (1998). The Fortune Sellers: The Big Business of Buying and Selling Predictions. John Wiley & Sons, New York, p.7.
*makes a note to add more gadgets to the next class*
The discussion shifted from SL mechanics to reflect on social media and how people collaborate online. Our use of the Web 2.0 tools and Second Life helps us to understand today's capabilities and to envision what will be needed in 10-15 years.
With a nod to famous futurists, Winston Churchill's observation that the future was "one damn thing after another" [1] made us ask why anyone would pursue a career in forecasting. Yet, given the $200 billion spent annually on predictions, it is no small wonder that many feel that the 85% (or higher) failure rate is well worth the risk.
Weather forecasting was noted as one of the more successful prediction systems in W. Sherdan's The Fortune Sellers. Why is the weather important to technological innovation? Its direct influence on the physical environment affects other systems and their outcomes.
Upcoming assignment: As you start to design an audio podcast, two presentation styles that came to mind were Ask Dr. Science and Bill Nye The Science Guy. In your podcast, tell us about your favorite futurist (real or fictional), or share tips about a Web 2.0 tool.
Tip: Keep it short, offer new information and have a great time sharing your ideas!
Don't forget to post feedback about Dr. Rheingold's video from Monday's discussion.
Class ended with a description of the Programmatic Research paper and information regarding the final doctoral defense. Next week, we will continue our discussion of socio-technical futuring and discuss additional virtual world capabilities.
[1] Sherdan, W. A. (1998). The Fortune Sellers: The Big Business of Buying and Selling Predictions. John Wiley & Sons, New York, p.7.
Monday, July 28, 2008
CTU Second Life Classes for July 29-31, 2008
We will hold a CS 855 session in Second Life (SL) on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 6PM Mountain/7PM Central time, recapping the 2nd set of residency content. Attendance is optional.
We also have a 30-minute SL introduction on Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 6 PM Mountain/7PM Central time. MGM 845 also meets in Second Life for their strategic thinking activities. Depending on how many students arrive, we may use opposite sides of the island. After logging into Second Life, visit Acheron LV426 and click the Teleport Now button to teleport to class.
1st CS 855 class in Second Life: Sunday, July 27th's session was a blend of first time SL usage and socio-technical futuring concepts. We only skimmed the highlights of the history of futuring, various prediction techniques and Herman Kahn's predictions. We stopped far short of creative destruction.
We also have a 30-minute SL introduction on Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 6 PM Mountain/7PM Central time. MGM 845 also meets in Second Life for their strategic thinking activities. Depending on how many students arrive, we may use opposite sides of the island. After logging into Second Life, visit Acheron LV426 and click the Teleport Now button to teleport to class.
1st CS 855 class in Second Life: Sunday, July 27th's session was a blend of first time SL usage and socio-technical futuring concepts. We only skimmed the highlights of the history of futuring, various prediction techniques and Herman Kahn's predictions. We stopped far short of creative destruction.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Talking cash registers - a socio-technical tale
Around 1980-81, my high tech supermarket installed talking cash registers at the checkout stands. The store sold a wide selection of grocery and pharmacy products and at first, the introduction of new technology was just like stepping into the Space age.
That is, until we noticed that a computerized voice was announcing everything that we purchased by name, size, quantity and price. To help us hear over the sounds of people shopping, the voice was loud and could be heard in nearby checkout lanes.
Photo courtesy of Kanesue
I noticed that I started shopping in the wee hours of the morning to get privacy, and when others would loom near, I'd make snappy comments about my purchases.
Breaking a hundred-dollar bill by buying a pack of gum no longer seemed like a good idea. While the voice was very polite, shoppers reacted as if someone had hollered over a loudspeaker. "She's leaving the building with $97.25 in change!"
How people feel about technology and the tasks that they are performing influences their widespread adoption and use. For cool new technologies to be successful, we need to identify and understand their social implications and how they will impact growth and innovation.
That is, until we noticed that a computerized voice was announcing everything that we purchased by name, size, quantity and price. To help us hear over the sounds of people shopping, the voice was loud and could be heard in nearby checkout lanes.
I noticed that I started shopping in the wee hours of the morning to get privacy, and when others would loom near, I'd make snappy comments about my purchases.
Breaking a hundred-dollar bill by buying a pack of gum no longer seemed like a good idea. While the voice was very polite, shoppers reacted as if someone had hollered over a loudspeaker. "She's leaving the building with $97.25 in change!"
How people feel about technology and the tasks that they are performing influences their widespread adoption and use. For cool new technologies to be successful, we need to identify and understand their social implications and how they will impact growth and innovation.
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