RESEARCH PROPOSAL 2015 Bergthora Jonsdottir
TL;DR
Class: Design Research Methods II Teacher: Deborah Shakleton Supervisor: Celeste Martin
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
We have an infinite supply of information and yet we cannot read. R.F. Georgy
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TL;DR
Fig 1: Hand writing
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Abstract
This project addresses the changes in reading behavior and information processing of 13—16 year old students in today’s digital age society. The book seems to be having an extremely hard time competing against other, often on-line, recreational activities that offer users “instant gratification”. It seems we are not deep-reading as much anymore, but rather engaging in shorter writings that don’t require as much cognitive effort. At the same time, we still expect students to immerse themselves in long form fiction and complex literary classics within the school environment—and for good reasons. In addition to the importance of literacy in general, research shows reading long form fiction has cognitive benefits. Among other things it improves social perception and emotional intelligence, increases empathy, makes you sharper and kinder and more comfortable with ambiguity. (Kidd, D., & Castano, E. 2013) So how are we introducing our 21st century, digital native readers to literature? Are they being exposed to options to their liking, options that reflect their digital media consumption and preferences? Younger audiences appear to have a good variety of engaging interactive reading materials to choose from, but as the readers get older, materials seem to come in a shorter supply. The aim of the research will be to design and build proofs of concepts of engaging reading experiences for 13—16 year old students, to motivate and encourage their reading.
Keywords Literacy, literature, reading, deep reading, cognitive science, long form fiction, novels, e-books, gamification, playful design, gameful design, interaction design, adolescents, students, action research, user-testing, participatory design, human-centered design.
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TL;DR
Table of contents
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Overture
Context
05 05 08
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Abstract Keywords About me
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Reading habits in the age of digital media E-books Gamification
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Proposal
Criteria
11 11 11 12
17 17 17 17 18
Observation Opportunity Hypothesis Design value & significance
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User criteria Aesthetic criteria Marketing criteria System criteria Precedents
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
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Research
Logistics
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27 27 27 28
Research approach Research plan Analysis
Feasibility Budget Balance Schedule
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Outcomes
Appendices
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30 31 39 43 46 47
Design deliverables Educational goals
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Appendix A Research methods Annotated bibliography References List of figures REB
TL;DR
About me
The focus of my project stems from my still growing fascination with neuroscience, reading, writing and how we absorb information. My interest in books and reading seeps into various aspects of my life, and has so far taken its form in bookbinding courses, my bachelor thesis focus, newspaper interviews on design, and even a job at a bookstore in 2005, where I continued working all the way through my studies at the Iceland Academy of Arts. As a designer, I strive to bridge gaps between problems and solutions, convey information, and raise interest in different topics. The ultimate aspiration is to spark social change, to feel that design can be used to make a difference. My thesis will focus on applying that frame of mind, every step of the way. It’s there, in my opinion, where the magic happens.
Design is the conscious effort to impose meaningful order. Victor Papanek
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Fig 2: My education and work
VMA Akureyri 2005
DSD Denmark 2008
IAA Reykjavik 2008—11
UFAK Vienna 2010
Matriculation examinations in the subject of art
Graphic design preporatory studies
BA in Graphic Design
Exchange semester in graphic design
J&L Iceland 2010—14
Maxomedia Switzerland 2014
ECUAD Vancouver 2014—16
Graphic Design
Graphic Design + Web Design
Mdes program
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TL;DR
Fig 3: Observing 10
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Proposal
Observation Digital media is changing the way we access, read and interact with written text, reducing the time we read long form fiction for pleasure. Are 13—16 year old students being exposed to options to their liking, ones that reflect these changes?
Opportunity Designers can help shape the reading experience to be as effective and pleasurable as possible for the reader. There seems to be an abundance of materials to choose from when it comes to teaching our children the alphabet and how to read. However, as our readers gets older, the assortment of different reading options seems to subside. We want students to continue to evolve and strengthen their reading skills, but don’t necessarily offer the same range of possibilities to do so. In my opinion, adding to that spectrum could really benefit 13—16 year old students, and perhaps engage and motivate students that might other wise refrain from reading long form fiction.
Hypothesis Expanding the digital visual language of long form fiction classics for 13—16 year old students might support recreational reading and further develop their literacy skills.
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TL;DR
Design Value and significance This project aims to contribute knowledge to the design of reading experiences for 13—16 year old students. Conducting my initial investigation, I found that encouragement, instruction and motivation seem to be ample for younger students, where the focus is on initial reading skills. In my studio work and exploration, I’ve come across piles of books, apps, games, puzzles and videos of various forms that focus on teaching the alphabet, and those initial reading skills. But it seems we may reach a certain gap as children turn into adolescents. The area of learning to read has been excellently addressed, but what about reading to learn? I believe the field of graphic and interaction design could really benefit the area, and help shape new visual ways of introducing literature to adolescent students.
Fig 4: Classroom 12
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Context
Reading habits in the age of digital media We live in a time where distractions abound and never run out. The Internet has had a momentous impact, similar to Gutenberg’s printing press in the fifteenth century, sparking an “information revolution”. Information is just a click away and we want as much as possible, as quickly as possible. American author Nicholas Carr, acclaimed for his writing on technology and culture, discusses this in his book “The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains”. Drawing on neuro-science, Carr argues that the so-called “linear mind” is now a thing of the past, ithat the new mind wants, needs and expects to ingest and expel information “in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts—the faster, the better.” (Carr, N. 2010, p. 19) According to him, the information technology revolution may be undermining our concentration and immersion. That potential undermining is rather alarming, as reading can often be a demanding activity, requiring cognitive effort and attention, based on the kind of text we engage with. Maryanne Wolf, a professor of child development at Tufts University asks in her book “Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain” if children today are really learning the heart of the reading process, to go beyond the text. According
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to Wolf, “Their sights are narrowed to what they see and hear quickly and easily, and they have too little reason to think outside our newest, most sophisticated boxes.” She continues, “These students are not illiterate, but they may never become true expert readers. During the phase in their reading development when critical skills are guided, modeled, practiced and honed, they may not have been challenged to exploit the acme of the fully developed, reading brain: time to think for themselves.” (Wolf, M. 2007, p. 225) Australian teacher Dr. Margaret Merga, agrees with Wolf, and expresses her worries in her paper “Western Australian adolescents’ reasons for infrequent engagement in recreational book reading”. Merga carried out an extensive research on the reading habits of 13—16 year old students in Australia in 2012. In her aforementioned paper, she quotes OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] pointing out that it seems that recreational reading in general is declining throughout most parts of the world, with fewer students choosing to read for pleasure. She also addresses the topic of how what kind of text students engage with matters. That while reading newspapers, magazines and non-fiction books can offer some benefit; “the effect of these materials on reading performance is not as much pronounced as the effect of fiction books”. (Merga, M. 2014, p. 1)
TL;DR
4 May.—I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German. This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did. He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting. Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a very hysterical way:
DRACULA
“Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go?” She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again:
Bram Stoker
“Do you know what day it is?”
Bram Stoker
Fig 5: Studio experiments with e-books.
E-books E-books have been gaining more popularity in recent years, with more titles sold every year. And as explained by Irish researcher and designer Hilary Kenna, citing Kevin Kelly; the ubiquity of screens in our daily lives has “altered our traditional perception of text to encompass a richer form of media content, where image, sound, video and text intertwine”. (Kenna, H. 2011, p. 211) At the same time, author Andrew Piper proclaims that “Listening to music, watching movies, pointing, and clicking—these have nothing to do with reading”. In his book “Book was there”, he argues that adding layers of media is a departure from reading but not an enhancement of it. (Piper, A.
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2012) However, chances are it all depends on the context. John Maxwell and Haig Armen proclaim that the tradition of the book and publishing might be parting ways. As explained in their article, “Dreams reoccurring: The craft of the book in the age of the web”, Maxwell and Armen, teachers of journalism and design, express their worry about “publishers trading in their craft technologies for ones that are entirely about efficiency and convenience […] disregarding the craft and abandoning century old lessons of typography for something that is “good enough”. (Maxwell, J. and Armen, H. 2014) And as we shift to digital, why aren’t we treating each book with the same respect for its craft as in print, especially if our minds are fully capable of taking in such rich media content?
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Gamification / gameful design The term “gamification” first saw widespread adoption in 2010, to describe the “idea of using game design elements in no-game contexts” according to the authors of “From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining ‘gamification’.” (Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R. and Nacke, L. 2011, p. 9) They go on to further explain how uses of the term fluctuates between two related concepts. First one being “increasing adoption, institutionalization and ubiquity of (video) games in everyday life. The second, more specific notion that since video games are designed with the primary purpose of entertainment, […] game elements should be able to make other, nongame products and services more enjoyable and
engaging. (Deterding, S. et al. 2011, p. 9-10) That is not to say that adding a layer of gaming on top of an activity is enough, it has to be done in a thoughtful manner. Or as Dennis Ramirez and Kurt Squire further elaborate in a chapter of the book “The Gameful World”: “Just as good games require that their games mechanics match up with the experience you seek to convey, game mechanics must be used to contribute toward the values and culture that one hopes to foster.” (Ramirez D., Squire, K. 2014. p. 647) These two fields of exploration, e-books and gamification, are expected to influence the work of building a proof of concept. Other components might include printed promotional materials.
Fig 6: ‘The Waste Land’
Kenna, H. (2011)
Food for thought on the design and development of e-books: Rich media content
Surface presentation
Digital innovation
—How to integrate different media forms (video, audio) with the main text narrative without breaking the reader’s flow and engagement with the narrative
—The visual form of the text on screen, how the information is arranged and represented so that readers can read it, find their way through it, and use it.
—The inclusion of new or extra digital features or functionality that distinguishes the e-book from it’s printed counterpart.
Typography and multimedia
Typography on screen (digital page)
Typography and interactivity
—how to maintain the text as the focal point of the reading experience with the addition of rich media content.
—how to create an on-screen reading reading experience akin to a paper book, addressing design issues such as composition, layout, hierarchy and legibility on screen?
—how to enable readers to navigate and interact with the text, but also to ensure extra enhancements would flow from the digital reading experience?
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TL;DR
Fig 7: Studio experiments with Javascript
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Criteria
User criteria
Marketing
The main targeted audience within the study will be 13—16 year old students. According to the Ministry of education, it’s in grade 8 where literature seems to become a bigger part in the curriculum. (See Appendix A for further information) Furthermore, education up to the age of 16 is compulsory in most provinces in Canada.
If time allows for extensive development of the proof of concept, the next step will be to seek out funding opportunities to take the concept to a stage of a finished product and possible distribution.
Aesthetic criteria The input from 13—16 year old students, especially through interviews and co-creation will influence the look and feel of the proof of concept that will be maintained through all streams of communication.
Fig 8: Line of boys 17
System criteria This project will seek to utilize modes of digital media that digital native students are familiar with. The two main areas of exploration to date are within the field of e-books and game mechanics.
TL;DR
Precedents
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Interpolated Editorial Design Adam Cristobal
Frankenstein New York Public Library’s Biblion
A website with the purpose of bringing literary classics to life in new forms and formats and define new ways to deliver them to twenty-first century readers.
A content rich iPad app, that goes beyond retelling Mary Shelley’s story. Even a bit too chaotic due to the abundance of components.
Device 6 Simogo
Popout! The tale of Peter Rabbit Loudcrow Interactive
A text-based adventure game that engages players with a mixture of novella and puzzle, and entwines storytelling with geography.
An interactive twist to a classic story. Includes music, sound effects and reading as well as pop out features that take inspiration from paper books.
Allirlesa.is
The Wasteland by Touch press
A month-long nationwide team reading contest run by the Icelandic Literature Center and Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature. This website kept track of all of the teams, their hours and other statistics.
An app for T. S. Eliot’s poem. Includes audio readings, detailed notes and expert insights as well as a filmed performance of the poem, synchronized to the text.
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TL;DR
Research approach My practice will draw on the paradigm of interpretivism, sharing the beliefs of relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology. Assuming that “reality as we know it is constructed intersubjectively through the meanings and understandings developed socially and experientially [as well as the] investigator and the object of investigation are linked such that who we are and how we understand the world is a central part of how we understand ourselves, others and the world.” (Cohen D., and Crabtree, B. 2006.) In that way, truth is constructed through dialogue, relying heavily on interviews with the people who are to be impacted by the change, as well as examining existing literature. “Thus, what we know is always negotiated within cultures, social settings, and relationship with other people.” (Cohen D., and Crabtree, B. 2006.)
In attempt to understand the current state of the area and generate future scenarios and concepts, I will combine the approaches of action research, exploratory research, participatory design and experience design. The reflective process approaches “encompass several methods with the unifying philosophy that they all involve active consultation with users, clients, and other stakeholders in the design process, ideally through face-to-face contact in activity-based co-design engagements.” (Hanington, B. & Martin, B. 2012 p. 128).
You cannot understand a system until you try to change it Lewin
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Fig 9: Venn diagram of Participatory Action Research
(O) PAR
(A)Research
(B)Participatory
Mind Inquiry Knowledge
Life in society Democracy
(C)Action Experience Transformative
Fig 10: Action Research
Diagnosis What is the problem
Action Planning Evaluation Identify results of the action plan
Outcomes Reflect on findings
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Alternative courses of action
Take Action Implement alternative action
TL;DR
Research plan
A combination of tools and techniques serves the purpose of gathering knowledge on the reading habits and preferences of 13—16 year old students. The methods I intend to use are as follows:
• • • • • •
literature review interviews surveys and questionnaires co-creation user-testing EEG testing
Other possibilities include observation and shadowing as well as participant observation. Research activities will “focus on understanding the nature of the user’s world, their daily life routines, challenges, needs, desires, interactions, product preferences, and environmental context and use patterns.” (Hanington, B. & Martin, B., 2012, p. 84). Further secondary research will then help me build knowledge of existing, complementary, and competitive products, systems and spaces. A more detailed description of when and how I intend to apply these methods can be found in the schedule on pages 28—29 and in the Appendix under “Research methods.”
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Fig 11: Picking a brain
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TL;DR
Analysis
Once all primary data has been collected, various methods will be used to analyse it, as doing so is central to theory building. By generating concepts through the process of coding, the data will be constructed, conceptualised and then put back together in order to build new theories. (Collins, H. 2010, p. 150). The key component in the process of analysing the data will use Ryan and Bernard’s techniques of identifying themes and analyzing text, as shown below.
Fig 12: Ryan and Bernard’s techniques of identifying themes and analyzing text
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1 discovering themes and subthemes
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3 building hierarchies of themes or code books
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winnowing themes to a manageable few
linking themes into theoretical models.
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Design deliverables
At this point, design deliverables are expected to develop in digital form. The primary research carried out in the summer will influence how these deliverables will take shape. Deliverables include a proof of concept as well as accompanying promotional materials, that might be realized in print form. At the ideation stage, scheduled to take place in June through July, I intend to apply the methodology of a Google design sprint, as shown below. The model is based on design thinking structure championed by IDEO and Stanford’s d.school. (Knapp, J. 2013)
Fig 13: The methodology of a Google design sprint
Understand
Diverge
Decide
Prototype
Research, competitive review + strategy exercises
Rapidly develop as many solutions as possible
Choose best ideas
Quick and dirty
Validate Show the prototype, learn what works and what doesn’t
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TL;DR
Fig 14: Classroom
Educational goals • • • • • •
Develop knowledge and skills within Participatory Action Research Improve my knowledge and language skills within the realms of design Improve my critical writing on the topic of design Become more self-reflective Deepen my knowledge within user-experience and user-interface design Develop own digital skills.
Think to build and build to think Jane Fulton Suri
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Logistics
Feasibility The feasibility of my project relies heavily on recruitment. I am currently in discussion with a Vancouver based private school who might be willing to participate. If I am unsuccessful in recruitment through the school system, I will recruit participants through personal networks.
Budget Budget is also a factor of significance, as it will determine the development of the proof of concept. Currently, I possess the skills needed as a designer to create, brand and design a proof of concept. However, I lack adequate coding skills. My abilities include producing simple
Fig 15: Funds
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prototypes, but hardly anything beyond that. Hiring a programmer would be really beneficial to the project, as it would allow for the development of more robust prototypes. A possible component of primary research that might be affected by budget, is the use of EEG technology. (See Research methods in the Appendix for further details)
Balance The biggest matter of concern regarding the thesis itself is treading the path of added stimuli. How much is enough, or appropriate? Saturating the text with too many different visual or audio elements might disengage readers, preventing them from engaging more deeply with words, ideas and emotions.
TL;DR
Schedule
April
May
June
July
August
Proposal Recruitment
Interviews
Apply for grant REB
Analysis Synthesis
Questionnaires
Ideation
Surveys Work-shop
Secondary research: Precedents, e-books, gamification, UI+UX, education Coding lessons
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
User-testing Assessment
Prototype Development
Refining prototypes
Additional research as necessary Coding lessons
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Feb
TL;DR
Appendix A
Grade 8 Key Concepts: Overview of English Language Arts K to 12 Reading and Viewing • • • •
examining and comparing ideas and elements among texts comprehending, analyzing, and responding to literary, informational, and visual texts explaining and supporting personal connections to texts constructing meaning using text structures and features
(Ministry of education, 2007)
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Research Methodology
Various research activities will be conducted, including different groups of participants in the attempt to gain an extensive understanding of the target group. The group’s characteristics, behavior, reading habits and ways of communicating, focusing on qualitative data, will help build character profiles and lay the foundation for the continuing work. The thesis will be triangulated by looking at the relationship of the methods that follow.
Interviews Interviews are especially good for in-depth and detailed knowledge on the subject, as they give the principal researcher a good opportunity to probe for further elaborations. Interviews will be conducted to gain an understanding of preferences and behavior regarding books and book reading. Interviews will range from semistructured to unstructured in attempt to get the respondents to express themselves as freely as possible about the subject. Interviewees will mainly consist of the target group—adolescent students aged 13—16. Research questions will focus on their reading habits, both at school and at home, the frequency of their leisure reading, use of digital media, attitude towards reading etc. Sample questions may include but are not limited to: — How would you describe your reading habits? — Do you think you read enough books? — What would make you read more books? — What do you like to read? — Do you read books outside of school? — Would you read more books if they had pictures, sounds, videos etc? Other possible interviewees include teachers, adolescent students’ parents and guardians, librarians and other stakeholders within the realms of literature and Interview questions aimed at teachers, guardians and librarians will focus on the target groups’ reading habits as they personally perceive them, on if they are
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TL;DR
Research Methodology
motivating and encouraging the target group to read, and what they think might make the target group read more. Interviews are expected to take place in a one-on-one setting. They might also take their form in personal correspondence when interviewing stakeholders, via e-mails in a non-formal manner. Depending on the setting of target group’s interviews, the number of participants will most likely range from 10—20. The interviews will be conducted in a neutral setting, with no other teachers or “authorities” present as they might influence the target group’s willingness to provide truthful answers. Interviews with the target group should not take more than 30 minutes. Other interviews should follow a similar time-frame. An instructional handout will be developed and submitted to the review panel upon completion.
Surveys / questionnaires To gain an even deeper understanding of the subject and the target group’s reading habits, I will be conducting surveys and questionnaires. Surveys and questionnaires could be especially useful to get answers from the target group, as they are responded to individually. They also allow for a broader range of respondents, geographically speaking. Questions will, just as with interviews, focus on reading and reading habits, frequency of leisure reading etc., digging deeper into the statistics. Sample questions may include but are not limited to: — How often do you read books outside of school? — How often do you read novels? — Do you think reading books is important?
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
For teachers: — How do you introduce students to long form fiction? — Are there any activities involved? — Do you encourage your students to read novels? — Do you encourage reading outside of the classroom? — Do you talk about books in class? The surveys and questionnaires might also include visual or verbal components containing ideas from principal student researcher, asking for opinions on what might work and what they find engaging and useful. A star scale from 1-5 might even be adapted, in order to approach the subject in a playful, informal manner. Surveys and questionnaires will be carried out digitally. Surveys will be accessible on-line through a link provided in an e-mail, and participants encouraged to provide answers right away. Questionnaires will be accessible using the same method or sent as an editable file to the participants. As they will be more detailed, reminders might be sent out and participants encouraged to provide answers before a certain deadline. The number of participants will hopefully range from 15—30. Surveys would typically not take more than 10 minutes. Questionnaires will be a bit more detailed, but shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes—1 hour to complete, depending on respondents. An instructional handout will be developed and submitted to the review panel upon completion.
Co-creation After the first stage of primary research has finished, the research will move into cocreation sessions with the target group. Co-creation has gained popularity over the last few years, joining the forces of researchers/designers and users. The idea is based on designers becoming facilitators, rather than just being idle observers. (Koskinen, I., Zimmerman, J., Binder, T., Redström, J. & Wensveen, S. 2011)
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TL;DR
Research Methodology
The target group will become a bigger part of the design process itself, being actively involved in it. The students become the experts of their own reading experiences within the process of co-creation, expressing their own thoughts and opinions, even paving ways for the principal student researcher that she wouldn’t have gone otherwise. The insights provided with a co-creation session are extremely valuable and play a large role within the process of ideation and development of both knowledge and concept within the project. (Sanders, E. & Stappers, P. 2012) Using the knowledge gained from prior research, participants will be lead through a facilitated brainstorming activity. Using paper sheets with pre-printed templates, participants will be asked to bring their own ideas, thoughts and expressions into the project, sketching them into the templates, using colored pens. Popapp or similar programs might then bring their creations to life, transforming paper prototypes into digital ones, allowing functions to be demonstrated. That will hopefully give the participants a feeling of completing their own creative project. A few things to bear in mind during the process of the co-creation, as well as interviews if a group setting is chosen: — Social currency means a lot to this age group, as they enter their formative years. — People within the target group might be more impressionable than others and approve of their peers ideas, whisking off their own. — Keep the activities as short and simple as possible, to hold their attention. — Try to engage everyone, making sure they feel like their opinion matters. — Keep the sessions lively and playful, not too formal or strict. Participants of co-creation sessions will be 4—10. Participants will be offered incentives in the form of light refreshments. Co-creation sessions would be prepared to take no more than 2 hours. An instructional handout will be developed and submitted to the review panel upon completion.
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
The sessions will be documented both in writing as well as with photography, with media release forms provided so that the visual documentation of the sessions can be used to illustrate the thesis.
User testing / Computer administered tasks Based on the success of the initial stage of research and visualization around it, the aim is to include user-testing / computer administered tasks and critique as part of the process. Including that will allow for improvements and alterations in collaboration with the target group itself, taking into account the participants’ observations as well as user interface design guidelines. It will help evaluate the performance of the prototype as well as aid further development. Participants in the user testing session will be 4—10. Participants will be offered incentives in the form of light refreshments. User testing sessions should not take more than 1—2 hours. An instructional handout will be developed and submitted to the review panel upon completion. The sessions will be documented both in writing as well as with photography, with media release forms provided so that the visual documentation of the sessions can be used to illustrate the thesis.
User testing / EEG An additional possibility in user-testing is using electroencephalography (EEG). Emotiv, a bioinformatics company, offers brain-reading headsets and the software needed to operate and interpret the data. The headset can measure and track your attention, focus, engagement, interest and excitement. According to Emotiv, it can be used to get “a better idea of your daily productivity profile. When you’re paying attention, the time of day and how long you can pay attention for, your interest levels,
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TL;DR
Research Methodology
your bursts of focus. In addition, the brainwear can understand and decipher basic mental commands. It can detect commands such as push, pull, levitate, rotate and even commands that are harder to visualize such as disappear. It also detects facial expressions such as blinks, winks, frown, surprise, clench and smile.� This technology has already been applied to a diverse range of application, including helping teachers and students in a classroom observe and understand learning, behavior and social interaction. I think adding this component to the user-testing, investigating focus, engagement and interest in different reading experiences would be extremely interesting.
Design ethnography Using design ethnography will help me build character profiles of the target group. Getting a clear picture of their characteristics, behavior, reading habits and ways of communication, through understanding the landscape of the problem space, surrounding environments and social structures. Situating myself in between the target group and the designer in me, I will use the insights derived from the target group to design a proof of concept.
Unobtrusive observations and observational field notes Other possible methods of gathering information include unobtrusive observations as well as observational field notes. That means getting permission to sit in on classes for a non-participant, natural observation of students and their environment, without approaching them directly. That kind of an approach might be helpful, but there is also a danger of the target group behaving differently knowing they are being observed.
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Secondary Data Over the past seven months I have been conducting a literature review in order to better understand the context upon which my thesis is situated. That literature review will continue in the next months. Secondary data such as journals and books will be used to support the research and its objectives, and triangulating the data. Margaret K. Merga, an Australian researcher and teacher has carried out studies within the realm, among adolescents in Western Australia. After coming across her work on Academia.edu, she has offered me extremely useful insights, providing me with 9 of her papers on the topic. The ones I have reviewed are: Merga, M. (2014). What would make them read more? Insights from Western Australian adolescents. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from author by e-mail. Merga, M. (2014). Are Teenagers Really Keen Digital Readers? Adolescent Engagement in Ebook Reading and the Relevance of Paper books Today. English in Australia. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from author by e-mail. Merga, M. (2014). Western Australian adolescents’ reasons for infrequent engagement in recreational book reading. Literacy Learning: The middle years. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from author by e-mail. Merga, M. (2014). Peer Group and Friend Influences on the Social Acceptability of Adolescent Book Reading. Literacy Learning: The middle years. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from author by e-mail.
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TL;DR
Research Methodology
Books I have read, contributing to the evolving of my problem space include but are not limited to: Carr, N. (2010). The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. New York: W.W. Norton Piper, A. (2012). Book was there: Reading in electronic times. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York: McGraw-Hill Turkle, S. (2012). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books
Books that have provided insights on research methods: Sanders, E., & Stappers, P. (2012). Convivial design toolbox: Generative research for the front end of design. Amsterdam: BIS Koskinen, I., Zimmerman, J., Binder, T., Redstrรถm, J., & Wensveen, S. (2011). Design research through practice from the lab, field, and showroom. Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann Other intended literature will focus on e-books, gamification, user-interface design as well as user-experience among other things.
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Annotated bibliography
On reading and digital media The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. Carr, N. (2010). The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. New York: W.W. Norton. In this book, Nicholas Carr examines the ways our minds, reading habits and intake of information have changed since the Internet came to be. Grounding his argument in modern neuroscience, Carr describes how we are not able to concentrate anymore, due to the need to ingest and expel information as much and as soon as possible. A very approachable writing on an interesting subject.
Book was there Piper, A. (2012). Book was there: Reading in electronic times. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Book was there explores the history of books and reading and how it has evolved into the digital age. Piper brings up issues similar to Carr, for instance he wonders if we’re all becoming skimmers in terms of reading, not allowing ourselves to digest the meaning. Social reading is also a big part of Piper’s book, how reading is an act of isolation but still develops a common culture.
Proust and the Squid: The story and science of the reading brain Wolf, M., & Stoodley, C. (2007). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. New York, NY: HarperCollins. A book about the magic and mechanics of reading and the digital brain. After precenting a broad ranging study that includes literature, linguistics, psychology and neuroscience, Wolf leaves us with several questions about the future of reading.
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TL;DR
Annotated bibliography
Western Australian adolescents’ reasons for infrequent engagement in recreational book reading Merga, M. (2014). Western Australian adolescents’ reasons for infrequent engagement in recreational book reading. Literacy Learning: The middle years. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from author by e-mail. In this paper, Margaret Merga seeks an understanding of the reasons leading to infrequency of engagement of in recreational book reading among 13—16 year old students in Australia. She comes to the conclusion that in order to increase recreational book reading, increasing the appeal of books as well as developing reading skills would probably be required.
Dreams Reoccurring: The Craft of the Book in the Age of the Web Maxwell, J. & Armen, H. Dreams Reoccurring: The Craft of the Book in the Age of the Web. (2014). JEB: The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 17(1). Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jep/3336451.0017.125?view=text;rgn=main In this lecture, Maxwell and Armen talk about how publishing and the tradition of the book are parting ways, how literature has moved beyond the work, and now resides in the network. They argue that in order for us to fully appreciate e-books, they must feel like they’re crafted, not like they are single-use, disposable and mass produced.
Touching the text of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’: a critical discussion of interactive design and screen typography for an iPad e-book Kenna, H. (2011). ‘Touching the text of T.S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’: a critical discussion of interactive design and screen typography for an iPad e-book’, Book 2.0 1:2, pp. 207-238. Kenna, the designer of the iPad app ‘The Waste Land’, provides an extensive case study on the poem app that became “iPad app of the week” in the United States. Discussing the media content, typography and user interface, Kenna provides insight into how she created a distinctive screen-reading experience on the iPad.
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On gamefulness and gamification Gamification and learning Ramirez, D., & Squire, K. (2014). Gamification and learning. In “Gameful world: Approaches, issues, applications”. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. In this chapter of “Gameful world”, Ramirez and Squire discuss the importance of gamification techniques, and the importance of educator’s adding them to their toolbox. Ramirez and Squire also argue that a participatory approach is important in the execution, and how we should think about gamification as an on-going process that is never inherently done.
From game design elements to gamefulness: defining “gamification” Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R. & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining “gamification”. In Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (MindTrek ’11). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 9-15. Retrieved March 15, 2015 from þhttp:// gamification-research.org/2012/04/defining-gamification/#sthash.kGTdDl0x.dpuf A paper that proposes the definition of “gamification”, the use of game design elements in a non-game contexts. The authors argue that it is not possible to determine whether a system is a “gamified application” or “a game” without taking into account the designer’s intentions as well as the user experiences and enactments.
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TL;DR
Annotated bibliography
On research Universal methods of design: 100 ways to research complex problems, develop innovatiove ideas, and design effective solutions. Martin, B., & Hanington, B. (2012). Universal methods of design: 100 ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and design effective solutions (Digital ed.). Beverly, MA: Rockport. This book, containing summaries of 100 different research and analysis methods is an extremely helpful tool in the research process and a crucial reference for any designer. It distills each method down to its essence, providing helpful tools to use throughout the whole process of ideation, research and execution.
Creative research: the theory and practice of research for the creative industries Collins, H. (2010). Creative research: the theory and practice of research for the creative industries. Lausanne: AVA Academia. A book that guides anyone involved in a creative process through key knowledge, practices and skills of research methods. Including everything from defining the initial problem to analyzing different types of data, this book leads the way with examples, diagrams and imagery.
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ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
References
On digital media Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York: McGraw-Hill Turkle, S. (2012). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books
On precedents Author unknown. (n.d.) Allir lesa. Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://allirlesa.is Cristobal, A. (2014) Deep design for deep books. Retrieved October 29, 2014, from http://www.adamcristobal.com/interpolated-editorial-design/ Frankenstein. (2013). The New York Library Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations (Version 1.1.1) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes. apple.com/us/app/nypl-biblion-frankenstein/id521833980?mt=8 Loudcrow Interactive (n.d.) Popout! The tale of Peter rabbit. Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://loudcrow.com/popout-the-tale-of-peter-rabbit/
On EEG Le, Tan. (n.d.) EMOTIV insight: Optimize your brain fitness & performance. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tanttle/emotiv-insight-optimize-your-brain-fitness-and-per/description
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TL;DR
References
On design Knapp, J. (2013) How To Conduct Your Own Google Ventures Design Sprint. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://www.fastcodesign.com/1672887/how-to-conduct-your-own-google-design-sprint
On education Ministry of Education. English Language Arts Grade 8 Integrated Resource Package 2007. (2007). Retrieved March 17, 2015 from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/ pdfs/english_language_arts/2007ela_812_8.pdf
On reading fiction Kidd, D., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind. Science, 342(6156), 377-380. Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/377.full.pdf
On research Chevalier, J. M. and Buckles, D. J. (2013) Participatory Action Research: Theory and Methods for Engaged Inquiry, Routledge UK Cohen D, Crabtree B. Qualitative Research Guidelines Project. July 2006. Retrieved April 1, 2015 from http://www.qualres.org/ Koskinen, I., Zimmerman, J., Binder, T., Redstrรถm, J., & Wensveen, S. (2011). Design research through practice from the lab, field, and showroom. Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann
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Ryan, G. & Bernard, H. (2003). Techniques to Identify Themes. Field Methods, Vol. 15, No. 1. Sage Publications Sanders, E., & Stappers, P. (2012). Convivial design toolbox: Generative research for the front end of design. Amsterdam: BIS
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TL;DR
List of figures
Fig 1: Fig 2: Fig 3: Fig 4: Fig 5: Fig 6: Fig 7: Fig 8: Fig 9: Fig 10: Fig 11: Fig 12: Fig 13: Fig 14: Fig 15:
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Hand writing My education and work Observing Classroom Studio experiments with e-books “The Waste land” Studio experiments with Javascript Line of boys Venn diagram of Participatory Action Research Action Research Picking a brain Ryan and Bernard’s techniques of identifying themes and analyzing text The methodology of a Google design sprint Classroom Funds
ADOLESCENTS AND LONG FORM FICTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
REB application My REB application is currently in process, as the parameters of my research have shifted slightly within the last couple of weeks. An updated application will be handed in for further inspection in early April 2015.
DRAFT 2013-08
Office of Director of Research
EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD (ECU-REB)
FORM 201 Research Ethics Application This application form is used for ethics review of all participant research activity at Emily Carr University except for the following: For courses that include participant research, use Form 208.1 Application Form (Course-Based Research). For participant research by undergraduate students, use Form 208.2 Student Application Form (Course-Based Research). For externally approved research, use Form 202 Application for Externally Approved Research (from another institution). This form is to be submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI), which at Emily Carr University refers to the person who leads the research, supervises the other researchers, and is responsible for the financial administration of the project. Students and graduate students cannot be listed as PI. Principal Student Investigators and Co-investigators will receive all of the correspondence concerning the application, and can be the named contact for revisions and communications. All of the investigators listed have exclusive access to the file and any materials stored with the file after the project’s conclusion. Deliver complete and signed applications to the Research Ethics mailbox or to ethics@ecuad.ca. (Do not ask Security or Front Desk personnel to handle confidential materials.) Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. No research with human participants at Emily Carr University shall commence prior to approval of the ECU-REB. (ECU-REB Use Only) ►
File #: Date Reviewed:
Date Received: Reviewers: Status/Date:
SECTION A – GENERAL INFORMATION 1. PROJECT TITLE:
TL;DR - Literacy and Adolescents in the Digital Age
2. PROJECT DATES: (Commencement to Completion)
April 2015 — March 2016
3. RESEARCHERS: Principal Investigator(s)
Name
Principal Student Researcher
Faculty/Prgrm
Celeste Martin
Mdes
Bergthora Jonsdottir
Mdes
Phone
778 929 2104
Co-Investigators
4. SCOPE OF PROJECT:
Graduate Thesis Project or Dissertation ✔ Faculty Research Administrative Research
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mmartin@ecuad.ca
Other (describe)
bjonsdottir@ecuad.ca