Category Archives: Unlecture

08 UNLECTURE

Posted on by
Reply

My main takeway point from this week’s unlecture was about ‘Play, game and stories’. Adrian told us that gaming is defined by the notion of competition instead of narrative which marks a clear divide between games and stories. You can have games without narrative and you can’t win a narrative. What seems to link the two together is the notion of ‘play’.

Adrian explained this idea clearer in his blog post by showing that you can play with both games and stories. So, you can play without needing to win and play with stories and words just like you can play games. When thinking about the word PLAY it is important to note that the end goal is not always winning. ‘Play’ can cause different results depending on what is being played- so playing with a story and language or playing a game. So, while games can have stories they don’t necessarily need to have narratives. The end purpose is to win.

Another important point, was about filtering content on the internet. Filtering means that depth is encouraged rather than exploration. Adrian told us he believes the future of this will see the ‘recommender’ become ingrained in this system.

0.4: THE Q&A BEGINS

Posted on by
Reply

This week saw the symposium style lecture put into action! After constant discussion about the new ‘unlecture’ format, it was refreshing to finally get down to business.

These are my key takeway ideas from the Q&A:

//Why bother with design fiction if you’re not a designer?

You don’t need to be a designer in the pen and paper sense to engage in design fiction. Being a designer is about developing a “toolkit for dealing with complex problems”. You can literally attempt to solve problems before they occur in the future by simply asking “what if”.

//What will the future of networked media involve?

It will enable us to “make things and build a reputation in our chosen areas free and easily”. We will continue to publish our own content instantly in an arena that can be viewed by everyone with an internet connection. Perhaps the difficulty will lie in users sifting through information and content overload to find quality content.

//How will we get paid in this industry?

THIS was my favourite point: “You must sell the experience, not the product!” In the modern age where everyone has the ability to be a content producer and self publisher it can be hard to make our work stand out. So we need to sell the fact that we are ‘experts’ in our field and provide something extra that the everyday person cannot deliver.

THE UNLECTURE 03

Posted on by
Reply

Knowledge.

Adrian stressed the point that ‘education isn’t a passive one way transaction’ in this week’s unlecture.

I have to admit I have become all too used to the high-school method of education. You sit and listen while the teacher talks AT you in the hope their knowledge will be poured and stored into your brain. Sure, I realised it was a give and take relationship and it wasn’t just this simple to learn. But I accepted this format of learning without thinking too much about alternative methods.

It was interesting to think about the difference between buying an ‘experience’ instead of buying a ‘product’ in our university education. If we use this analogy between an experience and a product, it’s clear that an experience has much greater value over a product if only for its longevity. Products date, malfunction and need to be replaced when new products are created. So it is only logical that we should aim to buy an experience instead…something long lasting and enriching.

So, part of this course seems to be illuminating the two-way transaction style of education and teaching us to become aware of our learning. This course, is nothing like what I initially expected (thought it would be all about html and IT) but I am starting to see some serious value in alternative methods.

Image credit

When I think of design…

Posted on by
Reply

This week’s unlecture and the classes involved thinking about “design” and “speculative writing”.

What springs to mind when thinking about design is:

– Creating something new
– Developing a product, service, object
– Can be for better or for worse for our lives/ the world
–  Linked to double loop learning ?
– Can effect change
– Perhaps an antidote to reporting/parroting back info
–  About us being innovators

Speculative fiction is said to “offer writing as a way to think with and through things”.

So with this in mind, I think their is a close relationship between design and speculative fiction. We can use our writing to think through ‘designs’, become innovators and create objects using our imagination.

What is starting to really interest me in this course is the growing emphasis on the importance of IMAGINATION!
Without imagination we can’t become designers, innovators or media producers.