Cumincad : CUMINCAD Papers : Search Results

CumInCAD is a Cumulative Index about publications in Computer Aided Architectural Design
supported by the sibling associations ACADIA, CAADRIA, eCAADe, SIGraDi, ASCAAD and CAAD futures

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_id	8c66
authors	Brooks, Frederick P. Jr., Ouh-Young,Ming and Batter, James J. (et al)
year	1990
title	Project GROPE - Haptic Displays for Scientific Visualization
source	SIGGRAPH '90 Conference Proceedings August, 1990. vol. 24 ; no. 4: pp. 177-185 : ill. (some col.). includes bibliography.
summary	A project to develop a haptic and display for 6-D force fields of interacting protein molecules was began in 1967. The authors approached it in four stages: a 2-D system, a 3-D system tested with a simple task, a 6-D system tested with a simple task, and a full 6-D molecular docking system, which was the initial goal. This paper summarize the entire project, the four systems, the evaluation experiments, the results, and the authors observations
keywords	user interface, computer graphics, visualization, virtual reality
series	CADline
last changed	2003/06/02 10:24

_id	ascaad2010_279
id	ascaad2010_279
authors	Celani, G.; L. Medrano; J. Spinelli
year	2010
title	Unicamp 2030: A plan for increasing a university campus in a sustainable way and an example of integrated use of CAAD simulation and computational design strategies
source	CAAD - Cities - Sustainability [5th International Conference Proceedings of the Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD 2010 / ISBN 978-1-907349-02-7], Fez (Morocco), 19-21 October 2010, pp. 279-286
summary	The state university of Campinas, Unicamp, is a public university in upstate São Paulo, Brazil, ranked the second best in the country. It was founded in 1966, and its main campus started to be built in 1967, in the suburbs of Campinas, nowadays a two-million people city. The area of the campus is almost 3 million square meters (300 hectares), with a total built area of 522.000 m2 and a population of 40 thousand people - 30 thousand students, 2 thousand faculty members and almost 8 thousand staff members. The campus’ gross population density is 133 people per hectare. Less than 6% of the total campus area is presently occupied. The design of Unicamp's campus is based on concepts that were typical of the modern movement, with reminiscences of corbusian urbanism, in which preference is given to cars and buildings are spread apart on the territory, with little concern to the circulation of pedestrians. The standard building type that has been built on campus since the 1970's is based on non-recyclable materials, and has a poor thermal performance. Unicamp is expected to double its number of students by the year 2030. The campus density is thus expected to grow from 600 people per hectare to almost 1,000 people per hectare. The need to construct new buildings is seen as an opportunity to correct certain characteristics of the campus that are now seen as mistakes, according to sustainability principles. This paper describes a set of proposals targeting the increase of the campus' density in a sustainable way. The plan also aims at increasing the quality of life on campus and diminishing its impact on the environment. The main targets are: - Reducing the average temperature by 2oC; - Reducing the average displacement time by 15 minutes; - Increasing the campus' density by 100%; - Reducing the CO2 emissions by 50%. // In order to achieve these goals, the following actions have been proposed: Developing a new standard building for the university, incorporating sustainability issues, such as the use of renewable and/or recyclable materials, the installation of rainwater storage tanks, the use of natural ventilation for cooling, sitting the buildings in such a way to decrease thermal gain, and other issues that are required for sustainable buildings' international certifications. To assess the performance of the new standard building, different simulation software were used, such as CFD for checking ventilation, light simulation software to assess energy consumption, and so on. 1. Filling up under-utilized urban areas in the campus with new buildings, to make better use of unused infrastructure and decrease the distance between buildings. 2. Proposing new bicycle paths in and outside campus, and proposing changes in the existing bicycle path to improve its safety. 3. Developing a landscape design plan that aims at creating shaded pedestrian and bicycle passageways.
series	ASCAAD
type	normal paper
email
last changed	2021/07/16 10:37

_id	e3d1
authors	Dodge, Richard
year	1998
title	What a Difference a Tool Makes:The Evolution of a Computer Design Studio
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1998.x.t4u
source	Computerised Craftsmanship [eCAADe Conference Proceedings] Paris (France) 24-26 September 1998
summary	What a Difference a Tool Makes : discoveries made during the evolution of the Advanced Design Studio (a.k.a. 'working drawings') at the University of Texas at Austin since the time this core course was switched to computers, when student design teams were provided with computers and required to use them for design and presentation. Covers the period from the course?s inception in 1991 to the present, during which the course has been under the continuing aegis of Professor Richard Dodge, who has taught design since 1967. Contrapuntal presentation by Professor Dodge and co-instructor and former student Marla Smith: what was done, what worked, and what went wrong. Discusses students, faculty, hardware, software, design problems assigned, and the most educational computer-related catastrophes.
series	eCAADe
more	http://www.paris-valdemarne.archi.fr/archive/ecaade98/html/04dodge/index.htm
last changed	2022/06/07 07:50

_id	ca47
authors	Lee, Shu Wan
year	1996
title	A Cognitive Approach to Architectural Style Several Characteristics of Design Thinking in Architecture
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.1996.223
source	CAADRIA ‘96 [Proceedings of The First Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 9627-75-703-9] Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 25-27 April 1996, pp. 223-226
summary	Designing is a complicated human behaviour and method, and is often treated as a mysterious "black box” operation in human mind. In the early period as for theory-studying of design thinking, the way of thinking that the researchers took were mostly descriptive discussions. Therefore, they lacked direct and empirical evidence although those studies provided significant exploration of design thinking (Wang, 1995). In recent years as for the study of cognitive science, they have tried to make design "glass box”. That is to try to make the thinking processes embedded in designers publicized. That is also to externalize the design procedure which provided the design studies another theoretical basis of more accurate and deeply researched procedure (Jones, 1992). Hence the studying of design thinking has become more important and the method of designing has also progressed a lot. For example, the classification of the nature of design problem such as ill-defined and well-defined (Newell, Shaw, and Simon, 1967), and different theoretical procedure modes for different disciplines, such as viewing architectural models as conjecture-analysis models and viewing engineering models as analysis-synthesis (Cross, 1991).
series	CAADRIA
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	ecaade2013_013
id	ecaade2013_013
authors	Lorenz, Wolfgang E.
year	2013
title	Combining Complexity and Harmony by the Box-Counting Method
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2013.2.667
source	Stouffs, Rudi and Sariyildiz, Sevil (eds.), Computation and Performance – Proceedings of the 31st eCAADe Conference – Volume 2, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, 18-20 September 2013, pp. 667-676
summary	When Benoît Mandelbrot raised the question about the length of Britain’s coastline in 1967, this was a major step towards formulating the theory of fractals, which also led to a new understanding of irregularity in nature. Since then it has become obvious that fractal geometry is more appropriate for describing complex forms than traditional Euclidean geometry (not only with regard to natural systems but also in architecture). This paper provides another view on architectural composition, following the utilization of fractal analysis. The procedure concerning the exploration of a façade design is demonstrated step by step on the Roman temple front of the Pantheon by Appolodorus and its re-interpretation – in the particular case the entrance front of Il Redentore, a Renaissance church by Palladio. Their level of complexity and range of scales that offer coherence are visualized by the specific measurement method of box-counting.
wos	WOS:000340643600069
keywords	Fractal analysis; box-counting method; Pantheon; Il Redentore; Palladio.
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:59

_id	d7d2
id	d7d2
authors	Verdy Kwee, Anthony Radford, Dean Bruton, Ian Roberts
year	2006
title	Architecture \| Media \| Representations Survey- (Exigencies at a Media Crossroad)
source	Challenges for Architectural Science in Changing Climates: Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference of the Architectural Science Association ANZAScA Adelaide, Australia \| 22- 25 November 2006
summary	Architectural information has been presented in a myriad of ways through various media for the purpose of public education. Rapid technological change tremendously affects the modes and techniques of communication media necessitating a reassessment of these vehicles. This paper suggests that if the medium should continue to be the ‘massage’ (McLuhan, 1967), it is imperative that we should understand the implications our choice and use of various media for communication of specific data, especially in relation to a targeted audience. The paper presents the results and analyses of an online user survey (please refer to http://cumincad.scix.net/data/works/att/8d88.content.09055.pdf) which considers the use of currently available media, their roles and performance in the delivery of information of architectural works. It proposes suggestions for the manner and reasons these factors fashion users’ preferences. It also highlights several aspects of architectural data (e.g. forms, lighting, materials, etc) as well as those of the respective media used to represent them while indicating how significant end-users perceive these aspects in the process of understanding architecture. The interpretations of the results outlined in this paper may suggest some answers to the questions relating to current media use, but they may also pose more questions about the types of and the manner in which information should be delivered to architecture enthusiasts/readers. This reassessment is intended to help anticipate future directions in the application of these media in presenting architectural information. Special attention is particularly paid to the opportunities afforded by the digital platform.
keywords	architecture, media, representation, survey, architectural information
series	other
type	normal paper
email
more	contact conference committee at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/anzasca2006/
last changed	2006/12/07 05:43

_id	3ac5
id	3ac5
authors	Verdy Kwee, Antony Radford, Dean Bruton and Ian Roberts
year	2006
title	Architecture \| Media \| Representations Survey- (Exigencies at a Media Crossroad)
source	Adeliade, Australia
summary	Architectural information has been presented in a myriad of ways through various media for the purpose of public education. Rapid technological change tremendously affects the modes and techniques of communication media necessitating a reassessment of these vehicles. This paper suggests that if the medium should continue to be the ‘massage’ (McLuhan, 1967), it is imperative that we should understand the implications our choice and use of various media for communication of specific data, especially in relation to a targeted audience. The paper presents the results and analyses of an online user survey which considers the use of currently available media, their roles and performance in the delivery of information of architectural works. It proposes suggestions for the manner and reasons these factors fashion users’ preferences. It also highlights several aspects of architectural data (e.g. forms, lighting, materials, etc) as well as those of the respective media used to represent them while indicating how significant end-users perceive these aspects in the process of understanding architecture. The interpretations of the results outlined in this paper may suggest some answers to the questions relating to current media use, but they may also pose more questions about the types of and the manner in which information should be delivered to architecture enthusiasts/readers. This reassessment is intended to help anticipate future directions in the application of these media in presenting architectural information. Special attention is particularly paid to the opportunities afforded by the digital platform.
keywords	publications, user survey, perception, online, print content, education, understanding, information delivery, presentation
series	other
type	normal paper
email
last changed	2009/02/05 04:36

_id	20ab
authors	Yakeley, Megan
year	2000
title	Digitally Mediated Design: Using Computer Programming to Develop a Personal Design Process
source	Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture
summary	This thesis is based on the proposal that the current system of architectural design education confuses product and process. Students are assessed through, and therefore concentrate on, the former whilst the latter is left in many cases to chance. This thesis describes a new course taught by the author at MIT for the last three years whose aim is to teach the design process away from the complexities inherent in the studio system. This course draws a parallel between the design process and the Constructionist view of learning, and asserts that the design process is a constant learning activity. Therefore, learning about the design process necessarily involves learning the cognitive skills of this theoretical approach to education. These include concrete thinking and the creation of external artifacts to develop of ideas through iterative, experimental, incremental exploration. The course mimics the Constructionist model of using the computer programming environment LOGO to teach mathematics. It uses computer programming in a CAD environment, and specifically the development of a generative system, to teach the design process. The efficacy of such an approach to architectural design education has been studied using methodologies from educational research. The research design used an emergent qualitative model, employing Maykut and Morehouses interpretive descriptive approach (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994) and Glaser and Strausss Constant Comparative Method of data analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Six students joined the course in the Spring 1999 semester. The experience of these students, what and how they learned, and whether this understanding was transferred to other areas of their educational process, were studied. The findings demonstrated that computer programming in a particular pedagogical framework, can help transform the way in which students understand the process of designing. The following changes were observed in the students during the course of the year: Development of understanding of a personalized design process; move from using computer programming to solve quantifiable problems to using it to support qualitative design decisions; change in understanding of the paradigm for computers in the design process; awareness of the importance of intrapersonal and interpersonal communication skills; change in expectations of, their sense of control over, and appropriation of, the computer in the design process; evidence of transference of cognitive skills; change from a Behaviourist to a Constructionist model of learning Thesis Supervisor: William J. Mitchell Title: Professor of Architecture and Media Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture and Planning
series	thesis:PhD
last changed	2003/02/12 22:37

_id	sigradi2023_46
id	sigradi2023_46
authors	Barashkov, Julia
year	2023
title	Customising Urban Joy: Urban Planning Mechanisms for the Mass - Customisation of Cities, through the Quantifiable Nature of Joy Using Geo-tagged Social Media Data
source	García Amen, F, Goni Fitipaldo, A L and Armagno Gentile, Á (eds.), Accelerated Landscapes - Proceedings of the XXVII International Conference of the Ibero-American Society of Digital Graphics (SIGraDi 2023), Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay, 29 November - 1 December 2023, pp. 31–42
summary	The paper examines citizen participation in a digitally-driven society and the disparity between desired and existing cities. It emphasises the need to transform cities into adaptable environments that respond to the needs of residents. Traditional top-down urban planning often fails to match the flexible nature of digitised urban residents. To address this, an agent-based model is employed, evaluating urban environments based on individual sentiment derived from social media API. The study case of Wittenberge, Germany, showcases the methodology, including the creation of a 3D digital twin using open data sources and generating agents with unique personalities from social media keywords. These agents' "life satisfaction score" reflects their ability to fulfil daily needs and preferences within a 20-minute walking radius.
keywords	Data-based urban design, Citizen participation, Agent-based modelling, Social media sentiment analysis, Co-creation in cities
series	SIGraDi
email
last changed	2024/03/08 14:06

_id	d60a
authors	Casti, J.C.
year	1997
title	Would be Worlds: How simulation is changing the frontiers of science
source	John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.
summary	Five Golden Rules is caviar for the inquiring reader. Anyone who enjoyed solving math problems in high school will be able to follow the author's explanations, even if high school was a long time ago. There is joy here in watching the unfolding of these intricate and beautiful techniques. Casti's gift is to be able to let the nonmathematical reader share in his understanding of the beauty of a good theory.-Christian Science Monitor "[Five Golden Rules] ranges into exotic fields such as game theory (which played a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis) and topology (which explains how to turn a doughnut into a coffee cup, or vice versa). If you'd like to have fun while giving your brain a first-class workout, then check this book out."-San Francisco Examiner "Unlike many popularizations, [this book] is more than a tour d'horizon: it has the power to change the way you think. Merely knowing about the existence of some of these golden rules may spark new, interesting-maybe even revolutionary-ideas in your mind. And what more could you ask from a book?"-New Scientist "This book has meat! It is solid fare, food for thought . . . makes math less forbidding, and much more interesting."-Ben Bova, The Hartford Courant "This book turns math into beauty."-Colorado Daily "John Casti is one of the great science writers of the 1990s."-San Francisco Examiner In the ever-changing world of science, new instruments often lead to momentous discoveries that dramatically transform our understanding. Today, with the aid of a bold new instrument, scientists are embarking on a scientific revolution as profound as that inspired by Galileo's telescope. Out of the bits and bytes of computer memory, researchers are fashioning silicon surrogates of the real world-elaborate "artificial worlds"-that allow them to perform experiments that are too impractical, too costly, or, in some cases, too dangerous to do "in the flesh." From simulated tests of new drugs to models of the birth of planetary systems and galaxies to computerized petri dishes growing digital life forms, these laboratories of the future are the essential tools of a controversial new scientific method. This new method is founded not on direct observation and experiment but on the mapping of the universe from real space into cyberspace. There is a whole new science happening here-the science of simulation. The most exciting territory being mapped by artificial worlds is the exotic new frontier of "complex, adaptive systems." These systems involve living "agents" that continuously change their behavior in ways that make prediction and measurement by the old rules of science impossible-from environmental ecosystems to the system of a marketplace economy. Their exploration represents the horizon for discovery in the twenty-first century, and simulated worlds are charting the course. In Would-Be Worlds, acclaimed author John Casti takes readers on a fascinating excursion through a number of remarkable silicon microworlds and shows us how they are being used to formulate important new theories and to solve a host of practical problems. We visit Tierra, a "computerized terrarium" in which artificial life forms known as biomorphs grow and mutate, revealing new insights into natural selection and evolution. We play a game of Balance of Power, a simulation of the complex forces shaping geopolitics. And we take a drive through TRANSIMS, a model of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to discover the root causes of events like traffic jams and accidents. Along the way, Casti probes the answers to a host of profound questions these "would-be worlds" raise about the new science of simulation. If we can create worlds inside our computers at will, how real can we say they are? Will they unlock the most intractable secrets of our universe? Or will they reveal instead only the laws of an alternate reality? How "real" do these models need to be? And how real can they be? The answers to these questions are likely to change the face of scientific research forever.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	e513
authors	Chaikin, George
year	1998
title	The Computer and the Studio
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1998.051
source	Computers in Design Studio Teaching [EAAE/eCAADe International Workshop Proceedings / ISBN 09523687-7-3] Leuven (Belgium) 13-14 November 1998, pp. 51-54
summary	The studio is the primary place of architectural education - the place where the warp of representation and the weft of technique are woven together. Architecture is taught as a domain of ideas, ideas about how and why buildings are built, about the dialectic between concept and materiality. To the architectural student, the drawing is the exemplar of the quality of work he or she will expect in the final construction process. As such, it is very important that the student appreciate the "materiality" of the work to be realized, and this is best done through the education of the whole person, of the entire cognitive mechanism, which most certainly includes the hands. We feel strongly that the student must engage in the creative process in a profoundly physical way, must learn the art and joy of making things, and only then can she or he appreciate the representational abstraction offered by the computer.
series	eCAADe
email
more	http://www.eaae.be/
last changed	2022/06/07 07:55

_id	ecaade03_423_111_chen
id	ecaade03_423_111_chen
authors	Chen, Jia-Yih Joy
year	2003
title	Space prototypes for achieving "Ubiquitous Computing": Reconfiguring the existing space with physical interactions
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2003.423
source	Digital Design [21th eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9541183-1-6] Graz (Austria) 17-20 September 2003, pp. 423-426
summary	In this project, “Ubiquitous Computing” space prototypes with new embedment of context information are studied. Through the related theories, research models and experiments, the prototypes for future information space and user styles are proposed, including space modules, user behaviors with physical HCI interactions, and required information technology. Space prototypes for exhibition and lab areas with supported infrastructure and interface are tested in the experiments.
keywords	Ubiquitous Computing, Interactive Space, Information Space Design
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:55

_id	caadria2003_a4-1
id	caadria2003_a4-1
authors	Chen, Jia-Yih Joy and Jeng, Taysheng
year	2003
title	Exploring Digital City With Physical Interactions
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.2003.505
source	CAADRIA 2003 [Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 974-9584-13-9] Bangkok Thailand 18-20 October 2003, pp. 505-512
summary	The purpose of this work is to develop needed interaction techniques for understanding the context of a digital city. In this paper, we present a framework in terms of three perspectives: information representation, physical interactions and media space design. We implement tangible media for physical interactions, allowing users to explore a digital city with respect to different positions in time-space in an interactive and intuitive manner. The time-space representation is mapped to physical media space. Our work is demonstrated in a digital 3D museum project for Tainan city in Taiwan.
series	CAADRIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:55

_id	ecaade2023_145
id	ecaade2023_145
authors	Dortheimer, Jonathan, Schubert, Gerhard, Dalach, Agata, Brenner, Lielle Joy and Martelaro, Nikolas
year	2023
title	Think AI-side the Box! Exploring the Usability of text-to-image generators for architecture students
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2023.2.567
source	Dokonal, W, Hirschberg, U and Wurzer, G (eds.), Digital Design Reconsidered - Proceedings of the 41st Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2023) - Volume 2, Graz, 20-22 September 2023, pp. 567–576
summary	This study examines how architecture students use generative AI image generating models for architectural design. A workshop was conducted with 25 participants to create designs using three state-of-the-art generative diffusion models and BIM or 3D modeling software. Results showed that the participants found the image-generating models useful for the preliminary design stages but had difficulty when the design advanced because the models did not perform as they expected. Finally, the study shows areas for improvement that merit further research. The paper provides empirical evidence on how generative diffusion models are used in an architectural context and contributes to the field of digital design.
keywords	Machine Learning, Diffusion Models, Design Process, Computational Creativity
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2023/12/10 10:49

_id	ascaad2022_000
id	ascaad2022_000
authors	El-Bastawissi, Ibtihal Y.; Abdelmohsen, Sherif
year	2022
title	ASCAAD 2022: Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse
source	Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse - Architecture in the Age of the Metaverse: Opportunities and Potentials [10th ASCAAD Conference Proceedings] Debbieh (Lebanon) [Virtual Conference] 12-13 October 2022, 743 p.
summary	The ASCAAD 2022 theme focuses on Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse, with the aim of unraveling the opportunities and potentials of architecture in the age of the Metaverse. Historically space was always the container of people’s activities and memories; it is the collective reflection of their life styles. Walls, floors and ceilings of architectural spaces witnessed the moments of joy and happiness, as well as moments of misery that changed human history, from the signing of the United Nations Declaration post WWII, to the first I-phone sold in the Apple store; history is written inside architectural spaces. The new era of the 4th industrial revolution, which is associated with digital transformation, will unlock new opportunities for architects, interior designers and whoever will enter the domain of the metaverse. The metaverse will not only serve as a portal to a new world, but also as an extension to new activities such as commercial, social, educational and business activities that will thrive in the new virtual realm. The metaverse will act as the natural transcendence of technological advancements carrying new potentials to the architectural profession. Active Worlds, Second Life, Roblox and Fortnite are all early versions of what we will witness in the next few years, shifting from entertainment to full commercial, official and governmental activities; all will be hosted inside virtual and hybrid spaces. A new era will start inside virtual realms; real economy will rise inside virtual architecture but without the multiple physical or structural constraints that limit physicality anymore such as gravity, and day and night cycles; no oxygen is needed anymore. But this time, human activities will not only be recorded and saved but also attended and lived in real time. Computational design will continue to thrive and even evolve into new forms aligning with new changes and challenges of the metaverse. Hybrid spaces are the spaces that will be built as a virtual extension of real spaces. They will be in connection to real spaces and reflecting their activities on a real time basis. On the other hand, pure virtual spaces will occur, trespassing time zones and geographical barriers. The importance of hybrid experiences was most realized after the pandemic lockdowns; and now is the time to invent new design methodologies and new theories as a natural transcendence of architecture profession. Hyperlinks portals replacing staircases and elevators, physically impossible structures, open budget interiors, teleportation are all new notions emerging with the new domain. Today, virtual spaces are hosted on various cloud services and registered as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). They are experienced as immersed spaces using headsets or semi immersed spaces presented through laptops and/or mobile screens. With the new accelerating pace of technology, there is high possibility for integration within our neural networks to be experienced in our minds with just closing our eyes in the near future.
series	ASCAAD
email
last changed	2024/02/16 13:24

_id	7ce5
authors	Gal, Shahaf
year	1992
title	Computers and Design Activities: Their Mediating Role in Engineering Education
source	Sociomedia, ed. Edward Barret. MIT Press
summary	Sociomedia: With all the new words used to describe electronic communication (multimedia, hypertext, cyberspace, etc.), do we need another one? Edward Barrett thinks we do; hence, he coins the term "sociomedia." It is meant to displace a computing economy in which technicity is hypostasized over sociality. Sociomedia, a compilation of twenty-five articles on the theory, design and practice of educational multimedia and hypermedia, attempts to re-value the communicational face of computing. Value, of course, is "ultimately a social construct." As such, it has everything to do with knowledge, power, education and technology. The projects discussed in this book represent the leading edge of electronic knowledge production in academia (not to mention major funding) and are determining the future of educational media. For these reasons, Sociomedia warrants close inspection. Barrett's introduction sets the tone. For him, designing computer media involves hardwiring a mechanism for the social construction of knowledge (1). He links computing to a process of social and communicative interactivity for constructing and desseminating knowledge. Through a mechanistic mapping of the university as hypercontext (a huge network that includes classrooms as well as services and offices), Barrett models intellectual work in such a way as to avoid "limiting definitions of human nature or human development." Education, then, can remain "where it should be--in the human domain (public and private) of sharing ideas and information through the medium of language." By leaving education in a virtual realm (where we can continue to disagree about its meaning and execution), it remains viral, mutating and contaminating in an intellectually healthy way. He concludes that his mechanistic model, by means of its reductionist approach, preserves value (7). This "value" is the social construction of knowledge. While I support the social orientation of Barrett's argument, discussions of value are related to power. I am not referring to the traditional teacher-student power structure that is supposedly dismantled through cooperative and constructivist learning strategies. The power to be reckoned with in the educational arena is foundational, that which (pre)determines value and the circulation of knowledge. "Since each of you reading this paragraph has a different perspective on the meaning of 'education' or 'learning,' and on the processes involved in 'getting an education,' think of the hybris in trying to capture education in a programmable function, in a displayable object, in a 'teaching machine'" (7). Actually, we must think about that hybris because it is, precisely, what informs teaching machines. Moreover, the basic epistemological premises that give rise to such productions are too often assumed. In the case of instructional design, the episteme of cognitive sciences are often taken for granted. It is ironic that many of the "postmodernists" who support electronic hypertextuality seem to have missed Jacques Derrida's and Michel Foucault's "deconstructions" of the epistemology underpinning cognitive sciences (if not of epistemology itself). Perhaps it is the glitz of the technology that blinds some users (qua developers) to the belief systems operating beneath the surface. Barrett is not guilty of reactionary thinking or politics; he is, in fact, quite in line with much American deconstructive and postmodern thinking. The problem arises in that he leaves open the definitions of "education," "learning" and "getting an education." One cannot engage in the production of new knowledge without orienting its design, production and dissemination, and without negotiating with others' orientations, especially where largescale funding is involved. Notions of human nature and development are structural, even infrastructural, whatever the medium of the teaching machine. Although he addresses some dynamics of power, money and politics when he talks about the recession and its effects on the conference, they are readily visible dynamics of power (3-4). Where does the critical factor of value determination, of power, of who gets what and why, get mapped onto a mechanistic model of learning institutions? Perhaps a mapping of contributors' institutions, of the funding sources for the projects showcased and for participation in the conference, and of the disciplines receiving funding for these sorts of projects would help visualize the configurations of power operative in the rising field of educational multimedia. Questions of power and money notwithstanding, Barrett's introduction sets the social and textual thematics for the collection of essays. His stress on interactivity, on communal knowledge production, on the society of texts, and on media producers and users is carried foward through the other essays, two of which I will discuss. Section I of the book, "Perspectives...," highlights the foundations, uses and possible consequences of multimedia and hypertextuality. The second essay in this section, "Is There a Class in This Text?," plays on the robust exchange surrounding Stanley Fish's book, Is There a Text in This Class?, which presents an attack on authority in reading. The author, John Slatin, has introduced electronic hypertextuality and interaction into his courses. His article maps the transformations in "the content and nature of work, and the workplace itself"-- which, in this case, is not industry but an English poetry class (25). Slatin discovered an increase of productive and cooperative learning in his electronically- mediated classroom. For him, creating knowledge in the electronic classroom involves interaction between students, instructors and course materials through the medium of interactive written discourse. These interactions lead to a new and persistent understanding of the course materials and of the participants' relation to the materials and to one another. The work of the course is to build relationships that, in my view, constitute not only the meaning of individual poems, but poetry itself. The class carries out its work in the continual and usually interactive production of text (31). While I applaud his strategies which dismantle traditional hierarchical structures in academia, the evidence does not convince me that the students know enough to ask important questions or to form a self-directing, learning community. Stanley Fish has not relinquished professing, though he, too, espouses the indeterminancy of the sign. By the fourth week of his course, Slatin's input is, by his own reckoning, reduced to 4% (39). In the transcript of the "controversial" Week 6 exchange on Gertrude Stein--the most disliked poet they were discussing at the time (40)--we see the blind leading the blind. One student parodies Stein for three lines and sums up his input with "I like it." Another, finds Stein's poetry "almost completey [sic] lacking in emotion or any artistic merit" (emphasis added). On what grounds has this student become an arbiter of "artistic merit"? Another student, after admitting being "lost" during the Wallace Steven discussion, talks of having more "respect for Stevens' work than Stein's" and adds that Stein's poetry lacks "conceptual significance[, s]omething which people of varied opinion can intelligently discuss without feeling like total dimwits...." This student has progressed from admitted incomprehension of Stevens' work to imposing her (groundless) respect for his work over Stein's. Then, she exposes her real dislike for Stein's poetry: that she (the student) missed the "conceptual significance" and hence cannot, being a person "of varied opinion," intelligently discuss it "without feeling like [a] total dimwit." Slatin's comment is frightening: "...by this point in the semester students have come to feel increasingly free to challenge the instructor" (41). The students that I have cited are neither thinking critically nor are their preconceptions challenged by student-governed interaction. Thanks to the class format, one student feels self-righteous in her ignorance, and empowered to censure. I believe strongly in student empowerment in the classroom, but only once students have accrued enough knowledge to make informed judgments. Admittedly, Slatin's essay presents only partial data (there are six hundred pages of course transcripts!); still, I wonder how much valuable knowledge and metaknowledge was gained by the students. I also question the extent to which authority and professorial dictature were addressed in this course format. The power structures that make it possible for a college to require such a course, and the choice of texts and pedagogy, were not "on the table." The traditional professorial position may have been displaced, but what took its place?--the authority of consensus with its unidentifiable strong arm, and the faceless reign of software design? Despite Slatin's claim that the students learned about the learning process, there is no evidence (in the article) that the students considered where their attitudes came from, how consensus operates in the construction of knowledge, how power is established and what relationship they have to bureaucratic insitutions. How do we, as teaching professionals, negotiate a balance between an enlightened despotism in education and student-created knowledge? Slatin, and other authors in this book, bring this fundamental question to the fore. There is no definitive answer because the factors involved are ultimately social, and hence, always shifting and reconfiguring. Slatin ends his article with the caveat that computerization can bring about greater estrangement between students, faculty and administration through greater regimentation and control. Of course, it can also "distribute authority and power more widely" (50). Power or authority without a specific face, however, is not necessarily good or just. Shahaf Gal's "Computers and Design Activities: Their Mediating Role in Engineering Education" is found in the second half of the volume, and does not allow for a theory/praxis dichotomy. Gal recounts a brief history of engineering education up to the introduction of Growltiger (GT), a computer-assisted learning aid for design. He demonstrates GT's potential to impact the learning of engineering design by tracking its use by four students in a bridge-building contest. What his text demonstrates clearly is that computers are "inscribing and imaging devices" that add another viewpoint to an on-going dialogue between student, teacher, earlier coursework, and other teaching/learning tools. The less proficient students made a serious error by relying too heavily on the technology, or treating it as a "blueprint provider." They "interacted with GT in a way that trusted the data to represent reality. They did not see their interaction with GT as a negotiation between two knowledge systems" (495). Students who were more thoroughly informed in engineering discourses knew to use the technology as one voice among others--they knew enough not simply to accept the input of the computer as authoritative. The less-advanced students learned a valuable lesson from the competition itself: the fact that their designs were not able to hold up under pressure (literally) brought the fact of their insufficient knowledge crashing down on them (and their bridges). They also had, post factum, several other designs to study, especially the winning one. Although competition and comparison are not good pedagogical strategies for everyone (in this case the competitors had volunteered), at some point what we think we know has to be challenged within the society of discourses to which it belongs. Students need critique in order to learn to push their learning into auto-critique. This is what is lacking in Slatin's discussion and in the writings of other avatars of constructivist, collaborative and computer-mediated pedagogies. Obviously there are differences between instrumental types of knowledge acquisition and discoursive knowledge accumulation. Indeed, I do not promote the teaching of reading, thinking and writing as "skills" per se (then again, Gal's teaching of design is quite discursive, if not dialogic). Nevertheless, the "soft" sciences might benefit from "bridge-building" competitions or the re-institution of some forms of agonia. Not everything agonistic is inhuman agony--the joy of confronting or creating a sound argument supported by defensible evidence, for example. Students need to know that soundbites are not sound arguments despite predictions that electronic writing will be aphoristic rather than periodic. Just because writing and learning can be conceived of hypertextually does not mean that rigor goes the way of the dinosaur. Rigor and hypertextuality are not mutually incompatible. Nor is rigorous thinking and hard intellectual work unpleasurable, although American anti-intellectualism, especially in the mass media, would make it so. At a time when the spurious dogmatics of a Rush Limbaugh and Holocaust revisionist historians circulate "aphoristically" in cyberspace, and at a time when knowledge is becoming increasingly textualized, the role of critical thinking in education will ultimately determine the value(s) of socially constructed knowledge. This volume affords the reader an opportunity to reconsider knowledge, power, and new communications technologies with respect to social dynamics and power relationships.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	caadria2005_a_8b_a
id	caadria2005_a_8b_a
authors	Jia-Yih Joy Chen, Taysheng Jeng
year	2005
title	A Context-Aware Home for Child-minding
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.2005.403
source	CAADRIA 2005 [Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 89-7141-648-3] New Delhi (India) 28-30 April 2005, vol. 1, pp. 403-412
summary	This paper introduces the concept of context awareness to the application of designing an interactive home with emphasis on child-minding. We setup the functional requirements of a context-aware home and seek the technology to provide safety monitor and real-time guidance for kid who is temporarily alone at home. The approaches presented are: (1) Survey and Research Scope (2) User Life Pattern Observations (3) Activity Zones and Scenarios (3) Context Database and Context Manager (4) Media and Interface (5) Evaluation. The process and result will lead our following applications of context awareness in future interactive home study.
series	CAADRIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	c3f4
authors	Joy, William
year	1980
title	An Introduction to Display Editing with VI
source	September, 1980. 30 p
summary	VI (Visual) is a display oriented interactive text editor. When using VI the screen of the terminal acts as a window into the file which is being editing. Changes which made to the file are reflected in what is seen. Using VI the user can insert new text any place in the file quite easily. Most of the commands to VI move the cursor around in the file. There are commands to move the cursor forward and backward in units of characters, words, sentences and paragraphs. A small set of operators, like d for delete and c for change, are combined with the motion commands to form operations such as delete word or change paragraph, in a simple and natural way. This regularity and the mnemonic assignment of commands to keys makes the editor command set easy to remember and to use. VI works on a large number of display terminals, and new terminals are easily driven after editing a terminal description file. While it is advantageous to have an intelligent terminal which can locally insert and delete lines and characters from the display, the editor will function quite well on dumb terminals over slow phone lines. The editor makes allowances for the low bandwidth in these situations and uses smaller window sizes and different display updating algorithms to make best use of the limited speed available. It is also possible to use the command set of VI on hardcopy terminals, storage tubes and 'glass ty's' using a one line editing window; thus VI's command set is available on all terminals. The full command set of the more traditional, line oriented editor ED is available within VI; it is quite simple to switch between the two modes of editing
keywords	UNIX, display, word processing, software
series	CADline
last changed	1999/02/12 15:08

_id	acadia03_064
id	acadia03_064
authors	Malnar, Joy Monice (et al.)
year	2003
title	Make No Little Plans: Designing the Chicago Lakefront in a Virtual Reality Environment
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.2003.x.d1u
source	Connecting >> Crossroads of Digital Discourse [Proceedings of the 2003 Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture / ISBN 1-880250-12-8] Indianapolis (Indiana) 24-27 October 2003, p. 436
summary	Architects have always needed somewhere to draw. History has seen dirt, stone, wood, and paper each serve in turn as the architect’s medium. Every technological advance has helped to manifest these exploratory visions in ever-increasing fidelity, while influencing the way in which the design process is conducted. Computer technology is the latest step in this progression, adding a third dimension to the architect’s drawings. Programs like form•Z, 3DS max, etc. allow the architect to build lifelike models and take clients on fly-throughs. Now, virtual reality has advanced architectural drawing to “full body design”, letting architects experience their creations, rather than just seeing those creations in front of them. ShadowLight-Mirage offers a unique environment in virtual reality in which to create rich ambiances of vibrancy, vitality and vigor.
series	ACADIA
last changed	2022/06/07 07:49

_id	b0fb
authors	Martegani, P.
year	2000
title	Digital Design – New Frontiers for the Objects
source	Birkhauser
summary	This might be a good small volume to assign a design class in the US, for it is elegant and profusely illustrated with a variety of the latest hot industrial products and laboratory concept proofs, many of which are European and rarely seen by designers in the United States. It has credible short introductions and expecially choice imagery of Robots, Ubiquitous Computing, Artifical Animals, "Multimedia Objects to Wear", communications and guidance devices. It groups other sample images to illustrate concepts of transparency, autonomy of the parts. Paolo Martegani writes six chapters that include the topic categories listed above, and Riccardo Montenegro follows up with two chapters on design history and process. Unfortunately, sometimes the text is a thicket, and other times it's leaden. For example, "Practically all objects are becoming multimedia oriented" is clunky and explains nothing. Elsewhere the book would have benefited from a technical reviewer, as when "Joe's Law', attributed to "Bill Joe of the California Company SUN", sounds suspiciously like something put forth by Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems, Inc. and deserving accuracy. Darragh Henegan's English translation from the original Italian seems rushed and needs more sandpaper and polish. Despite these problems, the pictures in DIGITAL DESIGN make it worthwhile for the bookshelves of designers or design students, and arouse the reader's curiosity about the strengths of the other books in this series.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

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