Google SketchUp for Media Architecture Communication
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Second year undergraduate students in Japan studied alternative energy sources for the country's future. They conducted a SWOT analysis, researched facts and opinions, compared new ideas to existing energy, gathered feedback, and designed 3D representations using Google SketchUp over six weeks. The students presented their ideas through an app developed for the iPad to provide an interactive experience for viewers. Their projects were assessed based on design, justification, exercises, and exceptional work. An evaluation found that students were very positive about the transmedia approach to developing skills in design, communication, and higher-level cognitive processes.
Google SketchUp for Media Architecture Communication
- 1. Google SketchUp for Media Architecture Communication Dr. Michael Vallance www.mvallance.net
- 2. In 2011 - 2012 second year undergraduate students studying Information Design at Future University Hakodate considered alternative energies for Japan's future. The students conducted a SWOT (Strengths -Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats) analysis, located facts, sought opinions, compared new ideas with existing energies, obtained feedback, and designed a 3D representation. They had 6 weeks to demonstrate their ideas using GoogleSketchUp.
- 3. 2011–2012年、公立はこだて未来大学で情報デザインを学 んでいる学部の2年生は、日本の未来に必要な代替エネル ギーについて考察した。学生等はSWOT (Strengths［強 み］ -Weaknesses［弱み］ - Opportunities［機会］ - Threats［脅威］)分析を行い、事実を探し、意見を求め、 既存エネルギーに関する新アイディアを比較し、フィード バックを得、三次元表示をデザインした。Google SketchUpを使って自分のアイディアを実地説明するため に、学生には６週間の作業時間が与えられた。ここに示す ものは、。
- 4. Context Japanese have an international image as communications rich (i.e. technologies) but communication poor. This course seeks to redress this communications/communication cognitive dissonance. Digital media policy and the creative application of technologies are lagging in comparison with other Asian and developed nations. The course – partly designed, partly emergent – provides a synergistic pedagogical combination for students to analyze, articulate, and creatively communicate their images of the future. See Vallance, M. & Wright, D.L. (2010). Japanese Students’ Digitally Enabled Futures Images: A Synergistic Approach to Developing Academic Competencies. In S. Mukerji & P. Tripathi (Eds.). Cases on Technological Adaptability and Transnational Learning: Issues and Challenges. IGI Global: Hershey, USA. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-779-4.ch009
- 5. Media Architecture Communication Aim: to develop 21st century literacy. Literacy is defined as the development of academic skills required to source, analyze, evaluate, manage, understand and make sense of information in a variety of modes, and communicate outcomes in multiple formats (Vallance & Wright, 2010).
- 6. Media Architecture Communication objectives Futures: to consider a problem and use strategic tools to consider possible solutions Data: to seek out quantitative data and develop informed interpretations Design: to design possible solutions using particular workflows Communication: use multiple media to present solutions to a local and global audience
- 7. Input The instructor presents a ‘design for communication pathway’ process. The rationale is based upon Dewey's experiential learning and Kolb's social constructivist philosophies for effective education. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New York Simon & Schuster. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
- 8. Media Architecture Communication Pre-production design brief/ Writing a clear proposal through objectives negotiation and discussion. Identify needs and requirements Brainstorming solution needs and design requirements. Organising the information. Write a survey, collect and collate data Input in Excel, interpret data, and present with meaningful interpretations. Investigation and analysis of similar Web and library searching, collating Controlled designs and evaluating existing solutions. Advanced Google search techniques. practice Draw and document design solutions. Teamwork. Sketch and digitally draw Use of pencil and paper then SketchUp designs. Sharing designs. Upload digital designs to a shared Web Output Post-production peer evaluation 2.0 site. Write formal evaluations online of other designs. Present designs Develop a short animation for the iPad. Use of multiple-media and multimodality. Report/ reflect on designs Draw an organized ‘mind map’ to reflect upon the experiences.
- 9. Input to Controlled Practice At each step there are opportunities to undertake controlled practice. For instance, the topic for this controlled practice is Future University, Hakodate, Japan (aka FUN).
- 10. Output Students selected partners for teamwork. They were presented with a scenario: due to the environmental, social and political negativity recently aimed at nuclear power, citizens are becoming engaged in seeking alternatives energy sources. In order to look further ahead and consider alternative futures, the students in this project were tasked to design, justify and present alternative energy futures.
- 11. Output To communicate a convincing futures design to the local community the students recognized the need to make a multiple media solution. The use of illustrator software would result in two or three dimensional images but these would be static. A movie with drawn animations would communicate ideas but this was considered un interactive, in other words, the viewer would have to simply sit through a film being broadcasted without any opportunity to engage with the media. The solution was to use Google Sketchup.
- 12. Google SketchUp 3D design - information design students should be developing in 3D nowadays, especially given the employment opportunities that is going to transpire as augmented reality applications proliferate and become ubiquitous ( see Nakashima, 2010) Free! Animations can be created to demonstrate the design User can control the exported file and scroll around the design. Nakashima, H. (2010). Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments. Session 2, Keynote Lectures: “Future Technologies I: Communication” Our Common Future, Hannover, November 3, 2010.
- 13. Google SketchUp Students used the data gathered in the free practice tier to design their alternative future energies. The students had to supplement their design with a justification in the form of a report. This is typical of any new design proposal. It has to be justified and the rationale of development outlined.
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- 34. The Apple iOS development tool called XCode was used to create a means of demonstrating the designs in a multi-modal, mobile, transmedia manner. Programming was undertaken using Objective C. An App template was developed for content. A unique application has been programmed for Apple’s new mobile iPod/iPhone/iPad technology. The content for the application has been developed by second year Information Design students. The context of the content is Alternative Future Energies. Merging the designed content with the application program onto portable iPads will enable students to consider the further use of emerging mobile IT in strategically creative ways.
- 36. Presentation Independent of the course an iPad app was developed so that the images could be viewed. Traditional PowerPoint slide type presentations were rejected. Where is the power and what is the point? (Tufte, 2006). The App enabled students to insert their images, add some text (about 50 words) and include an audio summarizing their design. The user can swipe the app to move to and for images. Also, the images can be rotated, zoomed in and out (pinching), and viewed statically. This gives the user an interactive feel and can independent control the presentation experience. A number of iPads were set up in the university library for visitors to experience. Tufte, E.R (2006). The visual display of quantitative information. Graphic Press: Cheshire, Connecticut.
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- 38. Assessment The projects were assessed in stages using rubrics as score guides. The final design on iPads were scored by another class of students. Again a rubric was used and the scores provided by the students were added into the final course score. Weighting was design 30%, justification report 30%, input exercises 30% and exceptional work (undefined but felt intuitive by instructor) 10%.
- 39. Assessment Criteria Team interaction/ teamwork/ project management Project process Creativity Presentation –communication/ English Presentation - Media Analysis/ understanding/ reflection
- 40. Evaluation The survey was designed using a neo-Bloomian taxonomy developed by Vallance and Martin (2011). The survey statements coincided with established categorisation of cognitive processes (Anderson et al., 2000). Survey participants (N=40) indicated a high level of cognitive recognition. Looking at the post-course data, and combining SA and A. (1) remember – recognizing, recalling; I used some knowledge from previous lessons (89%). (2) understand – interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining; I had to explain something to another student (92%) (3) apply – executing, implementing; The project increased my digital and media literacy skills (88%). The project will help me communicate better in the future (97%). (4) analyze – differentiating, organizing, attributing; I analyzed something (94%). I had to solve a problem (89%). I learned about different viewpoints (92%). (5) evaluate – checking, critiquing; I disagreed with another student (61%). I had to make a decision (97%). I recommend the project to next year’s students (100%). (6) create – generating, planning, producing. I had some new ideas (89%). Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruicshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., & Pintrich, P. R. ... Wittrock, M. C. (2001) A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York, NY: Longman. Vallance, M. & Martin, S. (2011). A methodology for determining relationships between cognitive processes and the knowledge dimension when implementing tasks in virtual worlds. In Proceedings of the First International Virtual Environments Research Group (iVERG) conference. Immersive technologies for learning: a multi-disciplinary approach. Teesside University, UK. (pp.76-86). ISBN: 978-1-257-01934-2.
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- 42. Conclusion The survey regarding the academic benefits of integrating design and communication reveal that students are very positive about the transmedia approach. Google SketchUp engages students in a formal design procedure, develops 21st century literacy skills, and achieves a high level of cognitive recognition. Implementing the new mobile technologies of the second decade of the 21st century may indeed be a catalyst for change in pedagogy and learning. Of course, as mobile technologies (hardware and software) are becoming ubiquitous in both learning and community spaces the best use can only be assessed through research and practice. The challenge for researchers worldwide is to determine how communication processes alter, how learning benefits and how teaching changes when multiple-media-enabled mobile IT is commonly available. This challenge is primarily due to something I call transmedia communication.