Kim FLINTOFF

Hi Margaret,

That's a great question - aimed directly at The Society of the Spectacle (Debord) I presume?

Given that "education"is one of the many intangible commodities of the contemporary age it quite clear that "cash flow" (itslef a very dated economic principle) is one of the prime reasons that "education" is given so much lip service.

The commodification of many practices is seen as a principle driver of economic growth - and as we see primary (material) resources becoming more scarce whe'll see a huge shift towards selling us our own beliefs and practices... "education" is a process rememebr.. not something you can sit on the desk and admire...  it is something we can do independently of government and institutions... but we're lead to believe otherwise - "accreditation" in regulatory terms is about prioritising, hence priveleging, particular pathways to knowledge...

As educators we are complicit in this - and I suggest we need to develop our propensity for critical pedagogies in order that we at least declare our vested interest.

Hehe... I don't read "rhetorical" when it comes to questions!

Cheers

Kim

Hi Therese,

They weren't links, just formatted text - I've only done the abstracts so far - the papers will be included in the proceedings of the conference and I think they are made available via the ICT2007 web site. http://www.ict2007.ouhk.edu.hk/

Some papers will be selected for a monograpgh and some many be invuited to be presented in the International Journal of Innovation and Learning.

I've got quite a few bits and pieces to prepare for July - these two papers will be completed sometime between now and June 15.

Cheers

Kim

Hi Sylvia (et al)

I think there is immense potential in virtual worlds like SL for various aspects of Drama Education. 

Staging New Media performance is one avenue and there are many practising artists exploring the nature of that work.  In educational terms (K-12) I think the potential for role play as vehicle for discovery is exciting.

I'll be presenting a couple of papers at the ICT2007 conference in Hong Kong in July.  One is entitled "Online Sites for Generative Play" - where I propose a concept of "generative play" as a pedagogical approach to discovery learning.  I think it is especially useful in bringing a reflexive model of engagement to expoloring issues and debates in a variety of arena. 

I think of generative play as playful engagement in a fictional environment where there is an expectation of contextually relevant meaning-making that is both personal and shared but is not predicated by predetermined nor prescribed content.  I am thinking very much about working with students to contextualise their views on all manner of social issues.  It can also be extended to a solution oriented process to generate possible courses of action to address situations.  I am not so concerned about simple transmission of information but rather engaging students in critical approaches to information - in all its forms. 

This relates very much to the way I have worked in Drama Edcuation over the past 10-12 years and incorporates a range of processes drawn from Open Space philosophy, Student-centred Learning, Process Drama, Forum Theatre and other social constructivist approaches to teaching and learning.

I am keen to explore the processes of group devised performance in 3D MUVEs once my initial PhD project is complete - although I suppose there's not real reason I can't begin that investigation concurrently.

I think it is especially important in an Arts (or PERFROMING ARTS) framework to realise that the current simulation approaches are quite limited when it comes to developing new aesthetic understandings. 

One of the key questions will be: What are the new aesthetics and poetics of artistry through Drama in 3D MUVEs?  How students discover new modes of expression in these environments will present a wealth of new knowledge that is generated from a student produser base not just from those of us in the privileged elite of postgraduate research programs.

The other paper I'll be presenting in Hong Kong will be 1337 |)r4/\/\4 : Drama across the digital Divide (that's ELITE DRAMA for those wondering). The main thrust of this paper will be the provocation and ratioonale for Drama educators to acknowledge the expanding paradigm that surrounds the nature of performance studies and how to begin embracing all the risk, complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty that lies ahead.

Immediately following the ICT2007 conference is the IDEA2007 World Congress for Drama/Theatre and Education where i'll be co-chairing the Special Interest Group for Drama and New Media - it might be interesting to have some online engagement with SCOPE participants during that time (July 16-22).  IDEA2007 is also hosted in Hong Kong and precedes the World Creativity Summit from July 23-25.  This 3 week block is likely to be one of the most interesting times in Drama Education history.

It is heartening to see the discussions arising here at SCOPE.  I hope we do not get sidetracked by mundane discussions of "putting on plays" but can keep a broader vision active. The links with digital games-based learning are tremendously interesting and some of the excursions into MMORPG for learning could benefit from adding a Drama Education frame and all its knowledge of role. Perhaps when I meet with Mr Prensky next month I'll have a chance to discuss some of these ideas.

In the meantime I'd love some responses to the ideas I've mentioned above.

Cheers

Kim Flintoff B.A., Grad. Dip. Ed., M.Ed.
PhD Candidate
QUT Creative Industries: Performance Studies
Sessional Lecturer/Tutor/University Colleague
ECU School of Education and Arts: Contemporary Performance / Drama Education

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“I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.”
John Dewey

“We have to think of ways to use games not just to escape reality but to re-engage with reality.”
Henry Jenkins

I like those possibilities too Cyn, the social construction of reality can be quite literal in a space like SL.  I have a Holodeck thast I was hoping could be used a Research poster space - where researchers would constrcut rooms where the 3D representation was a summation othe research.. the same idea could be applied with your example...

...with effective faciltation the possibilities for deep understanding are enhanced...

... the possibilities for Critical Pedagogy are also phenomenal..  imagine analysing and critiquing the entire process of constructing the environment... challenging the underlying epistemology... the assumptions we make when building such spaces... and then transferring that understanding to other social institutions...

I love the subversive nature of it... the liberational qualities... and the potential for recognising the complex social structures tht come into play....

Kim