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Decoding the Digital Part 1: The Playful Aristocracy

Two weeks have passed since Decoding the Digital at Rochester University, and if I don’t write it up now I’ll have forgotten what my notes mean. A small aside – I write terrible notes. I always have. I find that I can either listen or write notes, never both. If I try and write notes, then i realise that I’ve be concentrating so much on putting the words down and I’ve totally lost track of the lesson, lecture or presentation. Continue reading →

Presence

Plymouth Plantation from Boston.com (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/file) In my paper last week, struggling to find a way to describe the environmental “sense (or spirit) of place” that may drive emotional engagement in (games and) cultural heritage environments, I chose to use the word “Presence.”  I first came across in Pinchbeck’s writing but I was nervous about using it, until, by coincidence, Erik Champion also used the word when he commented on this post. Continue reading →

The Strong, National Museum of Play

Before last week’s Decoding the Digital conference, I visited the National Museum of play at the Strong. There are a number of Strong endowed institutions in Rochester, including the university Hospital, but unlike the city’s other famous sons and benefactors, George Eastman of Kodak fame, and the Xerox corporation, none of the locals seemed to know who the Strong family was or how they made their money. Continue reading →

Is it 1:20 am? Or is it 8:20pm?

Trying not to go to bed at 8:20, though I REALLY wanted to a couple of hours ago. I’m trying to stay awake though to better adjust to local time. So forgive this little travelog, It is, after all my very first international conference, so I’m allowed just a little excitement. My day started at 5am. UK time. My lovely wife drove me to the airport in time to get through security by 6:33. Then of course, having got through so quickly I had an hour to wait before my gate was announced. Continue reading →

Evaluating emotional triggers

The organisation I work for asks a question of it’s visitors, along the lines of “how strongly do you agree or disagree with the statement ‘this place had a real emotional impact on me’?” We can see that the more people agree with that statement (even if only the minority strongly agree), the more likely people are to have a very enjoyable day, and recommend a visit to friends and relations. But we don’t really measure what drives that emotional response. Continue reading →

Basing House Video: Three Weeks in Two Minutes!

Peter has made this super awesome timelapse video of the summer excavation. Peter is a Masters student studying the Virtual Pasts MSc. He is looking at the use of online technologies for archaeology. Peter has been working on developing online experiences for the Portus Project, another University of Southampton fieldwork project.  The Portus Project will soon have its own MOOC; an online virtual learning environment that will introduce the archaeology of Portus. Continue reading →

Guest Blog: Artist in Residence at Work

Peter Driver, our Artist-in-Residence has written posts at his blog about the work that he has been doing with us up at Basing House while we were excavating. Peter is part of the team that is working now to develop a travelling exhibition all about the excavation.  We’ll keep you updated with our plans here on our blog. I’ve copied Peter’s posts below, but please do visit his excellent blog here: http://reflectivediscontent.blogspot.co. Continue reading →

Is this an insight on the Narrative Paradox?

I’ve been analysing the data collected for my evaluation of Ghosts in the Garden. Yesterday I sent my preliminary observations to the guys who created it, and by the end of today I hope to have completed the first draft of my full report. If everyone approves I’ll share it all here in future. But I did want to share, and possibly sense-check, my key bit of insight. Continue reading →