MEDIA AND METHOD: September 2015

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Theme 4: Reflection

I think this week our topic is more practical and straightforward for our own studies.Initially,I red a paper that is from my study area and attempted to review it in the structured and methodical aspect.I tried to understand what theoretical and technical framework the research is based on and what the approaches are applied to demonstrate the main ideas and test process.Meantime,I just gave some possible ways to improve the value of the test or tinker the empty of the whole framework.I think the process is quiet hard. Because of the lack of past experiences of quantitative methods in my own projects.there is not a systematic and accurate scheme to follow author’s mind why he need do like that and experimental platform which is based on some specific principles.

In the seminar,Our discussion inspires me with two related questions.The one is about the benefits and the limitations for qualitative methods and quantitative methods respectively.

Another we talked in the end of the seminar is how we could make a proper choice and plan to utilize these methods in different cases. In some degree,I think the thoughts is based on the different situations.For the humanities research.Probably, it is quiet hard to collect the accurate data and details.At the beginning,I think there is a contrast in the nature of the prototype design between the humanity and natural science research.Generally,the prototype we assume is more abstract or theoretical stuff. So we might not need a clear answer to indicate the certain expectations from us.Certainly,it depends on characteristics of the objects for the research.- whether the researchers or readers need a exact response.

For the natural science research.there are more prototypes we need claim at the beginning.For some reasons,it might be crucial way to facilitate the extensions of mind.Meantime,it is more feasible to collect the data from the objects and analyze the results with more accurate and systematic way.For the limitations,it’s obvious to figure it out according to the basic principle of them.The qualitative methods are probably more appropriate for the preliminary research or some preparations which is based on the superficial cognition.I think if we let the quantitative methods to lead the research design at the start.It might be influence and even change the emphases of our works in some way.However,the quantitative methods could enhance the authenticity and systematicity and reveal the problems in the practices which is more acceptable to inspect.Sometimes we need them all and emphasize one side at whiles.Anyway,they should be a system to benefit our projects.

Theme 5: Design research (before lecture)

How can media technologies be evaluated?

In total,the paper introduces the kind of streaming media application to combine the traditional media patterns with the interactive media technologies.I think there are many accesses to evaluate the media techniques.In this paper,the authors sets up several experiments in the authentic and systematic ways to conduct the charts and statistics.Through analyzing the results,author gives the objective and critical conclusions.Meanwhile,the research designs a complete and specific part to support the technical application as the crucial element to reveal the usability,efficiency,trainability.

What role will prototypes play in research?
I think the prototype of the research play a key role to make the objects or results we expect more concise and logical.It is like the root of the tree to control and provide the energy to our constant minds.Meantime,it’s generally simple enough so that it can facilitate the divergent thinking though using our experiences which are most familiar and usual surroundings of us.In this research,the author just uses the simple mind that makes the user experience of streaming media more interactive as the prototype to build up the questionaire for developing the possibilities.

Why could it be necessary to develop a proof of concept prototype?
From the logical aspect,when the author comes up with the concept prototype,usually,it should be assumed or ideal comparing with the practical methods.Hence,I think we need find several methods or specific conditions which design with certain principles to indicate the possibilities we assumed.As I said above,the research should be based on the original prototype.In some way,there is a decisive process to verify the authenticity for the system design.

What are characteristics and limitations of prototypes?
Prototypes is always concise and vivid for the research design to deal with some complexly technical issues.For the reader,It’s easy to make sense either.Meantime,there are more possibilities to connect another knowledge systems related because of its catholicity .It is effective way to grasp the main factors of the theoretical and technical framework.On the other hand,the design process of the prototype should be participated by certain numbers of individuals and dialectic under the objective scientific background.The individual’s experience usually have the potential illusions and even errors of common cognition.

How can design research be communicated/presented?
Initially,the structure of the research should be start at the superficial and common view as the leader to get itself involved in the deep and specific ways to probe.At the same time,some refine graphs and statistics are necessary for demonstrating the conceptions or prototypes.As a whole view,the charts could be a factor of constituting the complete and structured study as the quantitative methods.

What is the 'empirical data' in these two papers?
I think these two papers reveal some common situations and issues for the tangible interfaces and driving range respectively that mentioned in the text.It’ could be a starting point to launch the study in depth and give the feasible solutions.Meantime,because the research pattern is based on the exploration in some way,some ’empirical data’ also is used in the background brief and testing part.

- Can practical design work in itself be considered a 'knowledge contribution'?
I think it should be a kind of achievements from the practical design.Generally,we always set up several patterns to design the structure and explore the possible results in uncertain conditions.That probably is a new trial to conduct the research in different framework.We cannot simply see it as the acquired experiences.In this way.It causes the new technique or framework.

- Are there any differences in design intentions within a research project, compared to design in general?
In the research,we generally have some expectations or predictions with our previous knowledge before we design the structure.In other word,we already stand in the overall situation to plan our minds to indicate our thoughts of specific issues.So,we might pay more attention to the quantities we care and filter other properties so that the authenticity and systematicity of the research can be maintained though the process.However,the designing in general usually is more random and explorative as the current states or the object of short term.
- Is research in tech domains such as these ever replicable? How may we account for aspects such as time/historical setting, skills of the designers, available tools, etc?
These things are the parts of the whole process as the preconditions to influence the results.I think we could use a brief in the background instruction or a characterizing of experimental platforms to bring out these details.The certain tests or statistics always quote them or have a special requirements for the design process.

- Are there any important differences with design driven research compared to other research practices?
Maybe the differences appear in the aspect of real-time data and variability.Meantime,probably,we draw the driven research which is more focused the some components of the cars,not a complete object.

Monday, 28 September 2015

Theme 2 - comments

Friday, 25 September 2015

Theme 3: Relection

I started this theme with the definition of theory. It is a little abstract to understand in a clear way.Mostly,we use theories to support our ideas and build up the theoretical frameworks in the researches.However, we do not think more about the theory itself to clarify the puzzles that hinder us in someway.As the professor said,there is the difference to consider the question in the field of humanities and sciences.In the research of humanities,people try to discuss and argue about some objects,but they would concentrate on the surroundings of the objects instead of answering or revealing the truth with clear attitudes.For the science study,things would be more specific and practical.Theory could assist us to probe the new theory in deeper way,meantime,it is the crucial factor to prove or uncover the results we get.In total, theory is the prerequisite to systematize the academic study.All the things should start with perceiving the world.

In the lecture,the professor put a question - “what is the man?” And then, he collected multifarious responses from us.These answers demonstrate the man from different aspects with individual opinions,then they constitute the man who we are familiar with.It is just like the processing of conducting the experiment for topic research.Generally,we need a draft to explain our motivations ,methods to connect the data collection in the practical ways. We get the results to conclude something that we expected or not.And back to the start,we try to summarize or indicate what the problem should be.In the seminar, my partner doubts whether the data we collect is objective thing,which is one-hundred percent same with being itself in the nature.He argues that the data we use in the research is filtered more or less.In my opinion,theory might be framed in certain context.In other words,we already assume or draft some preconditions before we start.Especially,for the single attribute study in science,we do need eliminate other factors which might be impact the accuracy of statistics.

At the end of seminar,we discussed the humanities research,which is related regular methods.They argue and define the details around the central objects,even use new conceptions to build up the relationship between the elements,put different questions and give the different answer.To some extents,it might be an argument in a progressive way. I think our discussion about the theory and research is typical modal for the modern academic study.It inspires me in the structural and systematic aspects to clarify the process we need to follow.

Theme 4: Quantitative research (before lecture)

I chose the paper called “A Systematic Review of Mapping Strategies for the Sonification of Physical Quantities,http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0082491”,using the bottom-up pattern to set up a list of conceptual dimensions” included in physical and auditory areas.In total,the paper is an overview of the sonification performance to deliver and interpret the certain hints as a informational carrier.The approaches are the mapping-based.In the reviewed works,mappings were identifying and forming a database of 495 entries.In some way,I think it is the one of the features for the bottom-up structure that reveal and demonstrate the results with a great details in an data-based way.Meanwhile, because of the highly intensive data demonstrations,the most of entries would be obscure in the display.For the methods itself,there would be more risks to the increasing of difficulties to filter data and statistics.

The most impressive part of the paper in my mind is the author’s angle to the consider the subjects and the methods which are kinds of decomposition and categories in the whole view.Firstly,the author tries to build up the relations with even all physical quantities with the central terms.There is a database of 495 entries to support the methods to face up the multifarious objects and reflect different responses.Then,using the bottom-up pattern is easy to clarify the complex in an explicit and systematic way.

There are some puzzles for the methods formulation and implementation.This is the system based on the potential relations between central terms and its surroundings.Generally,we must filter and categorize the specific properties which is traced and referred finally in the statistics to make the structural plan more feasible and accurate.Hence,detecting the suitable and authentic data is in the crucial aspect to facilitate the quantitative methods in some degree.I think the cases collections and assumptions from the previous publications is play a key role as the precondition to influence the progressive methods.The methods in the paper is a good way to focus on main factors and contradictions of the central objects that related with multifarious factors and neglect the contrast of quantities temporarily.

Which are the benefits and limitations of using quantitative methods?
Which are the benefits and limitations of using qualitative methods?

In this paper,the researchers conduct the critical and accurate methods with the quantitative methods,such as the samples detection,materials uses,data analysis and etc.I think the quantitative methods could demonstrate and control the process of experiments in the authentic framework which is under the system of engineering management.It contributes to the results with more deep and extensive to set up the mathematical model so that we could conclude the exact value and other features of aimed objects.To say simply, the quantity could translate the phenomenon in the range of human’s cognition. However,the highly accurate statistics with large workloads of data analysis and collection.Probably,the qualitative methods which focus on the phenomenon and relations between objects with previous knowledge and empirical judgments is feasible to analyze and summarize the predictions of objects with current state in a preliminary research.However,the quantitative methods should be the preconditions of qualitative analysis in some way.Only the constant interpretation of patterns and properties could be detected to brace the quantity structures and improve the accuracy of data filtering,the results can be comprehensive and meaningful. Definitely,the both should be work together for the critical and complete methods

Sunday, 20 September 2015

Theme 1 - comments collection

Saturday, 19 September 2015

Reflections of theme 2

To be honest,in the start,I thought the theme which addressed the enlightenment and dialectic was very abstract for me.Then I tried to understand these two conceptions in the historical context.Meanwhile,there are eight questions to help me understand clearly.

In the seminar,we definitely came to the terms of the interpretation of substructures and superstructures in group discussion.To some extents,the substructures constitute and change the superstructures.I just red an article called “China’s Weibo:Is faster different?“ in theme 3.

On the presupposition of the discussion, I probably could treat the governmental means of intervening and mobilizing public opinion with the microblog as the conduction of substructures,ultimately,to access the intention to control and influence the superstructures,like propagating policies and enhancing state’s regime.

In this question,we also had the different opinions on our on .We argued with the nature of mass medias and popular cultures.Firstly I preferred the mass medias as the substructure because I thought many of them were just the product with short duration to cater to the public.Meanwhile,someone said that we actually participated in the developments with various medias.Then,the professor argued that mass medias may be a way of enlightening public.The mass media teach us what kind of life we should be have and how we should think.

There is another topic which impressed me on that the perception can be naturally and historically determined.We tried to understand on the history of fine arts to convince ourselves.Nowadays,people even could identify the painting with the some features that match with different periods.For the fashion industry,although the retro style is popular,it might be slight different with the real ancient stuff.Because of the historical and even geographical barriers,our perception is shaped by the certain context,such as the change of our aesthetics.In the notion of "aura",I still used the art objects to figure it out.

It should be the "soul" of the art that cannot never reproduced and just works to facilitate the "conversation" between the objects and the individuals.

Friday, 18 September 2015

Theme 3: Research and theory(before lecture)

I red an article from “new media & society 2014, Vol. 16(1) 24 –37 ”,named “China’s Weibo:Is faster different?” It reveals the development and utilization of china’s social medias and how the governmental interventions can be success in the information control.As the development of IT techniques,Chinese social networks facilitates individual initiatives of netizens on their discontent for the negative consequences by the social controversies.Thus,the government has paid the attention to implement multifarious efforts in the chinese internet ecology for directing and mobilizing public opinion.The main content mirrors the contradiction and adaption between the ecology of chinese social networks and the state’s regime.

The paper I choose is “Malin, J. B. (2011) A very popular blog: The internet and the possibilities of publicity” that reveal the two mode of publicity of openness and promotion in online communications an traditional broadcast medias.It discusses the importance about digital democracy,meanwhile argues that we must be aware of the relative lack of promotional publicity in online.

Briefly explain to a first year university student what theory is, and what theory is not.

According to the “The Nature of Theory in Information Systems”,the theory bases on the necessary components of means of representation,construct,relationships between constructs and the specification of the scope of the theory.I may say it is kind of synthesis of different objects which are interpreted from every aspects with structural and dialectic ways.

Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the theory or theories be characterized as?

The theory of the paper mostly conduct in the conceptual way which is demonstrated by some current phenomenons and statistics.It addresses the critique examinations to concentrate on the economic implications by the inequalities between the different possibilities of publicity,hence,concludes the importance of digital democracy.I think it is almost belong to the I(analysis) & IV(Explanation and Prediction). The author attempts to combine some related statistics to explain in two modes of publicity,meanwhile,there is also an assumption in the end when the author argues the relevance and insufficiency of arguments about the ”digital divide”and “net neutrality”.

Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?

I think using statistics and analysis with data in this paper is the authentic access to conduct the critique theory. Especially,when these statistics are in terms of social opinions or individual consensuses the theory will be much more convinced,like some renowned media productions and websites quoted. And the prediction of the argument could be another leverage to conduct and enhance the theoretical framing. On the other side,as we discussed before in theme 1,probably, we should understand the certain phenomenons from multifarious sides.Theory research should base on the various considerations.

Monday, 14 September 2015

Theme 1:Learning summary

From the “Critique of Pure Reason” of Kent and Socrates’ argument that “knowledge is perception”,I probed something to do with the nature of knowledge and how the the apriori form is determined authentic so that I could have the deeper understanding about the science research and related methods for academic uses.

I referred to some historical and theoretical materials for a good understanding of kent’s theory,hence,I checked the transcendental idealism and tried to know what kind of situation could be interpret a prior.Furthermore,I continued to learning about the “Empiricism” and “Rationalism” to clear the western philosophical system from the superficial and systematic ways.

In the lecture and seminar,we assumed a infant in a specific living environment who never accepted the edification with intelligence of humans.Then we discussed what kind of creature he would be. The preliminary conclusion is that he might be have the cognition with his own way to live as unique form with others. Because we all have our own “world” ,maybe it is incomprehensible to consider the world from the outside of us.Kent argues that “perception without conception is blind”.For the baby we assumed before,probably,he do not have any conceptions,but I don’t think he is blind.Because these conceptions we represent here are in our world.

There is a question I mentioned in the end of the prior blog.I think after the weekly study,it inspires me about the clue to figure them out in some degree.The first is that “are the objects and I the mirrors of the world in deed ?” Professor said”our world is always our world”.The world might just exist in our mind because of our limited cognition or access to perceive the world.To say simply,we could only find the specific area of the world in our ways though the kind of reflection like the mirror to face up the outside changes.In some degree, We are creating things for our worlds as we need because we see the shape of it meantime give these things meaning to constitute the community which make our life easier and advanced on the presupposition of our certain cognition.

There is a sample discussion I red before that assumes some fishes in a round fishbowl They will see the curvilinear motion which is just kind of linear motion we can see without any external forces.However,which view about the phenomenon is more authentic?If these fishes were talented enough as humans.Probably they could conclude something concerned with their own experiences even sciences which are obviously absurd to us.Nevertheless,who knows that there is another immense and invisible fishbowl around us or not.

Friday, 11 September 2015

Theme 2: Critical media studies (Prior lecture)

What is "Enlightenment"?

As the author mentioned” enlightenment’s program was disenchantment of the world”,people may need be aware of the nature of the mass cultures,which is kind of products from the industrial cultures.It wants to notice people that we are in the myths that we created for many years,and that is “devil” lack of emotional depth while we are enjoying to consume it like we don’t know it.

What is "Dialectic"?

The logic of enlightenment .The creator and spirit of order should have the same significance of ruling the nature.

What is "Nominalism" and why is it an important concept in the text?

It stands for the kind of symbol which do not truly exist to make the kind of dialectic or science research more easy.

What is the meaning and function of "myth" in Adorno and Horkheimer's argument?

People believe that human beings can change and shape the world through the intellectual development.Finally,We get involved and addicted in the tricky circle, in which we have the definite belief so called the another “myth”.

In the beginning of the essay, Benjamin talks about the relation between "superstructure" and "substructure" in the capitalist order of production. What do the concepts "superstructure" and "substructure" mean in this context and what is the point of analyzing cultural production from a Marxist perspective?

The two terms should be all from Marxist perspective that reveal the relations to establish the stable structure.The substructure connects the individuals to build up the complex,or reveals the processing of production.It is based on the certain objects.And the superstructure lead to the crucial conceptions to shape the kind of fluctuation of development.For cultural production,it should be the conflict of the “substructure” way to ruling the “superstructure”.The point is at the balance of spirit and order.

Does culture have revolutionary potentials (according to Benjamin)? If so, describe these potentials. Does Benjamin's perspective differ from the perspective of Adorno & Horkheimer in this regard?

Benjamin said that we might be shameless if we sill insist in the knowledge poverty.I think it demonstrates the arguments from him that culture is always in the progress. There are two different ways between Ben and Ado&Hor.Ben argues that aesthetics use the politics.However,Ado&Hor just treat it as the entertainment or cultural consumption.From these two views. I prefer the one of Benjamin,which approve the way to separate the potentials in different aspects.

Benjamin discusses how people perceive the world through the senses and argues that this perception can be both naturally and historically determined. What does this mean? Give some examples of historically determined perception (from Benjamin's essay and/or other contexts).

It says our perception is not only dependent on the natural features,like we see the world.It is not like what we truly see.There is another element of history considerations to shape the certain factors.We have a certain background to perceive the wolrd and create the arts in which we could find out some historical evidences.There are some examples from late roman times mentioned by Benjamin.

What does Benjamin mean by the term "aura"? Are there different kinds of aura in natural objects compared to art objects?

It should be the “soul” of objects.It one piece of art is referred or copied ,we could say it have not the so-called “aura” any more.It should be connected with such terms like “uniqueness” “dependability”.We could perceive every objects from their “aura”.It probably is in sense of identities.For art objects, We might request it like the crucial reason why it can be treated as the true arts.

Sunday, 6 September 2015

Theme 1: Theory of knowledge and theory of science (Prior lecture)

Considering the origin of the universal,everything just exists on its own.There is no specific so-called rules or principles to affect itself to exist as what it truly should be like.The cognition is a complex.We could not never forget that the human beings should be the element to constitute and exist. The cognition from us is limitative and relative,facing up other objects. However,for survival and development,we explore the world,observe the objects to gain the knowledge,which is kind of existence to conform to our mind and in a sense of making our life easy.Kant claims that a priori and the acquired experience are the main factors to build up the knowledge.As a science research,we try to find the nature of objects with some rules of thumb.This kind of experience generally is from external changes.But it’s almost tricky to determine the conceptions. There is a Chinese philosophical term called “dao”,which can be seeming synthesis of all objects,and potential relations that should be exist. It argues that cognizing the world should be through improving the potential of organs,in another words called intrinsic raise.I think It might be similar with the apriori form which Kant suggested.

As a individual in the world,we are so tiny that we even can not see or hear the whole features of the world just “with” our eyes and ears.Like Socrates argues that “through” is in the degree of processing and interpretation.It will be generate some information of reflection through our organs.These organs should be run as an unit to complete the series of stimuli,Oppositely,everything comes to nothing if we let every organ work independently.It should be superficial conception to understand what we “use” to connect the external changes.Our body whole like a synthesis to perceive and react this kind of changes.Actually,the empiricism claims that the observation causes knowledge.People’s perceptions can uncover and reveal the truth. This kind of perceptions are caused by the elements outside which do exist.Socrates agrees that people should find the truth from the soul world.I think the nature of soul world is in degree of perceptions.From this view,I could say that the argument might be towards "empiricism". These two texts inspire me to think about the conception of objects and myself,such as,whether I’m in the “mirroring” of the world or “are the objects and I the mirrors of the world in deed ? ” Do I know the specific “mirror” --- myself ,if it is?