Two Research Methods in Design Computing Mary Lou Maher May 2003

Characteristics of Design Computing Research Develop an understanding of new design computing technologies Develop an understanding of new design computing technologies Create new models for design computing environments Create new models for design computing environments Critical aspect: Create new environments, new models, new ways of designing using computers Critical aspect: Create new environments, new models, new ways of designing using computers

Two Research Projects The role of place in virtual learning environments The role of place in virtual learning environments Objective: study the use of a new design computing environment Objective: study the use of a new design computing environment Method: empirical study Method: empirical study Plan: create environment, collect data, analyse Plan: create environment, collect data, analyse User-centred virtual architecture: develop a new way of thinking about virtual worlds and their design User-centred virtual architecture: develop a new way of thinking about virtual worlds and their design Objective: propose a new model Objective: propose a new model Method: Generate and test Method: Generate and test Plan: develop a new model, implement, demonstrate Plan: develop a new model, implement, demonstrate

The Role of Place in a Virtual Learning Environment

Premises 1.Virtual worlds have been used as virtual learning environments in many universities 2.The design of virtual worlds assumes that place is an important concept in online activities 3.There is little empirical evidence of the role of place in a virtual learning environment

Places are spaces which have meaning (Harrison and Dourish, 1996) Evolve out of the activities of those that inhabit them and take on meaningful attachments to those who pass through them Physical learning occurs in different kinds of places – Classrooms, Lecture Theatres, Laboratories ….. Virtual Communities are examples of the significance of a sense of place, contrary to Meyrowitz’s notion of placeless-ness.

Research Questions: Role of Place in VLEs Does the 3D Virtual Place and its sensory environment encourage the students to be more collaborative and engaged in their learning experience? Does having a sense of place help the students to take a constructivist approach to their learning? Does the 3D virtual place enable and encourage a more tactile and visual approach by the lecturer to management of the learners?

Research Plan Develop a virtual learning environment in a 3D virtual world Collect data on students engaged in learning tasks in the 3D virtual world Analyse the data to find correlations between place and learning activities

Research Methodology An adaptation of design protocol studies, except we capture conversations rather than ask students to “think aloud” Process: Data is gathered from the conversations of the students/lecturers in the VLE classroom. Data is cleaned and placed in a coding format. The coding scheme is developed and tested on a sample of the data. The data is coded using the Delphi Method. Coded data is analysed and results produced.

Virtual Learning Environment The studio has two distinct parts: –Classroom –Student Galleries Students navigate and communicate using an avatar. Students construct and display their knowledge and learning experience using contextual learning resources and tutorials. Student galleries provide a place for a visual representation of students' own design work submitted for peer review and collaborative feedback.

Virtual Learning Environment 1. Common Area: a public space for discussion and general meetings.Common Area 2. Entrance Area: entrance providing general information.Entrance Area 3. Level One: an open platform providing level one course materials.Level One 4. Level Two: an open platform providing level two course materials.Level Two 5. Level Three: an open platform providing level three course materials.Level Three 6 – 17. Student Gallery Spaces: places for students to display their designs and customise their own place. Classroom like place surrounded by Student Galleries.

Students communicate ‘Talking by Typing’ and are free to explore and gather information Virtual Learning Environment

Coding Scheme 1.Communication Control 2.Communication Technology 3.Social Communication 4.Learning Communication 5.Place Communication

Method of Analysis There are two key areas of focus Communication about learning –Concepts –Objectives –Cognition Communication that refers to place –Gestures, Citizenship, Identity, Ownership –Locations, Exploration, and Presence

Major Categories of Communication Control16%45 Technology2%5 Social1%4 Learning50%139 Place30%84 TOTAL277

Communication that refers to place Gestures - GES4%3 Location - LOC20%17 Identity - IDT31%26 Exploration - EXP6%5 Presence - PRS29%24 Ownership - OWN5%4 Citizenship - CIT6%5 TOTAL84

Place Communication

Dynamics of Place Communication These graphs represent parallel timelines (each time point corresponds to an utterance) for each category of place communication. We can see the clustering and scattering of communication events as they occur at various moments during the session.

Communication about location We looked more carefully at the first cluster of points related to location. By looking at the text extract of the conversation we find that students are being gathered to a specific location. Lecturer: Everyone come over to the main entrance area please Student 1: I am here Student 2: I am here too

Communication about location The second major cluster involves students now moving from the starting point of the session to a new location in the virtual learning environment. This new location is identified as the student gallery. Lecturer: Ok lets go over to the gallery This notion of movement is identified in the chart by the exploration code, which is found to occur at a point close to the three major clusters for location.

Communication about location The combination of location and exploration identifies a relationship between the two codes Implies movement of students from one place to another. The implication of movement by the students, is instigated by the lecturer This can be interpreted to mean that some type of organisation or management of student movement is occurring in the environment.

Analysis of Place Communication We can infer a hypothesis from the combination of the two codes - Location and Exploration. This is illustrated by looking at a key point in the discussion where the two codes connect at key point 60. Lecturer: (to student 1) let us go to the level one area Student 1: ok Our hypothesis is for the management of learning: “Places enable students to be gathered to a specific location and to visualise their presence at the location to enable focusing of attention”

Analysis of Learning Communication 1.“Learning Communication in a Course Lecture” using the coded transcripts we characterise the learning process by describing the statistical results of the three categories of learning communication - Concepts, Objectives, and Cognition. 2.“Dynamics of Learning Communication” we study the collaborative process that occurs by following the threads of conversation in the discussion sessions.

Learning Communication CONCEPTS Introduction - IOC22%12 Acceptance - AOC0%0 Rejection - ROC0%0 Clarification - CLC36%20 Confirmation - COC13%7 Development - DEC16%9 Repetition - RPC0%0 Referencing - RFC2%1 Revisiting - RVC4%2 Evaluation - EVC7%4 TOTAL55

Learning Communication

The majority of the conceptual learning process revolves around clarification and development of understanding of the learning concept. 22% of the overall discussion involves introducing a new concept this is a ratio of 2.5:1 compared to the clarification/development Where evaluation of the learning concept is around 6:1 compared to the clarification/development and about 3:1 compared to the introduction of a concept.

Dynamics of Learning Communication we study the collaborative process that occurs by extracting from the transcripts two threads of conversations Those initiated by the lecturer and those conversations initiated by the students. We look further at the types of collaboration that occur such as conversations that occur between: Student (question) to Student (answer/elaboration/development) Student (question) - Lecturer (answer) - Student (elaboration/development) Where the conversations go How long the conversations last

Analysis of Communication

Summary of “the role of place” Research methodology was adapted from a method used in cognitive science and then compared to methods used in studying new technologies in education and learning The analysis of the data is the starting point for finding patterns and therefore identifying principles and characteristics that can generalise beyond a single experience

User-centred Virtual Architecture

Premises Virtual Architecture is a kind of virtual place that uses the metaphor and components of physical architecture to create places for online human activity Current virtual architecture follows the same process of physical architecture: design and build persistent infrastructure There is potential for virtual architecture to be designed and used as needed, and then removed when not needed.

Research Plan Propose a model for user-centred Virtual Architecture Develop and implement the model Demonstrate the use of the model Identify the contribution of the model

Research Methodology Combines models from artificial intelligence and design research: –Agent models –Design grammars Adapt the models for the new context Incrementally develop, implement, and test the model Build a demonstration system

Background: Agent Models  Reflex agent and utility agent (Russell and Norvig, 1995):  An agent in general.  The reasoning processes involved.  Agent models of 3D virtual worlds (Maher and Gero, 2002):  A society of agents.  Each agent is represented as a component of the world.  Rational agents (Wooldridge, 2000)  An agent reasons about its environment  An agent has beliefs desires and intentions ? environment actions sensors effectors agent

What the world is like now Condition-action rules What action I should do now Agent Sensors Effectors Environment Basic Agent Model

Interpretation Hypothesizer Action Sensors Effectors The World Virtual World Agent Model

Design Process in a UcVA Agent  4 computational processes:  Interpretation : transform the raw inputs to data for reasoning and learning.  Hypothesising : identifies the design goals for the agent.  Design : reasons about how to achieve the design goals.  Action activation : identifies the actions needed to realise the design solutions.

Shape Grammar Formalism  Shape grammar formalism (Stiny and Gips 1972, Knight 2000):  Shape grammar: a set of shape rules.  Shape rules : description of the spatial forms of the designs, or relate to the goals of a project that describe from functions to meanings to aesthetics.  Shapes : basic components of the shape rules, could be points, lines, planes or spatial volumes.

Generate Shape Rules  Analysis of the CRC World design :  CRC world : a virtual environment in AW supporting collaborative research.  Aim : generate shape rules that capture a specific style.  Style : the common characteristics of using forms and representing functions.

Analysis of the CRC World Plan

Shape Rules Evolved from the CRC World Plan  Rule 1 and rule 2 :  Rule 3 and rule 4 :

Shape Rules Evolved from the CRC World Plan  Rule 5 and rule 6 :  Rule 7 and rule 8 :

Shape Rules Evolved from the CRC World Plan  Rule 9 and rule 10 :  The CRC World plan could be regenerated by applying the above rules in a certain order.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Initial Shape of the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 1 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 2 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 3 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 4 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 5 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 6 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  Step 7 for generating the CRC World plan.

Re-generating the CRC World Plan  From the initial shape to the CRC world plan.

Replacement Rules for Generating 3D Spatial Volumes  Replace 2D shapes with 3D units :

Replacement Rules for Generating 3D Spatial Volumes  Replace 2D shapes with 3D units :

Re-generated Form of the CRC World Design  Re-generated form of the CRC World design:

Design Rules for Representing Functions  Three rules for representing the functions of a meeting room in the CRC World:

Generating A Meeting Room Design Using the Design Rules  Generate a new meeting room plan: initial shape.

Generating A Meeting Room Design Using the Design Rules  Generate a new meeting room plan: step 1.

Generating A Meeting Room Design Using the Design Rules  Generate a new meeting room plan: step 2.

Generating A Meeting Room Design Using the Design Rules  Generate a new meeting room plan: step 3.

Generating A Meeting Room Design Using the Design Rules  Generated plan :

A Meeting Room Design Using the Shape Grammar Formalism  A view of the generated meeting room design.

Summary of Virtual Architecture Research  Research Methodology is similar to the methods used in computational models research  The “interesting idea” is to turn the process of designing virtual architecture inside out  The computational model combines models from AI and design computing research  The implementation and use of the model highlights the contributions

Comparison of Two Research Projects “Role of”: identify new technology and collect data on its use (empirical) “Role of”: identify new technology and collect data on its use (empirical) “Virtual architecture”: develop a new model, implement, and demonstrate (conjectural) “Virtual architecture”: develop a new model, implement, and demonstrate (conjectural)