Application Form
Teaching Fellowship Award Scheme 2011-2012
Forms to be returned to:
[email protected]
Deadline: 12pm Monday 21st March 2011 (Please note that no applications can be accepted after
this time.)
Title of proposed project:
Integrating Interactive Locative Narrative into the undergraduate arts curricula: An on-line resource
for lecturers, students and researchers.
Name(s) of Applicants for Teaching Fellowship:
Emma Whittaker
Project leader contact details:
Emma Whittaker, Media Department, Vantage Point, South Devon College
Faculty/School:
UPC/South Devon College, Arts & Leisure, Media
(UoP Faculty of Arts/School of Art & Media)
Ext: 01803 540335/337
Email: [email protected]
Fax:
[email protected]
Other staff supporting project (but not applying for teaching fellowship):
Dr Neil Witt Associate Professor, Head of Technology Enhanced Learning
Colin Searls, Associate Dean - Learning & Teaching, Faculty of Arts
Pete Heppa, Section Head - Art, Media, Design, South Devon College
Introduction
Exploration of narrative is pertinent to many subject areas within the arts, from performing arts to media,
from photography to creative writing and design. Mobile technologies and particularly GPS enabled smart
phones have the facility to link audio, moving image, graphics, text and hyperlinks to specific geographic
locations. The sequencing of events or segments of information has equivalence with narrative and
storytelling. Illustrators, writers, filmmakers and performers can create new forms of audience engagement
with narratives by utilising the interactivity integral to smart phones.
The methods for developing interactive stories have drawn upon the ‘Planning Model’ and ‘Abstraction’
(Spierling In Aylett 2010:299) utilised by computer games and artificial intelligence developers. A linear
story can be reduced to the essential ‘events’ that constitute the narrative and the ‘function’ of characters
within that event. Possible alternative events can then be devised.
The key debates surrounding the field of interactive narrative/story are concerned with the nature and
extent of the interactivity and the degree to which immersion/presence is experienced by the audience.
Improvisational theatre and media theory explores many of the issues surrounding interactive locative
narratives: immersion and interactivity (Wardrip-Fruin 2003) and immersion and narrative (Ryan 2006).
The aims of this project are to:
 investigate the existing provision within UoP and UPC curricula within the subject areas of
Performing Arts, Design & Communication, Media, Fine Art and Creative Writing, for
undergraduate students to produce linear and interactive narratives;
 Investigate the methods used to create interactive narrative by specialists in the field, within and
outside of the arts.
 create an on-line resource that offers models for integrating interactive narrative across HE arts
curricula, interviews with specialists from the industry and HE institutions, and an evolving
document of the student experience, concerning creating interactive narrative.
 disseminate findings within educational and arts research communities
Context
With growing interest and development in mobile technologies in education (BIS 2009), this investigation
builds upon arts (Hansen, Kortbeck, Grønbæk 2008) and pedagogic research (Loveless 2002, 2007). In
the white paper Digital Britain (2009:175) support for research developing innovative schemes of work that
combine creativity with digital art is put forward. The DofBIS argue that media education is “an extended
definition of literacy”.
There is also considerable support for the concept of media as part of the arts curriculum, using
digital media to enhance traditional ways of working through the creative process and adding
another dimension to students’ learning. Arts Colleges are leading the way in developing innovative
schemes of work which combine creativity with digital art. (BIS2009a:175).
In 2010/11 the University of Plymouth’s HELP CETL funded my research into ‘Developing Interactive
Narrative for Mobile Technologies within Arts Education’. This research used an action research model to
develop interactive locative narrative experiences (ILN) for mobile technologies with undergraduate arts
students. This research defines a seven point criteria for the key content of an undergraduate ILN 12 week
module:
 critical contextualization; awareness of linear and interactive narrative structures;
 practical experience and evaluation of Interactive Locative Narratives (ILNs);
 the student group developing a working definition of the required user experience (specific to the
individual ILN);
 developing a location specific story;
 maximizing the production quality of story content;
 iterative and incremental development of the ILN.
This model for developing an ILN module will be presented with accompanying materials in the proposed
on-line resource. Engagement with specialists in the field, including Tom Bennett of the Bristol based
company Interactive Places, will result in the presentation of alternative methods.
Methods
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Questionnaires will be sent to course leaders across UoP (15 relevant courses) and UPC (16
relevant courses) to establish existing provision for teaching linear and non-linear narratives and
perspectives on mobile technologies in the arts.
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a sample of 10 respondents representing the
subject areas of performing arts, media arts, design, computing & arts and creative writing,
focusing upon cross-cutting themes emerging from the questionnaires. These themes will inform
the appropriate development of online interactive narrative resources.
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with specialists in interactive locative narrative from
business, education and the arts to identify methods for creating ILNs, including Tom Bennett
Interactive Places Jo Reid Calvium, Jon Dovey UWE.
Desk and practice based research to develop an on-line resource.
Outcomes, dissemination
 A report that summaries the research.
 An on-line resource for lecturers and students that provides models for integrating ILN into arts
curricula. It will be made available within the university and UPC and more broadly. The Visual
Practices online resource developed with Pauline Ridley and disseminated by LearnHigher CETL
http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/videoresources/visualpractices/ provides an example of the how an
aspect of arts practice can be designed to have a broad relevance across subject areas.
 A journal article and conference presentation (as specified below).
How does the proposed project, enhance the quality of learning and teaching at an individual and
subject level/ develop materials or ideas that can be applied by other colleagues…
The use of mobile technologies within arts education can enhance established practices by engaging
students (Belshaw 2010) and providing opportunities for developing new audiences for their work. The
proposed research makes available resources that have broad relevance across arts curricula but can be
tailored to individual subject and course requirements. In the development of story ideas, for example, the
devising process was used with performing arts students, while storyboarding is a method that is affective
with media and design students to achieve similar results.
Contribute to the achievement of the Faculty and University Teaching & Learning Strategies?
KT2: an evolving document of student experience, available within the online resource will help to develop
a learner-centred approach that is responsive to the needs of students as individuals: KT4 - Research and
practice have underpinned the ‘Developing Interactive Narrative for Mobile Technologies within Arts
Education’. This current project will extend this research and make it available for course leaders and
lecturers to integrate into their programmes. KT9: Central to this project is the aim to harness and exploit
new technologies to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
Result in outcomes that can be disseminated internally, in conjunction with the Teaching and
Learning Directorate, and more widely through relevant academic publications / conference
presentations? The project will result in a poster and a project summary for the VC’s Teaching and
Learning Conference. A journal article will be submitted to the International Journal of Interactive Mobile
Technologies, and Film, Fashion & Consumption. ESCalate have expressed an interest in including the
research in a forthcoming ESCalate Education Subject Centre publication. The research would also be
submitted to the ‘University of Plymouth 2012 eLearning Conference’ and ‘Rewire: The Fifth International
Conference on the Histories of Media Art, Science and Technology, 2012’
An approximate timetable for the project.
Actions
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Desk-based/practice based research
Data collection
Data analysis
Online resource development
Conference attendance/writing up
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Personal and professional development intentions
The Teaching Fellowship would allow me to develop my understanding of integrating ILNs into the wider
arts curricula and skills in the creation of online resources. I aim that this will lead to a PHD research
project. By making connections with specialists in the field of interactive narrative, I aim that UoP could
hold a symposium on the subject, bringing educators and businesses in interactive narrative together.
Outline costings
Brief description
Staffing
(Please explain
whether for time
release, research
assistant or admin.
support. Include
number of hours
and rate of pay)
Emma Whittaker
Buy-in time £27.00 per hour x 3 hours a week x 56 weeks
Amount required
£4536
Travel costs to
interview
specialists
£100
Conference
Attendance
£350
Total Funding requested
£4986.00
Applicants for Teaching Fellowships, please confirm that you have attached
□
A short CV highlighting your learning and teaching track record (max. 2 sides A4)
If there is more than one applicant for a Teaching Fellowship each member of the group
should provide this information.
□
A letter of commitment and support from your line manager.
If successful, we intend to publish this form internally. We may also want to use the information
provided for publicity purposes. Pleas tick this box if you do not want this information to be included
in such activities.
□
Applicants for Teaching Fellowships are requested to take note of the following dates as if their application
is successful attendance of a member of the project team is required at the following events:
 Presentation of Awards at the VCs Teaching and Learning Conference: 7th July 2011
 Induction Day: 11th July 2011
 Interim Meeting: 1st February 2012
Application deadline: Monday, 21st March 2011, 12pm
References
AYLETT, R et al. 2010. Interactive Storytelling: Third Joint International Conference on Interactive
Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2010: Proceedings. Edinburgh, UK: Springer.
BELSHAW, D. 2010. Mobile & Wireless Technology Review. London: JISC Advance
BENNETT, T. 2010. Interactive Places [WWW] http://www.interactiveplaces.co.uk (12.04.10)
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION, & SKILLS. 2009a. Digital Britain Final Report.
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digitalbritain-finalreport-jun09.pdf(12.04.10)
HANSEN, F.A. KORTBECK, K, GRØNBÆK, K. 2008. Mobile Urban Drama – Setting the Stage with
Location Based Technologies. In: SPIERLING, U. & SZILAS, N. 2008. Interactive Storytelling: First Joint
International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2008: Proceedings. Erfurt, Germany:
Springer.
LOVELESS, A. M. 2007. Report 4 Update: Creativity, Technology and Learning – a review of recent
literature. [PDF] FutureLabs.
http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Creativity_Review_update.pdf (12.04.10)
SPIERLING, U. & SZILAS, N. 2010. Workshop: Education in Interactive Digital Storytelling. In: AYLETT,
R et al. 2010. Interactive Storytelling: Third Joint International Conference on Interactive Digital
Storytelling, ICIDS 2010: Proceedings. Edinburgh, UK: Springer.
WARDRIP-FRUIN, N. & HARRIGAN.P. eds. 2004. First Person: New Media, as Story, Performance &
Game. Mass.: MIT
WARDRIP-FRUIN, N. & MONFORT, N. 2003. The New Media Reader. MASS: MIT