17 September 14:15   Room D105

Hackathons for Fun and Learning: Creating Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Communication Design and Computer Science

  • Grayson Lawrence Texas State University
  • Ted Lehr Texas State University

Introduction In the industry

The Communication Design (CD) and Computer Science (CS) relationship has been strained. CDs tend to regard CS team members not as equal collaborators, but as people who “just make it work”. Likewise, CS team members tend to regard CDs as people who “just make it pretty”. This devaluation of each other’s contributions undermines the true potential for collaboration and problem solving. Both CD and CS curriculum tend to silo user interface and user experience design from software development. If these groups are to work together effectively, a new understanding of each other’s abilities must be facilitated. Understanding technical limitations of, and opportunities provided by different platforms (iPhone, Android, Web) is paramount if CDs are to produce software concepts and user interfaces that are implementable by our CS counterparts.

By contrast, CS practitioners must have an appreciation of the complex client research, sociology, psychology and visual theory that CDs employ when designing their interfaces. A number of employers have acknowledged the need for closer designer/developer collaboration. IBM Design was created to specifically tackle the issues of this collaboration, investing millions in resources betting this new-found understanding between the two disciplines will result in more useable products and happier customers. In order to prepare CD and CS students for the current job market, it is imperative that they experience working within cross-discipline teams.

Project Overview

The researchers established an annual hackathon, inviting both disciplines to work together to solve an interaction design problem. In the Spring of 2014, a mobile game hackathon allowed 6 cross-discipline teams, to design a mobile game using the Texas State campus as a play grid. Teams spent two days concepting, designing, and developing their prototypes, culminating in a presentation to judges. Outcomes included a GPS-based scavenger hunt game to help freshmen learn more about the campus and an app that gamified learning by assessing points and levels to campus study groups.

Lessons learned from the first event, including team makeup, project type, and general organization informed a second event the following year. The second event, a smart-watch and wearable hackathon was put on in the spring of 2015. This event used smart watches and Google Glass to create a piece of software that makes a hobby more enjoyable. Outcomes included a hands-free smart-watch app to help users follow recipes in the kitchen, and a safety app using the watch to alert friends when the user has had too much to drink.

Project Results

Lessons learned from these hackathons, including optimal team makeup, project restrictions, timelines, classification of students, and classroom facilities required will ultimately be used to create a full-fledged cross-discipline class, taught by faculty from both CD and CS disciplines. Exit questionnaires given to the participants indicated that the students had an increased appreciation for what each discipline brought to the project. A majority of students indicated that they would participate in another cross-discipline event and indicated a strong desire to enroll in a formal cross-discipline class.

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Integrating Interactive Online Learning Modules in Art and Design Curriculum

  • Michael Longford School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design, York University, Toronto
  • David Gelb School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design, York University, Toronto

Central to capturing the imagination of a new generation of university bound arts, media, and design students is an innovative curriculum with an increased focus on disciplinary hybridization, collaboration, and technology centered experimentation in which eLearning plays a critical role. Taking up this challenge, our presentation will report on a set of interactive online art and design learning modules currently being developed by a team of interdisciplinary contributors from three Canadian institutions led by York University. Engaging theory and practice, topics for the modules include drawing, history from analogue to digital, interaction design principles, physical computing fundamentals, software design, interactive screens and responsive environments. Linked thematically, the modules can be used as stand-alone learning objects or in combination for online, blended and face-to-face modes of course delivery. Each module provides a complete lesson, however, components of the modules are flexible and can be accessed as smaller self-contained learning objects, and utilized as in-class examples and reference material to extend course objectives and augment curriculum.

The modules will be made up of introductory videos, animated visuals making connections to real world examples, video tutorials for “hands-on” exercises, multimodal learning resources, and small assignments providing students with the flexibility to choose activities that best match their learning needs. Some of the activities include writing and critical analysis, case studies and online research, field observation and self-reflection, and hands-on exercises using open source hardware and software systems. The online learning activities are intended to promote engagement with content, collaboration and dissemination of acquired knowledge, combined with opportunities for formative and/or summative assessments though frequent feedback from peer-to-peer as well as peer-to-instructor interaction.

Opportunities for Innovation:

  • What innovative pedagogy linked to learning objectives, and integrating technology will best support student centered digital learning in the arts?
  • What strategies can we use to design learning modules comprised of components that contribute to the whole, and at the same time remain flexible and modular?
  • Can we create a digital repository for the learning modules that is shared between institutions and made available across different learning management systems?
  • Working with the University, Faculty Associations, and collective agreements, can we create a Non-Exclusive Distribution License for online learning modules that provides protection for intellectual property, and ensures that content adheres to copyright laws?

With funding for development from the Council of Ontario Universities, and a mandate to share the modules with other postsecondary institutions across the province we are working towards an open platform, and flexible format that will allow us to continue to invite new contributions in the future from scholars, artists, designers, and industry experts.

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