Brainbow image of hippocampal neurons. Courtesy of Jeff Lichtman/Harvard University

Anha Skop, Asst. Professor of Genetics at UW Madison, delivered a stunning opening plenary “Too Creative for Science.” Her message on the relationship between art and science was punctuated by images of Brainbows, a cell division video, and the Tiny: Art from the Microscopes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A message from the editor

Next we used ARIS to create a simple alternate reality experience, led by David Gagnon. The platform has an intuitive interface, and has been used to create a number of experiences, including Mentira in Spanish. Future versions of the platform will include image matching, currently it supports QR codes.

Francisca Yonekura and Barbara Truman presented offerings at UCF in Everybody Wins: DIY Open Gamification 4All. Kogneato is a self-service platform that allows faculty to create games for assessment. Activities include labeling and flash cards, as well as crosswords and hangman. They also shared their online resource for information literacy.

Maria Woolson and I presented the Middleverse de Español project, where we used Second Life to create a conversation space for language learning. Our session was well attended and received, with a number of questions about the students’ experience and the impact on their learning.

Other Interesting Links from Conference

Games + Learning + Society – http//gameslearningsociety.org

IdeaLab at Carlton College, creative space for faculty, staff and students to show what can be done with technology - http://apps.carleton.edu/weitz/VirtualTour/IdeaLab/

Mystery at MIT - http://www.mit.edu/~puzzle/

Poll Everywhere - http://www.polleverywhere.com/

Head Magnet - http://headmagnet.com/

POPUP, Psychology project using Kogneato - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsuZ_FhxkGg&feature=share

Middlebury Links Related to Post

Science and Art
Student Symposium – http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/resources/uro/symposium
Middlab – http://sites.middlebury.edu/middlab/

Geo-located virtual information
Murmur – http://sites.middlebury.edu/seniorfellows/2011/05/17/murmur-hear-it-here/

Aaron has posted his thesis online, inviting comments through the CommentPress system – you can comment on individual paragraphs, sections, or the entire project. Aaron would appreciate feedback – anyone interested in contemporary television narrative and transmedia issues will find interesting material to chew on here. Below is the thesis abstract to whet your appetite – please comment, reblog, or otherwise engage with his work:

“Transmedia Storytelling in Television 2.0” by Aaron Smith
In the era of convergence, television producers are developing transmedia narratives to cater to consumers who are willing to follow their favorite shows across multiple media channels. At the same time, there still remains a need to preserve an internally coherent television show for more traditional viewers. This thesis offers a model for how transmedia storytelling can coexist with and enhance a television narrative, using Lost as a case study. By building a world to be discovered, creating a hierarchy of strategic gaps, focusing on the unique capabilities of each extension, and using the “validation effect” to reward fans for their cross-media traversals, television/transmedia producers can provide a satisfying experience for hard-core and casual fans alike.