“If there is any one thing upon which this ‘intelligence depends’ it would seem to be organization” (Englebart, Douglas. 1963).

The way information is organized in Valerie Ireland’s post, “Task Five – Twine and Hypertext” as a first time Twine user explores the concept of ‘what if’ through the game MASH, is compared and contrasted with the two projects I present in “Twine Time” that I developed over the course of two MET courses on Games and Learning on the cyclical and iterative nature of learning in, ‘Her earrings are complex’ and an environmental awareness game of, ‘Era’.

Overview of pathways in ‘What if’ by Valerie Ireland

Valerie presents her perspective in the last slide of her Twine; “I see life as hypertext. A series of connections, networks which are flexible, dynamic and agentic.”  Whereas, my ideas present the perspective that “Hyperlinks create a mirage of control, where the reader only had choice over what is presented and therefore lacks the ability to follow their own path.” In contrasting ‘agentic’ and ‘mirage of control,’ I find that the networks and paths created in virtual space are called in to question. In the Twines presented, the reader was led along a predetermined path and had choices in order to navigate the route, but could not stray from the predetermined path. The idea of what if in MASH provides the mirage of choice and fate, but shed light on the predetermined paths in both life and hypertext.

Pathways in ‘Era’ by Emily Saundercook

With exception to the first two slides of ‘Era’ where audio of the text is provided, ableism underpins accessibility to the Twine platform. Ableism in constructed in text-based games, where barriers are created to limit the participation of blind, visual impaired and illiterate. The support of visual descriptions and music in Era help the player to determine the mood and tone of the game, however, limit access to a portion of viewers through the lack of audio recording of the text. The interactivity of the text is shaped by oral culture, yet are disabled from accessing the content by excluding audio.

Another aspect of the organization of information in Twine which affects the user experience is the use of first and second person language. The style of language changes the tone and effects the perceived agency of the player. The games ‘Era’ and ‘What if’ use second person language in asking questions to the player as ‘you.’ In Valerie’s game, the text throughout the game follows a similar pattern where the user can feel in control of their own choices, while navigating a predetermined path. (Text is bold symbolizes hypertext options).

Can you tell my MASH fortune?
Choice One: Sure!
Choice Two: My mom says you are too boy crazy and I’m not allowed 

Either choice will bring you to the same ending, similar to the game Era, where the structure has two possible end game outcomes. The player’s choices in Era are limited from the start and the player only has two options before they are funnelled into a singular choice. In ‘Era,’ the text challenges the player to choose between focus on the individual or collective world.

Interesting… You notice there’s a star that has gotten bigger and bigger every night for a while now. What would you like to do?
see what our dino scientists say
just keep doing dinosaur stuff…

Valerie writes in her blog that “My post has a ‘butterfly effect’ feeling to looking back on how choices have shaped my existence.  And how life, like hypertext, life is fluid and multilinear.” Reflection on choice shaped the organization of the information, can inform the reader of aspects of societal privilege. By thinking of yourself versus others in ‘Era’ and of the random assignment of lifestyle affordances through the game MASH, the user can reflect on issues of class, gender, race and worldview. In MASH the options vary from a mansion to a shack and are randomly assigned, however, in critiquing this game one can ask, similar to hypertext, are the life choices of all people randomly assigned or are they predetermined based on societal norms?

Alternatively, in the Twine ‘Her earrings are complex,’ I reflect on the organization of a Twine project as cyclical and iterative from of learning from the first person perspective. In the post Twine Time, I write, “The organization of hypertext can be related to trees of information, similar to the nodes and pathways of Twine. By connecting ideas through hyperlinks, these pathways denote a series or sequence of ideas to organize the thought processes.” The overlap of links in ‘Her earrings are complex’ allow the viewer to navigate based on the connections they make and create their own pathways of sequencing the information. In revisiting Valerie’s point that life as hypertext is flexible, dynamic and agentic, I would argue that the way in which hypertext is constructed can enable an agentic user experience, if the Twine has two-way links that facilitate user-driver direction.

Pathways in ‘Her earrings are complex’ by Emily Saundercook

Exemplified through the ‘Design’ pathway, the contrast of personal narrative and academic research demonstrate the constructivist notions of weaving personal experience with challenging ideas to one’s worldview in order to reflect and create new knowledge. The text on design slide includes:

The inspiration for my designs come from the women who taught me to bead. The ladies who sat around a kitchen table drinking labrador tea, speaking quickly in Cree and laughing more than beading. Their beadwork, representative of their love and care for one another, embodied how we built resiliency together as family and community to the challenges we encounter in life.
The medicine wheel presented by Dr. Martin Brokenleg, addresses teaching to the heart of people, as opposed to just the mind, by fostering belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. In our work and production, we must carry these principles in order to internalize our learning.

The personal story is contrasted by calling in the viewer to the conversation by saying we must carry these principles in order to internalize our learning. The individual and collective vision are prioritized though the first person narrative of learning and process, as interwoven with the call to action guided by research and an appeal to adapt and change. This leads to further questions of how the organization and portrayal of information influences the construction of individual and collective knowledge. Is there a difference between being led by hypertext online through the process of associative information and clicking to progress through a Twine game? Is the user making choices based on their own thinking or on strategic game play? Should hypertext online, which is leading the user along a path to discovery, be perceived as strategic game play by web developers and software companies?

References:

Baviskar, S. N., Hartle, R. T., & Whitney, T. (2009). Essential criteria to characterize constructivist teaching: Derived from a review of the literature and applied to five constructivist teaching method articles. International Journal of Science Education, 31(4), 541-550.

Englebart, Douglas. (1963). “A conceptual framework for the augmentation of man’s intellect .” In Hawerton, P.W. and Weeks, D.C. (Eds.), Vistas in information handling, Volume I: The augmentation of man’s intellect by machine. Washington, DC: Spartan Books. Available (as “Augmentation of human intellect: A conceptual framework”)

Knight, J. on Identity-first vs. person-first language, A11y Rules Podcast Episode 32. [39 mins.]

My Post and part two of Katyln Paslawski’s post both use the medium of a time-lapse, a common feature on smartphones, to document our processes of making potato prints. This could be a result of us both being visual learners and wanting to include a quick overview of the process or be due to commonalities we may share as constructivist educators.

Our posts generate different user-experiences. In my blog, the time-lapse is embedded with youtube at the top of the post to catch the attention of the reader. This facilitates the ease of use to watch the video and after pressing play, the reader can continue scrolling or choose to watch for 36 seconds. This user-experience is used as a way to provoke interest in readers with a visual depiction of the process or the reader can be viewed as a consumer and the time-lapse offers a method to diversifying the content of text, video and image and maintain interest.

Katyln’s post provides the time-lapse as a downloadable link at the bottom of the page. By providing a link, it is likely that people who are interested in the creation process will download and view it.  These extra steps may mean that only people who have read the entire post and remain interested in watching the video will follow through to download. The difference in user-experience can be seen as the time-lapse featuring as additional information or resources in an academic format to further clarify the reader’s understanding of the process.

Through the footage supplied, we had very similar experiences of carving letters and even used the same brand of paint. We are both focused on the task of potato printing throughout the entire video, evident by the concentration on our faces. The videos provide a blueprint of the process, as evidenced by these screenshots. The inclusion of time-lapse as a medium speaks to the fast-paced, information saturated, online consumer culture.

The use of this medium can relate to the capitalist view that ‘time is money’ and that it would be a waste on time to watch the entire video, so here is a sped up version.

Additionally, the medium can appeal to the cultural phenomenon of addiction to keeping up to date on social media, specifically to consuming content without processing all of the information. This aligns with the common user experience of feeling a ‘fear of missing out’ despite not participating or engaging in any meaningful way with the author or content.

Does including a time-lapse video in an academic blog qualify the medium as an appropriate source for documentation? Are we attempting to provide evidence for our process through the inclusion of a time-lapse video or are we appealing to a more capitalist market by creating an engaging product? Is there a way we can slow down?

In my first use of Twine, I created this small game with a team from the Digital Games and Learning class in the MET Summer Institute. Our game, Era, was about a cute dinosaur dealing with big issues. The game is a contemporary take on environmental action, where the non-binary dinosaur has to act in order to save the planet.

The choice of make a change or maintain the status quo kept the game lighthearted, but would allow players to access the main message of taking action.

To play the game, download this file and open in browser.  Dinosaur Space Program (1).html

~   ~   ~

In my next Twine, I aim to weave my own narrative of beaded earrings with the creation of digital games as an interactive story of process. From the process of abstract imagined ideas to tangible products, I engage in learning that is transformative by developing a deeper understanding of myself through the creation and exploration new possibilities. The process of creating digital games and beadwork are similar through the processes of design, but functionally crafted in different ways.

“My earrings are complex” will juxtapose the design process of beaded earrings with digital games, from the perspective of Kafai and Burke (2015) that students learn through computational participation in “video game making [is] an unique, early channel for children to comprehend the social, economic, and civil power of making and sharing.” To play the game, download this file and open in browser. Her earrings are complex (1).html

References: 

Kafai, Y. & Burke, Q. (2015). Constructionist Gaming: Understanding the Benefits of Making Games for Learning. Educational psychologist, 50, 4, 313-334.

Kafai and Burke (2015) argue that playing and making games combines the constructionist and instructionist methods of learning to provide a more inclusive and informative process of learning through creation. Kids learn from a system-based thinking approach, through their critical engagement with media and by engaging in the online participatory culture. Learning through game making can provide students with new media literacies where they learn computational skills through the concepts, practices and perspectives, academic content and social skills of collaboration, problem solve and participation and further their insight into their own personal process of learning.

Tran, K. M. (2016). “Her story was complex”: A Twine workshop for ten- to twelve-year-old girls. E-Learning and Digital Media, 13(5–6), 212–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753016689635

Tran (2016) discusses girls (aged 10-12) involvement in game design as a form of literacy, the benefits for learning and the implications of how girls engage in game design. The interpretations of game design and the motives for design are dependant on the interests of the individual (pop culture, humour, shared hobbies etc.) however, engaging in game design provided an outlet of creation, connection and expression. 

Analysis 

Twine provides a platform to create trails of knowledge as pathways that split and converge. In the article by Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think,” the idea of elevating civilization by releasing the burden of information to digitally recorded trails of knowledge created “a new profession of trailblazers.” To think of this concept metaphorically, people became weightless as swim down a river, and despite feeling in control and unburdened, they are gently guided by the current. Subconsciously, they are guided by those who have come before along the trail and the path they create is in fact guiding their actions.

Hyperlinks create a mirage of control, where the reader only had choice over what is presented and therefore lacks the ability to follow their own path or blaze their own trail. Bolter in his work, “Hypertext and the Remediation of Print” supports this notion that “letting the reader choose links only gives the illusion of control, which is really withheld from the reader. If authors prescribe links, they deny the reader the choice of making her own associations, so that a printed novel or essay actually gives the reader greater freedom to interact with the ideas presented.” In the creation of a Twine, the pathways prescribe the type of interaction the player will have with the content. This connects with Engelbart’s work, Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework, where he states that “If there is any one thing upon which this ‘intelligence depends’ it would seem to be organization” (1962).  The organization of hypertext can be related to trees of information, similar to the nodes and pathways of Twine. By connecting ideas through hyperlinks, these pathways denote a series or sequence of ideas to organize the thought processes. The popularity of hypertext is demonstrated through how it infiltrates oral language, linking ideas and changing the relationship between the reader and the text, but begs the question: is it possible to uncover new information and go against the current of the hyperlinks? 

References:

Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing Space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (Links to an external site.). Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 77-98.

Englebart, Douglas. (1963). “A conceptual framework for the augmentation of man’s intellect (Links to an external site.).” In Hawerton, P.W. and Weeks, D.C. (Eds.), Vistas in information handling, Volume I: The augmentation of man’s intellect by machine. Washington, DC: Spartan Books. Available (as “Augmentation of human intellect: A conceptual framework”)

Bush, V. (1945). As we may think. The Atlantic Monthly, 176(1) (Links to an external site.), 101-108.

I was curious and felt intrigued by the idea of the potato press, and even though I did see it as a waste of food initially, I was excited to try the process. After watching Paul Collier in the youtube video, “Upside Down, Left To Right: A Letterpress Film,” I was captivated by the methodical rhythm of the printing press and the slow intentional process of arranging letter by letter before adding ink and rolling out the machine.

Here is an overview of my 10 minute process in 36 seconds:

My process of creating the letters took around five minutes, and then another five to experiment with paint and stamping. All the letters I chose were written in uppercase, and so I did not have to include curves and only needed to invert the letter L. I realized in the printing stage that some of my letters were not flat, and that my initial error had been not cutting the potato straight. The top left corner or the letter M had to be pressed down and similarly with the Y. When I initially pressed the letters down flat, all corners did not catch because of the uneven surface of the potato. 

Letter design was challenging and expanding beyond straight edges and capital letters would have involved much more finesse. My first letter, E, is much smaller than the rest and the letters became more uniform as my name goes on. In my first attempt, I used acrylic paint, whereas in my second attempt I was able to achieve a more even print with less viscous paint. 

I relate this process to art forms I am familiar with: beadwork, needlepoint/embroidery and screen printing. The mechanization of many aspects of our life and focus on the immediate consumption items that are mass marketed has created a separation from the creation of personal items such as, handmade prints for cards, clothing and jewelry. It was enjoyable to create the potato stamps and part way through, I started to smile, breathe calmly and enjoying the task. The process was predictable and therefore I could relax into the movements of cutting and shaping each letter. This process is very similar to the beadwork I make, as it is very relaxing once you have mastered the skill, but along the way, the learning process can be tricky. However, while beading I must still pay very close attention to the colour and shape of the beads I choose when weaving it into the earring. One mistake could mean that I will have to undo all your progress or redo the piece entirely. It is through these slow activities that we are able to connect with ourselves, our emotions and patience level. I believe the resurgence of handmade items allows people to develop a greater consumer consciousness and contribute to the movement of supporting local artists in their craft. 

My go-to backpack. A perfect size for my bike ride to work, going on day trips, weekend adventures, to get groceries or to pack a picnic and my tennis racket and head to the park. This bag is waterproof and versatile and also one of my favourite colours.

The contents of my bag are neatly laid out. I have a method of how I pack my bag and am usually quite organized. I am an avid reader and usually have a few books on me at all times and a journal to write or draw in. Currently, I have a novel which I am almost finished and a book of poetry which I usually read when sitting in nature. I seem to always carry some type of water colours with me and enjoy sketching and drawing as a way to ground me to my surroundings. I usually carry extra socks and a sweater, especially when biking around the city of Montreal to be prepared for any weather and to be comfortable. I have hazel eyes, so I always try to keep my sunglasses with me, but have never gotten a ‘good’ pair so they are worn in and a bit scratched.

I have two handmade bags within my bags and use these for hygiene items and earrings. I usually carry my toothbrush, deodorant and bio-oil in the red bag that my sister-in-law got made for me while on a trip in Tanzania. As a teacher, I never know what the day will bring and like to be spontaneous when I am not working so having these items on hand can be essential. Wearing earrings has become a big part of my identity, especially earrings that I have made myself or ones that I have bought from local artists. I learned this skill while living in Northern Quebec as a teacher from local Indigenous women. The whale earrings are currently my favourite pair and I bought them last year when I was in BC for a summer MET institute from a wonderful woman named Gloria who I met when visiting Ahousat. I also have a scrunchy for my long hair which has Picasso images printed onto the material. Finally, I have my water bottle and a small brown wallet. There are many aspects of communication and technology in my bag, from handmade woven fabrics and beads that each tell a story to the stories shared by the authors included to my own story of my memories and personal thoughts recorded in my journal.

To me, my bag represents my organization, preparation and passion for reading and earrings. My backpack is somewhat like a trusted friend, as it is reliable and has stuck with me for many adventures. This image is a common collection of what I carry with me most days, depending on the season I may also add some warm gloves and a hat. It is similar to something I might have carried 15 years ago, going to high school, I always loved to read on the subway and might have had a pencil case with a larger assortment of markers, pens, pencils and white out. I played lots of sports back then, so usually I would also be stuffing in a jersey or hanging off my cleats from the straps. I almost always carry my iphone and snacks as well, but I used my phone to take this picture and lately I’ve been eating too much at home all day and might just throw in an apple.

My bag shows my privilege as a white woman in Canada. I engage in reading for pleasure and making art through jewelry and painting. My bag shows that I have free time to enjoy the outdoors and alludes to my able body being able to move around my community with ease by bike or by foot. I don’t carry keys because I have been able to leave my door unlocked and feel safe about the neighbourhood I live in. I carry my wallet and some cash, but don’t have to worry about proving my identity or being denied service if I need it. I usually carry food, specifically baked goods to share, but because of Covid I have not been able to share my passion for cooking with others. Also, my bag shows my privilege of only having to look after myself these days, and my lack of dependant family members, both nieces/nephews and elders who I feel the physical distance from after two months of social distancing.

My name is Emily and I’m a K-12 teacher in Quebec. I have been teaching for 5 years all over the province, from Montreal to the Hudson’s Bay. This semester I will be finishing up my MET degree and am excited to continue my learning journey in this program and to explore this course with all of you!

I have worked with students with disabilities for the majority of my time in teaching and see technology as having the potential to make education more accessible.