Our second media project was almost a companion piece to the first in that it ultimately became an exploration of the UBC campus space. Drawing a blank on what we might do, the idea of using QR (quick response) codes in some capacity came about following a brief discussion with Teresa. We just couldn’t decide how to use them. Eventually, we determined that our plan be to set out around the campus individually for inspiration—seeing what spoke to us, what thoughts or memories were evoked, and how these might be somehow represented. We would plan to tag these places with QR codes which would simply link to a webpage of our choosing. As this was personal, there were no set rules to follow concerning the link. Also, we decided that over-collaborating would produce less interesting results so we kept some distance with our ideas. Over the next couple of days, locations had been marked, and group members had made their connections by way of a link. For the class activity, we put together a map of the campus, flagging these particular spots. Class members would set out in small groups—an “advencha”, as one member put it—to find the QR codes, using their smart-phones to unlock the codes and connect with our chosen pages. Ultimately, we were not sure whether or not these would mean anything to anyone but ourselves.
QR Code “Advencha” – Aimee Ceilidh Johnnie Whitney
July 18th, 2014 · 1 Comment
Our idea was to make a connection with the space. We have each spent months and years interacting with the campus. It is a place of experience for all of us. It holds memories, conscious and unconscious. It is a place of knowledge and great beauty. It is a marker of time—holds histories long before our time and will continue to evolve long after we leave. While many of us often come and go without much more than our next class or assignment in mind, the campus is a wonderful place to reflect. It turned out that our reflections took us all over the place. We have taken a similar path in some ways, but our experiences and memories are wildly different. The valuable piece of this exercise was seeing how different we are.
The experiential aspect of this exercise was interesting. Engaging in narrative and by making personal connections is a valuable part of the English student’s experience. Likewise, it is fascinating to see how the process of connecting with physical space allows for personal connections and unlocks inner-narratives. While our experiment was rather basic, the underlying idea is complex and potentially rich for students. Given the opportunity, it is one way to synthesize and express ideas without writing. Such an activity might also include writing if students were developing their own webpages. There are certainly ways this might be creatively incorporated into a classroom if the technology was available, ways we have not yet considered. Apart from the dependance on technology, it might be further challenging in a small space. The aspect that seems immediately appealing, however, is getting out of the classroom and interacting with the environment.
Tags: Media Project II
1 response so far ↓
TMD // Jul 31st 2014 at 10:52 am
Thanks, all, for leading this brilliant final activity of the course! As I mentioned in class, I think the notion of dispersed text is an interesting one to pursue in class. What is the merit of this sort of kinesthetic learning for students? How might it be integrated with, to allude to your final thought in your written notes, instruction in ecoliteracy?
Ultimately, I agree wholeheartedly with your perspective here: “it is fascinating to see how the process of connecting with physical space allows for personal connections and unlocks inner-narratives. While our experiment was rather basic, the underlying idea is complex and potentially rich for students.”
Thanks very much for bringing your creativity to the table for the benefit of all.
Best regards,
Teresa
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