michael nitsche - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Longitudinal and large-scale studies have shown a strong link between spatial abilities and succe... more Longitudinal and large-scale studies have shown a strong link between spatial abilities and success in STEM learning and careers. However, many spatial learning materials are either still 2D-based, or not optimized to engage students. In addition, research in spatial cognition distinguishes many spatial abilities as independent from one another. This implies the need to design content and interactions that target individual spatial abilities in order to further research and support training. Following this approach, we describe the design and implementation for a VR system, " Keep the Ball Rolling " , controlled with tangible inputs and played as a multi-level game. The system is designed around one central spatial ability: penetrative thinking, which is important in geology, biology, human anatomy, and dentistry among other areas.
As VR platforms such as HTC Vive and Oculus Touch enter the gaming market with high fidelity moti... more As VR platforms such as HTC Vive and Oculus Touch enter the gaming market with high fidelity motion controllers, they call for a rethinking of our game control design schemes. We present a bottom-up design exploration of traditional puppetry controls in VR and the design spaces such an experimental mapping opens up for VR gaming. We argue along 3 steps for a critical return to puppetry as a reference to design and analysis game character controls. Based on existing background research that largely emphasized puppetry as metaphor, we briefly touch on the use of puppetry in current games, before presenting our own design approach and implementation of existing puppet schemes in VR. Three initial controller mappings for virtual rod puppets, marionettes, and hand puppets serve to highlight opportunities and challenges in this approach. The overall goal is to re-establish a puppet-based perspective to character controls for VR and to highlight the emerging design space for games.
Combining practices of craft and interaction design opens up new opportunities for both domains b... more Combining practices of craft and interaction design opens up new opportunities for both domains but structuring such cross-domain collaboration poses challenges. How to set up a crafter-designer collaboration to utilize the different fields of expertise and include separate practices? We address this question through a co-design research approach. First, we present an overview over existing approaches. Then, we propose our perspective that builds on an initial distinction between the collaborators, repositions the construction of the brief, and culminates into a collaboration through the shared object. Finally, we describe a successful collaboration between an interaction designer and a ceramic artist to support our model. We present a collaboration model that builds on distinct expertise, evolves through a design-based brief, and realizes through a shared dialectic object. We present this through a case study in pottery but we argue that the model is not tied to a particular craft technique and transferable to other collaborative settings in this field.
Longitudinal and large-scale studies have shown a strong link between spatial abilities and succe... more Longitudinal and large-scale studies have shown a strong link between spatial abilities and success in STEM learning and careers. However, many spatial learning materials are either still 2D-based, or not optimized to engage students. In addition, research in spatial cognition distinguishes many spatial abilities as independent from one another. This implies the need to design content and interactions that target individual spatial abilities in order to further research and support training. Following this approach, we describe the design and implementation for a VR system, " Keep the Ball Rolling " , controlled with tangible inputs and played as a multi-level game. The system is designed around one central spatial ability: penetrative thinking, which is important in geology, biology, human anatomy, and dentistry among other areas.
As VR platforms such as HTC Vive and Oculus Touch enter the gaming market with high fidelity moti... more As VR platforms such as HTC Vive and Oculus Touch enter the gaming market with high fidelity motion controllers, they call for a rethinking of our game control design schemes. We present a bottom-up design exploration of traditional puppetry controls in VR and the design spaces such an experimental mapping opens up for VR gaming. We argue along 3 steps for a critical return to puppetry as a reference to design and analysis game character controls. Based on existing background research that largely emphasized puppetry as metaphor, we briefly touch on the use of puppetry in current games, before presenting our own design approach and implementation of existing puppet schemes in VR. Three initial controller mappings for virtual rod puppets, marionettes, and hand puppets serve to highlight opportunities and challenges in this approach. The overall goal is to re-establish a puppet-based perspective to character controls for VR and to highlight the emerging design space for games.
Combining practices of craft and interaction design opens up new opportunities for both domains b... more Combining practices of craft and interaction design opens up new opportunities for both domains but structuring such cross-domain collaboration poses challenges. How to set up a crafter-designer collaboration to utilize the different fields of expertise and include separate practices? We address this question through a co-design research approach. First, we present an overview over existing approaches. Then, we propose our perspective that builds on an initial distinction between the collaborators, repositions the construction of the brief, and culminates into a collaboration through the shared object. Finally, we describe a successful collaboration between an interaction designer and a ceramic artist to support our model. We present a collaboration model that builds on distinct expertise, evolves through a design-based brief, and realizes through a shared dialectic object. We present this through a case study in pottery but we argue that the model is not tied to a particular craft technique and transferable to other collaborative settings in this field.