Monthly Archives: January 2012

questioning the publishing system of research information

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Week 5, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Access to information is vital for research. Universities pay considerable amounts of money for accessing the digital repositories. I am grateful to be in a University that is able to have access to a wide diversity of relevant repositories.

My impression is that scholars are aware of the high costs of spreading research information, which forbid several Universities to have access to the repositories for lack of economical means.  However for one reason or another the systems has been working in this way.

When I requested the permission to the publishers who hold the copyrights of my articles – which I wrote- for my dissertation, and one of them indicated me that I needed to pay a fee, my comfort zone regarding this topic disappear. Sad but true, I needed to be shaking to react.

There are many systems in our modern societies, which we must question more about them in order to modernize them.  And things are happening, I invite you to read the article of Wired Magazine by D. Dobbs: “Testify: the Open-Science Movement Catches Fires”, because things are happening.

south korea amusement parks

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Week 4, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Oh, my playful me! As much as I enjoy learning, traveling, discovering, being in the nature,….  I also like amusement parks. 🙂 Actually, I should write a post of my last trip to Disney, even if it was some years ago. It was AWESOME! I traveled with my mom (only she and I), I got an overdose of Mickey Mouse while I was having a great time 😉 I played all what I could play! and my mom was my accomplice in the whole thing! So cool!  🙂

However, this post aims to add publicly two destinations into my wishing list of amusement parks that I would like to visit.  I foresee that sooner than later I will be visiting Korea.

The first park is the 4D Life Park, which it  utilizes – apparently – creatively the digital technology. Playing with light and sound is something SO appealing for me, interactivity, images, all those special effects…. (thanks Teemu for the info!)   Yes, a place I want to experience! .  Second, and because I would be already visiting Korea, I should drop by Robotland.

It feels as if future is meeting our present, strange!

are we making the correct questions? (sequel)

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In a previous post I was focusing myself on one specific question. However, today, while preparing my lecture on mobile learning I read an inspiring post from Cameron D. Norman:  Asking if Technology Can Reinvent Education is the Wrong Question. I recommend to read the post!

Questions are fundamental for comprehend a phenomena or a situation. Questions help us to think. To make the proper questions is not easy. For me, the question experts are 3 years old, who are passionately discovering and researching our world, learning from it. However, due to different reasons, which I will not reflect upon right now, our capability to make questions is greatly diminished.

Once in grad-school, I heard that a fundamental characteristic in research is to make questions. I see it as re-connecting with my 3 years old me, but surrounded by considerable more information.

Now, I assume that a difference between a 3-years old (I am fan of them) and an ‘adult’  should be to promote  a critical question process. A process involving reflection and thinking. Perhaps, making questions might be more difficult than to find the answers, however enriching.

Questions help to think. Thinking is fun, as it is time demanding and energy taking. 🙂

Now a cartoon, which matches my mini-reflection of today. If someone who does not read Spanish read this post, the translation of the cartoon is bellow.

Intelligence....

Intelligence....

Up-left: Intelligent buildings
Up-middle:Intelligent mobile phones
Up-right: Intelligent autos
Down-left: Intelligent appliances
Down-middle: I say…. Wouldn’t be better to invest more in education….
Down-left: …. and have more intelligent people?

are we making the correct question?

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A common question I hear is: why games are immersive?.  If there is an answer, I believe it is not a simple one.  Some game researchers respond to the previously stated question of immersion with the flow phenomena that is reported the players experience while playing.

However, I consider the question we should be asking ourselves is: why real life is not immersive?
Yes, newspapers offer a clear answer why real-life is not as appealing 🙁

But let’s be honest, when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi researched the flow phenomena, he did not research games or players. Csikszentmihalyi’s research was based on individuals who are passionate doing what they like in their real life.

Perhaps because I live my life intense and I am playful in it,  undoubtedly it is  immersive 🙂   But I also know what is to avoid something, trying to be immersed elsewhere…. So, I wonder, are we making the proper question?

bottom-up & up-bottom

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Yesterday I joined an ISS research seminar. I have been out of the loop in so many things while writing my dissertation including what is happening in here. Yes, I lived in a complete volunteer exile. So, it was enriching and help me to actualize to hear  about the work of diverse colleges, such as what Hanna Vrzáková, Victor Gonzalo and Harri Karhu have been doing.

Also the seminar allowed me to realized new game developments. I knew about their existence, but to hear from the developers its more enriching.  Consequently, the session fed my energy on the preparation of my course on game design so that it can serve them 😉 Yes,  I know, it is A LOT of work but I know it is WORTH it!

Another special insight was given on the talk of Dr. Debbie Watson from the School of Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. In addition to remind my time in Bristol at the GSoE, thanks to STELLAR :), the talk re-enforced the reflection I am having lately:

As important is to understand the bottom-up situation of phenomena, as it is to raise one’s voice with police makers, i.e. pay attention to the situation from up-bottom.

Indeed very interesting after–seminar talk!

Thank you to all the presenters!