Word cloud of thesis
http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html
Summary Academic pioneer!
− Very timely and relevant research area!− Interesting research question!
Comprehensive theoretical background− Comprehensive and systemic overview of relevant theories
and concepts− Touches on other relevant concepts/theories as well
Noteworthy methodology− Use of multiple data sources and multiple perspectives in
data analysis is noteworthy− In-depth view of collaboration in virtual spaces
Fascinating and rich findings and implications− Fascinating insights into design of virtual world places− Implications for many areas both theoretical and practical
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
Isn’t Second Life dead?
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1447613
May 2006
July 2007
Research Question
“How do the VW users co-produce multimodal meaning potentials in virtual places and artifacts through collaborative design, as exemplified by the social semiotic analysis of the three case studies in SL?”
Research Question
“How do the VW users co-produce multimodal meaning potentials in virtual places and artifacts through collaborative design, as exemplified by the social semiotic analysis of the three case studies in SL?”
But how would you explain this
to your grandmother?
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
Theoretical background
Virtual Worlds
Social Semiotics
Design Research
Research gap?
Theoretical background
Virtual WorldsSocial SemioticsDesign Research
Why not….Affordances?Power?Group theoryOrganizational behavior?
Research question revisited
What is the level of analysis?− The group of co-producers?− The co-production/collaboration process among individuals?− ?
What is the focus of analysis?− Interplay among individuals co-producing?− Interplay among co-producing group, places, and practices?− Nexus of multimodal meaning potentials?− The actual texts and objects co-produced?− Affordances and constraints of SL: Experiential,
Interpersonal, Textual?− Power relations and division of tasks?
“How do the VW users co-produce multimodal meaning potentials in virtual places and artifacts through collaborative design, as exemplified by the social semiotic analysis of the three case studies in SL?”
Your approach
In order to study the co-production of meaning potentials in SL, I use the multimodal social semiotic approach to communication, and a methodological blend of multimodal analysis with the methods borrowed from socio-cultural analysis of mediated social action. (p.6)
Why do you use this approach? −Why not Social psychology, Organizational
behavior, Innovation studies, other?
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
Methodology
Grounded Theory and Abductive
Case Studies1. Metrotropia project and interdisciplinary
collaboration in the design of a virtual laboratory
2. Pop Art Lab and the role of inworld relations in collaborative design teams, Power relations and the division of tasks in the Metrotopia project
3. The virtual world workshop and learning through collaborative design
Methodology
Grounded Theory and Abductive−Why grounded theory?−What else did you consider?
Methodology
Case Studies−Why all in SL?−Why these three?−Overview of data collection?−Which data did you really use in your
analysis?−Why did you decide to bring in power
relations and division of tasks?−What about avatar design?
Analysis
1. Social actors and power relations in groups
2. Meditational means and affordances for co-design
3. Collaborative processes in and with SL
4. Multimodal semiotics and design of virtual places
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
Findings
A complex nexus in co-production practices, and a semiotic flux in the social negotiations of meta-functions, as well as identities, places, tools, affordances and methods, which are also co-produced along the process. (p.244)
Findings
1. The implications of analyzing virtual worlds as places
2. The methodological and conclusions on combining the analysis of multimodal place-making with the nexus analysis framework
3. Social semiotics of design as construction of a sense of place
4. Affordances as meaning and action potentials
5. Implications for platform and content developers
6. Implications for designers
Three kinds of affordances
Gaver, W. 1991. Technology affordances. Proceedings of the CHI 1991, ACM Press: New York, 79 – 84.
X
How would your findings differ if you had studied co-production in a physical
setting?
Figure 9.1 Framing of RQ after empirical analysis
Theoretical contributions?
?Concept
AConcept
B
Theoretical contributions?
Can you draw a model of your findings?
Places
Actors
Practices
Collaboration
process
Avatars
Affordances
Objects/Texts/Scripts
Semiotic resources
PowerExperiential
functionInterperson
alfunction
Textualfunction
Task division
What is your most surprising
finding?
What do your findings mean…..Methodologically
−For VW researchers? Other researchers?Theoretically
−For communication research?−For design research ?−For co-creation research?−For other research?
Practically−For designers/producers of virtual world spaces?−For platform providers, eg Linden Lab?−For designers of physical spaces?
What do we know
now that we did not
know before?
Generalizability?
Limitations?
Today’s discussion
MotivationTheoretical backgroundResearch questionMethodologyAnalysisFindings and implicationsSummary
What is your headline?
RQ: “How do the VW users co-produce multimodal meaning potentials in virtual places and artifacts through collaborative design, as exemplified by the social semiotic analysis of the three case studies in SL?”
http://www.recycledminds.com/2009/08/insert-your-headline-here.html
Summary Academic pioneer!
− Very timely and relevant research area!− Interesting research question!
Comprehensive theoretical background− Comprehensive and systemic overview of relevant theories
and concepts− Touches on other relevant concepts/theories as well
Noteworthy methodology− Use of multiple data sources and multiple perspectives in
data analysis is noteworthy− In-depth view of collaboration in virtual spaces
Fascinating and rich findings and implications− Fascinating insights into design of virtual world places− Implications for many areas both theoretical and practical
Overall
Major strength of the thesis −Provides a very insightful (and most
likely the first) picture of the complex socio-cultural dynamics that emerge in the mediation and co-production of virtual places and artifacts.
It achieved its goal!