A thematic analysis was conducted in order to reveal and identify central themes composing the motivational aspects of the popular Let’s Play media phenomenon. Nine informants with various connections to Let’s Plays were interviewed online through the use of a 17-item interview survey developed by the researcher. A total of five major recurring themes were discovered relating to the informants’ motivational reasons for making and viewing Let’s Plays as part of their spare time activities. Based on these discoveries, it can be assumed that the Let’s Play phenomenon contributes to modern-day need fulfillment relating to online socialization, entertainment, technological competence, commercialization and interpersonal relations between the media audience and the media personalities they follow. It was concluded that the Let’s Play phenomenon, and the communities contained within it, holds potential for the future development of videogame industry as a whole as well as being an interesting new arena for media research in general. Implications for further research within the field of Let’s Plays are therefore made in order to ensure the possibility of expanding the scientific knowledge surrounding this media phenomenon.

No description available.

We consider observations of a random field (or a random process), which is modeled by a nonlinear regression with a parametrized mean (or trend) and a parametrized covariance function. In the first part we show that under the assumption that the errors are normal with small variances, even when the number of observations is small, the ML estimators of both parameters are approximately unbiased, uncorrelated, with variances given by the inverse of the Fisher information matrix. In the second part we are extending the result of Pazman & Müller (2001) to the case of parametrized covariance function, namely we prove that the optimum designs with and without the presence of the virtual noise are identical. This in principle justify the use the method of virtual noise as a computational device also in this case. (authors' abstract) / Series: Research Report Series / Department of Statistics and Mathematics

Determinando así que la mercado objetivo está dentro de las zonas urbanas, por el mejor acceso a las herramientas TIC’s, que pertenecen a las clases socioeconómicas B y C, por contar con una mejor capacidad de pago, y que su rango de edad está entre los 18 años a 30 años de edad. Así mismo se puedo conocer que existen actualmente cinco universidades en el mercado local, que ofrecen estudios de educación virtual. A través del análisis de la información recolectada, se logró definir que la mayoría del público objetivo (93%) requiere de material físico, para complementar sus estudios virtuales, siendo las separatas (40%) y los libros (32%) los más requeridos. Así también, un 88% del público objetivo, demanda también un docente para asesorías presenciales, al menos una vez por semana (34%) o quincenalmente (25%), reflejando el escaso tiempo que tienen para desplazarse. También requiere en su mayoría (95%) de un docente para asesorías virtuales, utilizando las vídeos llamadas como el medio de comunicación principal (41%), seguido del correo electrónico y redes sociales. Así mismo se comprobó que la carrera universitaria virtual, actualmente en el público objetivo, se asocia con los conceptos de inseguridad del aprendizaje y el bajo prestigio profesional, reflejando una idea del mercado actual. El trabajo de investigación muestra una viabilidad para la virtualización de la carrera de Administración, recomendando la utilización de diferentes estrategias del marketing mix, derivadas de las conclusiones.

This thesis investigates two different approaches to improving access to the Web for visually impaired people: the design of Web content; and the presentation of content. The potential for improving the design of Web content was investigated in an evaluation of the usability of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative. Student Web page authors used the Guidelines to adapt Web pages containing various elements (such as images and tables). These pages were collated into a Web site, which was evaluated by visually impaired people. The page authors found it difficult to find the information they required in the Guidelines document, and had difficulties with implementing the advice of the guidelines. The visually impaired people who evaluated the pages found that the extent of the accessibility of the different elements varied depending on the individual’s experience of using the Web, and the software they used. The accessibility of some elements was not improved by the implementation of the guidelines. The potential for improving the presentation of Web content was investigated using a haptic device. The perception of virtual textures and objects by blind and sighted people via this device was examined. It was found that the virtual textures were perceived differently to the real textures examined in the literature, and that the blind people could better discriminate between the textures than the sighted people could. The virtual objects were explored from the inside and from the outside. It was found that objects generally felt larger from the inside than from the outside. This has been termed the ‘Tardis’ effect. The thesis concludes that it is difficult to define what we mean by ‘accessibility’. Without a clear definition it is not possible to judge whether a Web site is ‘truly’ accessible. The difficulties in making Web content fully accessible mean that additional methods are required for presenting the content in different ways. The researcher believes that haptic devices offer one such method, and could be particularly useful in presenting information that is visual in nature, such as information laid out in columns.

Through creative art making practice, research seeks to contribute a body of knowledge to an under researched area by examining how key concepts germane to computer based, interactive, three-dimensional, virtual environment artworks might be explicated, potential compositional issues characterised, and possible production strategies identified and/or proposed. Initial research summarises a range of classifications pertaining to the function of interactivity within virtual space, leading to an identification and analysis of a predominant model for composing virtual environment media, characterised as the "world as model": a methodological approach to devising interactive and spatial contexts employing visual and behavioural modes based on the physical world. Following this alternative forms of environmental organisation are examined through the development of a series of artworks beginning with Bodies and Bethlem, and culminating with Reconnoitre: a networked environment, spatially manifest through performative user input. Theoretical corollaries to the project are identified placing it within a wider critical context concerned with distinguishing between the virtual as a condition of simulation: a representation of something pre-existing, and the virtual as potential structure: a phenomena in itself requiring creative actualisation and orientated toward change. This distinction is further developed through an analysis of some existing typologies of interactive computer based art, and used to generalise two base conditions between which various possibilities for practice might be situated: the "fluid" and "formatted" virtual.

No description available.

Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to impact human minds and bodies more than any previous technology. Researchers have unsuccessfully attempted three definitions of VR. The first, a definition by technological architecture, focuses on the different types of systems that have been developed. The second, a definition by human architecture, proposes that VR consists of psychological phenomena that users experience such as immersion and presence. The third, a definition by language architecture, uses the popular metaphor of cyberspace as a location to describe the experience. Although each attempt falls short of delivering a complete definition of VR, expanding the parameters the VR metaphor holistically promises to extend research of this new technology. / The study of metaphorical language has progressed from previous reductionistic proposals that metaphors are merely a side effect of language, to current holistic approaches that suggest metaphors are central to human communication and understanding. Since changing a metaphor changes the concept, the choice of a VR metaphor is crucial. / Cyberspace has the potential to be both the greatest threat and the greatest achievement of human society. The current metaphor of cyberspace is incomplete, focusing only on the location. This thesis proposes to extend the cyberspatial metaphor to launch, destination, and re-entry in order to better conceptualize VR. Researchers can reexamine previously ignored human elements and attempt to understand how to safely send cybernauts from reality to cyberspace and back.

Above-elbow myoprostheses aim to restore the functionality of amputated limbs and improve the quality of life of amputees. By using electromyography electrodes attached to the surface of the skin, amputees are able to control motors in myoprostheses by voluntarily contracting the muscles of their residual limb. An advance in myoelectric control called targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) reinnervates severed nerves into healthy muscle tissue and increases the number of muscle sites available for use in control purposes. In order to improve rehabilitation after TMR surgery, an inexpensive myoelectric training tool has been developed in collaboration with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital that can be used by TMR patients for biofeedback applications. The training tool consists of a robotic arm, signal acquisition hardware, controller software, and a graphical user interface. This dissertation describes the design and evaluation of the training tool and its use as a research platform for testing novel controllers.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。