This thesis aims to explore the use of costumed interpreters at museums. Firstly the thesis examines how extensivethe use of historical costumes is in Sweden, along with some international comparisons. Later on the differentways that the clothes are used is examined, and the costume as a resource for learning is discussed. In the lastpart of the thesis the “function” of the costume is examined. Two different theories are used to study the costumedinterpreters: performance-theories and communication-theories. The different methods used in the thesisincludes studies of literature, web pages, reports and conducting interviews with museum staff concerned with clothing. The result of the thesis is new perspectives on costumed interpreters, where the costume is seen as an activesubject that creates the presence of history. The costume also helps the staff from the museum to control the visitorsby giving the interpreter authority and making him/her a link to the history. The costume also changes thebehavior of the wearer, even if the person isn´t a part of an educational role-play at the moment. This can be seenas the wearer leaving his/her private self and entering a professional role. The costume is a support and a façadefor the interpreter. The costume as a resource for learning is also examined and the costume is an excellent toolfor starting a dialogue with the visitors. The costume is an introduction to discuss clothing, fashion and technicalinnovations, but gender, ethnicity, class and other subject can also be discussed through the costume. The possibilitiesfor the interpreter depends on the clothes, but also the interpreters and the visitors knowledge, relation toclothes and the selection of information and stories that is made. Gerbners model for communications is re-madeto describe the communication between the clothes, the wearer and the visitor. The thesis ends with a summaryand suggestions on continued

The aim of this essay is to study and show the contents of the music repertoire that is used in live action role plays in Sweden and study how this repertoire is spread between participants in the culture of live action role playing. Four informants have been chosen and interviewed, three men and one woman of different ages from different places in Sweden. They have all been practicing live action role playing for some years. Some of the conclusions that can be drawn from this study is that the participants of this hobby culture value music that feels old and contribute to the illusion of another world and time. The music repertoire of the live action role playing culture is filled with this music that gives the participants associations in line with the illusion. That is more important than the real age of the music. Another interesting conclusion is that the participants learn and spread the melodies verbally to each other and only the texts spread on the internet.

Abstract The great advancement in biotechnology makes huge influence on our modern life; how to improve the ability of our future citizens to accommodate the upcoming technology is one of the key issues in science education today. This study developed a set of experimental teaching modules ¡V The great future of the biotechnology ¡V for the junior high students for this purpose. There were two parts of this experimental teaching module: the first one was a hands-on learning course, in this activity students operated the basic biotechnological instruments and derive their own hypothesis. Another was a role-playing public hearing, debating about ¡§We should prohibit the importation of genetic modified food¡¨. Twenty-five eighth grade gifted students in the Kaohsiung municipal Kuo-chang junior middle high school were chosen as the sample to participate this research. Based on the questionnaires and the learning portfolios of the students, we found that students highly affirm this kind of learning. They reflect that the activities have helped them to gain the scientific knowledge, scientific learning process and skills, and the positive scientific attitude. The ability of the oral presentation, communication, judgments, problem-finding and evaluation ability have been enhanced through this learning process. The teaching module is also good for developing the strategy of corporation team work, considerate, and democratic. Activities like this teaching module are highly recommended to incorporate into the regular curriculum.

<p>The aim of this essay is to study and show the contents of the music repertoire that is used in live action role plays in Sweden and study how this repertoire is spread between participants in the culture of live action role playing.</p><p>Four informants have been chosen and interviewed, three men and one woman of different ages from different places in Sweden. They have all been practicing live action role playing for some years.</p><p>Some of the conclusions that can be drawn from this study is that the participants of this hobby culture value music that feels old and contribute to the illusion of another world and time. The music repertoire of the live action role playing culture is filled with this music that gives the participants associations in line with the illusion. That is more important than the real age of the music. Another interesting conclusion is that the participants learn and spread the melodies verbally to each other and only the texts spread on the internet.</p>

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on January 22, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Amanda J. Rose. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

This creative project focuses on the research, planning, design and field-testing of a kit of basic architectural elements that can be used to build simple spaces and small constructions. These elements are reusable, easy to handle, and allow for a nearly infinite number of configurations.The environment in which the system was developed is a setting of an improvisational outdoor theatre, called 'Live-Action-Role-playing-Games'- (LARP). Therefore the system does not provide a high quality indoor space, but rather focuses on the critical requirements of theatrical stages, such as flexibility, ease of erection and variety. Additionally, the system dealt with the pragmatic issues of affordability and cost-effectiveness.The design process commenced with great attention being paid to the very special requirements of LARP and attempting to test initial assumptions. It included two surveys of LARP participants and use of charrettes to incorporate users input into the design process. Prototype elements were then constructed and field-tested during a full-scale replication of an actual LARP-event over afour-day testing period.Following this an evaluation was made, lessons were learned, and the information gained was incorporated in to the final design.This document then records the entire design process and concludes with extensive documentation of the system. / Department of Architecture

A fundamental problem which confronts Science teachers is the difficulty many students experience in the construction, understanding and remembering of concepts. This is more likely to occur when teachers adhere to a Transmission model of teaching and learning, and fail to provide students with opportunities to construct their own learning. Social construction, followed by individual reflective writing, enables students to construct their own understanding of concepts and effectively promotes deep learning. This method of constructing knowledge in the classroom is often overlooked by teachers as they either have no knowledge of it, or do not know how to appropriate it for successful teaching in Science. This study identifies the difficulties which students often experience when writing reflectively and offers solutions which are likely to reduce these difficulties. These solutions, and the use of reflective writing itself, challenge the ideology of the Sydney Genre School, which forms the basis of the attempt to deal with literacy in the NSW Science Syllabus. The findings of this investigation support the concept of literacy as the ability to use oral and written language, reading and listening to construct meaning. The investigation demonstrates how structured discussion, role play and reflective writing can be used to this end. While the Sydney Genre School methodology focuses on the structure of genre as a prerequisite for understanding concepts in Science, the findings of this study demonstrate that students can use their own words to discuss and write reflectively as they construct scientific concepts for themselves. Social construction and reflective writing can contribute to the construction of concepts and the development of metacognition in Science. However, students often experience difficulties when writing reflectively about scientific concepts they are learning. In this investigation, students identified these difficulties as an inability to understand, remember and think about a concept and to plan the sequence of their reflective writing. This study was undertaken in four different classes at junior to senior levels. The difficulties identified by students were successfully addressed by role play and the activities that are integral to it. These include physical or kinaesthetic activity, social construction, the use of drawing, diagrams and text, and the provision of a concrete model of the concept. Through the enactment effect, kinaesthetic activity enables students to automatically remember and visualise concepts, whilst visual stimuli and social construction provide opportunities for students to both visualise and verbalise concepts. In addition, the provision of a concrete model enables most students to visualise and understand abstract concepts to some extent. These activities, embedded in role play, enable students to understand, remember, sequence and think about a concept as they engage in reflective writing. This, in turn, enhances understanding and memory. Role play has hitherto been regarded as a useful teaching technique when dealing with very young students. This study demonstrates that role play can be highly effective when teaching Science at the secondary level. This investigation looks at the activities embedded in role play, and demonstrates how they can be effectively translated from theoretical constructs into classroom practice. Grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Glaser, 1978; 1998; 2002) was selected as the most appropriate methodology for this investigation. The problems of identifying and controlling variables in an educational setting were essentially resolved using this qualitative, interpretative approach. Students from four classes in Years 8, 10 and 11 were investigated. Data were gathered using classroom observations, informal interviews, and formal written interviews, focus group conversations and samples of student writing. / Master of Education (Hons.)

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-148). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Thesis (Typsecript photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-106). Also available via the World Wide Web.