Seminar Updates

After our final session
Posted 4 years ago, 0 comments

Thank you again for a wonderful seminar. A couple of final notes:

* I appreciated your thoughtful reflections about the seminar, and recorded many of the ideas, suggestions, and wishes that were shared this evening.

* If you're taking the seminar for credit, please submit your final writing no later than Monday, March 16.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

After our ninth session
Posted 4 years ago, 0 comments

Thanks for the great session on Thursday evening! Some notes in preparation for Monday:

* We'll start (as usual) at 5:30, but we'll (most likely) continue until 7:30.

* I'll provide dinner. Please feel free to bring a dessert to share.

* Everyone should be prepared to share some reflections/questions. If you're writing something, you'll have up to 10 minutes to share your work and ask/answer a question or two.

* I'll need the writing by the following Monday (March 16), so that I can get grades to Linda.

* If you have any questions about Monday (or anything else), please don't hesitate to email me.

After our eighth session
Posted 4 years ago, 6 comments

Only two sessions remaining!

For Thursday:
We'll be focusing on data collection and analysis. Sophia will share some of her work on the Speechome project, and we'll try out an analysis activity with some interview transcripts. I've posted the readings - please post your questions/comments by 3pm on Thursday!

For Monday:
We've been working hard for the past several weeks, so I thought we should celebrate with a seminar/dinner combination. I'll provide dinner - you bring your reflections (and maybe a dessert?) to share.

Please RSVP by email by Friday, so I know how many people to plan for. Based on the meetings I had with people who are writing, let's extend class by 30 minutes to 7:30pm on Monday, so that we have enough time for sharing and some wrap-up.

After our seventh session
Posted 4 years ago, 4 comments

Following our readings of ethnography and action research, we're looking at another approach: narrative inquiry. I've put the readings up on the Schedule page.

Please post your questions/comments/reactions to the readings by 3pm on Monday.

I've met with seven people who are planning to write/share something. If you are planning to write a paper (expected with for-credit participants), please email so we can set up a time to meet before the session on Monday.

After our sixth session
Posted 4 years ago, 7 comments

Having started the conversation about action research tonight, we're going to continue on with action research next session, looking at concerns regarding validity with an example.

Please post your questions/comments/reactions to the readings by 3pm on Thursday.

If you are planning to write a paper (expected with for-credit participants), please email so we can set up a time to meet before the session next Monday.

The readings are available on the Schedule page.

more

Recent resources

Writing resources
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Here are some books I'd recommend for writing instruction/advice:

The Synonym Finder -- kicks Roget's ass all over the map
http://www.amazon.com/Synonym-Finder-J-I-Rodale/dp/B000LP66TS

Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberg -- it's a bit New Agey, but I adored it enough to name
my main character after Ms. Goldberg
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/0877733759

Bird by Bird -- Ann Lamott --good life advice, funny stories and some writing advice as well
http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016

On Writing Well - William K. Zinsser good non-fiction writing instruction
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-30th-Anniversary-Nonfiction/dp/006089...

On Writing Well -Strunk and White a classic and hella concise
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X...

The Chicago Manual of Style another classic reference work
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Manual-Style-University-Press/dp/022610403...

Some basic tips:
*Read your work aloud (you find errors, unintentional rhymes, bad phrases much easier this way--also, if it's difficult to read aloud
it's probably hard for the readers to follow).

*Find a critique group (Any group of people willing to review your work whom you might also review can be invaluable. Not only
does having multiple pairs of eyes on your work help, but editing others' work can often help you rethink your own. I often
identify mistakes in my own work by first spotting it in others' works.)

*Let things sit, then review them. (This isn't always an option, but I've discovered I'm much more able to edit pieces that I have
not worked on or looked at recently. Fresh eyes are everything.)

*Try the condensation approach to your writing. Use condensation notes on your own paper, breaking it down by paragraph or section. (Do you spot any gaps or leaps in logic that elude the reader? Fill 'em in.)

*If starting at the beginning is too hard, start at the end. (Start with your conclusion and work backwards. No one says you can't.)




 



      
      Dunne & Raby
    
  
      
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From their site - "Dunne & Raby use design as a medium to stimulate discussion and debate amongst designers, industry and the public about the social, cultural and ethical implications of existing and emerging technologies."


http://www.designinginteractions.com/interviews/DunneandRaby

  






 



      
      The Interaction Design Research Triangle of Design Practice, Design Studies, and Design Exploration
    
  
      
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In our very first class, we ran into a bit for trouble when Karen pulled out the research triangle of qualitative work. Here's another research triangle that is a bit closer to home, dealing with interaction design (and HCI), things that are near and dear to most of our work, if not our hearts.


One of the questions that we saw in that first class had to do with the role of practice. It's interesting to see that this author has chosen to create a triangle between design practice, design study, and design exploration.


For the impatient, the diagram is on page 5 (figure 1).


Reference:

Fallman, Daniel. "The Interaction Design Research Triangle of Design Practice, Design Studies, and Design Exploration."

Design Issues. Summer 2008, Vol. 24, No. 3, Pages 4-18. (doi:10.1162/desi.2008.24.3.4)