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SI students compete and win in annual GROCS competition
(Nov 2008) School of Information students continue to do well in the annual GROCS -- Grant Opportunities [Collaborative Spaces] -- competition that encourages a vision for enhancing teaching, learning, and research.
GROCS projects explore new ways to create joy or knowledge through the use of emerging technologies. Teams must be interdisciplinary, and their activity must include an academic component. Also, collaboration must be a significant and integral part of the project, either in its progress or its outcome.
Projects with SI students involved were:
Digitizing Knowledge: Exploring Archival Collections in Virtual Spaces
Urmila Venkatesh, Kiara Vigil, Ricardo Punzalan (SI doctoral student), and Colleen Woods
Advisor: Tiya Miles, American Culture
The aim of the project was to answer questions regarding the proliferation of digital archive collections and the potential impact this has on both research and teaching. In particular, the team was interested in the different research experiences that scholars have when they use a digital archive as opposed to (or in conjunction with) a physical archival site.
The students considered whether a digital archive should attempt to mimic the research experience of a physical archive, and if so, what would be gained or lost by the process of digitizing what scholars typically describe as a tactile experience.
The team also wanted to know if the archive did not change, and did not mimic how collections are traditionally arranged, in what ways would a virtual experience force researchers and teachers to re-conceptualize their practices.
GroupLoops
Jonathan Cohen, Jacek Spiewla, and Adam Torres, all SI master's students, and David Fienup
Advisor: Eric Santos, School of Music
The team's view was that music composition software lowers the barrier to music creation for novices, but it's hard to learn how to make a musical work that sounds good. The team explored how the iPhone and iPod Touch could teach music theory while participants collaborate on a group track.
The experience might be similar to a jam session, but with digital instruments that fit in your pocket and don't require years of practice to play well. The team used interaction design methods -- contextual inquiry, prototyping, and user testing -- to research and develop an interface that's easy to use, instructional via constraints and recommendations, and fun.
The team's goal was to develop a proof-of-concept for co-located, synchronous, and collaborative music composition software for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will educate and inspire creativity in music theory novices.
Other winning projects were:
August 23, 1966
Jiangang Hao, Brian Nord, Chris Peplin, and John Walters
Advisor: Joe Trumpey, Art and Design
Our Changing World of Sound
Colin Campbell, Jeremy Edwards, Stephen Wisniewski
Advisor: Michael Gould, School of Music
Refab
Alan Bush, McLean Echlin, Paul Tierman, and Brian Trump
Advisor:Karl Daubman, Architecture
Slowly Kinetic Ambient Pavilion
Kendra Byrne, Evan Hall, Brendan Byrne, and Brent Utter
Advisor: Malcolm McCullough, Architecture
Winning teams receive a $2,500 cash grant per student team member (up to four per each team) and $1,000 for the advisor. The winners also receive equipped workspace in a collaborative environment at the Duderstadt Center on North Campus and limited funding for additional project-specific equipment to be retained by the University.
GROCS is a program of the Digital Media Commons and is sponsored by the Office of the Provost.
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