Browsing by Author "Dr. Derek Ham"

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    De:Void
    (05-2022) VanDeVenter, Melissa; Dr. Derek Ham; Marc Russo; Katie Greder,
    Games are perhaps as diverse in nature and outcome as humanity is in appearance and personality. The English word itself has a plethora of different definitions and colloquial uses: “quit playing games with me!” and “he has a game leg”. Additionally there are differing opinions on what things classify as a game and what do not. Puzzles and simulators, for example, are often debated in regards to this with strong cases on both sides. This varied quality and the negative associations often tied to them tend to leave games overlooked as activities deeper than leisure. For how could play lead to real impact? This project—an alternate reality game (ARG) titled De:Void—offers to shed some light on how we expect too little from games and play. It demonstrates how gameplay can naturally prompt collective intelligence (also referred to as “swarm thinking”), crowdsourced work, and social enrichment through shared participation. De:Void’s system and content is shaped by the essential concepts and principles discussed by many of the leading experts in the theories of games and play. Through careful inspection of these characteristics and reference of many precedents, this ARG directs its players toward collaborative, real hard work by employing gameful measures to generate strong motivation and player agency. It organically encourages the participants toward engaging in systems of thought, such as design thinking, and offers a development framework for future serious games to be made. De:Void illustrates how games are an under-utilized method of directing real change.
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    Phygital Fashion Emporium
    (2021) Rant, Katie; Dr. Derek Ham; Kate Greder; Justin Johnson; Precious Lovell
    The modern consumer is immersed in an experiential driven economy. Fashion has been rather slow at embracing emerging technologies, but the COV-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transition online by forcing the industry to re-evaluate and adapt to new digital formats. Historically, luxury products have been presented in a manner that crafts a compelling narrative which appeals to the consumers’ quest for self-actualization. The conspicuous reasons for consumer purchases are not the primary vehicle driving consumers’ motives as they previously once were. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a theoretical framework, the fashion market has shifted from satisfying basic priorities towards fulfilling personal growth and identity offered by experiential moments. It was the establishment of French Couture which enabled a desire for fashionable products. As it is commonly misunderstood, the emergence of luxury fashion brands led to the disappearance of diverse regional folk costumes and to the attenuation of heterogeneous class differences in dress. This was achieved by harnessing the power of storytelling through the act of runway presentation. Globalization and mass mediation has broadened the way contemporary fashion is perceived. This project seeks to remediate the experience of luxury fashion in the form of a new e-commerce interface designed for inclusivity.
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    THE CHANGE WE SEEK: Creative History as Social Justice
    (05-10-2021) Bailey, Darrien D.; Dr. Derek Ham; Dr. Blair L.M. Kelley; Marc Russo
    In what ways could digital tools enhance the historical material of oral history to inspire public engagement and deepen understanding of the complexity of systemic racism in America? The Change We Seek is a project that intends to promote social change through reimagining how oral history can be used and presented to better inform collegiate and high school students on complex issues of race in American society. Through utilizing the educational value of sharing narratives from people of color (POC), and animation, this project is an all-out effort to redefine how oral history has the potential to provoke a realization within the American public of its sizeable racial disparity. The research included in this paper also documents significant historical and theoretical research that shapes the content produced for The Change We Seek. This research charts numerous instances of how the foundations which shape American society, most specifically education, have significantly affected the lives of black people forcing readers and viewers of content produced from The Change Week Seek to understand the gravity of America’s racial divide.
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    THE CHANGE WE SEEK: Creative History as Social Justice
    (10-05-2021) Bailey, Darrien Douglass; Dr. Derek Ham; Dr. Blair L.M. Kelley; Marc Russo
    Abstract In what ways could digital tools enhance the historical material of oral history to inspire public engagement and deepen understanding of the complexity of systemic racism in America? The Change We Seek is a project that intends to promote social change through reimagining how oral history can be used and presented to better inform collegiate and high school students on complex issues of race in American society. Through utilizing the educational value of sharing narratives from people of color (POC), and animation, this project is an all-out effort to redefine how oral history has the potential to provoke a realization within the American public of its sizeable racial disparity. The research included in this paper also documents significant historical and theoretical research that shapes the content produced for The Change We Seek. This research charts numerous instances of how the foundations which shape American society, most specifically education, have significantly affected the lives of black people forcing readers and viewers of content produced from The Change Week Seek to understand the gravity of America’s racial divide.
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    The Language of Memory
    (12-2021) Ortiz, Cassandra; Dr. Derek Ham; Tania Allen; Kathleen Rieder
    Cultural erasure is the gradual removal of various traditions and customs from society. One of the unfortunate casualties of this erasure is of language, in particular Indigenous languages. Of all the languages that exist throughout the world today, the vast majority are those of the Indigenous peoples. Many of them have withstood the test of time, and continue to live on through war and migration — representing one of the few remaining familial links that some of us have to our ancestry. Mixtec, an Indigenous language that originates from the southern region of what is now considered Mexico, is my family’s heritage language. As they migrated out of their small community in Oaxaca, Mexico, the dominant language (Spanish) gradually took over, resulting in less frequent use of Mixtec. Such factors have led to its inevitable erasure within my immediate family, as Mixtec only resurfaces when speaking to my grandfather in Mexico over the phone. The Language of Memory is a virtual, interactive storytelling piece that brings attention to the complexities of reconnecting with a lost heritage and culture. This experience takes the visitor through audio accounts from Indigenous members of the Mexican Diaspora who are on the brink of forgetting their Indigenous language, Mixtec. My intention for this project is to resonate and connect with others with similar experiences, and encourage them to reach out to their elders and each other to learn and share their family stories, songs, and rituals.