Browsing by Author "Kitagawa, Midori"
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Item A New Approach to Design Pedagogy Fostering Learning of Visual Design Principles Through M-Learning: Applying Algorithms to Visual Design Principles(2019-12) Berger, Elizabeth A.; McMahan, Ryan; Kitagawa, MidoriThis research revealed promising results by merging old principles to new approaches in visual design education. Initial empirical analysis of participants who tested the mDes application applying four of the principles of design in comparison to conventional methodologies showed the most significant results of retention for the m-learning application. This approach fosters visual literacy in students through the application of theories of cognition, learning, and m-learning with design thinking principles. Visual communications design or graphic design has always had an awkward relationship with technology. One of the many tasks that designers undertake is to find connections that allow them to organize visual, spatial, and typographic content to create new meaning and experiences for the viewer. Visual language syntax is often called the elements and principles of design. The Bauhaus called this a “language of vision,” a concept based on linguistic theory, that continues to shape design education today. The principles of design are often quoted with varying lists of graphic elements, amongst the most commonly used in compositions are rhythm, balance, scale, proximity, similarity, and contrast. By exploiting the brain’s innate capacity to find and create visual order amongst patterns, designers create unity and direct attention through the skilled application of these design principles. The question that arises, “are the conventional methods of graphic design teaching practices optimized for the digital age?” To answer this question, a mobile application, mDes, was developed using guidelines based on various affordances of mobile technology and learning theories. Algorithms translated classic Bauhaus design principles into an interactive mobile app that incorporates real-time and relational-topic feedback, mobile technology heuristics of touch, repetition, self-directed learning, personalization, as well as, active learning theory. A between-subject empirical analysis with traditional methodologies suggests that the mDes app is an effective method for teaching visual design principles. This research intends to help fill the neglected area of research found in current literature for m-learning applications in visual arts focused on design pedagogy. This project produced guidelines that form a 4R Framework, which applies design thinking strategies to ways of discovery through mobile technology. A more dynamic pedagogical method will hopefully be encouraged in our complex visual world. By tackling the “wicked problems” confronted by visual arts research from various perspectives and disciplines, we hope to produce a more robust dialogue amongst interdisciplinary domains and explore implications for designers, researchers, and practitioners of design. From a more global perspective, this research aims to foster a higher level of aesthetics in all disciplines that participate in visual communication.Item Scaffolded Training Environment for Physics Programming (STEPP)(Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 2019-06) Kitagawa, Midori; Fishwick, Paul Anthony; Kesden, Michael; Urquhart, Mary; Guadagno, R.; Jin, Rong; Tran, Ngoc M.; Omogbehin, Erik; Prakash, Aditya; Awaraddi, Priyanka; Hale, Baily; Suura, Ken; Raj, A.; Stanfield, J.; Vo, H.; Kitagawa, Midori; Fishwick, Paul Anthony; Kesden, Michael; Urquhart, Mary; Jin, Rong; Tran, Ngoc M.; Omogbehin, Erik; Prakash, Aditya; Awaraddi, Priyanka; Hale, Baily; Suura, KenWe are a year into the development of a software tool for modeling and simulation (M&S) of 1D and 2D kinematics consistent with Newton’s laws of motion. Our goal has been to introduce modeling and computational thinking into learning high-school physics. There are two main contributions from an M&S perspective: (1) the use of conceptual modeling, and (2) the application of Finite State Machines (FSMs) to model physical behavior. Both of these techniques have been used by the M&S community to model high-level “soft systems” and discrete events. However, they have not been used to teach physics and represent ways in which M&S can improve physics education. We introduce the NSF-sponsored STEPP project along with its hypothesis and goals. We also describe the development of the three STEPP modules, the server architecture, the assessment plan, and the expected outcomes. ©2019 Association of Computing Machinery.Item Simulation of Gravitational Waves to Observe Relativity(2018-05) Elumalai, Monisha; Fishwick, Paul; Kitagawa, MidoriEducational and Scientific applications using simulations have been regarded as the most successful means of communicating a concept. These applications have been demonstrated that they engage students and the general public in exploring theories as much as traditional learning methods if not more. The approach followed by this thesis is to concentrate on having learners learn the same way that scientists conduct experiments. This approach can be well supported by interactive computer simulations, which has been widely researched and confirmed [25]. Incorporating design principles into conveying concepts in STEM education has been demonstrated to make computer simulations a more effective for learning. However, these principles of interactive simulations have not been implemented so far in exploring the complex physics topic of gravitational waves and observing relativity. In this research, we created a Unity based application, called “Virtual Interaction with Gravitational-wave to Observe Relativity (VIGOR),” that leverages the use of interactive simulation to help learners explore gravitational waves emitted by binary black holes and the factors that affect them. We tested the application’s efficacy and also compared the application to a VR-based application designed previously by the team.