Artifact 6: Art, Technology, and Games

Objectives:

Examine the role of technology as a force for cultural maintenance and change

Original post:

In the reading this week by Beverly Jones, she very quickly states that “It is a premise of this paper that old cultural patterns do not die. They may fade or become more evident; that is, they may be deemphasized or emphasized. Only as part of the general ‘nonexpert’ culture can such patterns contribute significantly to maintenance and/or change” (21).  I believe that this is both the main argument of the paper, and a very strong theory that we can apply to most areas of our culture.  We learn from where we come from, so it makes sense that we would build new ideas off of the baselines of the old ones.  In this way, we’ve evolved our tastes and styles of food, art, architecture, even things as specific as car designs.  Each new style build upon the last one.

Jones also briefly talks about a practical use for computer generated imagery.  A man named William Fetter designed what he called a “seven-system man.”  Jones writes that “this program created the image of a man with seven movable components using data representing a fiftieth –percentile pilot of the U.S. Air Force.  Its purpose was to assist in the design of an ergonomically efficient cockpit” (23).  In this example, using computer generated graphics that can be manipulated into different shapes allowed the Air Force to design better seats for their pilots.  This is just one of the examples that Jones provides, but I think it is the one that proves how computer generated images can help us develop things for more than just art, but for everyone.

Computers and new technology change almost everything about society, but one of the bigger ways is how we learn.  These days students don’t delve into books to research new topics, they delve into the internet.  We don’t physically visit libraries, we access the electronic versions from our own homes.  It makes the information extremely more accessible and convenient.  While some people say this creates smaller attention spans and a tendency to forget everything we learn, most disagree.  In fact, technologies like this have been made for the exact purpose of teaching someone for the long term.  David Robson with BBC writes that “for some enthusiastic learners, the revolution has already started: the last few years have seen a rapid rise in apps that aim to help us effortlessly absorb new material.  Duolingo — an app that teaches foreign languages through playful games — already has around 40 million users.”  This is what technology allows for today.  Millions of people all learning a new language in their spare time, through the use of games.  If we can now casually teach ourselves an entirely new language, then what’s next?  We might see a big influx of these types of apps in the years to come, teaching everything from math and science to more specific subjects.  The benefits of technology in learning go on and on.

This is an example of how technology is using our cultural patterns to improve upon our previous style of teaching.  Where we used to have to be physically present in a classroom with a teacher in front of us, now we can have the teacher in our pockets, and we can learn through the use of fun and entertainment, which ultimately helps us remember it better.  Studies show that when we are actively engaged and enjoying our time, we learn and remember a lot better.  This is a continuation of the schooling system that has been around for centuries.

The future looks bright for technology in conjunction with art, learning, and everything else it touches.  Tomorrow we may have systems that use games to teach astronauts how to maneuver in space, assuming that there already isn’t one.  Technology brings us all together.  We just need to use it in the right way.

Reflection:

Technology has made so much possible that wasn’t before.  It has had huge effects on humans, and even on other animals.  Technology has changed our culture so drastically that some people don’t even remember what it was like before technology was so important.  But I don’t think this is bad.  We have art, books, and other sources to teach us about every part of human life, whether it was recorded at the time or not.  Technology has also been used for art purposes.  During my research for this post, I learned that an early computer program simulated a person with movable parts so that he could be adjusted in a virtual jet plane seat.  This would allow the air force to create a better seat for their pilots.  It is this type of combination of art and technology that has made such a difference in society and culture today.

Since the post was made, I’ve been thinking about all the ways technology has impacted my life.  It plays a big role, and I’m on the computer every day.  I have my phone with me all the time, which is really just a small computer, and I am surrounded by technology everywhere I go.  On campus there are computers available, internet, people with their laptops and smart phones, ATMs, even street lights.

Duolingo, which I talk about in my original post, is an interesting thing.  It teaches us new language through the use of games.  This is an art form, in my opinion, that also has a practical use.  We learn better when we are having fun and engaged, and this app exploits that fact.  Through games, which is an art form, at the very least because of the graphics involved, we are learning life skills.  And we can all carry it around in our pockets.  We have a personal teacher in our pocket, that we can take anywhere.  That is incredible.  Even just fifty years ago this would have been impossible, and maybe not even probable.  But here we are.  Technology has taken us so far, and the more I learn about it, the more I’m impressed.

Future Goals:

I want to learn more about how technology can be used to improve art and culture.  Technology can be destructive, but it can also be an influential tool used to promote learning, and it can do this through art.  Art and technology are similar in the way that they both have the capacity to show ideas and knowledge and connect us as humans.  I want to be a part of the group that pushes ahead and gets the most out of it.