Week 2

September 1st, 2015 Leave a comment Go to comments

Tuesday 

Re: Reading Assignments:

Read the entire chapter from David Staley’s Computer, Visualization, and History, but focus on pp.98-113.

  • In what ways do virtual reality simulations help advance our historical understanding that traditional historical writings do not? At what costs?
  • Does the virtual reality technology allow us to experience the past in the same way a contemporary did?

As an option, you may want to skim the article “Pudding Lane: Recreating Seventeenth-Century London” to see how a group of students created a widely-acclaimed virtual reality project on 17th-century London.

Re: Exploration Assignments:

There are two sets of projects listed for this week. Each of you is required to explore China Local and Virtual Harlem, plus one or more other project of your choice from each set. In what ways do these projects meet, exceed, or fall short of Staley’s expectations?

To explore Virtual Harlem, you need to register an Avatar on the Login page (Write down the first and last name you give to your Avatar – you’ll need them later!). Then follow the instructions to download and install the Apollo/Firestorm application. After you log on to the application (not the webpage), click the Apollo button to control the movement of the Avatar. When logging into the application, use the following combination as your username: Avatar First Name + white space + Avatar Last Name.

Getting prepared for the lab:

  • Create a free account at Bubbl.us. Remember your username and password.

 

Thursday

Re: Reading Assignments:

  • In the later 17th and 18th century there were many innovations in the graphic presentation of history. What were the driving forces for these innovations?
  • What were the major graphic genres used for visualizing history in this period? What goal did their designers try to accomplish with each genre? What challenges did they face, and how did they respond to these challenges?
  • Compare the graphs by Thomas Jefferys and Joseph Priestley. What made Priestley’s charts significantly different from Jefferys’? What made his charts different from those of Condorcet, Chantreau, and Comte?

Re: Exploration Assignments:

  • Explore ChronoZoom first. Then look at a few examples from one of the following sites: Timeline JS or TimeMapper or Timeglider. Compare them to the graphs from the later 17th and 18th centuries. Consider what we gain and lose when creating timelines in the new digital media.

Getting prepared for the lab:

  • None.
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