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What do memories look like? And if you have an image in your head then what does a digital memory look like?

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Fig. 1. Shadows below the Fredrikson-Stallard installation 'Pandora' with additional Neon EFX

Fredrikson Stallard piece for the Digital Memory Gallery sponsored by Swarovski called 'Pandora' is a collaboration between Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard, two British Avant-Garde designers. This is a picture of the shadow beneath the chandellier put through a Neon EFX.

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Fig.2. Shadow of Pandora - Before EFX

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Fig.3. Pandora - in situ.

Like flames in a fire just look. Actually, a fire place touches more senses with the smell of the fire, or damp people around it - let alone a spark that might scorch the carpet or the back of your wrist. (Now there's an idea - though not one that health & safety would allow through).

In relation to memory, where I entered a gallery and did not take a picture what control does anyone have of the memory the experience created or the image I have?

If supra-human digital devices are used to store what we see and hear for later management and manipulation somewhere what kinds of permissions, copyright and privacy laws might we breach? How many people do you see and hear, and therefore place and potentially identify during the day - especially if this includes lengthy walks along the South Bank, across Tower Bridge to Tower Hill and the length of Regent's Street? Historically we shared memories through stories - creating a visual impression in the narrative and perhaps exaggerating interactions for effect. I contend that the most vivid 'virtual world' we can create is not a digital one, but what we create for ourselves in our mind's eye.

In learning terms there is a lot to be said for keeping it simple - a story well told, without illustration.

The 'bard' holding the attention of the audience alone on the stage or at the end of a classroom. A speaker who is alert to the audience and well enough informed and confident to shift the emphasis and nuance of their story to suit the audience on the night. How can such flexibility be built into distance and e-learning? Hard without some live element and  synchronous tutorials. Radio is vivid. Try some BBC Radio drama.

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Fig. 4. Southover Bonfire Society - at the bonfire sight, November 5th 2011

For a super-sensory experience marching on Bonfire Night in the East Sussex town of Lewes meets all the above criteria and more:

  • Sight
  • Sound
  • Experience
  • Touch, taste and smell
  • and the emotionally charged atmosphere in relation to family, community, pageantry and history.

(Marching was a wonderful family induction to the community when we moved here in 2000).

Permalink 3 comments (latest comment by Christopher Douce, Sunday, 16 Dec 2012, 20:32)
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Design Museum

Student Support in Open Learning ... and home birthing!

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Dearnley's paper (Dearnley, 2003) considers the support required to aid Enrolled Nurses (ENs) to become Registered Nurses (RNs) and the necessity to run open learning courses given the demand created in 1987 when the EN role was to be phased out.

The ENs were:

  • practising nurses
  • most had family and home commitments
  • few had any substantial academic qualifications

(it would be useful to know how far they had taken formal education, to GSCE/O'Level leacing school at 16 I guess?)

There were, in Dearley's words 'existing life responsibilities and events." (Dearnley, 2003)

MORE TO FOLLOW!

(Just been handed the final 'birthday list, edited by my wife, for my son who is 12 at 3.23am tomorrow morning and will no doubt be up to celebrate the moment. As I delivered him (with some help from my wife) it is an important memory for me too ... long story, but our Midwife was 45 miles away and turned up 35 minutes after the event ... an ambulance arrived 10 minutes after the event and said 'you seem to be doing fine' and went off and made themselves a cup of tea).

Oh joy.

"Emergency Home Birth" in the book we had was a chapter, but also for those in a real emergency a half-page check list. Guess which I used? Scissors, string, hot water and towels come to mind! And what to do if the umbilical chord threatens to throttle your child ... just as well, it nearly did, so I at least knew how to disentangle this Japanese knot-weed come power cable ganglion of rope).

There's a picture of father and son asleep, him on my chest, about an hour later. My wife was in the bathroom with the Midwife taking a bath and ensuring that the placenta made an appearance.

An 'event' to say the least.

(Six hours later I was in the West End of London presenting the final cut of the conference opener for the launch of the European Stock Market. It NEVER crossed my mind however to call my son 'EASDAQ' !)

WHERE WERE WE?

Dearnley can wait ...

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