All posts by Michaela

Evaluation, Research

D.E.C.I.D.E. !

Rogers, Y., Sharp, H., Preece, J. Interaction design : beyond human-computer interaction. 3rd ed., Wiley, 2011, pp. 456 ff.

“DECIDE: A Framework to Guide Evaluation

1. Determine the goals

2. Explore the questions

3. Choose the evaluation methods

4. Identify the practical issues

5. Decide how to deal with the ethical issues

6. Evaluate, analyze, interpret, and present the data.”

According to this framework, we can design, plan, and conduct our study. Our main goals have been determined Exploring Interactive Theater – The Goals. Based on that the question are to be asked by the mini-project groups (blog post for “Research Questions” can be found here). Together we can than decide which method or combination of methods are appropriate to get answers to our research questions. A post about possible methods & their relevance for our project can be found Data Gathering Techniques. After that we can continue with step 4 & 5: We can filter the practical issues based on the design-tech development processes & the methods to apply. Furtehrmore, we can take ethical concerns into account. The last main part is the evaluation itself – firstly, we have to prepare e.g. questions & guidelines for interviews or we have to setup cameras for observation purposes, then we will collect the data during the rehearsals & plays. Afterwards, we can analyze them & make interpretations for publishing our exploration results.

Pre-Observation, Research

Observation Example Post (Please give a new Title)

Piece: Michael Kohlhaas | Theaterhaus Jena

Text/Direction: Hannes Weiler | Stage: Florian Dietrich | Costumes: Bettina Werner | Dramaturgy: Friederike Weidner

Focus on: Costumes/Props/Stage Design, add actors names in bold if you’ve observed persons

General Description: Give an overview what it (the costumes/props/stage) was in this piece. Show pictures, sketches, general setup & overall developement according to the piece.

Specific Remarks: Happend anything special that was needed for exactly that staging? How & why? Did you observe a specific interaction btw. costumes/props/stage and the actor(s)? Also add the key points of our discussion here later.

Concept, The Story

It’s all about London and a bar of soap?

Well, London is the place where Saki‘s short story “Dusk” that builds our background plot is settled. In this story an middle-aged man named Norman Gortsby observes his city from park-based perspective. He is sitting on a bench and in his minds he is judging over the society. After an old poor man has left the place next to him, a younger man takes his seat and tells Gortsby an uncredible story that ends with a lost soap and the indirect request for some money. Gortsby does not believe the young man who hereupon left the place. After the young man was gone Gortsby found a soap und suddendly the young man’s story seemed to be true after all. But sometimes it is not so clear as you think…