Deconstruction-reconstruction of Computer Game and Immersive Environment Semiotics

Computer game technology produces compelling ‘immersive environments’ where our digitally-native youth play and explore. Players absorb visual, auditory and other signs and process these in real time, making rapid choices on how to move through the game-space to experience ‘meaningful play’. How can immersive environments be designed to elicit perception and understanding of signs? In this paper we explore game design and gameplay from a semiotic perspective, focusing on the creation of meaning for players as they play the game. We propose a theory of game design based on semiotics.

Caring for Children Dying from Cancer at Home: a Qualitative Study of the Experience of Primary Care Practitioners

Background. The rarity of childhood cancers makes providing palliative care in the community an unusual event for primary care practitioners. Providing this care requires effective interprofessional collaboration with the team that forms to provide the care often working together for the first and only time. Objective. To explore the experiences of primary care practitioners following their involvement in the palliative care of a child with cancer at home. Methods. The study design was a community-based qualitative study. The study location was the West Midlands region. Purposeful sample of GPs and community nurses involved in providing palliative care to 12 children. One-to-one in-depth interviews with 47 primary care professionals (10 GPs and 37 community nurses) and 5 facilitated case discussions were undertaken. Field notes were documented and grounded theory data analysis undertaken: chronological comparative data analysis identifying generated themes. Results. GPs had minimal input into the preceding care of children undergoing treatment for cancer but sought to re-establish their role at the child’s transition to palliative care. GPs felt they had a role to play and could add value to this phase of care, highlighted their continuing role with the child’s family and acknowledged that they had gained from the experience of contributing. However, lack of specialist knowledge and uncertainty about their role within the team made this more challenging. In contrast, community nurses were routinely involved in both active treatment and palliation care phases. There was little evidence of collaboration between the specialist and primary care professionals involved. There was considerable variation in out of hours provision across cases. Conclusions. Engaging primary care practitioners needs to be more actively anticipated and negotiated at the transition to palliation. Variation in out of hours care is another cause for concern. Enhancing inter-professional collaboration and planning during both active and palliative care phases may help. Keywords. Cancer, family medicine, palliative care, paediatric.

Undertaking Sensitive Interviews: Reflections on Interviewing Bereaved Parents

Paediatric palliative care is a rare experience for many GPs. Although they recognise that they have a role to play, and can be is value in providing palliative care, their ability to fulfil this role can be hindered by a lack of role clarity. A qualitative study set in the West Midlands, examined the role of the GP in children's oncology palliative care from the perspective of the GP who had cared for the child receiving palliative scare for cancer at home and the bereaved parent. One-to-one semi-sturcured interviews were undertaken with 18 GPs an 11 bereaved parent following the death. A ground theory data analysis was undertaken: identifying generated themes through chronological comparative data analysis. Reflecting on my experiences working with bereaved families both as a paediatric Macmillan nurse and a researcher, the challenges of undertaking sensitive research, in relation to the vulnerability of the particular group and the nature of questions being asked will be explored.

The Role of Art in Computer Game Design

Computer games are significant since they embody our youngsters’ engagement with contemporary culture, including both play and education. These games rely heavily on visuals, systems of sign and expression based on concepts and principles of Art and Architecture. We are researching a new genre of computer games, ‘Educational Immersive Environments’ (EIEs) to provide educational materials suitable for the school classroom. Close collaboration with subject teachers is necessary, but we feel a specific need to engage with the practicing artist, the art theoretician and historian. Our EIEs are loaded with multimedia (but especially visual) signs which act to direct the learner and provide the ‘game-play’ experience forming semiotic systems. We suggest the hypothesis that computer games are a space of deconstruction and reconstruction (DeRe): When players enter the game their physical world and their culture is torn apart; they move in a semiotic system which serves to reconstruct an alternate reality where disbelief is suspended. The semiotic system draws heavily on visuals which direct the players’ interactions and produce motivating gameplay. These can establish a reconstructed culture and emerging game narrative. We have recently tested our hypothesis and have used this in developing design principles for computer game designers. Yet there are outstanding issues concerning the nature of the visuals used in computer games, and so questions for contemporary artists. Currently, the computer game industry employs artists in a ‘classical’ role in production of concept sketches, storyboards and 3D content. But this is based on a specification from the client which restricts the artist in intellectual freedom. Our DeRe hypothesis places the artist at the generative centre, to inform the game designer how art may inform our DeRe semiotic spaces. This must of course begin with the artists’ understanding of DeRe in this time when our ‘identities are becoming increasingly fractured, networked, virtualized and distributed’ We hope to persuade artists to engage with the medium of computer game technology to explore these issues. In particular, we pose several questions to the artist: (i) How can particular ‘periods’ in art history be used to inform the design of computer games? (ii) How can specific artistic elements or devices be used to design ‘signs’ to guide the player through the game? (iii) How can visual material be integrated with other semiotic strata such as text and audio?