truna aka j.turner

The stories we tell reflect and determine how we think about ourselves and one another. A new medium of expression allows us to tell stories we could not tell before, to retell the age-old stories in new ways, to imagine ourselves as creatures of a parameterized world of multiple possibilities, to understand ourselves as authors of rules systems which drive behavior and shape our possibilities. - Janet Murray

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design || game worlds | credit courses |short courses | consultancies |

game worlds ||

2007: tears in the rain ....

"All those moments will be lost... like tears in rain" - Roy Batty

the tears in the rain project explores memory and place in the representation. the main concept is the inclusion of time and ability to explore time within a specific place.

2006: tabernacle - lead architect and design tabernacle places the interactor in a hallucinatory medieval world where the only way out is an epiphany: there is no story, there is no game, there is no real ... tabernacle explores the manner in which the map is a representation of the embodied self in place ... the project was initially inspired by the 6th century maps of cosmas indicopleutes and an excitement that such a world view might be unreachable in the normal sense but providing an experience within a visualised world might open a window into the episteme that produced such a map. it arises from a problematic set up by the digital songlines project and the mismatch between the map as represented by the game engine and indigenous australian maps team: glen, victor, justin, ash, glen vb, jon, ryan

the tabernacle project is an immersion and experience design project which exploits the visualisation technologies of a 3D games engine - the intent is not a game but an exerience, a trip to another mind ...

a further inspiration for the tabernacle project is the area of games for change, sometimes categorised as docugames - game worlds designed to provide play but which also intend to be overt in a cultural message [see for example: escape from woomera, waco resurrection, dafur is dying, the columbine massacre, paris riots]. there is a problematic here which was illuminated by the digital songlines environment where a cartesian map concept was exploited for an indigenous world ....

another area of inspiration is the use of rich immersive environments for the purposes of cultural heritage, a prime example of this is the digital songlines project which recreates indigenous australian experience. finally, the project is intended as a play space for design techniques. because a design parameter is subversion of the hero quest theme and the use of residual story expectation, the space encourages the exploration of the not-yet-useful. here we are deeply indepted to peter molyneux' GDC 2005 presentation of the room and the emily dickenson competition

concept art for the tabernacle landscape by ash

2005: digital songlines - written in TGE - ethnographer and design research on cultural interfaces and game design [website]

2005: flowers in the snow - written in the world - alternate reality game design as experiment in production of traditional narratives

2005: history's purchased page - design and research on visualisation of dramatic worlds - aspect of ACID research project media station [website]

2004: ipskay - alternate reality game - lead architect and design on CI funded creative town project created by axel bruns - a simulated environment for project generation for creative industries unit - aspect of ACID project media station [website]

map of the alternate real: ipskay and surroundings

2002: angel of the north - adventure role-playing game concept for educational purposes - written in MOO

2001: cyberama - the theme park - written in MOO - narrative world constructs to create game worlds [explored under theme park]

2000: lost cities - written in MOO - narrative world constructs to create game worlds [explored under theme park]

1998: virtual brighton - written in MOO - narrative world construct for players own stories

1997: jaarptown - written in MOO - open spatial worlds as places for players to construct stories

map of the town constructed by players	character design by players

1995: brisbane adventure - hypertext 'choose your own adventure' web constructed by students using their own stories of the town and their own experiences to dictate 'play' and movement through the city

1993: stories to construct stories - written in hypercard - visual fictions created to instigate player stories

1986: interactive - reactive fiction - written in BASIC - further experiments in the IF genre as agency potential educational games spaces

1985: interactive domestic fiction - written in BASIC - experiments in educational games spaces produced for the British Council, Las Palmas

1981: botanical worlds - some kind of alternate reality adventure based in botanical garden environments which exploited the manner in which the landscape gardening approach produced 'small worlds'

1979: board game: cambridge scores - a hand drawn semi-role playing game that occupied both real and game space based on the experience and adventures of the household across the cambridge map. constructed in inks and cardboard

curriculum design ||

teaching and game design have much in common - after all, the ultimate goal of both is to create convincing worlds where players are encouraged to become engaged agents and construct their own realities ... anonymous

the following are full semester [13 weeks] courses delivered as both lecture and tutorial with media sites providing overviews, materials, resources and contacts

this section lists design work. as a teacher and academic, my primary design medium is the experience of the user [player - participant]. as a designer, my medium is the technology environment ...

courses i have designed, supported via media, coordinated and taught are listed as credit courses. the short courses are those designed as workshops series on behalf of others or for special events such as conferences or professional development.

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interactive writing + concept development for game design

The role of the writer/image-maker/information designer is central to the success of any significant project in interactive media. Effective interactive writing demands a grasp of conceptual and information design, the nature of interactivity, and the tensions between interactivity and traditional narrative. In game design these tensions are reinterpreted again through both ludological practice and spatial practices. The rules of ‘play’ change the nature of the designer’s role.

	enabling immersion [2001 - 2007]
	This unit serves as an introduction to immersive interactive technology and to issues related to design, effective communication and interaction within digital environments. It offers an initial background for those of you interested in areas such as designing communication, hypermedia narrative, interactive multimedia forms, games design, mixed reality applications and creative / interactive writing. - QUT unit outline entry 2004
	enabling immersion was the application of research into games design and software culture. it evolved out of the lost cities project and is both an aspect of the cyberama project and gavin sade's work on envisionning cybernetic environments: "The project addresses game and immersion design using a constructive multiuser environment. The interface to this environment permits the development of extraordinarily rich prototypes for games and interactive narratives, enabling the development of plot, objects, character and game play. Thus exploring practical game environment design parameters and concepts and theories of immersion design." [ubik]

introduction to media technology [2000 - 2003]

In order to engage with contemporary modes of electronic media production, publishing and communication within the Creative Industries you will find you need to combine practical skills related to the use of technologies and processes with a conceptual understanding of these technologies and processes as relevant to various Creative Industries. This unit sets out to provide a foundation for students who enter the university from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels in multimedia. It provides initial experience with the software and hardware tools used for creative work in new media. It is a production course that introduces electronic publishing, computer graphics and design. It is aimed at both experienced and non-experienced computer users. - QUT unit outline entry 2003

digital environment design for educators [post grad] 2001 onwards

This course invites participants to explore the pedagogical possibilities of the digital environments enabled by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It takes participants through an industry standard process in the production of basic digital media materials and environments for the world wide web in particular and discusses the new forms of pedagogy inherent in the medium. The lecture series discusses issues for educators in the digital environment of the web, the epistemology of technology and the design considerations of implementing both courses and materials in this medium. The tutorials focus on embedding pedagogic principles into the construction of the medium and the assessment schedule reflects the need for educators to be aware of a change in presentation of learning objectives designed for the medium; the need to articulate the structure of educational media for the purposes of grant applications and the manner in which awareness of digital architecture underpins presentation of educational materials. The course trains participants in the use of industry standard software and facilities for the construction of educational learning environments. - QUT unit outline 2002

technology and language education [post grad] 1997 onwards

There have been many changes in the technology available to second language teachers in the last few years. In the area of Computer-Enhanced Language Learning (CELL) in particular, it is becoming increasingly important for language professionals to be familiar with the range of uses and applications available to them. The aim of this unit is to explore the creative teaching potential of technology such as CELL, interactive multimedia. The unit will also explore access to and pedagogical uses of electronic communication such as e-mail, list servers and bulletin boards. Attention will also be given to the possible roles technology can play in changing models of teaching and learning. QUT unit outline 2001

short courses

the short courses described here are suites of materials designed either to stand alone and be re-used or designed as support for invited lectures. some materials are aspects of short courses delivered entirely on-line

	VR epistemology series
	A series of three performances for Virtual Reality presented in 2003 exploring the philosophical underbelly of developing technologies. the sequence is based on a foucauldian approach to software culture analysis

	intertextuality series
	an introduction to kristeva, copyright and plagiarism issues in post modern practice. this site is now an aspect of the theme park

	Multi-User [OO] environment design narrative
	this short course represented early exploration of the potential of anarcho-constructive software environments for design. it built on previous work in use of MOO environments for language and literacy purposes and focussed on the visible programming enabled by the specific interface for communication design students.

	Multi-User [OO] environment courses [on-line] 1998 onwards
	Barcelona MOO suite: The MUD, Object Oriented Suite [Introductory session, On-line guest event, Building session] Barcelona IATEFL-CALL SIG Conference, June-July 2000 with Lesley Shield, OU (UK), Markus Weininger, UF (Brazil) and Larry Davies, FUN (Japan)
	Feb 2000: A Virtual Pre-Conference Event (with Lesley Shield, OU) IATEFL Dublin Conference
	Feb-March 2000: A Virtual Conference Event (with Lesley Shield, OU), IATEFL Dublin Conference
	August 2000: Introduction to MOO spaces for K12
	July 1998: Exploring MOO spaces with k12 as constructive environments [with cameron richards]

CALL materials [in service]

The Computer-Assisted Language Learning materials [CALL four-pack] was designed as support for visiting groups of teachers in the TESOL unit, Faculty of Education, QUT. Materials available via this site provide information and activities under four main headings: information literacy, pedagogy and technology, use of generic software and constructing your own materials for the web.- QUT TESOL handout 2003

consultancies and web design

	creative town simulation [2005]
	lead architect and conceptual design on CI funded creative town project - a simulated environment for project generation for creative industries unit conceived by axel bruns

	media station collaborative web site [2004]
	establishing and construction and on-going maintenance of collaborative research archive and presentation site for ACID media station project

IGDA brisbane chapter website [2004]

International Game Developer Association chapters connect game developers in local communities around the world. Through regularly scheduled meetings, chapters provide an opportunity for professional game developers to interact with peers on a local level, and reach out to international peers. This new chapter of the IGDA seeks to bring together game developers in the greater Brisbane area, including the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

	self access.com design review [2004]
	formal design review for selfaccess.com commercial materials provider

fibreculture conference gallery [2003]

on-line art gallery - part of fibreculture @ the powerhouse 2003 in academic and popular discourses, new media, the Internet, and ‘virtual reality’ are often described as just this – a ‘virtual’ reality, an Other, a ‘cyberspace' which is somehow disconnected from the ‘real’ and secondary to ‘life’ experiences and issues .... this on - line gallery space is set up as an opportunity for exploration by artists to explore the theme of critical literacies in these spaces

	amber light project [2003]
	these pages offer links and procedures, advice and descriptions of previous experiences for course coordinators, unit coordinators, class tutors and others involved in student outcomes in the Creative Industries. the site specifically adresses the problem of students not achieving their potential course outcomes and providing scaffolding and prevention measures

	non-deliberate plagiarism project [2000]
	the non-deliberate plagiarism project is a QUT TESOL initiative to unpack plagiarism issues - particularly among second language speakers.