Curricular Pilot Project

John Craig Freeman
john_craig_freeman@emerson.edu

Eric Gordon
eric_gordon@emerson.edu

The following is a proposal to develop place-based virtual reality course work. It constitutes the curricular component of a proposal to establish "HyperArt Laboratory," a research center based on the "Imaging Place" project.

DRAFT Curricular Pilot Project
We propose forming an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students that would explore the possibilities of the emerging form of place-based virtual reality. The goal will be to develop the technologies, the methodology and the content for truly immersive and navigable narrative, based in real places. With this proposal, we are inviting faculty and students from other college or universities, both domestic and foreign, to join us in this goal.

In order to test its feasibility, the curricular pilot project would take place over the course of two academic years beginning in the summer of 2007. If successful, we will propose that the curriculum become permanent.

We will begin by identifying a college or university to collaborate with. The students and faculty from the two separate institutions would begin by setting up a telecommunications link between the two institutions. After some reading, preparation work and research the American students and faculty would travel abroad for a couple of weeks to produce work. Next, the foreign faculty and students would travel to the U. S. for a couple of week to reciprocate. The courses would culminate with exhibitions of the work that was produced, drawing connections between the two locations.

With keeping these broad themes in mind, we are interested in a developing a two-year relationship between faculty and students at Emerson College in Boston and faculty and students from other institutions. In year one, each faculty member would teach two summer courses each. The courses would be made up of eight and sixteen Emerson students and the same number of students from the collaborating institution. Students would register for two summer courses each for sessions A and B at 4 Emerson credits for a total of 16 credits, the equivalent of a full-time summer course load. The collaborating students would do the equivalent. At the start of the collaboration, the faculty teams would visit their counterparts for one week where the parameters of the project will be discussed and the logistics of the telecommunications necessary for the collaboration will be worked out. This will be followed by weekly videoconferences aided by SHARE Boston. Courses will then be formed at both collaborating institutions. Students will travel to both locations for one week to study, and to conduct field research and production. At the end of the project, the work will be exhibited simultaneously in both cities with an Internet link between the two exhibitions, which will allow the broader audiences to interact. In addition to exhibiting the project in Boston and the collaborating Swiss city, we will pursue exhibition opportunities at Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach http://www.artbasel.com.

VM 420a: Imaging Place Studies
A Course in the History and Theory of Place-Based Virtual Reality

VM 420b: Imaging Place Production
A Course in the Development and Practice of Place-Based Virtual Reality

VM 420a: Imaging Place Studies International
An Inter-Institutional History and Theory of Place-Based Virtual Reality

VM 420b: Imaging Place Production International
An Inter-Institutional Course in the Development and Practice of Place-Based Virtual Reality