Toronto Metropolitan University Open Journals
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No one expected this to happen
No full textThis poetic expression piece details the experiences of a migrant woman arriving in a new host country. While the piece it is not based on the lived experience of one specific migrant woman, the voice of one woman is used to represent a collective voice. This collective voice is comprised from all the Ukrainian migrant women participants that took part and shared their experiences in our research studies within a wider program of research on migrant women who settle in Canada. This poetic expression piece explicates the challenges and worries that this hypothetical migrant woman undergoes with seeking employment, finding affordable housing and food, the constant worries around health and wellbeing, and the guilt of having relocated to a new country. The intention of this poetic expressive piece is to help readers connect, on an emotive level, with the lived experiences of a vulnerable population. The world is currently experiencing the largest displacement of people since the second World War. Providing a means to share stories of experience can lead to a collective understanding of experiences and generation of solutions to support such populations
Of Disqus, Discourse and Dramatic Trolls
No full textEvery major newspaper in Nigeria has an online version. It is especially crucial to update and break news. Disqus is an app which provides a veritable platform for readers of these online newspapers to engage and discuss any news story. Disqus emerged through the increasing use of virtual world technologies that act as platforms for end-users to create, develop, and interact, expanding the realm of human communication, interaction, and creativity. Not only researchers and scholars are experiencing the importance of this new field, but also the news industry is strongly investing in these domains, and importantly too, society is responding with huge impacts and transformations through activities of online communities. Online communities are among the most obvious manifestations of social networks based on new media technology and Disqus stands out as a community of contestations; these discussions present layers of interactivity and entanglement which provide counterforces of structures that resonate as evolving communities. Interestingly, these are presented in sheer dramatic episodes sometimes with cause and effect. In other words, presentations occur as dialogues with occasional directions provided by readers. Suffice to add that they read as digital performances. For the newspapers and by-liners these might aggregate as feedback. However, these readers as commenters are at times prone to textual violence, internet bullying and hate speech. These actions and situations prove unsafe for journalism since the readers have pseudonyms or avatars or monikers which encourage anonymity. This research employs elements of textual and discourse analyses to articulate selected feedback and discussions from selected newspapers and saliently provides critical perspectives from these entanglements. The research further utilizes dramatic models like characterization/character development and script analysis to study the readers and their discussions. It conceives these interactions as not only virtual intersections but as virtual convergences. It qualifies some of these engagements as repulsive and outright displays of intolerance. The research duly appreciates that the newspapers which have gatekeepers on these virtual platforms likely show agreeable levels of moderation by commenters in language and interactions. The research submits that even where anonymity prevents readers’ identities, the presence of moderators is critical in providing some safety and this is evidential in some newspapers
The World, Storytelling, and Interactivity: A General Model of Interactive Narrative Systems from the Perspective of Human Learning
No full textOptimal human learning occurs when we engage with narratives, as our cognition inherently processes events as stories (Baldassano et al. 2017). Furthermore, a proper narrative does not merely explain but engages its audience (McCormack, Martin, and Williams 2021; Bellini 2022). Enhancing the strengths of narratives with interactivity, interactive digital narratives (IDNs) are potentially the ultimate learning medium. However, no model of IDN systems exists that supports human learning and is sufficiently general for various use contexts. Thus, we propose such a model.
Learning comprises cognitive, affective, and sensorimotor domains (Dettmer 2005), which must be equally mobilized. Feelings like intrigue and boredom strongly influence our mental processes (Mangaroska et al. 2022). Moreover, we can learn through sensorimotor activities (Abrahamson and Mechsner 2022), such as using hand movements to better understand mathematical concepts (Abrahamson 2021).
Sensory signals enter our senses to update our understanding of the world, while our brain commands our body to modify the world (Andersen et al. 2023). Additionally, a significantly positive emotion toward something allows us to comprehend it more deeply (Sarasso et al. 2020), while a piece of knowledge that excites or terrifies us is much more likely to trigger our actions (Ransom et al. 2020). The domains and their interactions align with the information, narrative, and interactivity aspects of IDNs (Atmaja and Sugiarto 2022), the former two corresponding with the story world and storytelling, respectively (Kybartas and Bidarra 2017).
Currently, IDN models covering these aspects are only found in specific contexts, such as data storytelling (El Outa et al. 2020). Therefore, there remains a lack of general-purpose learning-minded IDN models.
Figure 1 shows our IDN system model consisting of three subsystems. The world subsystem consists of a world model, a cognitive model, and a source system, the latter storing “raw data” from the real world. The cognitive model, which represents the audience’s cognitive needs, instructs the translation of the source system, such as by reducing its complexity, into the world model.
The world model is taken into the next subsystem, which may change the world model’s structure following a model of the audience’s affective needs. The overall event sequence may undergo a reshuffle; some entities in each event may stand out more or be less pronounced; and non-diegetic elements may even come into play. Afterward, the storytelling model transforms further into the sub-subsystem of interactivity mechanics with the help of the audience’s sensorimotor model. Such a transformation may simplify the storytelling, such as turning real-time events discrete to make them less chaotic. Finally, the sensory-appropriate story is presented as sensory-appropriate assets through a sensorimotor-appropriate UI.
We will describe a hypothetical IDN design as an instance of our model. We will also discuss synergies between our model and three prominent IDN-related models: the SPP model (Koenitz 2023), the MDA model (Hunicke, Leblanc, and Zubek 2004), and the GFI model (Cardona-Rivera, Zagal, and Debus 2023)
Queer Representation Matters: An Online Interactive Documentary
No full textWhile lesbian, bisexual and queer women characters and storylines have increased significantly in the last decade, fans are often left with tragedy and trauma as their legacy. The term “bury your gays” has been around for decades and refers to the killing of LGBTQ+ characters (usually lesbian or bisexual women) often because they are queer or to advance the story of a cis, straight (usually male) character. Recently a new trope “cancel your gays” has emerged due to new streaming platforms’ business models, which sees shows with queer characters and storylines being cancelled after one or two seasons, again reinforcing audiences’ feelings that queer people are not entitled to endings (let alone happy ones). These tropes are known by most LGBTIQA+ people and some screen studies academics, but not many non-LGBTIQA+ people know of its existence, its history, and its damaging impact on LGBTIQA+ audiences.
These issues are explored through this online interactive documentary, Queer Representation Matters (2023). Users can explore the interactive documentary through different pathways including a historical timeline including interviews with academics and creative practitioners that illustrates how these issues and themes have evolved over the last 100 years, and exploring the All Our Lesbians Are Dead! theatrical play that was the catalyst for this work. This project links scholarly theory and creative practice to bring discussions of media representation from the academy into the public sphere in an accessible way. It demonstrates the capacity of participatory digital media to inform and educate a wider audience on important issues of media representation.
This project’s objectives included:
to provide an historical account of the “bury your gays trope” historical accounts and key moments of queer screen representation;
to provide a creative exploration of the effects and impact of trope on LGBTIQA+ people through first-hand accounts from academics and creatives, and;
to demonstrate the lasting and damaging impact that the “bury your gays” trope has had on the LGBTIQA+ community, in the hopes of limiting its use in future.
This project is guided by theoretical perspectives from the following areas of scholarship: media representation (Millward, Dodd & Fabara-Manuel 2017), digital media (De Kosnik 2012; Hands 2011; Yang 2016), fan studies (Baird Stribling 2013; Ballinger 2014; Guerrero-Pico, Establés & Ventura 2018); and queer fandom (Ng 2017; Ng & Russo 2017; Bridges 2016; 2018; Monaghan 2016). It bases much of its application of interactive documentary practice on Aston and Gaudenzi (2012), Nash (2012), Donald & Galloway (2013) and Aston (2016).
The documentary was produced using qualitative research methodologies including semi-structured interviews with screen practitioners (writers and producers) working on LGBTIQA+ themed work, as well as academics researching in the fields of LGBTIQA+ media representation. This project used a digital production design method focused on user-centred design (UCD), emphasising a human-centred design approach which involves user testing at each stage of the project lifecycle
Exploring Space-Based Narratives: A Study on Interactive Documentaries and Community Engagement
No full textIn a moment marked by geopolitical warfare and territorial conflicts, the concept of space takes center stage, reshaping our perceptions of community and challenging conventional narratives. This conference presentation delves into the realm of interactive documentaries that unfold space-based narratives, presenting a rich tapestry of multi-perspective stories that encourage audiences to question singular narratives and foster empathetic connections. Drawing inspiration from Michel De Certeau\u27s concept of "Spatial Stories" (1998), this study employs a theoretical framework that expands the audience\u27s “sense of place” and “sense of belonging” (Nogueira, 2020) with the communities portrayed in interactive documentaries. By examining community-based storytelling and spatial navigation structures within interactive documentaries, we investigate how these narratives bring audiences closer to community territories and daily life experiences. Focusing on interactive documentaries such as "The World in Ten Blocks" (2015) and "Refugee Republic" (2014), both centered around space, this research adopts a three-fold perspective: form, content, and interaction. The analysis unravels the intricate relationships of various media formats and their intermedial form, the interactive documentaries’ content portraying closed communities, and the interactive structure that guide users through the depicted spaces. These interactive narratives serve as a conduit for diverse life experiences, embracing complexity, and celebrating diversity within the portrayed communities. Preliminary findings underscore the dynamic relationships established between the documentary creators and community members as well as between the audience and the social subjects. The study further explores the polyphonic approach, as conceptualized by Aston and Odorico (2018), emphasizing how the interactive documentaries navigate uncertain interactions, reinforcing a virtual sense of place and belonging for the audience. Ultimately, this presentation sheds light on the potential of interactive documentaries to transcend traditional storytelling, providing a platform for communities to share their stories, navigate their spaces, and foster a deeper sense of connection among diverse audiences, even if only within the virtual realm
Comparative Analysis of Liquid Desiccant-Based Air Conditioning System for Hot and Humid Regions using Different Desiccants
No full textThe growing global demand for energy to cool space is causing environmental pollution. Research focuses on eco-friendly energy sources and energy-efficient technologies. The current study compares the energy consumption of liquid desiccant air conditioning systems (LDAC) with conventional system (VCR) using ethylene glycol, glycerol, distilled water, NaCl, LiBr, and LiCl. The VCR and LDAC system simulation model was created in DWSIM and evaluated in outdoor air conditions between 30-45oC and 70–100% relative humidity. Maximum energy savings were achieved at 47% and 42% CO2 reductions compared with the VCR system. The maximum rate of moisture removal of 1.34 kg/h was observed for ethylene glycol. The maximum COP of 2.49 was found for desiccant NaCl
Study of the Speed Control System for Asynchronous Machines by Changing the Frequency using Mathematical Modeling
No full textCurrently, the use of asynchronous machines with unregulated speed is declining, and in accordance with the requirements of reliability and efficiency, the number of asynchronous machines with adjustable speed is increasing. This article discusses in detail the methods of regulating the speed of electric machines, the characteristics of their application and advantages, as well as mathematical modeling based on an electrical circuit
Exergy Analysis of the Discharging Process on a PCM/Graphite Matrix Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Medium
No full textGraphite materials, known for its high thermal conductivity, pore ratios and heat transfer surface area, enhances the performance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems. However, increasing the PCMs\u27 thermal conductivity does not always boost exergy efficiency.This study investigates the employment of exergy analysis in latent heat storage applications using graphite matrix during discharging process. Paraffin/graphite matrix composites of different bulk densities (23 and 143 kg/m3) in shell in tube geometry were used to assess the efficiency of expanded graphite in the structure. In the TES system, which is considered especially real applications such as main water, a parametric study has been carried out by evaluating heat transfer fluid (HTF) inlet velocities (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5m/s) through the numerical model validated with experimentally. The study revealed that the discharging process yields the greatest exergy efficiency in paraffin/graphite matrix storage media that has a low bulk density of 23 kg/m3. Using a graphite matrix to enhance the thermal conductivity of paraffin decreased thermal energy release efficiency by 65.14-84.8%. HTF inlet velocity significantly affects discharging efficiencies at lower bulk densities, with the highest efficiency (97.3%) achieved at 0.5m/s
Development of a simulation model for assessing the technical condition of the cooling system of oil power transformers by measuring the temperature of the tank and the external environment
No full textOil-filled power transformers play an important role in the distribution and distribution process of electrical power in the network. In the electrical network, oil-based power transformers ensure efficient operation by interconnecting powerful circuits, which guarantees optimal and stable operation of power transmission systems. The technical condition of the main elements is determined by the working process of oil-based power transformers, which directly affect the heating system. The magnetic core and the coil of the oil power transformer are the main heat-removing elements. In this work, a simulation model has been developed to evaluate the thermal system of oil-filled power transformers based on external temperature and rating data measured in the tank during rapid diagnostic
Development of an algorithm for identifying asymmetric processes in electric distribution networks
No full textThe article discusses power quality (EQ) indicators for voltage asymmetry in three-phase systems. Voltage asymmetry is a phenomenon in which the amplitudes of phase voltages and/or the angles between them are not equal to each other. The causes and consequences of the occurrence of SES voltage asymmetry are considered. The main reasons for the appearance of voltage asymmetry in three-phase power supply systems are identified. The main part of the article describes the methods of reduction and the main methods of calculating voltage asymmetry. A method of calculating nosimetry using an algorithm has been developed