SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan
50 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -Hello, world! Check out SPARTIE-Cast, with Dr. Robby Ratan, Director of the Social and Psychological Approaches to Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab at Michigan State University, with amazing support from Producer George McNeill and Technical Director, Connor Bird.
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Episodes
Discussion with Dr. Jessica Vitak about Data Ethics, Privacy, and Algorithmic Bias
April 28, 2023 21:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBIn this episode, Robby delves into the topic of iSchools and privacy risks in a post-covid world with Dr. Vitak, an associate professor at the University of Maryland. Together, they discuss the issue of workplace surveillance and how the line between peoples' homes and workplaces are blurring together. They also talk about the dangers of predictive models, including their potential for biased and inaccurate outcomes. Dr. Vitak has even been impacted by this personally. She received ...
Discussion with Dr. Andrew Gambino about chatbots and AI
April 27, 2023 21:45 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBIn this episode, Robby speaks with Dr. Andrew Gambino, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware, to delve into the fascinating world of chatbots and AI. They explore CASA and the distinctive ways in which individuals interact with AI and computers in contrast to human interactions. Moreover, they probe the features of ChatGPT and Bard to better understand their idiosyncrasies. The conversation takes a turn to discuss potential implications for workplaces and schools as A...
The meta-burst! How experiential learning in VR can lead to an explosion of opportunities for the future of education.
May 05, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBRobby joins Bill Heinrich as a guest speaker on the podcast Mindset in Motion to discuss “what (the heck) the metaverse is,” and how it may modify the learning experience through a range of new virtual experiences, avatar identities, and accessibility in post-secondary education. About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how ...
The Metaverse has Arrived, Hello Classes in VR, Goodbye Zoom Fatigue …April Fools!
April 28, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBThis is a recording of a talk Robby gave at Carnegie Mellon University this month. Can you guess one truth against the two lies in this talk title? [Spoilers ahead] The meatverse may have become enamored with the concept of the metaverse during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the term “metaverse” is three decades old and the concept even older. What is so meta-different now? Do we finally have access to an interconnected universe of immersive virtual worlds powered by decentralized platf...
Lessons from Games Studies for the Metaverse (ft. Dr. Dmitri Williams & Dr. Aaron Trammell)
March 31, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBGames have been serving up killer apps for new tech since the early days of model railroads, maybe longer. It’s 1982, what do I do with this home computer thing? …mostly play some games! Thus, it should come as no surprise that the video games of recent decades have provided foundational technologies for the impending less-gamey, more-workey metaverse. And so who better to help parse this inevitable metaversatile future than expert Game Studies researchers!? Dr. Trammell, Dr. Willia...
Super Boss of the International Communication Association, Laura Sawyer.
February 24, 2022 15:57 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBLaura Sawyer, ICA’s Executive Director, describes her path to leading the organization (she used to be an actor!!), offers some useful tips for students and junior scholars interested in ICA, provides behind-the-scenes insights into the multifaceted foundations of a successful Conference, explains how the organization is structured and run under the guidance of the executive committee (from president elect select to president eject!), compares ICA to NCA (reluctantly but diplomatica...
The Answer is Gray: Is Gaming Good or Bad for Us? (feat., Dr. Vasileios Stavropoulos)
January 27, 2022 12:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBDr. Vasileios Stavropoulos describes his fascinating research about using cyber-phenotypes (e.g., uses of and attitudes about games, avatars, etc.) to predict health markers of depression (e.g., reduce sleep, appetite, interest in other activities). He eloquently explains how the effects of gaming are not uniform, but depend on individual differences (e.g., age, psychological profiles). We discuss the potential for regulations to promote healthy uses of games (spoiler alert: he thin...
Space Yogi Extraordinaire, Master of Meta-tation, Dr. Carrie Heeter.
January 06, 2022 12:00 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBFor over 30 years, Dr. Carrie Heeter has been studying virtual reality and waiting for it to be the next big thing. And now it actually seems to be! However, these days she focuses more on internal than external simulations — meditation. During this episode, she talks about her research on meditation with virtual reality, such as a scenario she built for meditating on a virtual beach. She also talks about her own meditation experiences, such as floating through space as a polymorph....
The History of Distance Learning (feat. Dr. Steve Yelon)
December 16, 2021 12:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBOur guest this episode is Dr. Steve Yelon, who has been teaching people how to teach since the 1960s. He speaks about the history of distance learning (all the way back to the 1920s!), his work with Sesame Street and the Secret Service, some early distance learning technologies that he utilized (overheads, audio tapes!), the importance of pedagogy regardless of the medium (“Lousy instruction in a new medium is still lousy instruction”), and 10 principles of teaching that every curre...
Kids & VR: Why VR makes Simon Says harder and Education better (feat. Dr. Jakki Bailey)
December 02, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBDr. Jakki Bailey, assistant professor and director of the Immersive Human Development Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, shares her expertise on childrens' uses of virtual reality technology. She shares some humorous moments from her research (e.g., “I wish I could do this [in VR] for forever”), describes some potential concerns about safety for kids in VR and succinctly explains the fundamental psychology behind why kids use and respond to VR differently than adults (e.g.,...
Media selection as Strategy to Optimize Well-being (ft. Dr. Allison Eden)
November 18, 2021 12:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBDr. Allison Eden, associate professor at Michigan State University, and Robby delve into her recently published research on media habits and well-being during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how media use changed between the Spring and Fall of 2020, why some social media platforms were better suited as a hedonic distraction to help people cope with stress and anxiety and how people selected content to regulate their moods and reframe the pandemic. They also...
Meaningful Play, the GEL Lab, Will Winn Games, and Plunder Panic (ft. Prof. Brian Winn)
November 04, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBThis episode, Robby speaks with Professor Brian Winn, his colleague in the Department of Media and Information here at Michigan State University, about his unique path into academia and directing the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab. They discuss how the Meaningful Play conference came to be as a marriage of academic games research and industry/creative game design and what to expect for the Meaningful Play 2022 conference (Oct 13-15) — which is totally awesome, you sh...
History & Future of Remote Work, Business Metaverse & Nano Tech (feat. Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan)
October 21, 2021 11:00 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBDr. Dad is back again for an encore episode with Robby! They discuss the early days of supporting remote work at Bell Labs, the potential for virtual reality technologies (and the metaverse writ large) to influence the dynamics of remote work in the near-term future, Robby’s recently funded NSF on topics of equity and inclusion within virtual meeting platforms, and the ~30-year future potential of nano-engineered smart materials to dramatically change the way we work remotely (and...
Dr. Robby gets Interviewed About the Metaverse by Prof. Roxana Girju
October 07, 2021 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBCROSSOVER EPISODE! When approached by Roxana Girju, professor of linguistics (and more, see below), requesting an interview for her podcast about the Metaverse, Robby thought, “Let’s kill two virtual birds with one grey oblong NFT!” In other words, the interview is being cross-posted and Robby finally gets to blah blah blah on his own podcast! Seriously though, this was a great opportunity to synthesize some of the amazing lessons learned from the previous SPARTIE-Cast guests comb...
(Social) Architects of the Metaverse (feat. Founders Sonya Seddarasan and Dr. Pierre Gerard)
September 30, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBThe Founders of Upworlds and Metaxu, Sonya Seddarasan and Dr. Pierre Gerard, respectively, describe their endeavors to support the community of Metaverse developers and users to host Robby Ratan. Upworlds provides a platform for virtual builders to gain useful skills (e.g., cross-platform development) and monetize their work through a peer-to-peer marketplace, special events, rentals and custom commissions. Metaxu is a design studio that hosts regular events, such as design office...
Student Spotlight: How to get a PhD in Game Studies (feat. Yiming Skylar Lei)
September 23, 2021 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan speaks with Yiming Skylar Lei, a Ph.D. student in the Information and Media program at Michigan State University, and a very productive member of the SPARTIE Lab. They discuss her childhood curiosity about gaming and how it led to her pursuit of a Ph.D. in game studies. She shares some advice for potential students who want to follow her path, her interests in the prosocial benefits of cooperative video games, why she thinks Guild Wars 2 is one of...
Dr. Kelly Tran: Game Designer, Researcher, Streamer, Player
September 16, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan speaks with Dr. Kelly Tran, a professional game designer and researcher working on a game to improve players’ social and emotional learning. She discusses her transition from academia to industry, the importance of aligning game mechanics with the impactful (or “serious”) intent of the game, the value of games as tools for stealth assessment, her eudaimonic experiences playing Chicory and Mass Effect and the fun she’s having Twitch streaming Final F...
Dr. Sarah Hays on Geek Therapeutics, Clinical Therapy With Video Games and Avatars for Well-being
September 09, 2021 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThis week host Robby Ratan had a truly enlightening conversation with Dr. Sarah Hays, a practicing clinician who uses video games and avatars in the therapy she provides to her clients. She also works at Take This and Queer Women of Esports. The two discuss the Geek Therapeutics movement (super cool idea Robby had never heard of), the exciting potential to provide therapy using and/or inside of video games and virtual reality, and the important role that avatars (and the Proteus eff...
Dr. Jorge Peña on VR Milgram Shock Experiment, Westworld, Black Mirror and the Metaverse
September 03, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan speaks with Dr. Jorge Peña, associate professor at the University of California, Davis. They cover themes in "Westworld," "Black Mirror" and countless video games. And relate the themes to his research on a virtual recreation of the Milgram shock experiments, a study on how avatar identification affects acceptance of out-group members, and the theoretical underpinnings of the Proteus effect. The duo also brainstorm study ideas that build on these ...
Dr. Jorge Peña on VR Milgram shock experiment, Westworld, Black Mirror and the Metaverse
September 03, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan speaks with Dr. Jorge Peña, associate professor at the University of California, Davis. They cover themes in "Westworld," "Black Mirror" and countless video games. And relate the themes to his research on a virtual recreation of the Milgram shock experiments, a study on how avatar identification affects acceptance of out-group members, and the theoretical underpinnings of the Proteus effect. The duo also brainstorm study ideas that build on these ...
Cecilia D'Anastasio (of Wired) on Identity Exploration, Empowerment and Metaverse Skepticism
August 27, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this episode host Robby Ratan speaks with Cecilia D'Anastasio, the games journalist at WIRED. They talk about her writing on identity exploration through avatars, the potential for video games to foster empowerment of marginalized communities and skepticism about the vision of the Metaverse being touted by CEOs. To wrap up, they geek out about their professions and in particular and the complementarity of academic research and journalism in their contributions to the public recor...
Wired Games Journalist Cecilia D'Anastasio on Identity Exploration, Empowerment and Metaverse Skepticism
August 27, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this episode host Robby Ratan speaks with Cecilia D'Anastasio, the games journalist at WIRED. They talk about her writing on identity exploration through avatars, the potential for video games to foster empowerment of marginalized communities and skepticism about the vision of the Metaverse being touted by CEOs. To wrap up, they geek out about their professions and in particular and the complementarity of academic research and journalism in their contributions to the public recor...
Learning in VR, Ready Player One and the Origins of “Avatar” (feat. Dr. Edward Downs)
August 20, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBIn this episode, Dr. Edward Downs describes his research applying the MAIN (Modality, Agency, Interactivity, & Navigation) Model to learning in virtual reality, connects these concepts to themes from "Ready Player One," discusses some concerns about using “moral panic” too loosely, asks host Robby Ratan a question about the origins of digital avatars (and then shares an interesting anecdote that predates Robby’s example) and then grapples with the idea of merging NFTS, avatars and t...
On the Metaverse, Virtual Pets and Memories of Alhambra (feat. Dr. Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn)
August 13, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan and Dr. Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn discuss the concept of the Metaverse, the Korean Netflix original “Memories of Alhambra,” and how both relate to her 10+ years of research on virtual/mixed reality (VR/XR.) Ahn describes her amazing research lab where she can run experiments with 10 simultaneous participants in VR, her NIH-funded research on virtual pets for well-ing, why she thinks VR gaming has not taken off but VR for business and other contexts will...
The Avatar Psychology of Pacific Rim (feat. Dr. Andrea Stevenson Won)
August 06, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBIn this episode, Dr. Andrea Stephenson Won and host, Robby Ratan, analyze the film Pacific Rim (SPOILERS!) as it relates to her research in the Virtual Embodiment Lab at Cornell. We discuss the idea of many-to-one avatars (e.g., two-pilot Jaegers,) the psychological effect of proximity perceptions (e.g., does it matter if the pilot is in a mech or not) and the very definition of avatars in consideration of these concepts. She also shares some interesting findings from her research...
Translating Game Studies, VR and the Metaverse for Journalists and the Public (feat. Dr. Maxwell Foxman)
July 30, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBIn this episode, Dr. Maxwell Foxman discusses the connections between his interest in history, journalism and game studies. We dive into his early research, Foursquare (OMG he still uses it!) and his approach to helping journalists understand how to present stories on media (e.g., virtual world use during the pandemic). He explains why virtual reality didn’t take off during the pandemic (e.g., cost, supply chain) and why there is a rift between public perception and scholarly unde...
Avant-Garde Artist, Absurdist VR Developer and Assistant Professor: Dr. Adam Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz
July 23, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBThis week’s guest, Adam Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz, talks about his path from philosophy and avant-garde art, to developing absurdist virtual reality games, to becoming an assistant professor preparing future generations to abstract upon his footsteps. Links to media featured in the interview: https://liszkiewicz.info/projects/Scan.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1u1hMJXQh8&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAh_PNH5RK1VF-vXrANLElQ About this week's guest: Adam Sulzdorf-...
From Production Studies to Serious Games (feat. Dr. Casey O'Donnell)
July 16, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan has a chat with Dr. Casey O'Donnell, a game developer and associate professor at Michigan State University. They chat about Casey's background in science and technology research, game development, MSU's top-ranked game design program for undergrad and professional students, serious games, and -- of course -- avatars. About this week's guest: Dr. Casey O'Donnell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State U...
Avatars and VR for the Workplace (feat. Recent MSU Grad, Ryan Feldman)
July 09, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan has a conversation with Ryan Feldman, the senior unity developer XR specialist for Immersed, about his work on a virtual reality office space for at home workers. Immersed is a virtual reality company developing technologies to make a productive workspace in virtual reality. About this week's guest: Ryan Feldman is the senior unity developer XR specialist for Immersed, a virtual reality company developing technologies to remove the barriers of re...
The Intersection of Video Games and Mental Health (feat. Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo)
July 02, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan talks with the Clinical Director of Take This, Raffael Boccamazzo (Dr. B,) about working to destigmatize mental health in the gaming industry and community and providing support for those who need it. About this week's guest: Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo is a doctor of psychology and the clinical director of Take This, a mental health advocacy nonprofit that focuses on the game industry and community. The organization aims to decrease the stigma around...
Cross-Platform Avatars From Ready Player Me (feat. Timmu Tõke)
June 25, 2021 11:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBIn this episode host, Robby Ratan, speaks with the CEO of WOLF3D, Timmu Tõke, about their avatar platform Ready Player Me and their vision to support avatars across multiple platforms from desktop games to virtual reality to video conferences for business meetings. About this week's guest: Timmu Tõke is the CEO and co-founder of WOLF3D. The company was founded in 2014 to build world-class avatar systems. They also created Ready Player Me, a cross-game avatar platform where users ...
A Historical Perspective: From Bell Labs to Analog Avatars (feat. Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan)
June 18, 2021 11:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBThis week host Robby Ratan speaks with his dad, Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan, about his perspective on avatars. They also cover his more than three decades in communications at companies like Bell Labs/AT&T, VocalTec and YellowPages. About this week's guest: Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan spent over three decades in communications. He worked at companies like Bell Labs/AT&T (inventors of the telephone and transistor,) VocalTec (inventors of Voice over IP and the Internet messaging app IC...
On Proteus with Praetorius: A Master's Student's Masterful Perspective on Avatar Effects (feat. Anna Praetorius)
June 11, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBIn this episode, host Robby Ratan and master's student Anna Praetorius talk in-depth about the Proteus Effect and research around avatars. About this week's guest: Anna Praetorius is the first author of "How Avatars Influence User Behavior: A Review on the Proteus Effect in Virtual Environments and Video Games," and a master's student at Reutlingen Univeristy in Reutlingen, Germany. About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interact...
Podcasting for Impact: Lessons From Impact 89FM's General Manager (feat. Jeremy Whiting)
June 04, 2021 11:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBIn this episode, Jeremy Whiting, general manager of Michigan State University's student-run radio station, Impact 89FM, talks about his radio journey, running a college radio station and creating impactful audio work. About this week's guest: Jeremy Whiting is the general manager at Impact 89FM, Michigan State University's student-run radio station. He is the only non-student employee and supports and supervises the over 150 paid and volunteer student staff members while ensuring...
An Introduction to SPARTIE-Cast & What's Next
May 28, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBIn this episode, host Dr. Robby Ratan talks all things SPARTIE-Cast while reviewing the first nine episodes and alluding to what's to come. About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion...
The Proteus Effect, Bias and Body Ownership (feat. Dr. Domna Banakou)
April 24, 2021 04:35 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBThis week is an informative conversation with Domna Banakou on her research trajectory, the Event lab, and the future of avatar research. About this week's guest Domna Banakou is a researcher at the EVENT-LAB in Barcelona. Her research focuses on virtual environments, with a specific focus on how “body ownership illusions” affect people’s perceptions and views. She has a background in Computer Science, receiving her BSc from the Ionian University. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psych...
Pushing the Proteus Effect & Avatar Research (feat. Dr. Domna Banakou)
April 24, 2021 04:35 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBThis week is an informative conversation with Domna Banakou on her research trajectory, the Event lab, and the future of avatar research. About this week's guest Domna Banakou is a researcher at the EVENT-LAB in Barcelona. Her research focuses on virtual environments, with a specific focus on how “body ownership illusions” affect people’s perceptions and views. She has a background in Computer Science, receiving her BSc from the Ionian University. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psych...
Domna Banakou: VR/avatar researcher with very meaningful Proteus effect pubs
April 24, 2021 04:35 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBAbout the SPARTIE Lab:The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion). The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More i...
Prof G on Podcasting, Gaming, and Academia (feat. Scott Galloway)
April 14, 2021 04:22 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBThis week Dr. Robby Ratan speaks with Scott Galloway, a New York University Stern Professor of Marketing, founder of the business ed startup, Section4, author of "THE FOUR, THE ALGEBRA OF HAPPINESS" and "Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity," blogger of "No Mercy / No Malice" and the host of the podcast the "Prof G Show." He’s also been Ratan's parasocial running partner for the past ~year (i.e., his podcasts help distract Ratan from his turtle pace). Galloway shares his though...
Scott Galloway, my parasocial running partner
April 14, 2021 04:22 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBAbout the SPARTIE Lab:The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion). The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More i...
Spartielab Student Spotlight with Ann Desrochers and George McNeill
April 13, 2021 17:46 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBWe are excited to dedicate this episode to two students who have been working with the SPARTIE Lab for most of their time at Michigan State University. In this episode, they discuss some of their lab experiences and what they expect in their future careers. About this week’s guests: Ann Desrochers is a student and Alumni Distinguished Scholar at Michigan State University. She is currently majoring in Experience Architecture and Psychology. She is the President of the MSU Experience...
Gotta Have Faith... in Science
March 30, 2021 00:21 - 1 minute - 2.69 MBThis week, host, Dr. Robby Ratan, performs a rap he wrote for the March for Science in Lansing a few years back as part of a small band (He plays the saxophone). They were kind enough to allow me to insert a nerdy rap into "When the Saints Go Marching." About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologi...
Proteus Effect Rap
March 29, 2021 23:32 - 2 minutes - 3.46 MBHost, Dr. Robby Ratan, decided to switch things up and record a rap (which he sometimes does at the end of research talks) for the podcast. He wrote this Proteus effect rap while on sabbatical in 2019 in Singapore. Shout out to Nanyang Technological University and his many awesome colleagues there for helping his creative juice flow. About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the e...
Conversation with Stephanie Buisine about Proteus Effect Research
March 10, 2021 22:11 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBAbout the SPARTIE Lab:The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion). The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More i...
Proteus Effect and Creativity (feat. Dr. Stephanie Buisine)
March 10, 2021 22:11 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBIn this episode, Dr. Stephanie Buisine chats about her research on the Proteus effect, touching on a study that shows inventor-like avatars (versus street-clothes avatars) lead to more creativity in a brainstorming task ...a personal favorite! About this week’s guest: Dr. Stephanie Buisine is a Research Director at CESI Graduate School of Engineering and CESI School of Management. Her research is about different approaches to innovation using creativity and non-technological proce...
Instructor Social Presence in eLearning (feat. Dr. Sonny Rosenthal)
March 03, 2021 19:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBThis week, Dr. Robby Ratan speaks with his esteemed guest, Dr. Sonny Rosenthal, about Rosenthal’s research on live composite video lectures, touching on his recent publication on the topic and offering insight into current and planned studies. About this week’s guest: Dr. Sonny Rosenthal, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. He received his BA in Communication and Drama at the University of ...
Instructor Social Presence in eLearning
March 03, 2021 19:00 - 44 minutes - 61.2 MBAbout the SPARTIE Lab:The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion). The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More i...
Game Studies: The Past, Present, and Future (feat. Dr. Dmitri Williams & Dr. Mia Consalvo)
February 11, 2021 19:40 - 38 minutes - 53.4 MBDr. Rabindra Ratan speaks with his guests, Dr. Dmitri Williams & Dr. Mia Consalvo, about the history, present, and future of game studies within the current academic and socio-political climates. About this week's guests: Dr. Dmitri Williams, Ph.D., is an associate professor at USC Annenberg, where he teaches courses on technology and society, games and data analytics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2004. His research focuses on the social and economic imp...
Toxicity in Video Games: A Discussion with Dr. Rachel Kowert
January 20, 2021 16:49 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MBIn the inaugural episode of the SPARTIE-Cast, Dr. Rabindra Ratan speaks with his guest, Dr. Rachel Kowert, about the origins and toxic behaviors in gaming communities: harassment, bullying, and gatekeeping, among others. They discuss the social and political ramifications of such behaviors, as well as potential remedies that could be pursued through industry partnerships, STEM initiatives, and future research projects. About the SPARTIE Lab: The Social and Psychological Approaches ...
Toxicity in Video Games (feat. Dr. Rachel Kowert)
January 20, 2021 16:49 - 27 minutes - 38.4 MBIn the inaugural episode of the SPARTIE-Cast, Dr. Rabindra Ratan speaks with guest, Dr. Rachel Kowert, about the origins and toxic behaviors in gaming communities: harassment, bullying and gatekeeping, among others. They discuss the social and political ramifications of such behaviors, as well as potential remedies that could be pursued through industry partnerships, STEM initiatives and future research. About this week's guest: Dr. Rachel Kowert is a psychologist, author, and con...