Latest Media psychology Podcast Episodes
Discussion with Dr. Jessica Vitak about Data Ethics, Privacy, and Algorithmic Bias
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - April 28, 2023 21:00 - 39 minutesIn 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 bl...
Discussion with Dr. Andrew Gambino about chatbots and AI
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - April 27, 2023 21:45 - 43 minutesIn 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 intera...
The meta-burst! How experiential learning in VR can lead to an explosion of opportunities for the future of education.
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - May 05, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutesRobby 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. Abou...
The Metaverse has Arrived, Hello Classes in VR, Goodbye Zoom Fatigue …April Fools!
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - April 28, 2022 11:00 - 1 hourThis 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 “metav...
Lessons from Games Studies for the Metaverse (ft. Dr. Dmitri Williams & Dr. Aaron Trammell)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - March 31, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutesGames 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 foundationa...
Super Boss of the International Communication Association, Laura Sawyer.
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - February 24, 2022 15:57 - 44 minutesLaura 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 Conferenc...
The Answer is Gray: Is Gaming Good or Bad for Us? (feat., Dr. Vasileios Stavropoulos)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - January 27, 2022 12:00 - 38 minutesDr. 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 effect...
Space Yogi Extraordinaire, Master of Meta-tation, Dr. Carrie Heeter.
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - January 06, 2022 12:00 - 36 minutesFor 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...
The History of Distance Learning (feat. Dr. Steve Yelon)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - December 16, 2021 12:00 - 50 minutesOur 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 ...
Kids & VR: Why VR makes Simon Says harder and Education better (feat. Dr. Jakki Bailey)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - December 02, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutesDr. 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 ...
Media selection as Strategy to Optimize Well-being (ft. Dr. Allison Eden)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - November 18, 2021 12:00 - 42 minutesDr. 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 soci...
Meaningful Play, the GEL Lab, Will Winn Games, and Plunder Panic (ft. Prof. Brian Winn)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - November 04, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutesThis 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 co...
History & Future of Remote Work, Business Metaverse & Nano Tech (feat. Dr. Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - October 21, 2021 11:00 - 50 minutesDr. 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 ...
Dr. Robby gets Interviewed About the Metaverse by Prof. Roxana Girju
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - October 07, 2021 11:00 - 59 minutesCROSSOVER 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 an...
(Social) Architects of the Metaverse (feat. Founders Sonya Seddarasan and Dr. Pierre Gerard)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 30, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutesThe 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-plat...
Student Spotlight: How to get a PhD in Game Studies (feat. Yiming Skylar Lei)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 23, 2021 11:00 - 37 minutesIn 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....
Dr. Kelly Tran: Game Designer, Researcher, Streamer, Player
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 16, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutesIn 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 impac...
Dr. Sarah Hays on Geek Therapeutics, Clinical Therapy With Video Games and Avatars for Well-being
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 09, 2021 11:00 - 46 minutesThis 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 movemen...
Dr. Jorge Peña on VR Milgram Shock Experiment, Westworld, Black Mirror and the Metaverse
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 03, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutesIn 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 experi...
Dr. Jorge Peña on VR Milgram shock experiment, Westworld, Black Mirror and the Metaverse
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - September 03, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutesIn 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 experi...
Cecilia D'Anastasio (of Wired) on Identity Exploration, Empowerment and Metaverse Skepticism
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - August 27, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutesIn 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 Me...
Wired Games Journalist Cecilia D'Anastasio on Identity Exploration, Empowerment and Metaverse Skepticism
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - August 27, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutesIn 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 Me...
Learning in VR, Ready Player One and the Origins of “Avatar” (feat. Dr. Edward Downs)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - August 20, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutesIn 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...
On the Metaverse, Virtual Pets and Memories of Alhambra (feat. Dr. Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - August 13, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutesIn 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 c...
The Avatar Psychology of Pacific Rim (feat. Dr. Andrea Stevenson Won)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - August 06, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutesIn 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 ...
Translating Game Studies, VR and the Metaverse for Journalists and the Public (feat. Dr. Maxwell Foxman)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - July 30, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutesIn 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., virtu...
Avant-Garde Artist, Absurdist VR Developer and Assistant Professor: Dr. Adam Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - July 23, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutesThis 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 intervi...
From Production Studies to Serious Games (feat. Dr. Casey O'Donnell)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - July 16, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutesIn 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 p...
Avatars and VR for the Workplace (feat. Recent MSU Grad, Ryan Feldman)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - July 09, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutesIn 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 workspa...
The Intersection of Video Games and Mental Health (feat. Dr. Raffael Boccamazzo)
SPARTIE-Cast with Dr. Robby Ratan - July 02, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutesIn 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 i...
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