CMS News Archives

MIT Comparative Media Studies is pleased to announce the following three open positions.

Please note that the first -- the tenure track faculty position -- has its own application requirements, so you cannot apply for it via the MIT jobs website.

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Comparative Media Studies, MIT

MIT's Program in Comparative Media Studies in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Science is seeking a tenure-track assistant professor of media studies to start in the Fall of 2011.

Candidates should have a Ph.D. with a record of significant publication (or the promise thereof), research activity and/or experience relevant to civic media. Relevant areas of specialization include the contemporary practice, history, or theory of one or more of the following: user-generated content; forms of civic engagement such as citizen journalism, journalism and new media, and location-based social networks; innovative uses of media technology; media and democracy; youth culture and media literacies. Fluency in a broader array of theories, histories and practices associated with media studies will be considered a plus.

Applicants should have teaching experience.

Please send a letter of application, C.V., three letters of recommendation, and hard copy samples of your research and publications to Prof. James G. Paradis, Interim Director, Program in Comparative Media Studies, Room E15-331, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.

The application deadline is December 9th, 2010. MIT is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

Assessment Researcher

Apply online at MIT Staffing Services:
http://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=631&ji=2487731&sn=I

ASSESSMENT RESEARCHER, Comparative Media Studies, to assess and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the research projects developed and deployed by MIT's Center for Future Civic Media. Will design and implement center-wide systems to measure the social and technological impact of the tools, applications, and practices developed and identified by the center; analyze and summarize research findings; identify best practices; advise principal investigators on center strategic planning, improvement, and new investment opportunities; and keep PIs apprised of new developments in the assessment and evaluation field and pioneer new standards and methods that impact the field. Will work under the supervision of the principal investigators.

REQUIREMENTS: an advanced degree in assessment and evaluation, media, technology and communities, or other relevant field; at least five years of experience assessing and evaluating the impact of media technology projects in communities and demonstrated ability to develop and implement innovative assessment models; and advanced knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of assessment and evaluation. Position requires experience and fluency in standard quantitative and qualitative assessment methods and the ability to develop innovative metrics for the assessment of the technological, social, and socially networked practices specific to the project's community-based activities. Must demonstrate attention to detail and outstanding analytical, organizational, personal interaction, writing, and communication skills. Seek self-motivated individual who requires minimal supervision and is able to work both independently and as part of a team. MIT-00007247

This is a temporary, appointment through May 31, 2011, with the possibility of extension.

Development Officer

Apply online at MIT Staffing Services:
http://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=631&ji=2485756&sn=I

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, Comparative Media Studies (CMS), to meet CMS' resource development goals of supporting faculty research and funding graduate students, primarily by focusing on institutional sources of giving, i.e., corporate, foundation, and government grants. Will collaborate with faculty members and research staff to develop their research ideas into fundable projects; assess and target development options and opportunities; and work with the director, faculty members, administrative officer, school resource development staff, and MIT central Resource Development to identify, cultivate, and steward prospects and potential funders.

REQUIREMENTS: a bachelor's degree (advanced degree preferred); outstanding persuasive writing skills and ability to clearly articulate complex information and funding priorities; a minimum of five years' grant writing experience, including familiarity with funding opportunities and application processes; documented success securing funding from foundation, corporate, and government sources including new funders; and working knowledge of research resources for foundation, corporate, and government funding sources. Seek experienced grant writer with a clear understanding of how to work both independently and in coordination with a variety of key players--faculty, administrators, and other development staff as needed--to identify potential funding opportunities, produce strategies and proposals, and steward ongoing grants. Experience in higher education and in media-related areas strongly preferred. Exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and oral and written communication skills needed; as are strong diplomacy skills. Must be able to work efficiently under tight deadlines. MIT-00007233-P

Position funded through 6/30/11 with possible contract renewal based on job performance and availability of funds.

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 10:13 AM in Announcements | Permalink

Professor Fox Harrell's research group -- the Imagination, Computation, and Expression (ICE) Lab -- builds computational systems for expressing imaginative stories and concepts -- "phantasmal media" systems.

In particular, his research uses artificial intelligence/cognitive science-based techniques to understanding the human imagination to invent and better understand new forms of computational narrative, identity, games, and related types of expressive digital media. In this talk, he will discuss his recent works and collaborations including the "Living Liberia Fabric," an AI-based interactive video documentary produced in affiliation with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia to memorialize 14 years of civil war, "Generative Visual Renku," an AI-based form of generative animation, and several other projects.

Harrell received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for his project "Computing for Advanced Identity Representation." He is currently completing a book, Phantasmal Media: An Approach to Imagination, Computation, and Expression, for the MIT Press. Harrell is Associate Professor of Digital Media at MIT in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, Comparative Media Studies, and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL).

Download!

Continue reading "Podcast: Fox Harrell and the Imagination, Computation, and Expression Lab " »

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 2:37 PM in Podcast | Permalink

Our Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab's games delve into color theory and recursive learning. Read more at MIT News...

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 3:40 PM in CMS In The Press | Permalink

We've come a long way.

The New York Times Magazine for September 19 has a lengthy article about New York City's Quest to Learn school, an experimental public secondary school that organizes learning around games and other 21st century literacies. The school was founded by our colleague Katie Salen of the New School's Parson School of Design. (An article on learning games that Katie co-authored with Eric Klopfer and me can be found here.)

The Times article does a nice job of describing the school's approach, which I won't summarize in this short piece. Of interest here rather is what the tenor of this article says about the progress that's been made over the last few years in the use of games in education. While the article is even-handed in presenting some counter-arguments to the value of game-based-learning, it strikingly doesn't bend over backwards to engage the most vociferous naysayers but rather addresses an audience that is presumed to be open-minded about the approach. It speaks to a moment when a growing number of citizens are ready to replace the current outmoded factory school with something better, though there is still confusion and disagreement about what should come next. It is a moment that seems ripe with possibilities.

If the article has a short-coming, it is that it undersells the long history of education reform efforts that brought us to this moment. If one doesn't read it carefully, one might assume that the purpose of games in education is to keep kids engaged (i.e., to bribe them to learn), or at best, to teach them wholly new 21st century skills. What is missing is the insight that play and exploration have always been the way we construct new ideas and concepts and that building such a scaffold of interconnected ideas has always been the source of our deepest knowledge and wisdom. This approach to learning does not just apply to generic cognitive skills such as problem-solving but also applies to what we traditionally view as academic disciplines such as math, science, and history. Successful practitioners in these areas have always engaged in playful and inspired ways of thinking and learning that look nothing like the rote memorization and repetition we call "school."

Games may therefore be new and innovative in the context of formal schooling, but the kind of learning we hope to foster is what has fueled human advancement throughout history. That is a case that we in this field must make more forcefully.

--Scot Osterweil

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 2:39 PM in CMS In The Press, Publications | Permalink

In 2007, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's comparative media studies program began offering a course titled "American Pro Wrestling." The same department also offered a course in 2008 exploring American soap operas.

"It was understood that wrestling is a very significant cultural phenomena," said David Thorburn, professor of literature and comparative media studies, when asked about MIT's decision to offer such a course. "The normal reaction for people, when they see in the curriculum things that come from their ordinary lives, like television or wrestling or sports events ... is to think the teacher is pandering to the students, or that the class is intellectually dubious. But it would make perfect sense if a film student or an anthropology student decided to take courses in this sort of thing. They would be learning about other aspects of popular culture."

MSNBC.com: "University undead? Students study zombies in new course"

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 8:49 AM in CMS In The Press | Permalink

CMS prof Nick Montfort says, in short, if you answer no, you haven't been paying attention:

People tend to mean several things by this question. First, can video games be sold by art dealers, appear in galleries and museums and be an accepted part of the art world? They already are: just look at the creations of Cory Archangel, Mark Essen and Eddo Stern. Second, can video games tackle difficult issues and sensitively present us with different perspectives? They already have: see the work of Terry Cavanaugh, Jason Rohrer, Molleindustria and Tale of Tales, and commercial games such as Bully (also called Canis Canem Edit) and Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit). Finally, can video games present an experience of aesthetic beauty that is particular to the medium? Indeed they do: see Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez, a game dedicated to Kandinsky and which I first discovered and played in the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York. It's a great time for those interested in this question to see what work is already out there.

"Can Video Games Be Art?" -- New Scientist, featuring responses from Montfort, Denis Dutton, Jaron Lanier, Jesse Schell, Ian Bogost, and John Sharp

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 11:09 AM in CMS In The Press | Permalink

Download!

From Generoso, over at our GAMBIT Game Lab:

After months of filming and editing I am very happy to announce that "Making a GAMBIT Game" Episode One (in 3 parts) is up today!

Check out the videos at gambit.mit.edu!

Continue reading ""Making a GAMBIT Game" Series Episode One Premieres Today!" »

Posted by Andrew Whitacre at 12:43 PM in Announcements, Podcast, | Permalink