For the Interaction Design class, I chose the article “COSMIC: A Conversational Interface for Human-AI Music Co-Creation” by Yixiao Zhang, Gus Xia, Mark Levy, and Simon Dixon as artificial intelligence is becoming more and more involved in our everyday lives.
The article describes the software COSMIC, developed as an interface for the creation of music between humans and AI. The AI assistant provides the user with musical ideas, which are developed and refined during communication. The machine learning model is based on a large data base and learns to generate new ideas while using the system. The idea is finally presented to the user and adapted to the user’s preferences by feedback from the user.
The interface has a very clean design and is divided into the five categories:
message tabs
status panel
conversation panel
input panel
preview panel
The interface has a minimalistic design with a clear structure. The design resembles already known platforms and the used icons are clear and easy to understand.
Without going into the technical details, the system is based on the following architecture.
In my opinion, the system arouses my interest to test it. Especially as a person who has no musical background, I can imagine getting a simplified and explorative generation of music ideas in it.
Sources:
COSMIC: A Conversational Interface for Human-AI Music Co-Creation
by Yixiao Zhang, Gus Xia, Mark Levy, and Simon Dixon
In one of my previous blogposts I was talking about the various touchpoints between companies and teenagers. To dive a bit deeper into the topic I analyzed different formats on their performance, strengths and weaknesses. The results are the following:
Selfcheck tests
There are a tons of selfcheck tests online, where people can test theirself on their skills and personality. In the end the test will present you some professions which might suit your strenghts. I tested a few of them and I they are all quite similar. One which stood out (negatively) was “Berufskompass” by AMS.
The design was really unsexy and not really appealing (at least to me). There are inconsitencies in their design propals (e.g. different formats in four sections – list, cards, checkboxes, …)
Some questions at the last part of the test were almost the same – just asked differently.
I would think that lots of the questions were quite difficult to understand. Especially when thinking of young people taking the test
Company website
Companies who train a high number on apprentices each yeat are likely to have a company/job website specifically for apprenticeships. Small businesses mostly have a section in their job offers on their carreer subpages or does not have any vocational positions displayed. The company website of voestalpine.com/lehre has a really clear structure. The provided information is attracting young people as well as their parents. They have an extra section for parents which in my opinion is a good aspect as they are involved (to a certain point) as well.
Social Media is nowadays one of the must haves when it comes to communication and branding of the company. Especially when it comes to addressing young people. A lot of companies are on Facebook, Instagram and even a few businesses are posting on TikTok. Not so many youths are active on Facebook – which makes Instagram and TikTok the number 1 tools.
I found an account on TikTok, which is posting insights of several apprenticeships and jobs.
nice idea of presenting jobs in a really short video
might be very appealing for young people (but I am not to judge)
account is also posting other content which is not related to jobs/work
In my last blog I was looking into the touchpoints between companies and teenagers. There were several ways how the communication takes place. In the following, I am blogging about “practical days” (dt. Berufspraktische Tage/ Schnuppertage).
What are pracitical days?
“On practical days, students observe and perform individual activities in the company for a short period of time and without remuneration. The practical days do not constitute an apprenticeship or any other type of employment relationship.
The practical vocational days enable the students to become acquainted with occupations, to correct false ideas about occupations and to self-critically examine their personal aptitudes and inclinations. In addition, practical vocational days provide the entrepreneur with support in selecting personnel.” [1]
How does the application for the practical days takes place?
For this I am reffering to my blogpost #4 where I interviewed a 14-year old who is attending the “Polytechnische Schule” and is going to start an apprenticeship in autumn 2023. He told me, that they have to do five internships in total. The first ones took place last year a few weeks after they started the semester and the last ones will take place in spring 2023. He spent his pracitcal days in two companies. Each for a week and he knew the companies from his teachers or had a private connection to it. Also there were constantly companies and representatives visiting the school and present their companies and the apprenticeships they offer.
To apply for the pracitcal days the students need to contact the companies themselve – mostly, they get a contact from the teachers who is responsible for apprenticeships in the enterprise. [2]
How does a typical practical day look like?
It always depends on the company but mostly the pupils are watch, ask questions and can try simple activities. The main goal is to get to know the work in a practice orientated environment.
For my next blog article I was looking into how companies are adressing their offered apprenticeships. This time I am keeping it quite short in presenting you my findings.
Well, there were several ways how companies communicate to young adults and teenagers regarding their offered apprenticeships.
Representing the company at fairs and events
Website
Videos (e.g. YouTube, …)
Social Media
Word of Mouth
Bulletin Board (Schwarzes Brett)
Flyers/Poster
Vocational Information Centres (e.g. BIZ, AMS, WKO, … )
In this blog article I want to find out more about gamification and it’s implementation in learning environments.
What is gamification?
The most known definition of gamification was created by Deterding et al in the year 2011. The authors explained the term as “the use of game design elements in non-game contexts”. [1] The aim of the concept is to improve the participation, motivation, engagement and loyalty. [2] Also Gartner Hype Cycle included it in their annual Trends in the year 2013 and 2014 as “the business buzz-word” of the year. [3]
How is gamification implemented in learning environments?
Gamification of education is a tactic for boosting participation by including game components in a learning setting. The aim is to achieve levels of engagement comparable to those that games can typically produce. Gamification’s primary objectives are to improve certain skills, introduce learning objectives, engage students, maximize learning, assist behavior change, and socialize.[4]
In reality, there is a wide variety of aspects that games can include, and various players are drawn to different elements. Dr. Nick Yee, a researcher, suggested the following method for modeling the components of what drives gamers:
Action (e.g., objectives)
Social (e.g., competition)
Mastery (e.g., scoring)
Achievement (e.g., awards)
Immersion (e.g., roleplaying)
Creativity (e.g., customisation)
Even if the final product isn’t technically a game, a lesson has been gamified when educators incorporate characteristics like those listed into it. Some features, like scoring and badges, are often used.[5]
Bibliography
[1] Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: defining “Gamification”. MindTrek ’11, Proceedings from the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, (pp. 9-15).
For my following blog post I was looking into where pupils acquire their needed information for vocational programs. To get a deeper insight, I was interviewing 2 people at the age of thirteen and fourteen, on what is their opinion on finding the needed information regarding apprenticeships or secondary schools. The interview was held in german.
For those who are not familiar with the term of “Polytechnische Schule” and “vocational orientation”, you can find the description below the interviews.
For my first interview, I was interviewing a 14-old boy who is currently attending “Polytechnische Schule” in Reutte. In autumn 2023 he will start an apprenticeship.
Nadja: You are currently visiting the “Polytechnische Schule” in Reutte. How does the subject vocational oraining proceed in your school?
Interviewee 1: In the “Polytechnischen Schule” there are two special fields which are: the technical cluster and the service cluster. Both of them contain three subclusters. For the technical cluster there are: wood and construction, electronics and IT and metal. In the service cluster there are: tourism, trade and offices and health- and social services.
When the semester started we chose three sectors and there we joined each of them for a week. Afterwards we had a talk with the head of the subclusters, we intended to choose. In the end, they deciced, if we fit into the faculty. I chose the cluster metal. We have several subjects which are necessary for this sector, for instance sciences, informatics or studio workshop, there we work with our hands and build workpieces.
After the first three weeks we needed to do a two-week internship at two different companies. We chose the companies, we are interested in. We knew these companies through our teachers or had private connections. Also there were constantly companies and representatives visiting the school and present their companies and the apprenticeships they offer. At the end of the semester, we will have another intership week. But I don’t know yet, in which company I want to do my internship.
Nadja: Where do you get the information from for the apprenticeships you are interested in?
Interviewee1: I get the information mostly from the teachers in school, in the context of the subject “vocational orientation” or from my parents.
Nadja: Do you feel enough informed about the different vocational programs?
Interviewee1: Yes, I do feel informed enough. I live in a small region where I know a lot of people work in different companies and I can ask them directly, if I want to know something. Also we have a close connection with the teachers and we can ask them anytime.
Nadja: What do you think of how the companies communicate to youths?
Interviewee1: I think it is quite good and I feel informed well enough. But I also think, that they should communicate more on Social Media. Especially me and my friends are on TikTok and Instagram all the time.
Nadja: Who do you address if you need further information?
Interviewee1: I can always talk to my parents and they are supporting me anytime. Also teachers in school are very supportive in those matters.
For my second interview, I was interviewing a 13-old girl who is currently attending “Neue Musik Mittelschule Weiz”. In autumn 2023 she will attend further school in Graz.
Nadja: You are currently visiting the “Neue Musik Mittelschule” in Weiz. How does the subject vocational orientation proceed in your school?
Interviewee2: We do have the subject Vocational Training for 2 years now. Several companies and representatives of highschools visit our school. Also the whole class made an excursion and visited companies and highschools.
Nadja: Where do you get the information from for the apprenticeships or highschools you are interested in?
Interviewee2: I get my information mainly at school and through my own research. The other day I went to the education fair in Graz together with my mother. There I also received more information and insights.
Nadja: What do you think of how the companies communicate to youths?
Interviewee2: In my opinion the communication is really exciting. I learnt a lot from the representatives or the education fair in Graz.
Nadja: Who do you address if you need further information?
Interviewee2: If I need further information, I am going to adress my parents or a teacher.
Terms
Polytechnische Schule:
The Polytechnische Schule is a one-year mandatory general education school in the Austrian education system that follows the 8th grade. Its primary purpose is vocational preparation. [1]
Vocational Orientation:
Vocational orientation is a process that has two sides. On the one hand, we have the young people who are seeking to orient themselves towards their own interests, competences and objectives. The other side consists of the requirements of the world of work, to which the young people are guided. Both of these sides constantly need to be rebalanced. Vocational orientation provision supports young people in mastering this process. [2]
For my third blog entry I am taking a closer look into the status quo situation regarding apprenticeships in Austria.
Apprenticeship training procedure
In Austria, apprenticeships are strucutres as a “dual system”. The training takes place in the company and in a vocationals school. For around 80 % the training is spend at the company and 20 % taking place at the vocational school. At the vocational school appretices get theoretical skills thaught, which are needed to pass the apprenticeship. The subjects depend on the chosen industry. The aim of training at vocational schools is to supplement the technical training in the company, to improve the general education of the trainees and to acquire foreign language skills tailored to the training occupation.
The vocational schools can be divided in to three types:
All year-round: apprentices attend classes at least once a weak for the whole year
Course-based: apprentices attend a course over a specific period of time
Seasonal: Training is delivered in blocks at a certain time of the year. [1]
In Austria, apprenticeships are the most common type of primary vocational training. It offers the opportunity to obtain various qualifications in addition to become a skilled worker. For instance, an apprenticeship can be finished concurrent with the “Matura” or new skills can be aquired through a variety of alternative training programs. [2]
Facts and figures
In 2021, 107,593 teenagers were undergoing an apprenticeship. Compared to 2011, there were 128,082 people in apprenticeship training. [3]In recent years, a rapid decrease in apprentices has been recorded. The reasons for this are that the number of young people aged 15-19 is steadily decreasing and the number of apprenticeship companies is decreasing. Many young people decide to pursue further education because of the wide range of schools being offered. In 1980, 70% of young people started an apprenticeship and in 2018 only 40%.
Most apprentices are trained in the commerce and trade sectors, followed by industry and trade. In 2021, around 107,500 apprentices were undergoing training in around 29,000 companies. Most apprentices are in Upper Austria (20,9%), followed by Vienna (16,1%), Lower Austria (15,9%) and Styria (14.2%).
Among girls, the most popular apprenticeships are: retail trade, office clerk and hairdresser/wigmaker. This concerns 43.3% of all female apprentices in Austria. It is therefore worthwhile for every young person to also think about alternative apprenticeship occupations in order to increase their chances of finding permanent employment. 35.1 % of all boys choose modular apprenticeships in metal technology, electrical engineering or automotive engineering.[4]
For my further research, I will go deeper into different media approaches and ways of gathering information, as well as the importance of gamification. To get a better understanding of the topic in general, we need to take a few steps back and will focus on some term
Information
In information theory the definition of information is that the sender conveys knowledge to the receiver via an information channel. The receiver acquires knowledge through this process. This can be done through signals and codes. In most cases, the used channel is a medium. [1]
Media
“Media” is translated from latin and means “middle”. Thus, a medium in interpersonal communication is a intermediary element that may consist of speech, signs, or characters. The medium through which information is passed from one person to another. [2]
Like most other terms, a unified differentiation of “media” is not given. Scientist have set different focuses and tried to categorize media. One of the most known is from Harry Pross. He defined the variety of media in to the following categories:
Primary media: These are the media of “basic human contact”, for instance language, facial expressions, gestures and body posture, etc. Interaction partners communicate directly with each other.
Secondary media: Most of the interaction partners use technical support for communication. Posters, Books and Newspapers are some examples.
Tertiary media: Both parties need to have technical support to communicate. For example electronic mass media, radio, computers, TV’s and telecommunication.
Quaternary media: The fourth category have been extended in later stages. It means that, that both sender and receiver require an Internet connection. With this type of medium, there is no longer a classic sender-receiver role, but an interactive exchange. [3]
Media categories
A distinction is often made between analog and digital media. The terms “new media” and “interactive media” are often used here.
Analog media: the user actively interacts with analog media by turning them on and off, reading them, and so on. These are print media (media in printed form, such as books, newspapers, magazines, posters, etc.), audio cassettes, VHS tapes, CDs, records, etc.
Digital media are electronic media that react to the user. An interaction between user and medium is possible. These can be used for recording, storage, the presentation of digital content and much more. These are, for example, PCs with Internet access, tablets, computer and console games, smartphones, digital television, and many more. [4]
New media: The term has been used for a long time to describe innovations in communication technology, i.e., media that have just appeared. In the 1970s, this was the video cassette. [5]
Interactive media: Media can also be differentiated according to the participation possibilities of the users. The term interactive media therefore expresses that these media have a high degree of interactivity potential. [6]
Gamification
The implementation of game mechanics in non-game situations with the intention of improving the operations and the experiences of people engaged is referred to as “gamification.” Because it has the ability to make learning more engaging, “gamification” has recently become a buzzword in education and training. [7]
Let’s reminisce back in the days, when you were 14 years old. You just finished Secondary Modern school, and you are about to make (professional) decisions which might have a huge impact for the rest of your life. Not an easy one. You might get a lot of information about different school types and vocational programs in school, on educational fairs or find them online. Especially when looking for a vocational program, you might get tons of theoretical information, but how these jobs will look like in real life is often very difficult to imagine.
A wide variety of media can be used to present information. Most of these media approaches provide a very superficial impression and the chances to get deeper insights into the job are quite low.
For this topic, I was inspired by my nephew. He is 14 years old and currently attending the “Polytechnische Schule”. Next fall he will start a vocational program, but where he will end up is not defined yet. In the first semester of his last year at school the pupils have two weeks in total to get deeper insights first experiences into the chosen companies. It is their choice where they want to go but the options are limited especially in the region where I grew up. When I was in the same situation if I want to continue attending further school or choosing a vocational program, I did not really know what I want to become. I was still motivated to learn and therefore I chose to get further education. Even though I had access to all the information I needed, I was not able to get a more practical insight into different programs and jobs.
Therefore, I was asking myself, how can pupils at the age between 12 and 15 get a more and deeper insights into different vocational programs. First ideas which go into the direction of Virtual Environment (VE) have been researched but need to be more examined. For further research I want to analyze different media approaches and kinds of infotainment.
Sources
Checa, David, und Andres Bustillo. „A review of immersive virtual reality serious games to enhance learning and training“. Multimedia Tools and Applica- tions 79, Nr. 9 (1. März 2020): 5501–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-019- 08348-9.
Ferguson, Chris, Egon L. van den Broek, und Herre van Oostendorp. „On the role of interaction mode and story structure in virtual reality serious games“. Computers & Education 143 (1. Januar 2020): 103671. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103671.
Makransky, Guido, Gustav Petersen, und Sara Klingenberg. „Can an Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Increase Students’ Interest and Career Aspirations in Science?“ British Journal of Educational Technology 51 (22. April 2020). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12954.
Österreichische Gewerkschaftsjugend. „Zahlen & Fakten zur Lehre“, o. J. https://www.oegj.at/meine-situation/ich-bin-lehrling/fakten-zur-lehre.
Veermans, Koen, und Tomi Jaakkola. „Pedagogy in Educational Simulations and Games“. In VR, Simulations and Serious Games for Education, herausge- geben von Yiyu Cai, Wouter van Joolingen, und Zachary Walker, 5–14. Singa- pore: Springer Singapore, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2844- 2_2.
