Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2008 - 56

Set-Spectrum

would be able to learn and start using the project's materials
reasonably fast.

by designing the
project,
I aimed to answer the question
of how
in cultural heritage research...

pilot testing and evaluation

new media technology can help

In order to assess the accessibility and overall effectiveness of
the Set-SPECTRUM project in visually enhanced knowledge delivery, an anonymous survey was undertaken at the University of
Warwick (U.K.) and given to the MA International Design and
Communication Management students on November 29, 2006.
This pilot testing was performed under the Visual Analysis and
Interpretation module as a Design Evaluation practical exercise,
which is an important part of this MA's curriculum. Fifteen students were divided into three groups of five people. Although
there were certain limitations to this research activity-e.g., the
small number of the participants and their affiliation with the SetSPECTRUM project's author as a module leader-the results of
the evaluation were encouraging.
All students agreed upon the clarity and informativity of
the project's content and the consistency of its format. Only
one respondent was undecided about the ease of interacting
with the project's resources and navigation through its content,
while the rest confirmed that it was fairly straightforward. The
majority of participants (87%) reported that it was simple to
navigate the 3D set-model, especially after reading the Help
section's explanations. Fourteen students (one was undecided)
found the Set-SPECTRUM project's visual presentation techniques crucial for the understanding of the essential elements
of The Divine Comedy set design. An unexpected result of this
survey was that one third of the students were undecided about
whether the Quiz section is a necessary part of this project.
They generally agreed upon the usefulness of the Discussion
Questions section, but found the Quiz part rather tedious. At
the end, however, all participants expressed strong interest in
using similar innovative computer-based products for educational purposes.
The results of this survey indicated the genuine interest
of the students in the new modes of learning introduced by the
Set-SPECTRUM project. Certainly, it is unreasonable to assume
that the above data are representative, because a convenience
sampling method (Gillham 2000, 18) was used for the expediency of this research, in order to acquire a gross estimate of
the results. It should be noted, however, that this approach is
widely applied by many researchers to collect valuable information especially in a pilot study, therefore, it was found very
useful and even necessary for this particular case.

(fig. 6). Windows Media Player is used for playing this animation in a separate window, allowing users to slow down play-time,
apply slow motion or step-frame facilities, and also re-play the
animation option. The Interaction subsection gives the viewers a
further opportunity to interact with the 3D model. Here, all necessary information is given on how to navigate the model and interact with the lighting, using various window controls. Direct 3D 9.0
Library was used to render 3D graphics for the digital stage-model, control the lighting, and navigate the cameras (fig. 7). The 3D
programming for the set-model navigation has been conducted in
IDE (Integrated Development Environment) Visual Studio 2005,
using C Sharp object-oriented programming language. It was decided to employ a flexible text format Extensible Markup Language
(XML) for creating and storing three sources of lighting, which
users can employ creatively for illuminating the 3D stage-model
from various viewpoints. In order to run the 3D navigation option,
it is necessary to have Net.Framework V2.0 installed.
The Photo Gallery allows the users to look at the 2D and 3D
imagery in retrospective, following the process of creation of The
Divine Comedy design from the early sketches to the computergenerated model (fig. 9).
The Study Corner section aims to boost creative thinking,
research, and analysis activities, encouraging students to share
their thoughts about the subject and empowering them to see
themselves as active and necessary participants in their own
learning. It is designed to facilitate learners' peer discussions
and promote conceptual development and meaning-making in
the domain of theatre design. The Quiz part is a diagnostic instrument for assessing students' conceptual understanding and
knowledge of the subject. Learners make their predictions using
a multiple-choice format with the correct answers given at the
end. In addition, a list of a selection of academic sources used
in the project is provided here. Finally, the Contact and Structure
parts contain the contact information for the author of the project
and her collaborators and an outline of how the Set-SPECTRUM
is organized for easy browsing.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 was used for assembling and
presenting the Set-SPECTRUM project as a coherent whole. For
the last few years, this computer program has become the dominant presentation tool, especially in the educational world. It is
expected that many potential users of the Set-SPECTRUM project would already be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint or they

concluding remarks
The visualization of knowledge using new media technologies
is a principal factor for advancing theatre education and research practices. As there is little previous work, addressing
the problem of employing the technologies of computation as a
tool for the reconstruction of "lost" scenographic artifacts and
simultaneously as a knowledge delivery, research and creative
platform appears to exist, there is a strong need to concentrate

2008

theatre

design

technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2008