“All Eyes On Flipbooks” by Peace
An observation of how sounds, images, and control of speed can affect the ability to absorb information
A generational shift has been occurring now for some time. In the realm of education, more evidence is being found that would suggest a shift in how students learn from a more traditional style of deep concentration to a type of hyper attention involving a high level of media multi-tasking. “All Eyes On Flipbooks” is an experiment in providing feedback to its viewers on how visual stimulation, as well as the rate of viewing speed, can affect their processes of attaining textual information. Using basic programs such as Microsoft Movie Maker and Microsoft Power point, I created three different installments of picture images and videos that accompany both original and quoted texts, each presented at different rates of speed. As in work published by Young Hae Chang Heavy Industries, a certain amount of skimming is enforced, demanding a bit of cheating by the reader. By juxtaposing all three installments in the same space, the reader can determine if videos are unhelpful or beneficial, if images coinciding with text make the information more memorable or not, and if differentiations in speed greatly affect which parts of the text are best grasped. Completed with visual transitions and effects, the experiment has become a helpful diagnostic tool and a reflection of what attributes of both hyper attention and deep attention are valuable. I will be expectant to see how individuals in the class react to the entire installment and to further explore the concept of durational manipulation in both art and in education.
C.'s perspective on "All Eyes on Flipbooks"
Peace’s e-chapter is relevant to the study of literature because it deals with how time and the surrounding environment of text can influence how you react and read the material. Peace’s e-chapter deals with being able to control the speed of text and visuals of a story in a way similar to Young Hae Chang Heavy Industries’ "Dakota." Peace also examines the theory of “hyper attention” in her e-chapter to further show how some people can work better in an “environment heavy with media input” or a quiet and calm surrounding for deep attention learners, using a example from an article by N. Katherine Hayles. Developing over the course, Peace’s e-chapter has evolved in an organic way. It started as an idea that changed into another direction because of the questions that were asked along the way, as well as the knowledge she had about technology dealing with “flip book”-like ideas and how to go about that idea. I learned from Peace’s e-chapter how much the surroundings can effect and contribute to learning and the absorption of texts. It also brought to my attention the new idea of hyper attention in media studies, and how everyday life is full of hyper attention, whether you chose to acknowledge it or not.
