Barr, T. (2002) “The Internet and Online Communication�?, in S. Cunningham and G. Turner (eds.) The Media and Communications in Australia, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, pp. 244-257. ISBN 1865086746
This chapter explores the self-publishing nature of the Internet and the avenues that the Internet opens for creators of content for the Web. Barr describes the Internet both as a source of information, and as a creative medium. A brief history of the Internet is given, as well as how quickly and how much it has grown over time. Barr contrasts the Internet with traditional broadcast media, and outlines the differences in control over content. He argues that there is no centralised content control of the Internet, whereas traditional media are still subject to issues of ownership and control. Barr considers how the “norms of public taste are being redefined in the age of the Internet,�? (p. 247), and how creativity and diversity on the Web have contributed to this. A discussion on the ethics of self-publishing follows, as well as the issues in restricting access to inappropriate content on the Web. This resource will be useful because it offers a perspective on Australian media regulation and the effects of new media technologies on traditional broadcasting models, in addition to issues of self-publishing.
Bundy, W. M. (2002) “The Nature of Creativity�?, in W. M. Bundy Innovation, Creativity and Discovery, Westport: Quorum Books, pp. 42-50. ISBN 1567205690
This resource will be useful as an in-depth description of the nature of creativity. The chapter clearly outlines the personality traits and characteristics of creative people, the social environment in which creativity is most prolific, the brain wave phenomena that occurs when creativity is generated, and gives an historical overview of the conditions required to generate physical manifestations of creativity. Bundy also comments on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for developing creative ideas into physical forms. This resource will provide useful information on creativity as a starting point from which to work. Although this resource has limited discussion on creativity and technology, it does set the parameters of human-only creativity, which will serve as a base for comparison with human-technology creativity.
Dartnell, T. (2004) Creativity, retrieved August 3 2005 from [1]
This resource is an editorial style essay that discusses the arguments for and against the theory that computers themselves can be creators of content. The author considers whether the creative content generated by computers in independent from, or dependent on, human input. One argument Dartnell puts forward is that computers merely follow instructions from humans; however, it is possible both to follow instructions and be creative at the same time. Another argument is that humans created computers; therefore, whatever computers create came from humans. Dartnell then counter-argues that creativity is not automatically ‘passed on’ from creator to creation. The essay also discusses the role of computers as an input-output device, and that computers are predictable. The counter-argument is that it is possible to predict that computers can create, but not what they will create. Dartnell explains the difference between psychological creativity (novel to the individual) and historical creativity (novel to mankind.) This resource is relevant to my topic because it discusses the various debates and arguments that surround technology and creativity, and provides various perspectives for consideration.
Edmonds, E., Fischer, G., Mountford, S. J., Nake, F., Riecken, D. and Spence, R. (1995) Creativity Interacting with Computers, retrieved on 3 August 2005 from [2]
This resource is an assessment of how computers and creativity interact, and multiple academics have contributed their own arguments to the general discussion of the topic. The position statements of the authors are:
This resource is relevant and significant to my topic because it provides the varied opinions of several academics in the field, who are experienced in both software design and developing creativity in humans. The above position statements (a mere summary of a more detailed document) provide a comprehensive overview of the variety of arguments and debates that exist around the concept of the emergence of technology and creativity.
Greene, S. L. (2002) “Characteristics of applications that support creativity,�? Communications of the ACM vol. 45, no. 10, pp. 100-104.
This journal article takes a case study approach to developing a comprehensive list of the characteristics that technology should have in order to support creative processes in humans. It begins with theoretical overviews of creativity, creative environments, and the levels on which computer tools can facilitate creativity. The article then discusses two points of view, with regard to technology and creativity. One view is that technological tools were created to support the development of creative end-user systems (p. 100). The other view is that systems were developed to engender creativity in their end users (p. 100). The resource consistently uses case study conclusions to develop applicable theory to the topic of the impact of technology on creativity. Greene also gives a comprehensive list of the characteristics of tools that support creativity. This article will make a significant contribution to my topic because it utilises case studies to develop theories that support various aspects of my topic.
Laplante, P. and Flaxman, H. (1995) “The Convergence of Technology and Creativity in the Corporate Environment,�? IEEE Transactions on Professional Communications vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 20-23.
This resource is a critique on the convergence of technology and creativity, as the title suggests. The article first discusses the human tendency to simplify life and the environment around them into a condensed, easy-to-understand version, and the advent of technology has proliferated this tendency. The authors also comment that engineering advances are “influencing, and being influenced by, creative technique.�? (p. 20). Laplante and Flaxman then discuss technical convergence and corporation models. They explain how the landscape of corporate communication has been altered with digital technologies, and how communication has become more creative with technological tools. The authors also comment on the drawbacks of technical convergence, describing the effects of over-simplifying, the possibility of visuals misrepresenting information, and overloading people with too much information that the value of that information is lost. This article is important to my topic because it explores the corporate angle of creativity and technology, and discusses the social implications of the convergence between the two.
Loveless, A. M. (2004) Literature Review in Creativity, New Technologies and Learning, retrieved 4 August 2005 from [3]
This resource is an online report that examines creativity and how new media technologies are either supporting creativity, or facilitating creativity. Loveless developed distinct sub-sections to discuss various aspects of these topics. Relevant sub-sections to my chosen topic include:
This resource is valuable because it critically assesses various points of view, with regard to the topic, and argues clearly and concisely detailed aspects of the topic. It is a recent investigation into the discipline, which is in constant fluctuation, and is from a reliable source. The ideas and arguments brought forward by this report are consistent with other accountable resources, and offer a unique perspective.
Rada, R. (1995) “Human – Computer Interaction�? in R. Rada Interactive Media, New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 11-20. ISBN 0387944850
This resource is a chapter that discusses the various elements in human-computer interaction, including:
Other sections in this chapter that are relevant include:
These sections provide detailed information on the various aspects of human-computer interaction, and the chapter discusses the practical uses of computers in the everyday lives of humans. There are several technical processes described that provides a comprehensive understanding of basic computing input and output methods. Rada also outlines three major creative stages that are applicable to computing:
This resource is relevant to my topic because it provides a conceptual overview of computer applications, and provides an understanding of how computers respond to human input and how computers generate output as a result of that input. The chapter is important because it provides a base knowledge of computers that can be analysed and interpreted for the purposes of my topic. The technological aspect of the topic is vital to develop an understanding of creative output, which is what my encyclopedic entry will address.
Rosenberg, R. S. (2004) “Computers and the Human Imagination�? in R. S. Rosenberg The Social Impact of Computers. (3rd ed.). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press, pp. 35-66. ISBN 0125971303
This resource is a contemporary review of the development of technology and the role of computers in the creative fields of visual arts, filmmaking, photography, and music. Rosenberg discusses the various methodologies of creating computer-generated art, music, and film. The chapter takes an in-depth look at examples of common ‘robotic’ themes in literature that explores the tendency of humans to wish to see life in inanimate objects. There is also an extensive discussion of recent creative endeavours that were inspired by computers and technology, such as Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The chapter also examines the context of artificial intelligence (AI), and gives a short history of the development of AI. Rosenberg then leads into recent artificial intelligence developments, and looks at possible future scenarios of those developments. A comprehensive examination of the arguments for and against AI is given to summerise the critical points of creativity in computers. The conclusion to the chapter states that debate is still active as to “whether or not computers can or could think.�? (p. 63). This resource will be useful in exploring technology and creativity because it is objective and takes critical arguments into consideration. The chapter closely studies recent examples of the impact of computers on creativity, which provides the reader with a clear understanding of the author’s main arguments.
Lisa Irving 12:59, 11 Aug 2005 (EST)
