The School of Media Studies and Information Technology is proud and honoured to announce that on August 30th 2016, Kris Alexander successfully completed his Ph.D. in Education: Educational Technology.
Kris’ thesis title was:
“Video Game Design & Interactivity: The Semiotics of Multimedia in Instructional Design”
With this dissertation, he developed the first creation-as-research thesis accepted in the Department of Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. This research methodology recognizes an interconnected process of creation and research as part of the development of artifacts that aim to directly enhance the discourse of a specified discipline.
His work examines the semiotics & cultural nuances of multimedia and interactivity within the context of instruction, focusing on theoretical and practical representations in video game design. There are 4 parts to this thesis:
- A traditional written document
- A 15-module online course in video game design entitled Gaming, Interactive, and Multiplatform Media
- 15 summary videos of the online course in video game design
- The performative creation-as-research dissertation presentation.
This thesis highlights the teaching practices surrounding video game design principles, while emulating those design principles as part of the instructional design, and submitted materials. The 4 parts of this thesis, collectively, are a manifestation of the findings in the written component, which suggests that video games, through their innate interactivity via the inclusion of multimedia as part of their design, hold critical implementation frameworks for course-based instructional design, when multimedia is used as part of the instructional process.
Humber is proud to feature some of Kris’ work in the Multiplatform Storytelling for Creative Producers and Screenwriters post graduate certificate course, as we prepare a new generation of storytellers, who recognize the engagement potential that video games hold. We are also proud to see Kris’ work continue through his first publication in the Globe & Mail, where he discusses some of the hidden cultural nuances of Pokémon Go*.
Congratulations to Kris on this milestone accomplishment!