Digital Commons Network^™

Dei Can Be Consistent With Catholicism, But It Promotes A Culture That Excludes Faithful Christians, Derek M. Doroski

Christian Engineering Conference

ABET’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be consistent with Catholic teachings specifically and Bible-rooted Christianity in general, but ABET’s DEI culture is an anti-Christian culture. In this paper I argue that

a) Christians can faithfully fulfill the current legal requirements of ABET DEI

b) ABET supports behaviors that are inconsistent with Christianity (these are not legal ABET requirements, but part of the ABET culture)

c) It is likely that ABET believes anti-Christian practices are part of DEI

d) Even if ABET DEI can be acceptable to Christians, it sends a message that faithful Christians are not welcome

e) While …

Incorporating Abet Student Outcomes 2 And 4 Into Christian Engineering Curricula, Philip P. Graybill, Camilo Giraldo, Philip M. Tan, Brian Swartz

Christian Engineering Conference

The ABET student outcomes require that engineering programs assess students’ ability to consider public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors in engineering design. Furthermore, students must demonstrate their ability to consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. While these requirements may initially feel like a burden, at least in the sense that more is required in program assessment, they present an opportunity for Christian engineering programs to further emphasize their distinctive approach to educating engineers. Incorporating these important topics into the curriculum in a meaningful way …

Queries For The Design Norms, Michael Foster, Luann Foster, Kayt Frisch

Christian Engineering Conference

Engineers create technologies that shape the behaviors, priorities, and values of the user; for example, features of a road can be designed to encourage drivers to drive fast or to drive slowly, to watch for pedestrians or not, to encourage biking or not. It is not always easy to identify the values that a design fosters. To address this need, the authors of the 1986 book, Responsible Technology (RT) [1] derived eight principles from Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd’s “Aspects of Reality,” which is part of his Philosophy of the Cosmonomic Idea [2]. They asserted that the principles, which …

Faith Meets Innovation: Ai Tools Reshaping Christian Engineering Higher Education, Tim Gilmour, Justus Selwyn

Christian Engineering Conference

In the era of global Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration across diverse fields, its influence has extended into the educational landscape of Colleges and Universities. Within Higher Education, where pedagogical approaches emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, logical reasoning, solution design, and product development, AI and its associated tools play a pivotal role, significantly impacting the fundamental learning processes of students. These tools seamlessly infiltrate classrooms, laboratories, and assignments, functioning as valuable assistant tools designed to enhance overall learning experiences.

Discussions in various forums, task forces, faculty meetings, and literature have raised pertinent questions regarding the embrace or skepticism towards AI in education. …

Membership Meeting And Closing Ceremonies, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon

While the Members’ Meeting portion of Mythcon will be of interest primarily to members of the Mythopoeic Society, all conference participants are welcome to attend. Led by the Mythopoeic Society Stewards, the meeting will announce and discuss timely and necessary Society topics. Following the meeting, we will host our traditional leave-taking closing ceremonies which feature singing songs dear to Mythcon regulars. Words and music at: https://mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-closing-songs.htm Members’ Meeting and Closing Ceremonies take place Monday morning, 11:15 am - 1 pm in the Terrace Rooms.

Wisdom And Life Lessons In The Works Of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury, And David R. Slayton, Phillip Fitzsimmons

Mythcon

In keeping with the conference theme Fantasies of the Middle Lands, I will present on the magical use of the imagination, commonplace wisdom, and life lessons to be found in the science fiction and fantasy works of three authors from Middle America whose works span a century of science fiction and fantasy: Edgar Rice Burroughs, (1875-1950) and Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), both from Illinois, and David R. Slayton (in the present), a relatively new author originally from Oklahoma. The works of Burroughs and Bradbury were significant in making me both a reader and a re-reader of books. Their works— especially Burroughs’ …

Discussion Of The Mythopoeic Society Fantasy And Scholarship Award Nominees And Winners, David Lenander

Mythcon

David Lenander, who served on all of the Awards committees, leads a discussion of the finalists this year, hopefully joined by a few of the other committee members

Guest Of Honor And Mythopoeic Society Awards, The Mythopoeic Society

Mythcon

AUTHOR GUEST OF HONOR ADDRESS and MYTHOPOEIC SOCIETY AWARDS (plus Clerihew Awards and Golfimbul Awards)

Before And After: Editing A Collection Through The Pandemic, Cami Agan

Mythcon

At Mythcon in San Diego (2019, the “before time”), the Stewards approved my proposal for the collection of essays entitled Cities and Strongholds of Middle-earth; Essays on the Habitations of Tolkien’s Legendarium from Mythopoeic Press. I will discuss the process of soliciting contributors, compiling, cajoling, editing, developing the introduction, proofing the volume, working with MythPress editors, as well as discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic affected/ affects the process of publication, and offer a general overview of the volume itself, which [Varda willing!] will be available for order at Mythcon53.

Desert Power: Decolonization Of The Fremen Narrative In Dune: Part Two, Tim Lenz

Mythcon

In Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 (2024), being the middle part of a planned film trilogy, the audience receives extensive exposure to the indigenous people of the planet Arrakis, the desert-dwelling Fremen. Compared to the source material, Frank Herbert’s science fiction masterwork Dune (1965), the portrayal of the Fremen people deviates significantly in the film adaptation. This paper will contrast depictions of Fremen belief, culture, and characters between the original novel and the 2024 film, and will argue that the recent adaptation portrays a partially-decolonized narrative of the Fremen people which affords them additional agency and nuance. The primary focus …

Fantasist Of Middle America: L Frank Baum And His Works, L. Frank Baum

Mythcon

The panelists will talk about this centrally important midwestern Fantasy writer, who is named one of Diversicon’s “Posthumous guests of honor” this year. He would be remembered as greatly influential if he had only written The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but come and learn about more of his legacy.

Ursula Le Guin’S Universes, David Emerson, Brian Attebery, Eleanor Arnason, David Bratman

Mythcon

This panel will be discussing the relationships of the panelists to Le Guin’s work and to Le Guin herself. Is there an intersection between their work and hers? Did they meet her? If so, what it was like working with her? What is their best Le Guin story? What do they see as their most “Le Guinian” work and why. What are their favorite Le Guin works? What do they see as her most underrated work we should all go read?

Fantasy In The Anthropocene, Brian Attebery, Marek Oziewicz, Jack Zipes

Mythcon

“Fantasy in the Anthropocene” was inspired by the Fantasy Scholarship finalist from last year, edited by U of MN Prof. Marek Oziewicz, Prof. Brian Attebery and Prof. Teresa Dédinova, a unique collection of mini essays, stories, poetry and artwork. As its description puts it, “Fantasy and myth have long been humanity’s most advanced technologies for collective dreaming. Today they are helping us adopt a biocentric lens, re-kin us with other forms of life, and assist us in the transition to an ecological civilization.” With both Brian and Marek available for this discussion, joined by Prof. Jack Zipes, we want to …

The Year In Sf Tv, Scott Lohman

Mythcon

This is a group discussion, after some opening remarks, about the Science Fiction (broadly interpreted to include what the audience brings up) television/streaming of the past year or so.

“I Desire The Road. . . [But] [R]Oads Were Made For Young Men, Not Middle-Aged Women”: Ista’S Journey From Dowager To Paladin, Robin Anne Reid

Mythcon

Scholarship on Ista, Dowager Royina of Chalion, was minimal until the most recent anthology on Bujold’s work was published with four essays (out of 14, 28%) that focus on Ista, either as the primary focus of the essay (Yung Lee, Herington,), or as one of two characters analyzed (Palmer-Patel, MacDonald). These essay focus on queer and/or feminist readings of Ista (Yung Lee, MacDonald, Herington), and on analyzing the paradox of free will and fate in the Chalion duology (Palmer-Patel). In “I desire the road,” (Bujold’s emphasis), I build on these essays, all of which I consider convincing and strongly argued) …

Current Lgbtq+ Aspects In Sf&F, David Lenander, Peg Kerr, David R. Slayton

Mythcon

This panel was inspired by several things coming together. An awareness of Eleanor Arnason’s pioneering work in including LGBTQ+ characters in her novels, such as To the Resurrection Station, and some of her Lydia Duluth stories, and particularly in Ring of Swords and the other Hwarhath Stories, where this focus is a major theme. Then, there were the increasing number of books taking up these themes on the long and short lists for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, mirroring the changes that have occurred over the past few decades, so that early in our history these themes were not generally present, …

On Emily Dickinson, Katelyn Confer

2024 Symposium

The following paper will explore the relationship between Emily Dickinson’s poetry, the circumstances of her life, and the historical context in which she lived to glean an understanding of how her mental health influenced her work. Selected poems by Dickinson will be reviewed and analyzed, along with a brief overview of nineteenth century attitudes towards female mental health with a particular emphasis on the medical diagnosis of female hysteria.

Anti-Transgender Care Bans: The Weaponization Of Disinformation And The Political Ploy To Erase Transgender Youth, Gretchen Delight Larmer

2024 Symposium

Since 2021, the United States has seen the introduction of over 1,000 bills targeting transgender rights and 2024 alone, has seen 133 bills introduced that aim to deny healthcare for transgender individuals. Such bills often prevent access to necessary healthcare, particularly gender-affirming care (GAC) for transgender youth. GAC for transgender youth can include care for mental wellness and puberty blockers which temporarily pause the puberty process. Legislators aim to deny transgender youth access to GAC by criminalizing any support given to youth accessing GAC as well as the medical or psychiatric provision of such care. GAC has been negatively and …

Designing Onboarding For Wearable Payment: Connecting Passive Tangibles To Online Service, Andreas Lindegren, Victoria Hendered, Ylva Fernaeus

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This study explores the design challenges of connecting passive NFC wearables such as fobs, rings, and bracelets, to online services such as payment and access. Through field studies, co-design workshops, and auto-ethnographic design work, we investigate how physical action and online media could be coupled, allowing for more considerate onboarding experiences. Our main contribution is four de-sign concepts specific to this domain: using media to link experience to new concepts, supporting physical practice, giving feedback on physical success, and providing interactive function through physical form. In sum, the work highlights media content as a fundamental element in the design of …

Virtual Reality For Assessment Of Chronic Lower Back Pain In Physiotherapy - Task Selection, Design, And User Experience Evaluation, Anders Lundström, Patrik Björnfot, William Sahlin, Hiran Herath, Lars Berglund, Edit Strömbäck

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) presents a significant challenge in healthcare, re-quiring effective tools for rehabilitation and assessment. This study explores the use of virtual reality (VR) for assessment of physical function in patients with CLBP, and investigates how movements and tasks can be designed for assessment purposes. The focus is on physiotherapists' perceptions of using VR regarding task design, feasibility, and user experience. We conducted three design workshops with physiotherapists and HCI researchers, and designed three VR applications that we evaluated with six physiotherapy students. The study provides valuable insights into participants' perceptions and highlights promising and challenging aspects …

Revealing User Tacit Knowledge: Generative-Image-Ai Helps Create Better Design Conversation, Wenhui He, Yi Xiao, Yu Xie

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In new product development, engaging users in co-creation provides valuable opportunities for innovation by uncovering their latent needs. However, user knowledge is often tacit and difficult to express. This study considers Generative-Image-AI as a tool to facilitate communication between users and designers, and explores how it intervenes in the design process to facilitate meaningful design conversations. We proposed the conceptual design iteration process model for Generative-Image-AI intervention in the product conceptual design phase and conducted a workshop with six designer-user dyads. The results demonstrated the positive impact of Generative-Image-AI on design conversations by fostering continuous communication, expanding possibilities, and encouraging …

Through The Megascope: Reimagining Design Education, Nekita Thomas, Lisa Mercer, Teressa Moses, Angelica Sibrian

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Addressing global challenges like racial tension and health inequalities, this paper urges a reimagining of design education's core principles. Four educators from diverse, often marginalized backgrounds collaboratively investigate design education's future, moving beyond mere reflection. Their insights fuel a broader initiative to envision inclusive design education. Drawing inspiration from W.E.B. Du Bois’ 'Megascope', this concept resists conventional paradigms, sheds light on overlooked narratives, and challenges ingrained epistemologies. The Megascope acts as a dynamic discourse tool, pushing the boundaries of design education. The educators, influenced by the Megascope's principles and their backgrounds, emphasize their dedication to anti-racist, equity-driven education, underscoring the …

Ethics In/Of/For Design, Deger Ozkaramanli, Laura F. Ferrarello, Linda N. Laursen

DRS Biennial Conference Series

We frame design ethics as an invitation to care and argue against reducing it to a methodology, framework, checklist, toolkit, or an afterthought. This broad framing acknowledges that ‘ethics’ can carry multiple meanings in different contexts (e.g. responsible, critical, democratic) and can be approached from various theoretical perspectives (e.g. historical, cultural, speculative). Consequently, we recognize the need for a nuanced and reflexive discussion on why, where and how ethical questions and dilemmas intersect with design research and practices. For this, we aim to look back with critical historical awareness, while also looking forward with cautious optimism. We welcome both theoretical …

Insert Here: Unpacking Tensions In Designing Technologies For The Vagina, Nadia Campo Woytuk, Joo Young Park, Marianela Ciolfi Felice, Madeline Balaam

DRS Biennial Conference Series

From sex toys to fertility trackers to vaginal fitness, the design of vaginally inserted technologies often mirrors gendered norms and societal taboos. These norms perpetuate the vagina as an obscure and mystified area, making it difficult for designers to find their way amidst a web of technical, material, and ethical concerns. In this paper, we present a mingling of our experiences as designers, together with feminist and posthuman literature, to discuss the challenges and tensions arising when designing in this space. We provide alternative framings and reflect on how the case of designing for the vagina creates blurry definitions of …

Ai-Designed Creative Products: Consumption, Creativity, And Consumer Value, Luo Wang, Xinrui Zhang, Tie Ji

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely employed to empower creative industries. Many enterprises have adopted AI to design creative products (CPs). This study investigates the determinants of purchase behavior and consumer attitudes towards AI-design CPs. Two studies were conducted. Study 1, with 764 participants, aims to determine if consumers have a positive view of AI design. Results indicate recognition of AI's creative abilities, with the designer's identity significantly affecting creativity evaluation. Study 2, based on 328 surveys, explores consumer evaluations of AI-designed products, purchase intentions, and attitudes. The result indicates that the impact of social relationship value on consumer purchase intention …

Discovering Design Implications For Future Food Experiencing Artifacts, Yağmur Kocaman, Damla Gözde Kocaman, Oğuzhan Özcan

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Despite the growing number of research in Human-Food Interaction (HFI), studies mainly adopt a technology-oriented approach. The field focuses on creating foods computationally, leaving the device design neglected. This paper addresses this oversight by focusing on a prominent technology as a case study (i.e., 3D Food Printing) and exploring new forms and meanings HFI technologies may embody. We first explored domestic users' food-related dynamics, habits, and preferences in everyday life (N=19). We then present the outcomes of design workshops with 25 professional designers, resulting in 73 unique concepts aligned with the in-sights from domestic kitchen users. Overall, we extracted ten …

Delinking Design: Decolonialidad & Transmodernidad In Future Design Education In Abya Yala, Ricardo Sosa

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The work presented here interrogates the future of design education by presenting the early development of a new curriculum in a small rural university in the P´urhepécha region, Mexico. The new undergraduate program is created drawing from the literature on decoloniality and transmodernity to reimagine design education. The interplay between this early work and a systematic inquiry of coloniality leads to new ways of thinking about design education and design at large in this context. This work contributes to a South-South dialogue seeking to undo coloniality in creative pedagogical practices and to reimagine what it means to design and to …

The Challenges Of Involving Child-Patients In The Development Of A Mobile Application For Their Participation In Pediatric Brain Care, Claire Verkijk, Kasia Tabeau, Kees Ahaus, Mathieu Gielen, Marie-Claire De Wit, Marie-Lise Van Veelen-Vincent

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Prior research shows that involving children in the development of technology is valuable, though challenging. Involving child-patients may come with additional difficulties, but as technology is gaining importance in (pediatric) care, it is important to uncover these difficulties. This paper identifies the difficulties of involving child-patients in the development of technology. We do so by reflecting on a project at the Sophia Children’s Hospital, where we involved 17 children (of which 12 child-patients) in developing a mobile application for their participation in pediatric brain care. Our identified challenges are related to the recruitment of child-patients and the need to adapt …

Co-Design Under The Bauhaus Of The Seas Light-House Project: A New European Bauhaus Case Study In Lisbon And Oeiras, Cristiano Pedroso-Roussado, Nicholas B. Torretta, Frederico Duarte, Luisa Seixas, Mariana Pestana, Yacooba Labs Lda, Redcatpig Lda, Ann Light, Nuno Nunes

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The Bauhaus of the Seas (BoS) is one of the Lighthouse projects of the New European Bauhaus initiative (NEB). The project promotes the application of the NEB values – sustainable, beautiful, together – to develop locally grounded De-monstrator Pilots and focus cities’ attention on the future of the oceans. A co-design approach is being applied in a series of participatory sessions with stake-holders, including nature/ecosystem experts, cultural institutions, local authori-ties and civic organizations, aiming at a consolidated collaborative approach. In this report we present the results from the co-design processes under develop-ment in Oeiras and Lisbon – two coastal territories …

Ai As A Catalyst For Creativity: Exploring The Use Of Generative Approach In Fashion Design For Improving Their Inspiration, Yu Jin, Juhyeok Yoon, James Andrew Self, Kyungho Lee

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The emergence of generative AI sparked thoughts on how it can be helpful across the stages of fashion design practice and creativity. We investigated the potential impact of prompt engineering using stable diffusion and Midjourney on understanding the relationship between the prompt and outcome, and how it influences the final process, thinking, or result. Our study provides guidelines for designers to use specific formats and words to describe the garments to generate clothing designs even if they are not familiar with text prompt engineering. We found fashion designers more likely to focus on the clothes and the overall feeling that …