title: Time's scales: Working with time at Roonka

authors: Littleton, Judith

abstract: The site of Roonka, subject of long-term excavation by Graeme Pretty and volunteers under the aegis of the South Australian Museum, is still the most extensive excavation of a Holocene burial ground in Australia. The Roonka project between the University of Auckland and the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation began in 2014 with the aim of re-analysing the mortuary customs and human remains through the lens of time prior to repatriation. Rather than assuming a single site function e.g. a cemetery or a history which can be divided into two phases (e.g. pre- and post-ENSO), we aim to trace changes in human health and behaviour over the Holocene as people adapted or accommodated changing conditions – the cycle of change and resilience. This means thinking through the nature of the record and the periods of time within it – the event of death, precise memories of other events, the life history of an individual, discontinuous records of site formation, long term continuities of cultural change and differential preservation.
In this paper we go back to that original set of ideas and consider how the work and conversations we have had with each other have added more elements of time and different conceptions of what matters. We now have a much clearer model of site formation, taphonomic processes, long term cultural practices and short term catastrophes of individual lives. But what has been added to our sense of time? Ideas of time here in Australia versus time elsewhere, legacy archaeology, the rapidity of time’s change post 1830, COVID time, lived time, research project time… In this paper, we analyse how these different aspects of time interact or remain separate, are useful in different circumstances and provide new interpretations of Roonka and its people.

text: Time's scales: Working with time at Roonka The site of Roonka, subject of long-term excavation by Graeme Pretty and volunteers under the aegis of the South Australian Museum, is still the most extensive excavation of a Holocene burial ground in Australia. The Roonka project between the University of Auckland and the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation began in 2014 with the aim of re-analysing the mortuary customs and human remains through the lens of time prior to repatriation. Rather than assuming a single site function e.g. a cemetery or a history which can be divided into two phases (e.g. pre- and post-ENSO), we aim to trace changes in human health and behaviour over the Holocene as people adapted or accommodated changing conditions – the cycle of change and resilience. This means thinking through the nature of the record and the periods of time within it – the event of death, precise memories of other events, the life history of an individual, discontinuous records of site formation, long term continuities of cultural change and differential preservation.
In this paper we go back to that original set of ideas and consider how the work and conversations we have had with each other have added more elements of time and different conceptions of what matters. We now have a much clearer model of site formation, taphonomic processes, long term cultural practices and short term catastrophes of individual lives. But what has been added to our sense of time? Ideas of time here in Australia versus time elsewhere, legacy archaeology, the rapidity of time’s change post 1830, COVID time, lived time, research project time… In this paper, we analyse how these different aspects of time interact or remain separate, are useful in different circumstances and provide new interpretations of Roonka and its people.

year: 2023

title: Feedback-based gameplay metrics: Measuring player experience via automatic visual analysis

authors: Marczak, Raphaël

subjects: gameplay experience

abstract: Using gameplay metrics to articulate player interaction within game systems has received increased interest in game studies. The value of gameplay metrics comes from a desire to empirically validate over a decade of theorization of player experience and knowledge of games as ludic systems. Taking gameplay metrics beyond formalized user testing (i.e. with the aim of improving a product) allows researchers the freedom of examining any commercially available game without the need to have access to the game's source code. This paper offers a new methodology to obtain data on player behavior, achieved through analyzing video and audio streams. Game interface features are being analyzed automatically, which are indicative of player behavior and gameplay events. This paper outlines the development of this methodology and its application to research that seeks to understand the nature of engagement and player motivations.

text: Feedback-based gameplay metrics: Measuring player experience via automatic visual analysis Using gameplay metrics to articulate player interaction within game systems has received increased interest in game studies. The value of gameplay metrics comes from a desire to empirically validate over a decade of theorization of player experience and knowledge of games as ludic systems. Taking gameplay metrics beyond formalized user testing (i.e. with the aim of improving a product) allows researchers the freedom of examining any commercially available game without the need to have access to the game's source code. This paper offers a new methodology to obtain data on player behavior, achieved through analyzing video and audio streams. Game interface features are being analyzed automatically, which are indicative of player behavior and gameplay events. This paper outlines the development of this methodology and its application to research that seeks to understand the nature of engagement and player motivations.

year: 2012-07-21

title: Maori & Psychology Research Unit annual report 2005

authors: Rua, Mohi

subjects: Maori and Psychology Research Unit

abstract: Annual report of the Maori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) 2005. The unit was established in August of 1997. The unit is designed to provide a catalyst and support network for enhancing research concerning the psychological needs, aspirations, and priorities of Maori people. The MPRU is well situated to draw together skilled and experienced interdisciplinary research groups by networking and establishing working relationships with staff and students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the University, and the wider community.

text: Maori & Psychology Research Unit annual report 2005 Annual report of the Maori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) 2005. The unit was established in August of 1997. The unit is designed to provide a catalyst and support network for enhancing research concerning the psychological needs, aspirations, and priorities of Maori people. The MPRU is well situated to draw together skilled and experienced interdisciplinary research groups by networking and establishing working relationships with staff and students within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the University, and the wider community.

year: 2005