Final project for ARE494 Digital Ethnography 2018

1. DIGITAL
ETHNOGRAPHY
:
A LOOK AT HUE
ARE YOU AND
ITS CREATOR,
ZINNIA ZAUBER
Presented by: Valentina Riveros

2. Digital Ethnography: The Definition
Ethnography: Ethnography is both a social science
research method and its final written product. As a
method, ethnographic observation involves
embedding oneself deeply and over the long-term
in a field site of study in order to systemically
document the everyday lives, behaviors, and
interactions of a community of people. As a written
product, an ethnography is a richly descriptive
account of the social life and culture of the group
studied.
Digital Ethnography: Digital Ethnography is the
integration of ethnography into a digital world that
better facilitates technology and its newly found
purposes.
Reference: https://www.thoughtco.com/ethnography-definition-3026313

3. Digital Ethnography: The Stages
Stage 1: Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering
and measuring data, information or any
variables of interest in a standardized and
established manner that enables the collector
to answer or test hypothesis and evaluate
outcomes of the particular collection.
Stage 2: Content Analysis
analysis to determine the meaning,
purpose, or effect of any type of
communication, as literature,
newspapers, or broadcasts, by studying
and evaluating the details, innuendoes,
and implications of the content,
recurrent themes, etc.
Stage 3: Comparative Analysis
A method of analysis used to help
compare and contrast two different sets of
findings.
Reference: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/30318/data-collection

4. Research Questions
How is Second Life used to
teach art?
How does their art help
students learn?
How has technology enhanced
how they teach?

5. Context
Place: Hue Are You
This world was created by avatar Zinnia Zauber. She is a teacher at Peninsula College. She
uses Second Life to teach her students about color and hue and how to incorporate these
methods in learning about other subjects or matter. This is why her world is covered in
color from one end to another. You can see crayon sculptures in every color throughout
her land. There are light sculptures that float around and also light up the night. You can
observe her lessons as you wander and read her slides and learn about color expression.
You can also take classes here with other avatars. The land is surrounded by water but
also has many buildings including a shop, school and more.

6. The artist I chose was Rene Emiko who is also
known as Zinnia Zauber in Second Life. I found
her with help from Dr. Stokrocki and being
introduced to here sim through a previous class
course. Her avatar looks very much like her in real
life. She creates and sells clothing both in real life
and in Second Life so her wardrobe is very bright
and always changing. She uses Second Life to
teach and is a teacher at Peninsula College in
Washington.
The Artist

7. Art Preferences
The Artist’s preferences for
creating revolve around the
hobbies the artist has gained in
RL. She informed me that she
mostly works in creating apparel.
Both here in SL and RL. She also
creates mixed media sculptures
which can include her use of
digital and fiber art. She also
enjoys the creation of individual
designs that can be transferred
from SL to RL and vice versa.

8. Data Collection:
The Interview
[15:29] valentinariveros: Do you consider this sim as your art? or are the objects in it the art?
[15:30] Zinnia Zauber: Oh, I would say both.
[15:30] Zinnia Zauber: I have always build exhibitions and immersive places in RL.
[15:30] Zinnia Zauber: So, both the work build and the experience is part of my art.
[15:31] valentinariveros: When did you begin building Hue Are You?
[15:31] Zinnia Zauber: Like in RL, I produce our local art walk, and I have a color theme each
month. People dress in that color, so the whole town could be my art in a way.
[15:31] Zinnia Zauber: Let's see... 2009
[15:32] Zinnia Zauber: It could be 2008
[15:32] valentinariveros: I love that!
[15:32] Zinnia Zauber: but, I think 2009 is when I bought the land.
[15:32] Zinnia Zauber: sequimartwalk.com
[15:32] valentinariveros: How do you create your art?
[15:32] Zinnia Zauber: (so you know what the theme color is for May)
[15:33] Zinnia Zauber: It depends on the medium.
[15:33] Zinnia Zauber: Often I will do some hand drawn designs, then create digital versions.
[15:33] valentinariveros: What is the color for May?
[15:33] Zinnia Zauber: Like the pillows on this couch.
[15:34] Zinnia Zauber: I hand dyed the yarn in 180 colors, then hand wove it to make fabric,
and photographed it to bring it into Second Life.
[15:34] Zinnia Zauber: It is Aqua, for our Irrigation Festival.
[15:34] Zinnia Zauber: So, often something starts a physical creation and I bring it inworld.
[15:35] valentinariveros: Wow, so there is lots that goes into creating a place like this
[15:35] Zinnia Zauber: Yes, well, I might be a little more crazy about color and getting it right.
[15:35] Zinnia Zauber: And, I want everything I do be made by me.
[15:36] Zinnia Zauber: So, like if someone like the dress I am wearing.
[15:36] Zinnia Zauber: Then then can also buy this fabric online at Spoonflower to make their
own dress.
[15:36] Zinnia Zauber: I sell scarves with this design.
[15:36] Zinnia Zauber: in RL
[15:37] valentinariveros: So these items not only exist in one world but sometimes both! thats
great
[15:37] Zinnia Zauber: yes, I try to make that happen.
[15:37] Zinnia Zauber: Like Mary, your professor, has a scarf I made inworld and out.
[15:37] valentinariveros: Yes! She has actually shown it to me
[15:37] Zinnia Zauber: Yay1
[15:38] Zinnia Zauber: !
[15:38] Zinnia Zauber: Cool, that is my thing.
[15:38] Zinnia Zauber: I want people to be their best selves regardless of medium
[15:38] Zinnia Zauber: so offering items inworld and out is part of my master plan for world
domination.
[15:38] Zinnia Zauber: To empower people and encourage them.

9. Content Analysis
Who is she? Rene Emiko a teacher at Peninsula
college in Washington who has been teaching
college students since 1997.
What classes does she teach? Multimedia
Web, Digital Storytelling, Video, Social Media,
Color Theory, and virtual world use.
How does she use Second Life in teaching?
Because she has online and on campus
students that she blends together, She uses
Second Life as a place for them to meet and
learn.
What kind of art does she create? She does
several things, she creates fiber art and
multimedia sculpture.

10. Content Analysis
What is her artwork about? Her art is about
empowering people through color and identity.
How long has she been designing clothes? She
has been designing her own clothes since she was
three and been producing a long standing fiber
arts festival in her town of Sequim. They have a
designated color each month
How does the art she creates help her teach? She
builds interactive sculptures that you can click on
and learn about color. Such as the crayons you
can click on, that tell you the emotion/ meaning
behind the color you choose and those dictate
your next action(s).

11. Content Analysis
How does she create her art? It typically depends on
the medium in which she will work. She always begins
by drawing a hand drawn sketch of the piece, though.
Once she has an idea well thought out she will convert
it to the digital format. She will also create a fabric in
RL, hand dye it then photograph it to help her create a
digital version of the design. With the design then
made she can create objects in SL that also exist in RL.
(The pillows here are an example of this process)
What kind of clothes does she design? She designs a
little bit of everything. She sells clothing, men and
women’s, skirts, shirts, blouses and even pirate outfits-
which she was kind enough to sell me one and even
teach me how to change clothing and attach and
reattach HUD color changers.

12. Conclusion/Comparative Analysis
• The methods used by this artist include making
clothing both in real life and Second Life,
fibers/textiles, designs, building multi-media
sculptures for lesson plans, and hand-weaving.
• Zinnia creates artwork that is tremendously
colorful and bright. Her use of colors gives it a
positive meaning and makes you feel happy
and welcome to come and learn. The use of
colors in her world makes you want to stay and
learn. She strives to create an environment
where someone can be stimulated and feel
included.

13. Conclusion/Comparative Analysis
In the article Pedagogical Applications of Second Life Sanchez
states that Second Life an be very difficult and time
consuming to the new user. He mentions that it may be
overwhelming to have so much at your fingertips.
I found this to be true in my own experience with Second Life.
Even though I had used it briefly once before this course I
found it difficult to navigate around the world. I also found it
difficult to interact with others that I did not know.
I spent several hours just troubleshooting and working out
how to move around. There are so many actions and
commands that one needs to remember and I found myself
becoming very overwhelmed.

14. Conclusion/Comparative Analysis
I feel I was most impressed by the dedication that this
teacher/artist puts into her SL sim to use it as a tool to
truly help others to learn and better understand subjects
through different forms of education.
She uses a broad amount of tools for teaching that
others integrate into their own pedagogical studies and
practices.
She not only has her own interests and hobbies, but she
tries to teach them to others to allow them the tools for
expression.

15. • Sanchez, J. (2007). Second Life: An Interactive Qualitative Analysis. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1240-1243).
Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
• Stokrocki, Mary. "Art Education Qualitative Research in Cyberspace ." Miraga, C., & Smilan, C. (In Press)., n.d.
Web.
References