Let’s Hang Out Together, Alone! // The Telematic Embrace

Connected to Adobe Connect together as a class, we were all immersed in our devices, busying signing up and starting up the application. That marks the end of our human contact. Migrating all forms of contact to the Adobe Connect application, this is the beginning of us hanging out together, while being alone!

Let’s Finger Touch!

Our attempt at letting our index finger touch with the person beside us.

The get-together as a class at the Third Space brought us closer as individuals than merely seating in class learning about the Third Space and not experiencing it ourselves. The following two tasks we have to do allowed us to have interactions with our classmates without physically being close to them.

The totally arbitrary line-up of the screens gave us all a partner to work with to have a complete Index Finger Touch as a class. For me, I worked with Jocelyn with the Index Finger Touch! In fact we were seated a few seats away for that particular lesson itself. We might not necessarily be the closest in the class, yet we experienced a closer connection in class through the activity in the Third Space.

Our attempt at making our fingers touch with the person above or below us.

Similarly, for the second task, we attempted at making our index fingers touch with the person above or below us on the screen. I was paired with Felicia. Although we were actually seated beside each other for that particular lesson itself, the experience was different altogether.

Let’s Find Something Pink/Blue!

Our attempt at finding a pink object.

Our attempt at finding a blue object.

As a team effort, we all had to find an object that is pink then blue and attempt to make the entire screen pink and blue the next. We all had to find an object of the colour or risk being left out. When given the task, we all frantically tried to find an object of that chrome.

For these two tasks to be executed well, we had to find commonalities between all of us. We went playful with it, and had to negotiate on a colour more common that we can work with. The Third Space has allowed us to DIWO (Do It With Others), creating a new platform for play to happen. Ostensibly extending the area of play from brick and mortar to the virtual Third Space.

Let’s Embrace Telematic-ally

All in all, this micro-project done in class showed me a new paradigm of collaboration on the Third Space and creating a new platform of play for this technologically savvy generation of ours. With such platforms, no doubt our quality and quantity of communication has increased, with more human connection without the physical touch.