![\"Furman](\"https:\/\/news.furman.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/20180821_JohnMcArthur_CommStudies_Faculty-3.jpg\")
Furman Associate Professor of Communication Studies John A. McArthur \u201902.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI invited students in that class to do two research projects. One of them is a group content analysis where they look at digital conversations online, and we\u2019ve presented that at Furman Engaged for years,\u201d McArthur said. \u201cThis actually came out of the second project that we do, which is a textual analysis of a space or place that is augmented with digital technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
The unique circumstances created by COVID-19 restrictions also provided an opportunity to explore places where people could go when their options were severely limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the pandemic, I found that a lot of my students gravitated toward video games to try to find a place or space that was augmented with digital technology, because a lot of the spaces or places that they might visit were closed,\u201d McArthur, also the department chair, said. \u201cLooking at video games gave us a window into how space or place can be constructed in a digital environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each student focused on a specific place in a game of their choice as part of an analysis of how people occupy digital places. Meachem looked at Pok\u00e9mon GO, which burst into prominence in 2016 with players all over the world using their phones to \u201cfind\u201d digital Pok\u00e9mons at physical locations in an augmented reality<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re not a frequent Pok\u00e9mon player, you can be out on a walk on the town and not even realize you are standing right where players are battling and catching these Pok\u00e9mon right in front of you,\u201d Meachem says in the presentation. \u201cBut for those of you who do play the game, many real places across the world are now being shaped as digital places, thanks to Pok\u00e9mon GO.\u201d<\/p>\n Game studies isn\u2019t McArthur\u2019s specialty, but the worlds created by them are.<\/p>\n \u201cI study space and place, and video games just happened to be a great space we could connect with this type of research, which is why I was excited to present to a group of scholars that had not researched using this method before,\u201d he said. \u201cI think our students are really doing some cutting-edge work in this particular genre, because the idea of bringing a humanities perspective from placemaking is new for this particular field. That was exciting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n The research in this area is only beginning, both at Furman and across the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThis upcoming semester we are going to focus particularly on augmented realities inside of digital games so that we can see how space and place operate in a digital environment,\u201d he said. \u201cThe great thing is that we have been intentionally working to enhance student research opportunities in communication studies<\/a>, and this award recognizes one way that we in the humanities can engage in The Furman Advantage through research.\u201d<\/p>\n The National Communication Association\u2019s 2020 annual convention was held (virtually) in November. Watch the \u201cExploring Play through Placemaking in Game Studies\u201d presentation below.<\/p>\n