http://www.syndicatemizzou.org Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:25:43 GMT en-us 40 Center for eResearch Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activity http://www.syndicatemizzou.org/images/logo.png 384 80 http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon01-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon01-Yoon.m4v Because of her lifelong interests, So-Yeon Yoon was drawn to the field of architecture and interior design. It was “a perfect match,” one in which her creative desires and her interest in computers could merge. Today, this assistant professor of Architectural Studies teaches focuses her research and teaching on the areas of Human Environmental Psychology and Interior and Architectural Design. Yoon’s current research combines information technology with interior design and architecture. That is, she applies technology, particularly virtual reality (VR), to interior design problems. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:19:37 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon03-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon03-Yoon.m4v Yoon recently published _Impact of Desktop Virtual Reality on System Usability: A Case Study of Online Consumer Survey Using a VR Integrated Decision Support System_ (2004). The book offers basic knowledge about VR technology and focuses on the dimension of human-computer interaction. For example, she addresses the utility of VR software, how users actually interact with the tools, and what kinds of advantages can be expected when adopting this technology. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:20:08 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon05-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon05-Yoon.m4v Yoon admits she has always liked computers and computer games, even as a young child, and was encouraged because it was something she could do better than her siblings. Also engaged with painting and drawing, Yoon found herself drawn to the field of architecture and interior design, one that could merge her creative impulses and her interest in computers. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:20:44 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon06-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon06-Yoon.m4v Education is one area in which virtual reality holds great potential. “Some people don’t have access to the real world, but they can take advantage of this virtual environment, which is generated in 3D,” Yoon explains. That means students can meet in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and walk around the buildings and study the art. Because the program employs a multi-user-based system, students can interact with each other in a virtual world. “So we are exploring the possibility of using that technology to deliver our studio courses,” says Yoon, who someday hopes that students will be able “to create and critique in a virtual environment without actually meeting the person face-to-face.” 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:20:59 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon07-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon07-Yoon.m4v Most of Yoon’s projects are collaborative in nature. She works with specialists from computer programming, data-base design, and hotel and restaurant management. “Collaboration is essential in this field,” she observes. Her colleagues are in fact scattered across the nation: “It doesn’t really matter these days because we can use live chat or GoToMeeting. This kind of technology allows us to actually work together quite seamlessly without meeting face-to-face.” 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:21:16 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon08-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon08-Yoon.m4v Yoon speaks proudly of the Design With Digital Media program, which includes M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. tracks. “We have a great program,” she says. “We have a good group of teachers and students coming from all over the world” to study the intersection between technology and architectural and interior design. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:21:36 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon11-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon11-Yoon.m4v While some virtual reality software is better than others, Yoon avoids devaluing others’ work. What really bothers her is development of VR tools for personal publicity and profit. “I don’t think that’s right,” remarks Yoon, who believes that educators and researchers should “work for everybody’s benefit and try to make a contribution to society,” rather than concentrate on their own self-interest. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:22:22 GMT