Task 5 - Interactivity, finding the true definition?!

This post is based on the article "‘Interactivity’ Tracking a New Concept in Media and Communication Studies" by Jens F. Jensen.
Jensen's article is long explaining article, giving an overview of the background of "Interactivity" definitions. I am always a critical person, so I ask - why he wrote that he will also give a new possibility to define the term - when all he did for me seems like he put the different theories together. And he has now a lot more information than those researchers he citates. But as he didn't still use any social network examples I started to think when was the article written - 1998 it seems. It's more than 10 years ago!


Like he says "Interactivity" comes from the word "Interaction" which means different things depending on what is one's background in scientific field. It was the most important thing for me in this article - I started to truly think how I take the word and term "interaction" really self-explanatory, and have never thought about how physics or neuroscientists see it, or if they even use it. 


The 3-dimensional model that Jensen gives at the end fits well in the world we know today. I would also say that other researchers who had their theories also thought them really well depending on the information they had, especially Heeter in 1989, this really surprised me. Although in her table she also used media tools, she also explained the change of interaction and communication channels that will change. And there wasn't even Internet yet!


Jensen takes into consideration 3 different variables that help to understand the depth of interaction and interactivity

• Conversational interactivity
• Registrational interactivity
• Selective interactivity

Interactivity cube - 
not Jensen's but the one meant for 
children to play and understand 
the meaning of different sides connecting 
and influencing others.

Before I haven't read some newer versions of scientifically trying to prove the meaning or theory of "interactivity" the one Jensen gives with his conclusion, seems to be working one.

The picture on the right is a toy for baby's. It's name is "Interactivity cube". I think it shows really well, how different sides influence each other and are connected. And I know that children growing up today, will have the touch of it much more than we did on 80's. With different tools (I mena internet tools, tv tools, all kinds of technological wonders) we, the people, will be able to find more and more needs that we didn't know we even had.