Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges

Universities are sites of intensive formal adult education. The academic community is instrumental in the creation and dissemination of new knowledge. This study examines the perspectives of persons holding doctorates with regards to the future of knowledge creation.
The methodology and methods employed are qualitative arts-based inquiry using a new media lens. The objective of this research is to explore, develop, and produce arts-based video productions that foster dialogue and encourage thinking about the relationship between new sciences and contemplative practice/consciousness studies. The question is: in what ways can digital images provide a platform for dialogue regarding contemporary science and contemplative practice/consciousness studies? During the first phase of the study, an arts-based video production, created by the study lead, was distributed and a questionnaire emailed to each participant. The second phase engaged participants in semi-structured in-person interviews. These major themes emerged from the data: 1) overview of knowledge creation in a Western, male dominated knowledge paradigm; 2) examination of the present day university community in an intellectually imperialist, ethnocentric, capitalist, rational/logical, objectivist, mechanistic, knowledge framework; 3) exploration of new sciences and practice based contemplative epistemologies and the potential institutional and sociopolitical shifts these knowledge(s) could engender amongst educators and peers in the research community. Findings are presented as an arts-based video production entitled, Virtual Conference: The Universe - The University.