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SYLLABUS

Visual Culture and Digital Media, 30 ECTS Credits

COURSE CATEGORY   Single Subject Course MAIN FIELD OF STUDY   Culture and Mediaproduction - KMU SUBJECT AREA     COURSE CODE   HKMUC4

AIM OF THE COURSE

The first purpose of the course is to give a theoretical framework of visual culture and the politics of seeing. The student is supposed to acquire basic knowledge of theories of visual culture and the relationship between the observer and the observed. Images, power and politics will be discussed as conneced in our practises of looking in digital media. Examples will be drawn from "Cyberspace" as well as other public spheres. Recent years have seen an explosion in the amount of information being published online. Electronic networking and a range of technologies enabling communication have also burgeoned. In today's 'information age' students, researchers, journalists and others need to be online literate. They need to be competent in modern information retrieval skills, and know how to track down experts, participate in relevant online discussions and be aware of the pitfalls involving information found on the Internet. The second aim of the course addresses these needs.

CONTENTS

The interconnectedness of images, power and knowledge needs to be analyzed as politics of seeing. Perspective and spectatorship are closely related to knowledge and power. The links between perspective and politics of knowledge are discussed. The students will contribute with their own analyses of intersections of the popular and the scientific in visual communication. The course is a laboratory course developing the relation between theoretical and production perspectives with the emphasis on research and information production on the internet. At a practical level, students will acquire skills in; a) Information retrieval, including optimal use of search language, interrogating national and international databases, using WWW search engines and intelligent agents, searching the 'Dark Web', and evaluating online information; b) Online communication, including use of expert networks, finding relevant discussion forums, retrieving archived discussions, participating in newsgroup and mailing list debates, and exploring various real-time environments such as VR, IRC, ICQ, webchat, and videoconferencing. c) Production for the internet. An introduction to issues of visual culture and visualisations.

TEACHING

Practical sessions will be conducted in a computer laboratory. Lectures and seminars will be partly classroom-based and partly conducted in a virtual environment. Students will be required to research and write up a topic of their choice. Classes will be conducted in English and/or Swedish.

EXAMINATION

Examination requirements for the course consist of the production of an individual essay and a multimedia project and its publication, as well as participation in group projects and obligatory seminars. Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course two times are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination. Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Documented knowledge of English equivalent to “Engelska B” is required, or an international proficiency test, e.g. TOEFL, minimum score 550/213.At least 40 points (one year of study) either in one of the areas culture studies, social science, media studies, media technology, ICT or at least one year of documented practice and work experience in the culture, information, media sectors.

GRADING

The course is graded according to the ECTS grading scale A-F

CERTIFICATE

Course certificate is issued by the Faculty Board on request. The Department provides a special form which should be submitted to the Student Affairs Division.

COURSE LITERATURE

The course literature is decided upon by the department in question.

OTHER INFORMATION

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Visual Culture and Digital Media Visual Culture and Digital Media   Department responsible for the course or equivalent: ITUF - Department of Thematic Studies             Registrar No: 224/03-41   Course Code: HKMUC4           Exam codes: see Local Computer System       Subject/Subject Area : Culture and Mediaproduction - KMU                       Level   Education level     Subject Area Code   Field of Education   C       KMU   SA   The syllabus was approved by the Board of Faculty of Arts and Science 2003-04-07