Seminar Topics in Digital Culture

Postgraduate course

ECTS credits: 15
Teaching semesters: Spring
Course code: DIKULT304
Number of semesters: 1
Teaching language: English
Resources: Schedule

Select course description for semester

Objectives and Content

The master's program aims to provide a thorough introduction to digital culture, the theoretical and analytical methods, and work techniques.

DIKULT304 is a seminar course in Digital culture, with emphasis on a central question in research in the field of digital culture. The course covers relevant theory in conjunction with a further limited theme. The theme of the course will vary, and may for instance be:

A theoretical tradition (eg, feminist technology research)
A method (eg statistical analysis of the interaction on the web)
A theme (e.g., use of social media in politics)
A central issue (e.g. international relations in the network society)

The topic will be announced at the beginning of the semester.

A central part of the course is to participatie in discussions and oral presentations.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

The candidate has knowledge of:

a more narrowly defined topic within Digital culture
theoretical and methodological perspectives that are particularly relevant for research on this topic
documentation techniques, bibliographic work, forms of argumentation, and oral presentation in an academic form

Skills

The candidate can:

on an independent basis, choose a problem area within a narrowly defined theme, identify and discuss key issues linked to understanding this problem area
analyze and decide on debated research questions
prepare and give an oral academic presentation and use, for example, audiovisual tools
work with a concrete pilot project that deals with, for example, digital works, forms of expression or individuals

General competence

The candidate can:

apply in-depth knowledge of academic writing including strategies for documentation and bibliography
present and defend a theme-based pilot project to an academic audience
combine oral and visual, or audiovisual communication of a limited topic to a non-specialized professional audience

ECTS Credits

Level of Study

Master and PhD

Semester of Instruction

Spring

Place of Instruction

Bergen

Required Previous Knowledge

None

Recommended Previous Knowledge

Two courses at the 300-level

Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap

Access to the Course

The course is open to all students with the right to study in the master's or PhD program in Digital Culture at UiB. Students enrolled in other master's programs at UiB can apply to LLE for permission to enroll in the course.

Teaching and learning methods

There are twenty weeks in a semester, where ten weeks usually have classes. A week with classes will usually contain one seminar lasting four hours. The class schedule will be available by the beginning of the semester. It is expected that students take active part in discussions in the class room and hold presentations frequently.

If fewer than five students are registered to a course, the department might reduce the teaching, please see the department's guidelines regarding this on Mitt UiB. Regarding a course where this is a possibility the students get information about this at the beginning of the semester, and before the deadline regarding semesterregistration 1.February.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

In order to take the exam was required that the student has participated in at least 75 percent of the teaching and in the classroom activities. Course participation is approved by the course responsible. If the absence exceeds 25 per cent of lectures and/or lab sessions, the student cannot take the exam.

Two oral presentations in the seminar group.

The compulsory activities are either approved or not approved, and are only valid in the teaching semester.

Forms of Assessment

Final grade is based on evaluation of an oral presentation of 20 minutes on a given topic which has been covered during the semester. The specific prompt for the presentation will be given 7 days before the exam. The oral presentations can be arranged as a conference for participants in the course and the academic community.

Grading Scale

Grade scale A-F. An explanation of this scale can be found on Mitt UiB.

Assessment Semester

Spring

Reading List

The students must read a common syllabus corresponding to 500 pages. In collaboration with the subject manager, the students themselves must choose theory-based additional subjects corresponding to the joint curriculum. The students will also become familiar with concrete empirical material, for example e-literature, films, digital artifacts that are relevant to their academic work within the narrowly defined topic.

All material is usually in English. Students can use and refer to sources in other languages ¿¿in assignments.

Course Evaluation

Evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the University of Bergen's quality assurance system.