Digital Aesthetics: art, narrative, and games
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters Spring
- Course code
- DIKULT103
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
- Reading list
Course description
Objectives and Content
This course provides a basis for understanding creative and aesthetic aspects of digital culture production. We focus on cultural artifacts that are created via digital means. The class is comprised of approximately a 50/50 split of theoretical and practice-based work with intensive practical workshops taking place two or three times over the semester. Within the framework of digital aesthetics studies, students in the course will learn to analyze contemporary digital artifacts, both structurally, and as text, images, and events. Traditional conceptions of genre and categories of cultural artifact, such as art object, performance, novel, poem, and game are undergoing redefinition in the context of digital culture. New genres of cultural artifacts are emerging, which require new models of textual analysis specific to the computational media and network context in which these artifacts are produced and distributed. DIKULT103 provides an overview of these emerging genres, and an introduction to the models of academic discourse and analysis particular to them.
The course also contextualises the ways in which creators use digital production to express thematic concepts; 20th Century cultural history that formed the creation of these expressive genres; novel generative and artificially intelligent ways of producing digital artefacts.
The course is divided into three modules that address digital artistic expression, digital literary expression, and digital gaming expression and their cultural artifacts. These are three fields that differ from each other but nonetheless are closely related in their relationship to digital culture.
This course should be taken in the first semester of the specialization.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
After taking the course the candidate should have knowledge
• of key theoretical concepts in digital aesthetics studies;
• of contemporary genres within digital and network-based art practice, electronic literature and
computer games;
• of contemporary means of production for creative cultural artefacts;
Skills
The candidate can
• understand aesthetics of a range of digital artefacts and describe their meaning and function;
• analyze digital artifacts such as digital art and born-digital narrative production;
• apply aesthetic, narratological and ludological concepts in the analysis of digital works;
• compare and contrast digital artefacts with each other, and with related analog genres;
• create beginner-level creative outcomes using digital tools, such as beginner-level games or
digital artworks that apply class knowledge and expertise;
General competence
The candidate can
• participate in academic discussions in a secure and appropriate manner;
• present arguments using academic sources.
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to 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 two classes lasting two hours each. This class may also include longer practical workshops that sit outside of usual class times. The class schedule will be available by the beginning of the semester.
It is important for students to attend the orientation session early in the semester, before the teaching begins.
Lectures follow a student-active learning model and typically involve a combination of short presentations from the lecturer, small group discussions, student presentations and group projects, plenary discussion and work researching digital objects. In addition to the readings, students may be assigned homework tasks, such as reading material, responses to readings, online discussions, and research outside of the curriculum to investigate examples of digital aesthetics.
Students are expected to work 18 hours per week on the course from the beginning until the end of the teaching period, including weeks with no scheduled classes. These hours should be used for assignments, and researching relevant material in the library and online (books, articles, videos).
During the teaching-free weeks, students are expected to use this time for reading course materials, completing assignments, and preparing the portfolio.
Students may be invited to relevant guest lectures and events organized by Digital Culture and the Center for Digital Narrative.
If fewer than five students register for the course, the department may offer reduced tuition. Please refer to the department’s guidelines on Mitt UiB for more information. In this case, students will be notified before the semester registration deadline.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Attendance is compulsory for everything the course covers. Course participation is approved by the course coordinator. If a student exceeds 25% in absences, they will not be eligible to submit the portfolio. Students are encouraged to keep track off their own attendance.
To be eligible to submit the portfolio, the student must submit three to six compulsory assignments throughout the semester, including via the workshops. Deadlines for these will be provided at the start of the semester. These compulsory assignments may include practical tasks, written tasks, or both in tandem. Each assignment is assessed as either "approved" or "not approved". They are valid in the teaching semester.
Forms of Assessment
The course is concluded with a portfolio that builds on the items produced and reviewed throughout the semester (see Obligatory Assignments). Only one grade is given for the portfolio.
Students can submit the portfolio either in English or Norwegian.
Grading Scale
Grade scale A-F.
Complete explanation of the scale can be found on Mitt UiB
Assessment Semester
Reading List
Texts may vary from semester to semester. Some parts of the written curriculum should be purchased, while others may be freely accessible on-line.
The required course materials are typically in English. However, students may use and reference sources in other languages for assignments and exams.
The list of compulsory and recommended readings, as far as available in advance, will be posted on Mitt UiB before the start of the semester and updated as necessary. The readings will be available at Akademika or as downloadable e-books or articles.
Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with additional relevant academic materials through the library, online academic sources, and independent research on the topic.