Media and Games – History and Culture

SPO1006

The course provides background knowledge required to become an effective and conscious producer of media content. This includes insights into media history, media culture, game history, game culture, critical thinking an analysis of various mediated messages.

The course provides introduction to and basic insight into topics such as:

Media history and mass communication before the digital age.
The digital shift: technology and media usage over the past 20-30 years.
Game history - from the oldest known games to computer games
What is a game and what does it mean to play?
Games & Storytelling
Media culture, game culture and power distribution.
«Media literacy» - source criticism and critical assessment of media messages
Participatory text creation and text analysis in online games

Reserved for students on the bachleor program Games and entertainment technology

Knowledge

The student ...

has knowledge of the development of media culture over time, and the importance of understanding genre conventions, rhetoric, context and media platform.
can use the aquired knowledge to understand the opportunities/resources that digital communication technology provides, in the present and future.
has knowledge of how games have evolved over time, and the role of gaming culture in society.

Skills

The student…

can analyze mediated communication.
has analytical and media literacy competence.
can apply knowledge of past trends and experiences to their own work, with an understanding of their own role, context, platform, genre and audience.
can communicate about professional issues related to different types of media messages.
can analyze and evaluate a game's design, playability, explicit and implicit messages

General competence.

The student...

has background knowledge required to become an effective communicator.
can participate in evaluating the work of fellow students, giving and taking feedback in a constructive way.

No tuition fees. Semester fees and cost of course literature apply.

Mandatory

Lectures, group work, practical assignments and problem solving.

The learning activities will consist of lectures on theoretical material. Relevant reading material and videos may be assigned throughout the course, to equip students with additional insight.

Classes will be conducted on-campus or online, or a combination of both. Instruction may be organized as weekly class sessions, and/or as intensive block workshops.

Evaluation using mid-term and final surveys. Students are also encouraged to participate in the central quality surveys.

Teaching activity