Multimedia in the Humanities

Overview

This course draws on the histories of mixed media, installations, performances, correspondence art, and role-playing games in order to explore diverse approaches to the critique of multimedia objects and events. These "genres" will be compared to the "modes" available in multimedia work. Through critique, research and studio work, students will develop critical tools for the assessment of event-object combinations. Both individual and group projects will engage a common theme (collectively chosen at the outset of the course).

Bibliography

Conklin, Jeff. "Hypertext Introduction and Survey" IEEE Computer. (1987).

Davis, Ben. "Wheel of Culture" in Contextual Media: Multimedia and Interpretation. (1995).

Gloor, Peter. Elements of Hypermedia Design: Techniques for Navigation and Visualization in Cyberspace. (1997).

Hanssen, Jankowski & Etienne "Interacitivity from the Perspective of Communication Studies" in The Contours of Multimedia (1996)

Minsky, Marvin. The Society of Mind. (1985).

Nielsen, Jakob. Multimedia & Hypertext: The Internet & Beyond. (1995).

Ryan, Marie-Laure. "Interactive Drama: Narrativity in a Highly Interactive Environment" in Modern Fiction Studies 43 Fall 97.

Sloane, Andy, Multimedia Communication. (1996).

Assignments

30% Individual assignment. Pair a mode with a genre.

40% Group assignment. Select elements from each group member's individual assignment to create a new site.

10% 5-10 min Tip on software application presented orally to class.

15% 5-10 min Oral Critique of a site or product.

5% Written submission for the organizing theme (Class to select one theme for duration of the course)

Schedule

WeekOne
Reading Nielson Chapter 3 "History of Hypertext"
GenreIntro to the notion of genre
Mode image + text
AssignmentIcebreakers
Skill Demo
HTML
WeekTwo
Reading Sloane Chapter Two "Computer Communication"
Genre mixed media
Mode sound + image
AssignmentTip or critique
Skill Demo
sound recording & edit
WeekThree
ReadingNielson Chapter 8 "Information Overload"
Genre installations
Mode sound + image + text
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
image
WeekFour
Reading Sloane Chapter Three "Multimedia Information"
Genre games & role playing
Mode sound + text
Assignmenttip or critique
Skill Demo
animation
WeekFive
Reading Nielson Chap 12 "Repurposing Existing Content" anti-shovelware aesthetic; E-text on copyright issues "Derivative Works"
Genre performance
Mode sound alone
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
bandwidth calculation
WeekSix
Reading Sloane Chapter Four "Systems, Tools, Applications and Standards"
Genre correspondence
Mode image alone
Assignment Individual Project
Skill Demo
scripting
WeekSeven
Reading Gloor "The Seven Design Concepts for Navigation in Cybersapce"
(Linking; Searching; Sequentialization; Hierarchy; Similarity; Mapping, Agents
Genre mixed media II
Modeopen
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
project management
WeekEight
Reading Sloane Chapter One "Communication"
Genre installations II
Modeopen
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
open
WeekNine
Reading Marie Laure Ryan "Interactive Drama: Narrativity in a Highly Interactive Environment"
Genre games & role playing II
Modeopen
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
open
WeekTen
Reading Hanssen, Jankowski & Etienne "Interacitivity from the Perspective of Communication Studies"; possible guest lecture on Bakhtin's notion of the chronotope
Genre performance II
Modeopen
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
open
WeekEleven
Reading Conklin "Hypertext Introduction and Survey"
Genre correspondence II
Modeopen
Assignment tip or critique
Skill Demo
open
WeekTwelve
Reading Davis "Wheel of Culture"
Genremultimedia
Modeopen
Assignment Group Project
Skill Demo
open
WeekThirteen
Reading Minsky "A Theory of Memory" (K-lines)
Genreinteractive
Modeopen
Assignment evaluation
Skill Demo
planned learning

François Lachance
1998