Newcastle University

Aims

•       To give students background knowledge of the history of online literature, art and design;
•       To introduce creative writing techniques as a tool for creating and developing narratives;
•       To introduce the concept of interactive narrative and digital storytelling;
•       To give students introductory knowledge of web project development strategies;
•       To introduce interactive film and real-time editing techniques;
•       To give students an understanding of the application of their creative practice within a digital environment;
•       To equip students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to develop engaging interactive tools and applications online;
•       To provide students with the opportunity to engage in collaborative practice;
•       To allow students to conceptualize innovative solutions for the web;
•       To give students experience with designing, producing and authoring web-based media and online content;
•       To explore theoretical principles and design techniques related to information architecture;
•       To give students a facility and thought process around the presentation of their online identities.

In addition to being the predominant means through which global communities interact, The World Wide Web has, for many years, been a virtual sketchbook, art gallery, publishing house, meeting place and discussion forum. In this course we treat the Internet not only as a means of publishing information but also as a dynamic dialog between designed system and user. Web applications can be created to react and render multimedia dynamically, making it a platform for interaction that is ‘always on.’ Net Art, an art form devised for and delivered exclusively via the World Wide Web has a sizeable audience and critical discourse. Other online creative forms marry user contribution, social software with graphic and interactive design to create wholly new forms of social tools and artistic expression.

This course will immerse students in the culture and tools of Web 2.0, with an emphasis on the opportunities suggested for authoring and designing expressive, collaborative and exciting applications and interfaces which stretch the boundaries of narrative expression. This module will be open to students from a variety of Masters level degree programmes. Students will be given opportunities to further their technical, critical and creative practice skills relative to their previous knowledge and background. Interdisciplinary collaboration will be encouraged as a means of developing these skills.

Outline Of Syllabus

This module is taught through a series of lectures and seminars. Current critical thinking and practice in the area of creative web and interactive narrative will be presented, discussed and applied to the student’s own projects. Through creative exercises students will develop their capacity to explore the virtual blank canvas that exists online. Specifically the course will examine three main areas:

1.       Online Identity – Students will look at tools for establishing and manipulating an online identity and reflect on this process.
2.       Interactive Narrative – Examples of interactive narratives will be presented and discussed from technical, critical, creative and design points of view. Students will be encouraged to look behind the given examples and explore their architecture, aesthetic and design.
3.       Creative Practice – Students will develop their creative practice with relation to the Web and interactive narrative through creative writing exercises and through reflection and discussion with their fellow course members.

Students will work to develop and implement an original project that explores the critical, technical and design issues presented. These projects will then be either published, installed, exhibited or produced, according to the nature of the resultant work. The opportunity will be provided to explore collaborative practice by working with other members of the group on this project. Students will be assessed on:

1.       An individual project that examines the issues surrounding online identity through the creation of a web based identity for a fictional character. Students will reflect on this process through group discussion and a written commentary of 500 words which will also state the URL’s which link to the online identity created.
2.       Students will, either individually or collaboratively, develop a proposal for a larger project that creatively examines a brief which is related to the issues raised in the module. This proposal will be presented to the rest of the group half way through the module. A template will be provided that specifies the format of this presentation.
3.       Students will, either individually or collaboratively, implement the project that they have proposed taking into account feedback received at the proposal stage. A 1500 word critical commentary which reflects on the project and the process will accompany the work that has been published/exhibited/installed/produced.

In order to encourage experimentation and to acknowledge the variety of backgrounds of students who choose to take this module, the final mark will be weighted according to the relative development of the student’s technical abilities with the systems and creative forms that they choose to utilise.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module combines seminars, which introduce key theoretical concepts and facilitate a series of creative exercises and reflective discussions, with guest lectures, which will present contemporary research practice in creative web and interactive narrative. Class interactions are complemented by extensive self-directed conceptual and implementation activity. This piece-wise build up of skill, followed by a focused final project ensures that students have the opportunity to both learn the fundamentals of current online technologies, but also implement them in a complete conceptual design of their own devising. A midterm critique of the project proposal ensures that students can present their ideas and adjust their project plans according to feedback. This critique also provides an opportunity to check on project progress and student aptitude.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

A template that specifies the format for this presentation will be provided for the presentation of bthe final project.

Final project (Either individual or as a group) to be presented, exhibited, published or produced according to the most appropriate format for the chosen medium of delivery. The final project will be accompanied by a 1500 word individual critical commentary.

The individual project exploring identity allows students to develop an understanding of the ways in which they can present themselves online and provides an introduction to web 2.0 tools. The final project developed in this class allows students to work as they would in a professional context of web development and to critically reflect on that process. Students will, either individually or as a team, conceptualise, strategise and implement a fully functional web application. This project will develop the students’ technical, creative and critical skills as is specified in the learning outcomes for the module.