Aims

· To link students’ understanding of creative, practice based research to avenues for its technical
implementation
· To build on and broaden students’ capacity to implement technical projects in a range of open
source technologies
· To develop students’ capacity for independence in developing new technical skills
· To enable students to identify relevant influences for their work in the history of art and
technology
· To introduce students to relationships between philosophy and technology
· To enhance students capacity to collaborate
· To further develop students presentation and documentation skills

Outline Of Syllabus

In this module students will engage with a broad range of open source technologies. They will develop projects with a significant technical scope and learn to integrate different technologies within a single project. A range of philosophical influences and significant currents of thought from the history of art, technology and design will be introduced and students will be expected to draw on these to enrich the production of their work and to better understand its historical and contemporary context. This module is taught through a series of lectures integrating elements of practical work.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture-workshops will follow a common pattern. Thematic areas of creative digital practice will be introduced with a hands-on, set-by-step introduction to relevant techniques and technologies following this. The final part of each session will allow students to further explore the techniques/technologies introduced. At this time they will have the opportunity to seek help and to engage in peer learning.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The portfolio will present a short series of works demonstrating engagement with the module’s practical and theoretical content. Documentation of practical work should include ‘in progress’ images or video, well-produced video of the final working piece, annotated, tidy code and a short technical description The written text should, following the principle of an ‘annotated portfolio’ describe common themes which connect the various projects and should expand on these in discussion, drawing on the course content.

Reflective Log
Documentation and use of discursive on-line tools (reflective log) will facilitate the assessment of the project development as a process and the student’s ability to communicate theoretical and technical knowledge to a variety of audiences.