Entry requirements

General eligibility + English 6.

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

The course is not part of a main field of study.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts:

1: Introduction to Video Essays (7 Credits), with lectures, workshops and seminars.

2: Individual Video Essay Project (8 Credits)

Part 1: Introduction to Video Essays
This part of the course provides an introduction to video essays through lectures, practical workshops, and discussion seminars, where students learn the fundamentals of combining visual elements, text, and sound to communicate complex ideas.

Part 2: Individual Video Essay Project
In this part, students apply their knowledge by planning, creating, and presenting an independent video essay project.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course the student will be able to:

1. Analyze literature and apply acquired knowledge in open discussions with peers, effectively incorporating theoretical insights into the critique and analysis of video essays.
2. reflect on the ethical considerations and potential impacts of video essays in academic and public discourses.
3. Apply theoretical and methodological frameworks to the creation of video essays.
4. Plan, execute, and present—visually and in writing—a self-directed video essay, adhering to given timelines, and publish the work for an audience.
5. Engage in constructive critique of their own and peers' video essays.

Learning activities

The course combines theoretical instruction with practical application through lectures, workshops and seminars, as well as with a larger individual project. Students will engage in critical analysis, collaborative learning, and creative production, with support from teachers and peers.

Assessment

Learning outcomes 1 and 2 are assessed through a compiled document of written group reflections, along with an individual final reflection, from all seminars held during part 1.
Learning outcomes 3, 4, and 5 are assessed through the uploaded video essay and a final presentation of the students' work in part 2.

To achieve a passing grade (G) for the course, the student must obtain a passing grade in both part 1 and part 2.

Course literature

Alter, N.M. (2018) The Essay Film After Fact and Fiction. Jackson, USA: Columbia University Press.

Up to 300 pages of up-to-date journal articles may be added. Various visual and audiovisual examples from all kinds of sources will be added.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.