Course syllabus autumn 2019
Course syllabus autumn 2019
Title
Theorizing Media Technology
Swedish title
Teoretisera medieteknik
Course code
ME610E
Credits
7.5 credits
Grading scale
UA / Excellent (A), Very Good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Pass (E) or Fail (U)
Language of instruction
English
Decision-making body
Faculty of Technology and Society
Syllabus approval date
2019-01-16
Syllabus valid from
2019-09-02
Entry requirements
- Degree of bachelor in Media Technology or in a related field. Examples of relevant degrees include, but are not limited to: computer science, informatics, information systems, human-computer interaction, interaction design, media/IT management, game development, media and communication studies, and digital cultural studies. All degrees must be equivalent to at least 180 higher education credits.
- The equivalent of English 6/English B in Swedish secondary school.
Level
Advanced level
Main field
Media Technology
Progression level
A1N
Progression level in relation to degree requirements
The course meets the degree requirement for the degree of Master (One Year), main field of study Media Technology.
Course objectives
The course objective is for the student to develop and apply advanced theoretical knowledge in the field of media technology, and be able to put this in relation to existing and emerging media technologies and their impact on the media industry, as well as to relevant social, economic and cultural aspects and conditions.
Course contents
The course contains the following elements:
- Interdisciplinary perspectives on theory of media development, focusing on the emergence and diffusion of media technologies
- Social, economic and cultural contextualization of media development and use
- The media industry's structure, goals and business ideas
- Practical application of theory in business-related cases
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course the student shall demonstrate ability to:
- Explain how media technologies can create value for media companies and the society
- Explain the interactions and relationships between theories related to media development, as well as their practical applications
- Explain how different social, economic and cultural factors affect media development and use
Skills and abilities
On completion of the course the student shall demonstrate ability to:
- Analyse and discuss media technology development from different perspectives and contexts
- Apply theory and practice to explain how various factors promote and hinder the creation and dissemination of innovations in media technology
- Assimilate theoretical knowledge and in groups present and discuss literature, case studies and research articles
- In writing be able to communicate results of one’s own work
Judgement and approach
On completion of the course the student shall demonstrate ability to:
- Apply theoretical knowledge into practical action for complex media-technological situations
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the theoretical foundations of media technology and its social contexts apply the theoretical knowledge into practical action for complex media-technological situations
- Motivate and evaluate different viewpoints on media development and argue from different perspectives and needs
Learning activities
Lectures, seminars, and independent studies, individually and in groups.
Discussion seminars and assignments are supplemented with lectures, guest lectures and student-driven lectures.
The course requires active participation of the student. The student is expected to participate in discussions through experiences, reflections, interpretations and perspectives. Students are expected to take initiative to response work and meetings of various kinds, and be well prepared for seminars. Peer assessments are included in the teaching.
Assessment
Assessments
Grading is based on oral and written examination, including active participation in seminars.
The course is assessed based on the following:
• Written examination (5 credits)
• Seminars (2.5 credits)
To pass the course (A-E): Passing grade on all parts above is required.
Course literature and other study material
Recommended literature
• Fuchs, Christian (2017). Social media: a critical introduction (2nd ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
• Gillespie, Tarlton, Boczkowski, Pablo J., & Foot, Kirsten A. (2014). Media technologies: Essays on communication, materiality, and society. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
• Schäfer, Mirko Tobias & Van Es, Karin (Eds.) (2017). The datafied society: Studying culture through data. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press (Available as open access: http://oapen.org/search?identifier=624771)
• Van Dijck, José, Poell, Thomas, & de Waal, Martijn (2018). The platform society: Public values in a connected world. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Van Dijck, José (2013). The culture of connectivity: a critical history of social media. New York: Oxford University Press.
In addition, there will be a required reading of a number of journal articles.
Reference literature
• Aris, Annet (2009). Managing media companies: harnessing creative values (2nd ed.). Chichester: Wiley
• Bauer, Johannes M. & Latzer, Michael (Eds.) (2016). Handbook on the economics of the internet. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Bolter, Jay David & Grusin, Richard (1999). Remediation: understanding new media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Christensen, Clayton M. (1997). The innovator's dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
• Lindgren, Simon (2017). Digital media & society. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Löwgren, Jonas & Reimer, Bo (2013). Collaborative media: production, consumption, and design interventions. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.
• Picard, Robert G. & Wildman, Steven S. (Eds.) (2016). Handbook on the economics of the media. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Pink, Sarah, Ardévol, Elisenda & Lanzeni, Débora (Eds.) (2016). Digital materialities: design and anthropology. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
• Rogers, Everett M. (2005). Diffusion of innovations (5.th ed.). New York: Free Press.
• Shapiro, Carl & Varian, Hal R (1999). Information rules: A strategic guide to the network economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Course evaluation
The university provides all students who are participating in, or have completed, a course to express their experiences and views on the course through a course evaluation which is organized at the end of the course. The university will collate the course evaluations and provide information about their results and any actions prompted by them. The results shall be made available to the students. (HF 1:14).
Interim rules
When a course is no longer given, or the contents have been radically changed, the student has the right to re-take the examination, which will be given twice during a one year period, according to the syllabus which was valid at the time of registration.