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"This course will introduce students to some of the major concepts, practices, and implications involved in the use of digital technologies in the humanities – the group of academic disciplines interested in examining what it means to be human from cultural, historical, and philosophical perspectives. From the vantage point of these new ‘digital humanities’, we will examine the contemporary shift away from a predominantly print culture to one that is increasingly digital and online, while at the same time analysing and critiquing the emerging cultural practices that accompany this development. In so doing, we will seek to better understand the historical influence of new technologies on how we think of ourselves and our cultural heritage, both individually and collectively; how we interact socially and politically; how we determine public and private spaces in an increasingly connected world; and how we can use digital technologies to produce, preserve, and study cultural materials."
A revolution is underway in humanities and social science research. Information and communication technologies are transforming the way in which students and scholars approach their subject matter. New questions arise when texts, images, and sound are rearranged in ways unimaginable before the digital age. The term 'digital humanities' refers to these changes and to the critical, epistemological, and methodological challenges they pose. This course provides an introduction to some of the most exciting areas in current digital humanities research, as well as an exploration of its history and impact as an interdisciplinary field, the theoretical issues it raises, and the major methodological debates it has provoked over the last few decades. Students will develop the analytical skills necessary for working at, and engaging with, the intersection of humanities and digital technologies. They will explore both the theoretical and practical foundations for working with cultural objects in the digital medium in ways relevant to languages, linguistics, history, literature, and many other humanities disciplines.No technical background is required.
This course allows students to develop and critically assess a range of digital humanities skills, research methods, and best practices. Students will be asked to engage with cutting-edge research methodologies in the growing interdisciplinary field of the digital humanities, focusing on the issues and approaches that directly address the ongoing digitisation of our shared cultural record. The scope and scale of these issues will allow students to investigate a variety of humanities questions in a project-based manner across multiple media and using various methodologies. Students will experiment with at least four different types of data— drawn from existing open-access digital humanities collections—along with corresponding data analysis techniques to answer a set of humanities-related research questions. These methods may include: digitisation techniques, text encoding and analysis, data gathering and analysis, 'distant reading' and data mining, network analysis, data visualisation, linked open data, and geo-spatial mapping.
This course introduces students to the essential structures, techniques and processes of the digital workspace used throughout the digital arts and the creative industries.  This gives students a firm technical foundation for working and experimenting independently. This will develop the students ability to acquire new skills into the future, within the environment in which most animation and video projects, big and small, are carried out. The various industry-standard, software packages for animation and video will also be introduced. Basic equipment including cameras, recorders, and lights will also be introduced.  Instruction will be through technical classes and project-based assignments. Occupational health and safety instruction is an integral part of this course.
The goal of this course is to expose students to computational thinking. Computing is transforming business, science and society, making it possible to represent vast amounts of knowledge in digital form (big data) and enabling algorithms to process this knowledge with unprecedented accuracy and speed. Underlying this are the fundamental - and beautiful - ideas of computational thinking: viewing problems and processes through the lens of algorithms and structured data, and tackling complexity through procedural abstractions like iteration and recursion. Students of the course will learn the fundamental skills of applying computational thinking and practical computing, through exploring the impact that computing can have in disciplines such as medical, physical and social sciences. The course offers a breadth and perspective on computing beyond what is provided by focused foundational courses in computer science.
"Knowing how to effectively use computational tools to perform data analysis, simulation, and visualisation is rapidly becoming a crucial skill in an increasing number of industries and academic disciplines. The aim of this course is to provide skills for tackling the ""messiness"" of real-world computer systems, programming languages, and data. Unlike many other computer science courses which explain a single area in depth, the focus of The Craft of Computing will be on understanding core principles that allow students to quickly and confidently learn and apply a variety of computational tools to several different types of problem. The skills developed in this course will be a great asset to students in their undergraduate life and future careers."
This course is the first of three core computer science courses on programming. It introduces students to the field of computer science as a discipline for solving problems through computation and provides the foundation for more advanced courses on programming and software development. Data structures and algorithms, the key concepts at the core of computer science, receive their first treatment in this course. The course covers functional programming in depth, developing the core idea of functions operating on data structures. Students learn the organization of programming languages using types, how programs are evaluated (reduction), functional composition, recursive functions, algebraic data types, pattern matching, parametric polymorphism, higher-order functions. Students also gain exposure to asymptotic analysis of basic data structures, abstract data types, modules, laziness, and streams. The functional paradigm demonstrates elegant solutions to many programming problems. The course also introduces students to standard productivity tools for software development that will be used throughout the course and remainder of the computer science degree. These include distributed software revision control systems. The Advanced version of this course covers these topics in more depth, allowing students to deepen their understanding and experience.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of software development with a substantial group software project at its center. Major foci are data structures, object oriented programming, and an introduction to software engineering. Students will extend their understanding of software productivity tools, using revision control for group work, and be introduced to test-driven development as an integral part of software construction. Students will be introduced to an industrial strength object oriented programming language, extending their understanding of the imperative programming paradigm with a solid grounding in object oriented programming.  Inheritance, polymorphism, and parametric types are taught, as well as concepts such as boxing and auto boxing. The important role of standard libraries and their collection types will be emphasized.  GUI programming will be introduced. The course includes a deeper treatment of data structures, using hash tables, trees and lists, which are used to provide concrete implementations of abstract library collection types. The theory of data structures and their time and space complexity will thus be tied to the practice of using standard collections such as those offered by object oriented languages. The foundations of software engineering including: major development paradigms (such as big plan up front, agile, and formal methods), risk are introduced. The Advanced version of this course covers these topics in more depth, allowing students to deepen their understanding and experience.
This course introduces the construction of web sites and web interface/interaction design. There is a key focus on the on new media / multimedia and its delivery on the world wide web. The course introduces multimedia as a combination of text, graphics, video, animation and sound for the purposes of information access, storage and dissemination. Topics such as the nature and types of multimedia objects, components of a multimedia system, Web authoring, delivery tools, multimedia applications, spam, podcasts, RSS, web spam and societal implications of the web. Students will create multimedia applications using some or all of HTML, XHTML, JavaScript, animation, sound, video and 3D. The course provides an introduction to the latest web technologies.
This course will introduce design and coding in the context of New Media Arts and Interaction. Topics covered may include the nature of New Media Art, Interaction with New Media Art, program organisation, control structures, graphics and audio. In terms of the modern art world, the computer is not just another medium, it is a whole other range of media. Students will design and experiment  to construct interactive works of New Media Art. They will learn how to conceptualise, brainstorm, plan and realise an original interactive work of New Media Art. The techniques used by computer professionals to visualise and present data are heavily influenced by techniques invented by artists and vice versa. Students will gain an appreciation of good visual and interactive design.
This course examines making in the online context. It offers an introduction to fundamental technologies, concepts and practices of making online. It considers both the practical and poetic, exploring the presence of online media in our professional and personal lives. The course pursues these ideas through practice, providing students with a grounding in online production technologies and processes that are versatile and applicable in a wide range of contexts.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of mixing and audio production through lectures, workshops and creative participation.  Weekly assignments include the analysis, mixing and remixing the music of a wide variety of artists ranging from Radiohead, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Linkin Park and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Queen, the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. The course also introduces the students to the industry-standard software Logic Pro X and makes regular use of the School of Music’s own cutting-edge music technology lab.  A strong emphasis on practical application, this course will equip students with the underpinning knowledge required for the progression into the world of professional sound recording and music production.
The goal of this VC course is to expose ANU students from all disciplines to computational thinking. Computing is transforming business, science and society, making it possible to represent vast amounts of knowledge in digital form (big data) and enabling algorithms to process this knowledge with unprecedented accuracy and speed. Underlying this are the fundamental - and beautiful - ideas of computational thinking: viewing problems and processes through the lens of algorithms and structured data, and tackling complexity through procedural abstractions like iteration and recursion. Students of the course will learn the fundamental skills of applying computational thinking and practical computing, through exploring the impact that computing can have in disciplines such as medical, physical and social sciences. The course offers a breadth and perspective on computing beyond what is provided by focused foundational courses in computer science and other computing-related disciplines.
"Art in the Digital Age explores the various ways artists and designers use or develop emerging computational technologies to articulate conceptual ideas or transform cultural production of objects. This course examines the changing social dimensions of the digital age and the impact of networked connectivity on contemporary creative practices. It deals with some of the key debates and issues of the body, space and time, and outlines a range of outcomes through a hybridity and cross-disciplinarity; interactivity, cybernetics, robotics, physical augmentation, artificial intelligence, information and social networks, virtual reality, data visualisation, 2D and 3D digital and additive printing, programming and coding. It also touches on how hybrid art practices explore frontier sciences such as bio-art and genetic engineering. Framing creative works within broader historical and social contexts, art history and theory, this course also considers some of the ethical concerns that artists and designers address through an interdisciplinary practice. Students will develop a critical knowledge of the impact of digital and computational technologies on contemporary art and life, and learn to discuss and analyse the new kinds aesthetics that are created in an increasingly networked society. The course is complimented with relevant guest lectures and excursions."
This course provides an insight into the conceptual and visual possibilities of animation. It introduces students to fundamental animation theory, techniques and processes that are explored and developed in the context of a Major Work in Animation. Students will develop a Research and Development portfolio as a pre-production component to the creation of the Major Work. This portfolio is a comprehensive planning document that clarifies the theoretical, conceptual and technical scope of the Major Work. Typical areas of investigation at this level include, but are not restricted to, the following processes: staging, timing, deformation, keyframing, lighting, texturing, modelling and rendering. These processes may be implemented in a 2D computer animation, stop-frame animation or 3D computer animation, as per student preference. Occupational health and safety is approached professionally at this level.
This course provides an insight into the conceptual and visual possibilities of video. It introduces students to fundamental video theory, techniques and processes that are explored and developed in the context of a creative work in video. Students will develop a research and development portfolio as a pre-production component to the creation of the creative Work. This portfolio is a comprehensive planning document that clarifies the theoretical, conceptual and technical scope of the creative work. Typical areas of investigation at this level include, but are not restricted to, storyboarding, pre-production, lighting, editing, and installation. Workplace health and safety is approached professionally.
"This course lays the foundations for the understanding of CPU architectures, networking and operating systems. Additionally, it introduces topics which cut across many computer systems, such as cross-layer communication and basic concurrency (as well as basic ideas of virtualization and efficiency through proximity). CPU architectures are discussed from first principles (digital logic) and are expanded into current day designs. This also involves assembler level programming to connect hardware circuits to the world of software. Representations of data types and high-level code at the machine level will be made clear by keeping the relations between high-level and machine-level code throughout the course. It will also look at how concurrent software constructs can or cannot be translated into parallel hardware operations. This course will cover a wide range of topics such as digital logic: transistors, gates, and combinatorial circuits; clocks; registers and register banks; arithmetic-logic units; data representation: big-endian and littleendian integers; ones and twos complement arithmetic; signed and unsigned values; Von-Neumann architecture and bottleneck; instruction sets; RISC and CISC designs; instruction pipelines and stalls; rearranging code; memory and address spaces; physical and virtual memory; interleaving; page tables; memory caches; bus architecture; polling and interrupts; DMA; device programming; assembly language; optimizations; concurrency and parallelism; and data pipelining. Knowledge of the principles of networking and operating systems (as well as their relation to computer hardware) are essential for every computer scientist and this course will provide those foundations. The relation of assembler level building blocks (macros) to constructs in direct compiled language is demonstrated throughout the course. While this course provides the above foundations (which stand on their own), it also prepares students for the follow-up course COMP2310 Systems, Networks and Concurrency, which rounds off the knowledge about concurrency in current computer systems of any scale, as well as expands the knowledge in networking and operating systems."
This course is an introduction to relational databases and the general skills for designing and using them. The topics include the relational data model, SQL, entity-relationship model, functional dependencies, (de-)normalisation, relational algebra, query processing and optimisation, database transactions and security. To deepen the understanding of relational databases, the current industry development of database systems such as NoSQL databases will be introduced at the end of this course. 
Data communications and computer networking systems are growing rapidly in both size and function. It is impossible to think of a successful business day without the Internet. Modern communication technologies such as WiFi, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), and Internet of Things (IoT) help us to stay connected with our family, friends, and work regardless of present location.Networked Information Systems (NISs) are becoming an essential part of everyday experiences, in our kitchen appliances, cars, and public transport and for Internet banking and shopping. Because they can make or break a day, understanding how networks work, and how they should be set up and managed to for reliability, scalability, mobility, and security is of the utmost importance to us. In this course, you will learn fundamental concepts of data communication and networking in addition to gaining a working knowledge of network scalability, mobility, security, and managing capabilities. You will have the foundational basis to understand, evaluate, and compare new technologies and their applications. You will also develop a working knowledge of measuring risks and security threats and considering network monitoring and management procedures. Finally, you will build an ethics awareness and the communication skills needed to apply these networking concepts to a range of real-life analytical scenarios.
Information theory studies the fundamental limits of the representation and transmission of information. This course provides an introduction to information theory, studying fundamental concepts such as probability, information, and entropy and examining their applications in the areas of data compression, coding, communications, pattern recognition and probabilistic inference.
An introductory course in formal logic, dealing with propositional and predicate logic. Techniques of formal deduction and tests for the validity of arguments will be studied. Basic semantic concepts will be discussed.
This course provides basic approaches for designing and analysing algorithms and data structures. It will focus on two fundamental problems in computing: Sorting and searching. It will cover various data structures and algorithm design techniques for solving these two classes of problems, as well as basic performance measures and analysis techniques for solving such problems.
"This course covers the theoretical computer science areas of formal languages and automata, computability and complexity. Topics covered include: regular and context-free languages; finite automata and pushdown automata; Turing machines; Church's thesis; computability - halting problem, solvable and unsolvable problems; space and time complexity; classes P, NP and PSPACE; NP-Completeness."
Digital technologies continue to radically transform the way we produce, experience and understand the built environment. The momentous impact of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacture has only just begun to unfold and the extent of change it will have on our lives remains unknown. The only certain thing is that in this time of massive change, digital literacy is an essential element of the designers’ toolkit. Digital form and fabrication develops the knowledge and skills required to design, specify and manufacture objects with digital tools through the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems. The course takes a structured approach to build core competencies for independent and extended inquiry through both set briefs and independently negotiated projects. Emphasis is placed on establishing technical and creative fluency in the use of CAD. Students are supported to develop and apply critical understanding of the constraints of CAD and CAM approaches, ensuring effective application of digital tools to  design practice.
This course introduces code and data as powerful tools for design and creative practice. By working directly with these fundamental processes of computing, students will develop practical skills and conceptual approaches that can be applied to design, fine arts, digital media, data visualisation and many other fields. Students without previous computer programming experience will gain an introduction to core concepts, processes and techniques of coding, with a focus on generating visual and spatial form. Through practical production workshops and design projects, students gain the expertise required to generate creative works for screen, print and fabrication technologies (such as laser cutting, CNC and 3D printing). This course will also introduce students to the vibrant cultural context of creative code platforms and practices.
Digital data is ubiquitous in contemporary culture: it documents environment, health, communication, government, arts, professional and private realms. For designers and practitioners data offers a profound opportunity to investigate, reveal and creatively represent this increasingly significant layer of our society. This practical course grounds students in data as a key element in contemporary design practice, and in the design and production of data visualisations. Through a series of hands-on exercises students will develop static, dynamic and interactive representations of data for screen-based and tangible forms, and come to understand the functional and poetic dimensions of visualisation as a creative practice. The course introduces students to the cultures and contexts of data visualisation and design, and the analysis and interpretation of visualisations. It also introduces critical perspectives on the questions of representation and interpretation that are central to the field. This course will be of interest to students from a wide range of fields including design, fine arts, digital humanities and information technology, where the visual representation of data offers both immediate challenges and creative opportunities.
In our increasingly computerised and networked society, designers and creative practitioners are faced with exciting new opportunities to incorporate computation into their production processes. Dynamic design embraces the constant change and variability of digital media, crafting flexible, interactive systems. Generative design takes up the potential of computing as a process, using rules and systems to create otherwise impossible physical and visual forms. The designed systems that result can give rise to endless variations in form and outcome, challenging traditional notions of design and object. To explore these ideas and opportunities, this course takes a practical, production-focused approach to computer-based generative techniques and design for dynamic content. It introduces skills and techniques with broad application which students may employ in image-making, visualisation, video and animation, interactive media, or 3D design for objects and structures.
Front-End web design is concerned with the design and production of website elements that directly shape a user’s experience of a site. Front-end web has a broad scope, encompassing elements such as typography, layout, visual aesthetics, interface behaviours, and information architecture. It is a highly dynamic, burgeoning field of practice that is the creative engine-room of the modern web. This course provides a hands-on foundation in front-end web, introducing students to its fundamental concepts, theories, production practices and core technologies such as HTML, CSS and Javascript. The skills and knowledge acquired in this course are versatile and powerful, and will be of value to students from any field of study.
This course explores what is happening to literature, and its study, in the digital age. Digital technologies are profoundly affecting how literature is produced, read, and analysed. This course explores new theoretical perspectives on literature arising from this context: from innovative conceptions of textuality, authorship, and reading, to changing understandings of the book, publishing, and the library. These theoretical paradigms provide a framework for students to read new digital literary works as well as literary works about digital technology, and to employ new digital approaches to literary studies. Students will develop analytical skills for engaging with literary documents, in and about digital forms and/or with digital methods, and for exploring a range of issues relevant to our increasingly digital textual world, including authority, originality, and reproducibility. No technical background is required.
Whether you are watching 'Game of Thrones' on television, downloading the latest episode to your laptop of or discussing it or any other 'longform' series on social media, you are engaging with a narrative form that dominates the contemporary mediascape. ‘Televisual’ invites you to explore the significance of ‘narrative television’ and its impact on how stories are produced and received today. We will do so through closely reading a selection of case studies, moving from the 1950s' 'I Love Lucy' through to 'The Simpsons', 'Twin Peaks' and to a contemporary film that is arguably inspired by contemporary televisual media (Richard Linklater's 'Boyhood'). In doing so, we will engage with some of the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries’ most important theorists of television narrative (including Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhan). Beginning with television’s first emergence in the 1950s, we will consider the various ways in which television has been produced, transmitted and received. Our investigation will move from television's reliance on studio recording to thinking about the importance of live and cable broadcasting and, more recently, the role of digital devices that can stream or download content. We will ask questions about what makes televisual storytelling distinct and whether or not television has influenced the development of other forms (including novels and films). The course will conclude with our looking at how television has transformed in the contemporary era of so-called convergent or ‘connexionist’ media. 
In many ways, contemporary life profoundly challenges our understandings of what it is to be human. This course explores the ways in which our bodies might be better described as ‘posthuman.’ We will examine our engagements with technology (from Fitbits to IVF), our entanglements with scientific and medical understandings of the body (such as those produced in genomics and neuroscience), and our ever-changing embodied relations to non-human animals and the material planet. Drawing on research and concepts from Science and Technology Studies, the Sociology of Health and Medicine, Feminist and Queer Theory, and Animal Studies, we will work through specific examples – relating to reproductive technologies, pharmaceuticals, self-tracking, and animals in space amongst others – to think about who and what we are today.
"The digital age is changing our interaction with information profoundly. The printed book and newspaper is under threat, the publishing industry is undergoing significant change, and issues surrounding information, such as freedom of information, copyright, and intellectual property, and the very ways in which we read, write, understand, and communicate are being debated and reconsidered. This course seeks to place these debates in historical perspective by exploring the history of information in the modern age. A history of information and an examination of issues surrounding information transmission and use will equip students to think critically and creatively about information and knowledge in contemporary life. The course will draw on a variety of disciplines and methodologies, thereby introducing students to issues in print history, communication and media studies, and information studies.  Specific topics that will be studied include: the impact of the ‘print revolution’; information and empire; the development of the publishing industry and how it shapes knowledge; information wars and propaganda; and the development of the Internet and its impact on information, knowledge, and communication."
Dictionaries are the most widely-used source of information about languages. This course introduces the craft of dictionary-making, and looks at questions about the nature of languages and their descriptions that arise when making a dictionary. The course will focus both on existing lexicographic materials (e.g. various kinds of dictionaries of major world languages) and on the task of making dictionaries of undescribed languages from scratch (particularly for languages of indigenous Australia and the Western Pacific).
"Music and Digital Media is an interdisciplinary course focussing on the business, cultural context and scientific nature of the [inter]relationship between music and media. The course blends theoretical perspectives on digital music formats, production, consumption and dissemination with practical workshops on audio and music editing, sound recording and coding for online music and media platforms. Such is the evolutionary nature of music in the digital age that study topics may vary. Current course content includes: a short history of music and digitisation, intellectual property, copyright and ethics; massively collaborative online music production and distribution; case study analyses of music for gaming, music 'apps' and crowd funding for music projects; digital audio visual curation techniques; and, the 'place' of music in social networks, media players and blogs. Learning and teaching activities include lectures, tutorials, practical lab sessions and workshops. Students are assessed on a portfolio of practical work, to include: an individually constructed e-CV; a music current affairs podcast for public broadcast; and, a written essay on an individually negotiated topic"
The internet, and in particular the web and social media, has transformed the way we socialise, participate in politics, work, collaborate, and engage in commerce. This course focuses on the contribution of social science at large – emphasising classical sociology and social network analysis – to understanding life in the Digital Age. While attention is paid to relevant insights and approaches from other disciplines, for example applied physics and computer science, the primary focus is on theoretical and empirical contributions from social science. This course equips students with the theory and methods for understanding the social, political and economic impact of the internet. Students will also learn how network analysis and big data are being used to answer long-standing questions in social science.
What drives individuals to generate Utopian imaginaries? How are Utopias produced? Can we build a sociological theory of Utopia production? This course investigates these questions through research-based teaching: students will be invited to participate in ongoing research that aims to develop a theory of Utopia production. Drawing on numerous case studies, the course will introduce students to the ways in which the future has been conceived in the West since the sixteenth century. It will explore Utopian hopes and dystopian fears in fiction as well as concrete attempts to realize these projects.
This unit introduces students to central concepts at the intersection of the digital world and a range of humanistic endeavours. Through case studies based in each of the themes of the major, we examine how technological possibilities have interacted with recent work in scholarship, media and heritage studies allowing exciting new techniques and methods of research and presentation of data. We consider the bases necessary for such work, the data sources and the tools, and also investigate the new communicative possibilities that result. As well as critically engaging with existing applications in the field, students in this unit will produce digital objects presenting their own work. Through exploring the impact of technological change in this field, the unit also will foster a more general understanding of such impacts and of the inter-relation of digital technologies, society and culture.
This unit is an introduction to the techniques, frameworks and processes comprising 3D modelling and 3D imaging. Foundations of 3D aims to give students an understanding of 3D modelling by developing skills in 3D model creation for a variety of contexts, including 3D prototyping, 3D visualisation and 3D modelling for games and animation. Students will communicate their knowledge of 3D theory through the production of designs that demonstrate geometrical modelling, texture mapping, virtual lighting techniques, camera positioning, and rendering procedures.
This unit provides Interactive media students with foundation skills relevant to all other Interactive media major units. This unit covers the basics of information graphic, digital graphic and motion graphic editing and introduces the fundamentals of web production with CSS and HTML 5. The unit content will introduce students to some of the key conceptual, technical and craft issues related to digital media production, and give them the opportunity to create media products based on their own practice based research.
From online entertainment to paying our bills with smartphones, computers are at the centre of our lives today. How did this change come about, and what has it meant for us as individuals, as well as for society more broadly? Starting with its origins in the world of government, the military and corporations, this unit explores the lasting impression that IT continues to make within the spheres of popular culture, work, politics, the law, and leisure.
Students in this unit will become part of a team applying digital humanities trans-disciplinary skills and resources to an original research problem. Throughout semester, they will collaborate with one another and academic staff to engage meaningfully with a research project, further developing their digital humanities research skills and gaining valuable practical experience of working as part of a team. Under the leadership of an experienced researcher, they will play an active role in generating new knowledge by employing digital humanities methods. The unit introduces students to the skills needed to design and execute future self-directed projects.
"Video games have become a major media industry, generating large revenues and exerting an ongoing impact on older media forms. From game consoles to social media platforms to mobile devices, they account for an increasing share of media experience and have taken a central place in a number of key debates about the role of media, from issues of gender and violence to addiction and the nature of art. This unit will introduce the field of Games Studies by discussing a number of key debates, themes and theories concerning the operation of the games industry; the experience of gaming; the cultural impact of games; and games' relationship with other, older media forms."
This unit examines the application of digital technologies (beyond textual analysis) in humanities research, covering the methods used to make data accessible, the analytic techniques which are thereby enabled, and the dissemination of research results through new modes of publication. The unit will be based on active learning and will enhance and consolidate students' academic and research abilities. It will also guide students to an understanding of the potential of applying new analytic tools to problems in various humanities disciplines and will stimulate team-work and collaboration, creating a pool of transferable skills that students can acquire and practice, and encouraging students to make productive links between theoretical ideas and practical applications.
In the past, our human limitations constrained the possibilities of working with large bodies of text. But today, technology makes it easy to analyse millions, even billions, of words of text quickly and reliably. This unit introduces students to the basic methods used in analysing large text collections and looks at their application in fields such as literary studies, linguistics, history and translation. Students will learn practical techniques for analysing text collections, will use that knowledge to explore texts relevant to their disciplines and will reflect on the types of knowledge which can be gained using these methods and their value within contemporary humanistic scholarship.
How do we make the past into history? How do historical objects come to life in the museum? In this unit you will learn to think and work like a professional historian and museum curator. You'll work alongside Monash historians and curators at Melbourne Museum to research the history of a set of items in the Museums Victoria (MV collection. You'll research photos, objects, documents, oral history interviews or other sources. You'll produce an entry about a MV collection item for Collections Online - so that your research may be available for others to learn and enjoy.
Digital Humanities in action provides a distinctive, transdisciplinary opportunity for students to synthesise critical discourse with practice-based application in ways that are characteristic to the field of Digital Humanities (DH). Through active learning, students will be challenged to advance their practical, technical and conceptual skills developed in preceding DH (and other disciplinary) studies towards a complex multi-faceted design research project. The design studio will provide the framework for students to apply their critical understanding and creative skills to problem-based scenarios. The practice-based opportunities provided by the studio will be supplemented by complementary theoretical and design thinking content and methods. Students will be required to undertake a project that demonstrates suitable application of knowledge and techniques drawn from their identified stream of specialisation (in digital media, information and society, digital cultural heritage). Students will be expected to respond in a critical, ethical and reflective manner, while exercising creative, entrepreneurial and independent research skills. Critical discourse will be agile and responsive to contemporary issues arising at the socio-cultural interface of DH scholarship. The resulting project work will demonstrate both conceptual and technical application relevant to their knowledge domain (Arts, Information Technology, or Art Design and Architecture) to a high level of competence and literacy. The nature of the studio environment provides a unique opportunity for encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to practice and research. On occasion, these studies may be undertaken as part of an immersive research studio conducted as part of special projects and study abroad experiences.
FIT3169 introduces students to immersive environment design and production principles using game engine prototyping software. Building upon the 3D creation and editing skills in the prerequisite unit FIT1033 Foundations of 3D, students will learn how to create game levels, import assets (models, sounds, animations), extend supplied code (JavaScript) to visualise interactive virtual environments for a range of applications and devices.
This unit explores the possibilities new technologies allow for creating new narrative experiences that combine interaction between digital and physical worlds. Students will develop practical, technical and conceptual skills for evaluating and implementing interactive and immersive narrative experiences across media, such as serialised mobile or social media narratives, web series, location-based gaming, or crossmedia theatre. Students will be required to conceive, develop and produce a collaborative project that demonstrates a suitable application of knowledge and techniques in designing narrative experiences using new technologies.
This unit introduces students to digital imaging within art and design studio practices. It builds sequentially upon the skills and knowledge of digital processes by providing a focus upon creative image production for a range of digital media applications. Students explore the creation, manipulation, composition and output of digital images with increasing confidence and proficiency across a range of options and controls available through vector and pixel-based software applications and use of peripheral devices. Demonstrations and lectures are given on the creation of digital images with an increased conceptual understanding of representational issues, visual language and communication.
This unit explores developments in art, science and technology, drawing on important periods in Italian history and culture as a background for understanding contemporary interdisciplinary practice. It will examine the nature and development of technology in science, engineering, the arts and architecture. Using the city of Prato and the museums, galleries, rural landscapes and built environments in the surrounding region, students will develop a team-based interdisciplinary project that draws on this rich historical, cultural and technological landscape.
This unit investigates the visual and theoretical languages of design in relation to a number of key critical issues. It focuses on issues including the engagement of works of design with society, consumerism, gender, politics, and the environment. The role of the designer in responding to aesthetic and social challenges is also considered. Students will continue to develop a range of approaches to understanding works of design and related issues while also refining the broader critical and analytical skills necessary to their disciplines. The Semester 1 program covers material suited to Industrial Design and Interior Architecture, and the Semester 2 program focuses on Visual Communication and Multimedia.
This unit introduces students to a critical understanding of the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) within contemporary social relations. In particular, the unit explores the ways in which the diffusion of ICT has reshaped thinking and practice within the workplace, communities, and society more broadly. Particular emphasis is placed upon the relationship between human activity and technology, the various ways in which the latter might replace or augment the former, and the consequences that might follow from such changes.
Design Thinking applies the skills and strategies developed by designers to a wide range of problems and situations. These skills and strategies include a range of conceptual and communication approaches, ways to explore and reconsider the context in which we work, as well as what should or could be achieved. Design thinking brings together some approaches that are known in the sciences and humanities, such as analysis and synthesis, but applies them in ways that are particular to a design approach. Design thinking can enable a more flexible approach to problem solving, and a more nuanced engagement with the complex issues of our contemporary world. This unit will introduce students to the key skills and practices associated with design thinking, and offer opportunities to explore the application of these basic creativity techniques in a range of disciplines.
Data visualisation is a powerful technique that allows us to use our visual system to understand data. Interactive data visualisation is now common in business, engineering and design and the social and physical sciences. This unit introduces the main kinds of information graphics and interactive visualisation systems and their areas of application. It investigates the reasons why visualisation can be effective and based on this students will gain experience in critically assessing data visualisations and in designing their own visualisations. Students will learn how to create visualisations with representative computer tools and gain experience in creating a data visualisation for an application domain of their choice.
This unit explores the related practices of art criticism and curatorship and their role in communicating art to its publics. It offers a brief history of criticism/curatorship and critical/curatorial approaches, an assessment of reviews, including those of local exhibitions in Melbourne, and considerations of the theoretical underpinnings of critical reception. Students are invited to explore how they might themselves participate in the production of visual critique in the form of exhibition reviews, catalogue essays, curatorial statements, artist statements and so forth.
This unit will enable students to apply advanced principles of coding, from concept to implementation, to create unique forms of data visualisations. Visualisation is the graphic representation of data. It enables complex information structures to be expressed creatively and understood quickly. Contemporary culture has seen a massive increase in the amount of data generated by social media, web sites like Amazon and other large cultural datasets. The challenge for designers, architects and artists is to translate this data into something that communicates a complex concept efficiently and creatively challenge the visual status quo to generate incisive cultural commentary. Through a process of practical studio exercises and workshops students will explore how data can be used to generate unique interactive visualisations. Students will be exposed to key processes of data management, including organising, cleaning and preparing data for visualisation. Students are encouraged to explore these processes to create dynamic, unique and creative interactive visualisations. In-depth studies of the contemporary leaders in art, design and architecture who use these processes to generate data visualisations will critically contextualise the social and economic significance of the field.
n recent decades, much of the world has witnessed a transformation from manufacturing to knowledge-based service economies. There is growing awareness of the economic benefits that innovative user-oriented services can bring to nations and organisations. The United States is home to the leading multinational companies in this arena, such as Apple and Google. The latter's Google Search, Google Maps and YouTube are illustrative of how intrinsic to our daily lives innovative media services have become. The service sector in China, which is still in the midst of such a transformation, is increasing in economic importance. Tencent's WeChat, a digital application of this Chinese premier Internet service portal, supports location-based social plug-ins, allowing users to befriend and chat with nearby strangers using the service through a simple shake of their smartphones. These companies' service systems did not exist in the pre-digital era. User experience innovations, in particular, are fundamentally changing the way in which product and service systems are designed and operated. This course introduces you to the emerging trends related to information, engagement and entertainment of user experience design, and teaches the basic practical capacities required to visualise the flow of a user-oriented service innovation. Through small group discovery, you learn to apply principles to practice and to become more creative and effective communicators in response to the rise of a media-driven, technology-oriented economy worldwide.
This course introduces the concepts of object-oriented programming to students with a background in the procedural paradigm. The course begins with a brief review of control structures and data types with emphasis on structured data types and array processing. It then moves on to introduce the object-oriented programming paradigm, focusing on the definition and use of classes along with the fundamentals of object-oriented design. Other topics include an overview of programming language principles, simple analysis of algorithms, basic searching and sorting techniques, event-driven programming, memory management and an introduction to software engineering issues.
"Introduction to key research areas in Computer Science and the ""Grand Challenges"". Topics include AI, Algorithms, Distributed Systems, Networking, Data Mining and Hardware; scholarship and writing in the discipline, critical analysis and thinking skills."
In this course, students work in interdisciplinary teams to solve problems that are set by the component departments and disciplines of the Faculty of Arts. In terms of content, the problems are disciplinary specific (i.e. they focus on a problem drawn from anthropology, art history, classics, English, history, philosophy, political science etc.). Some of the problems may be set by external partners such as government agencies, businesses, charities and so forth. In order to solve the problems, students are required draw on a range of interdisciplinary skills, including numeracy, digital literacy, critical thinking, and presentation skills in oral, written and media formats. The main focus of the course is providing students with the skills that they need to solve the problem. The course gives students a great deal of autonomy. Students choose to work on the problem that is most interesting to them. Each team has the freedom to find its own way of solving the problem and presenting the solution. The skills that students learn in this course will be invaluable to them, no matter what their degree or intended career. Above all, the course will give students hands-on experience of problem-based, self-directed learning.
Bruno Latour describes the way that scientific and technical work is made invisible by its own success as 'black boxing'. In this course, students will look inside the 'black box' to examine how scientific knowledge is currently created, used, applied, shared, and arguably controlled by a range of social factors. Students in this course will observe scientists at work and draw on a range of theories, in particular Science and Technology Studies (STS) to examine science as a social enterprise.
This course presents students with open-ended and complex programming problems that focus on developing their software design and implementation skills. The course will also introduce software engineering principles, and particularly approaches to software quality.
This course provides an insight into the field of surveillance studies from both a criminological and sociological perspective. Surveillance devices and practices are an increasingly familiar feature not only of crime control but also of everyday living. Data capture occurs as individuals break the law, shop, access services, browse the web, communicate and travel. As a consequence, personal information has become both a vital commodity and an exploitable resource for the wielding of power. Institutions seek to exploit such data to control `deviants?, customers and even those for whom they have a duty of care. This course takes as its starting point the theories and concepts prominent in surveillance studies and drawing upon key theorists, such as Foucault, Lyon and Haggerty, examines the extent to which these ideas offer insights into monitoring practices in late modernity. These insights are then further developed through a consideration of the broader political and economic pressures surrounding surveillance practices, including the possibilities for resistance. A range of surveillance technologies used by the state and other organisations to control both crime and the more mundane elements of everyday life will be examined throughout the course.
Many great discovery moments in science have become embedded in popular culture - think of the apple hitting Newton on the head, Archimedes' Eureka moment when he jumped out of the bath, and Darwin's insight into evolution by natural selection via his voyage to the Galapagos. But these stereotypes fail to capture the complexities inherent in the process of learning about our natural world using methods which we now describe as 'science'. They also fail to interrogate the ways in which science has shaped, and in turn been shaped by, sociocultural, political, and economic forces throughout history. This course examines the relationship between the production of scientific knowledge and its broader sociocultural contexts. In particular, this course explores how science has influenced our understanding of what it means to be human: our place in nature and in the universe, and the nature of matter, life, and death. Students will investigate key episodes in the history of science, technology, and medicine in depth to gain an understanding of the relationship between science and power throughout history, and also to reflect on the implications of this history for our contemporary views on science and our privileging of it as a form of knowledge production.
This course looks at the development, production, and use of digital stories. Digital story has become an avenue of expression leading to new forms of social networking and a means through which story is re-made for different media. The course examines techniques of story production through a range of digital media which will lead to the development and production of stories by students. The capacity for digital storytelling has developed through the availability of convergent communication technologies, particularly consumer grade technologies such as those in smart phones and tablets. The availability of these technologies has meant that new skills and techniques of writing and producing are necessary which fit with computer screen technologies and other parameters of these new media forms. The subject will cover the relatively short history of this new field of media production, linking it to older forms of story-telling in terms of connection to comparative and indigenous precursors and uses. Building on theory covered in first year core Media courses, this course will cover an analysis of the 'producer' as an autonomous media producer and the development of a computer mediated aesthetics. Theories of narrative form, visuals, sound, music, subjectivity and identity will form part of the course with an examination of forms of collective and political engagement that develop out of digital story. New mainstream genres which grow out of older forms such as the diary or the journal will be discussed. The course has a practical component which will encourage the production of new forms of narrative through exercises and the use of skills developed in class.
Cognitive Science is a multi-disciplinary enterprise that seeks to explain human intelligence and behaviour by drawing together the insights from psychology, computer science, neuroscience, and philosophy. This course is an introduction to the philosophical and theoretical foundations of this field. Topics will include the computational model of the mind, classical (digital) and connectionist (analog) approaches to cognition, embodied and extended cognition, dynamical systems theory, and predictive coding models of perception. While there will be discussion of computation and computational accounts of cognition, the course is introductory and does not assume a background in computing or mathematics.
"Science has a significant impact on our lives. Some have criticized it for being ""reductionist"" and part of a general dehumanization of society. Others argue that the sciences are our only means of avoiding the many dangers we currently face. Philosophy of Science will examine these and other central issues in the contemporary philosophy of science, including: the objectivity of science, the nature of scientific method, the status of scientific knowledge, and the character of scientific explanation. The course will also explore the general picture of reality that emerges from modern science."
Entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a legitimate and important career path today. Evidence suggests that your time at University is one of the best times to find team members and attempt entrepreneurship, with many modern high profile businesses being formed by university students working together. Entrepreneurship also offers you the freedom to pursue your interests, again at a time in your career recognised as one where you should experiment to find a path you like. The eChallenge is a course designed to offer you a chance to do these things. It is a course that offers students real world experience in becoming an entrepreneur. Students progress through the task of conceiving of an idea for a product, forming teams, collecting user feedback, describing their ideas to the public, and presenting their progress to a panel of expert investors and judges. Weekly modules codify the process of entrepreneurship, and assessment tasks are practically aligned to prepare students for the expectations of investors, as well as extend students? networks by interacting with real world entrepreneurs. Added to this, the course offers a range of cash and in-kind prizes to help students start their ventures, with winners announced at a black-tie awards dinner for all participants. The course has been the first step into entrepreneurship for many that have gone on to great entrepreneurial endeavours, as well as an enriching personal learning experience for all. For more details on workshops, processes, and prizes, go to: www.adelaide.edu.au/echallenge
Despite globalisation, nationalism is on the rise in the contemporary world. This leads to conflicts both within and between states. Understanding the nationalism is central to understanding the world in which we live. In this course we explore how nations and nationalisms are based on narratives of the past. We investigate how conflicts arise when the narrative of one nation differs from that of another, or when there are disagreements within a national community, about what the 'proper' national narrative should be. Case studies of 'hot spots' in contemporary politics include: the Sino-Japanese War and the Japanese occupation of Korea, the partition of India/Pakistan and of Israel/Palestine, Stalinism, Fascism, World War II and the Holocaust in Europe, and the debate about slavery and the Confederacy in the USA. The course starts with a discussion of the origins of nationalism in the nineteenth century and its evolution in the twentieth. Our main focus, however, is on the politics of nationalist narratives in the present. This is not a traditional undergraduate course. It is a collaborative research project in which students participate as active researchers. Each student chooses a particular country or region to research. The student feeds the results of her/his research into a collective pool of information which is shared by the whole class. On the basis of the information gathered by the students themselves, we shall address wider, theoretical questions about the role of history, narrative and identity in the modern world.
This course examines how new digital technologies are transforming journalism and news media through new modes of production, new types of data analysis and research capabilities, as well as changes in the wider media environment. The course will provide students with a theoretically informed critical understanding of the news and journalism environment in the context of digital media. Students will develop a wider understanding of the restrictions and opportunities of the digital news environment, as well as some of the central debates within journalism and media studies.
"Overview of science communication in the 21st century; Science writing: structuring articles and reports, writing effectively for both specialist and non-specialist audiences; Use of oral presentations and displays to communicate science; Use of emerging online social media in science communication."
This course introduces students to the many forms of creative writing available in electronic formats. The course will trace the history and uses made of a range of electronic writing forms including hypertext, animated poems, conceptual blogs, interactive fictions, literary genres, email and collaborative art and documentary websites. Students will analyse the structures of these forms in order to understand the methods employed and develop written work for one of these forms.
Between 1917 and 1953, the peoples of the USSR experienced a revolution, a brutal civil war, the cultural flowering of the 1920s, the upheaval of industrialisation and collectivisation in the 1930s, the trauma of Stalin's 'Great Terror', and the ordeal of World War II. Millions of people died or were killed, but there were also spectacular achievements in the military, economic and cultural spheres. This course explores the epic history of the largest country on earth from the revolution of 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953. We do this from the perspective of some of the historical characters who lived through the period. Each student will choose an individual historical figure whose life and career s/he will trace through the great events of the period 1917 to 1953. By pooling their knowledge of specific individuals, students will build up a broader picture of what it meant to live through this amazing period of history.
This course will explore the implications of the new intensive data gathering arising from the ubiquitous media technologies that surround us. It will cover theories of surveillance and then look at the practices of data gathering and consider the impact on areas such as freedom of expression, privacy, and identity. The course will consider the governance of surveillance and then compare current policy regimes towards big data use in Australia, the US, the UK and the EU. The prevalence of predictive algorithms and the uses to which they are being put will be interrogated, and the possibilities for future policy directions explored, with an emphasis on the areas of transparency and accountability.
Precolonial Aboriginal cultures have long been seen as the social, economic and ecological prototype of the hunting and gathering way of life. The aim of this course is to convey a basic understanding of their customary or ‘traditional’ Aboriginal practices and beliefs as they were at the threshold of colonisation. Exploring these issues also means exploring the intellectual struggle Europeans have had to come to terms with Aboriginal societies and cultures, understanding why Aboriginal social and cultural practices captured the European imagination, and how they became so significant in European intellectual history and the production of European social theory.
This course examines mainstream and alternative concepts of development by focusing on development issues and case studies located in so-called Third World countries. It examines the historical background to development ideas and practices, and the cultural presuppositions and assumptions on which they are consequently based, as well as the ways in which they impact on different cultures throughout the world. Of particular interest will be alternative concepts of development, such as people-centred development, gender and development, equity in development, local knowledge and values, sustainable development, and participation and empowerment in development.
From ancient Greece to 20th-century Australia, there has been a desire to understand our ancestors. This course explores major developments that have shaped archaeology as a discipline around the world. We will travel from the time of 'Antiquarians' in 16th-century England, through discovery of ancient human bones in Africa and ruins of famous sites and vanished civilizations in America, Australia, Pacific islands and Europe. This course will also explore tipping points in archaeological theory and assess how these have influenced current perspectives on the past. Tutorials will focus on the contribution of individuals to the practice and interpretation of archaeology.
"An introduction to creative writing in English from countries formerly colonised by Britain. The course explores recent literary fiction, within the context of local histories, politics and cultural patterns, and their relations and reactions to colonial and neo-colonial forces. Students will also be introduced to recent theoretical approaches to understanding postcoloniality, and will gain a better insight into how these issues relate to Australia's own history of colonialism. The countries or regions to be examined in some depth may vary from year to year; the conception of the unit will not, however, be affected by such variations."
"This course aims to develop students’ capacities in historical research and writing. In particular, it will assist students to undertake an historical research project using primary source materials, and to present their work in a form appropriate to its subject matter, purpose and audience. Through a program of seminars, workshops, site visits and feedback, each student will formulate an independent research proposal, conduct research using a variety of historical sources, and construct a research output. Students will be invited to reflect on questions of theory, historiography, methodology, ethics, audience and presentation in historical research and communication."
This unit is designed to help students to become better historians and better analysts of historical writing.  It seeks to illuminate the principles, strategies and assumptions which underlie different forms of history - both today and in the past.  And it seeks to acquaint students with current debates about the discipline.This course considers what historians aim to do, and what they actually do. It asks questions such as:  How can we know what happened in the past?  Why do historians disagree about what happened?   What is the relationship between the present and the past, and how does this inform the way we research and write history?  How are historical narratives constructed?  What literary and rhetorical techniques do they use?  How do they employ evidence? The course will consider key developments in historical thought and method, from the classical period to the present day.  It will invite students to consider the social functions of historical writing, as well as to critically assess the methods and models employed by different schools and traditions amongst historians.  Students will have a chance to examine trends in recent historical practice, and to explore the influence of disciplines such as sociology and anthropology on history, as well as of movements such as postmodernism, feminism and post-colonialism.
This course provides students with an introduction to the development of selected modern mass media, including the popular press, telegraph, radio, and television, in the United States. It looks first at some explanations of the role of modern media in society and then explores the ways in which each succeeding communication medium has confirmed or confronted the received culture of the United States. The course will conclude with an examination of the impact, both present and future, of the networked computer upon the politics and popular culture of the United States.
This course gives an introduction to human language, its structure and how it can be described and analysed. The methodology of linguistics (the scientific study of language) is introduced, focusing on the formulation of generalisations that say what all human languages share. The aim of the unit is to give a conceptual framework for (1) thinking about and discussing language and language-related topics, and (2) aiding the acquisition and teaching of a second language. and (3) pursuing further study of linguistics.
Do we see our world through the language we speak or does everyone see the world in the same way? Are all languages equal? What does it mean to speak a dialect of a language? What is language variation? How do we show our identity through language? This course surveys the main concepts and methods used to analyse language within different social settings. Concepts will be illustrated by current and topical examples. Students will also have an opportunity to observe language in its social context. Language and Society (LING6002) is important for anyone who wants to understand the way in which languages function in society. It is an introductory course designed to enable students to acquire an understanding of the different concepts and methods used to analyse language within different social settings. It provides students with the basic skills for carrying out research into language in society. Issues covered will include collecting, describing and interpreting sociolinguistic data and reporting research findings. Students will be given an opportunity to carry out their own sociolinguistic survey.
The ability to write persuasively and appropriately in Academic English is fundamental to the successful completion of a degree. This course is designed to help students engage with academic sources and write accurately and persuasively for an academic audience. It introduces theoretical and practical aspects of English academic writing. Class discussions and activities will focus on skills such as how to sequence ideas and structure paragraphs into a coherent written argument, how to identify key and supporting ideas and how to identify elements of academic genres. Activities will develop academic reading strategies, writing skills (such as note making, annotation, planning, drafting, peer reviewing, revising, editing) and speaking and listening skills for discussions and presentations. Students will be encouraged to develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in their own areas of interest. 
A revolution is underway in humanities and social science research. Information and communication technologies are transforming the way in which students and scholars approach their subject matter. New questions arise when texts, images, and sound are rearranged in ways unimaginable before the digital age. The term 'digital humanities' refers to these changes and to the critical, epistemological, and methodological challenges they pose. This course provides an introduction to some of the most exciting areas in current digital humanities research, as well as an exploration of its history and impact as an interdisciplinary field, the theoretical issues it raises, and the major methodological debates it has provoked over the last few decades. Students will develop the analytical skills necessary for working at, and engaging with, the intersection of humanities and digital technologies. They will explore both the theoretical and practical foundations for working with cultural objects in the digital medium in ways relevant to languages, linguistics, history, literature, and many other humanities disciplines.No technical background is required.
This course allows students to develop and critically assess a range of digital humanities skills, research methods, and best practices. Students will be asked to engage with cutting-edge research methodologies in the growing interdisciplinary field of the digital humanities, focusing on the issues and approaches that directly address the ongoing digitisation of our shared cultural record. The scope and scale of these issues will allow students to investigate a variety of humanities questions in a project-based manner across multiple media and using various methodologies. Students will experiment with at least four different types of data— drawn from existing open-access digital humanities collections—along with corresponding data analysis techniques to answer a set of humanities-related research questions. These methods may include: digitisation techniques, text encoding and analysis, data gathering and analysis, 'distant reading' and data mining, network analysis, data visualisation, linked open data, and geo-spatial mapping.
Writing in the public sphere involves negotiating a range of genres determined by the needs and expectations of range of publics. Taught by expert practitioners this course offers students a comprehensive survey of different forms and styles of writing in the public sphere from academic writing, public commentary and journalism to writing for museum and gallery displays and catalogues, writing for television and film and creative writing. It will also include units on professional editing and publishing. The course will have a strong practice-based element, focusing on the poetics of writing by exploring it in practice. 
This course explores communication in the Humanities. The issues Humanities scholars engage with are of interest to and significance for society and culture as a whole. It is important for the Humanities to communicate with the public, and increasingly this is done in many different ways beyond the traditional book or scholarly article. This course will provide students with critical skills for approaching communication in the Humanities. Firstly, students will consider and analyse the various ways scholarly and public communication is undertaken, including considering the value and efficacy of Open Access, social media, and scholarly vs popular writing. Students will then engage in developing a social media profile for themselves or an institution or project with which they are involved. It is expected that students will be able to develop real social media skills as a result of undertaking this course, and develop the critical awareness of how to communicate Humanities' issues to the public.
"This course provides students with an introduction to current and historical debates and issues in the Humanities, with a particular focus on Public Culture and Digital Humanities. The course will involve contributions from leading Humanities scholars from across the University, and draw on the expertise of visiting scholars where appropriate. Visits to cultural institutions in Canberra are included when possible. Key issues covered in the course may include: the relevance of the Humanities for contemporary society and culture; the role of public cultural institutions in Humanities debates; the political uses of the Humanities; issues in Humanities communication (such as copyright and open access); the impact of the Internet on Humanities scholarship and research; and emerging digital methodologies in Humanities research."
"This course is directed at those interested in pursuing advanced level research in a range of Humanities fields, in particular Linguistics, Languages and Cultures, and Literary studies. The course will provide hands-on experience in essential components of research: critically assessing and synthesising relevant literature; developing research questions; disseminating research though conference presentations and publishing; and the use of tools to help in this (such as advanced Word skills, bibliographic data base, etc.). By working on one project for the different pieces of assessment throughout the course, students will complete the course with a well developed research plan, which will prepare them well for writing a thesis or other substantial research project."
The Australian National Internships Program provides students from any discipline with the opportunity to undertake a significant research project within a work place. Academic credit will be awarded towards the students' degrees. Placements are in national institutions (eg  government departments and agencies), peak industry bodies, large industry organisations, public policy-focussed NGOs, or international organisations (eg  embassies). As part of a real-world experience, students will have the opportunity to work in an office environment, learn to prioritise tasks and deadlines, develop the skills to express themselves concisely and provide a succinct précis of a complex topic. Admission to this course is selective due to the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course. The research topic is agreed between the Intern and the placement and topics usually have a focus relevant to both the organisation and the intern. Students attend workshops to assist with the write up of their report and enhance professional skills.Internship placements may be offered within Australia or overseas, and workshops will be delivered over the course of a semester or in intensive mode. This course is available for cross-Institutional enrolment.The mandatory orientation workshop runs over two days during Orientation Week.Admission to this course is selective due to the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course.  For more information on the entry process please visit anip.anu.edu.au.
The Australian National Internships Program provides students from any discipline with the opportunity to undertake a significant research project within a work place. Academic credit will be awarded towards the students' degrees. Placements are in national institutions (eg  government departments and agencies), peak industry bodies, large industry organisations, public policy-focussed NGOs, or international organisations (eg  embassies). As part of a real-world experience, students will have the opportunity to work in an office environment, learn to prioritise tasks and deadlines, develop the skills to express themselves concisely and provide a succinct précis of a complex topic. Admission to this course is selective due to the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course. The research topic is agreed between the Intern and the placement and topics usually have a focus relevant to both the organisation and the intern. Students attend workshops to assist with the write up of their report and enhance professional skills.Internship placements may be offered within Australia or overseas, and workshops will be delivered over the course of a semester or in intensive mode. This course is available for cross-Institutional enrolment.The mandatory orientation workshop runs over two days during Orientation Week.Admission to this course is selective due to the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course.  For more information on the entry process please visit anip.anu.edu.au. 
Students enrolled in the Writing, World Histories and Lives sub-plan of the Liberal Arts program may seek the approval of the program coordinator to undertake an independent research project. The course enables students to undertake an independent research project. The aim of the project is to allow students to apply the conceptual and methodological skills they have developed in the program to a particular research question or case study linked to their academic or professional interests.
"This course allows students to develop a relevant research project in the areas of Public Humanities, cultural studies, and/or Digital Humanities. Students will be guided by a supervisor in the development of a research topic, discuss appropriate methodologies and practices, and work on their project throughout the semester. This course allows students to develop a project that may have direct industry or professional relevance; and to further develop their project management, writing and/or digital literacy skills. Students will be encouraged to explore projects that are interdisciplinary and employ new media and digital skills and components."
"This course allows students to develop a relevant research project in the areas of Public Humanities, cultural studies, and/or Digital Humanities. Students will be guided by a supervisor in the development of a research topic, discuss appropriate methodologies and practices, and work on their project throughout the semester. This course allows students to develop a project that may have direct industry or professional relevance; and to further develop their project management, writing and/or digital literacy skills. Students will be encouraged to explore projects that are interdisciplinary and employ new media and digital skills and components."
This course introduces students to the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary heritage practice in Australia and internationally. It gives students the opportunity to gain a broad but comprehensive understanding of the essential underpinnings of heritage practice that are required for working in the sectors of natural and cultural heritage, land management and heritage institutions. The course will provide a solid professional basis for any employment where concepts of natural and cultural heritage and environmental management are involved. The course focuses on theoretical and methodological concepts at the core of natural and cultural heritage practice and also on the application of key concepts in theory, policy and practice, including examining different approaches to heritage practice from local, state and territory, national and international contexts. A key part of the course concentrates on fully exploring and understanding the different dimensions that both link and distinguish processes for natural and cultural heritage identification, conservation and management. In the Australian context, the course examines how Indigenous notions of caring for country have influenced, and continue to influence approaches to natural and cultural heritage. The role of different disciplinary traditions in environmental and cultural heritage practice is also critically examined. Key topics include: The key concepts of natural and cultural heritage practice The evolution of heritage methods and practices The practices of documenting heritage values in different regional and cultural contexts Understanding values-based heritage management in Australia and globally Communication and interpretation strategies for heritage
This course explores the impact of the computer age and the information revolution on society generally and on visual/digital arts practitioners in particular. It is divided into two interconnected parts. The first focuses on some of the key debates concerning changing views of the body, space and time. The second part deals with the varied creative uses of new media, including digital imaging, websites, interactive CD-ROMS, animation and virtual reality, framing them within broader historical and social contexts.The unit also takes into account some of the ethical issues raised by the advent of cyberspace.
Animation is an elective course that introduces students to skills, techniques and processes in 2D and 3D. Conceptual and thematic issues are addressed, and occupational health and safety instruction is included. The course is studio-based and students primarily develop individual projects in consultation with their lecturer.
Video Art is an elective course that introduces students to skills, techniques and processes in video art. Conceptual and thematic issues are addressed, and occupational health and safety instruction is included. The course is studio-based and students primarily develop individual projects in consultation with their lecturer.
This course provides an introduction to immersive virtual reality. Students will be taken through the process of creating an interactive virtual environment intended for stereoscopic output and, in the second half of the course, will develop their own immersive and interactive project. The course introduces students to experience (UX) design, interaction design and interface design for immersive environments. The conceptual and experiential possibilities of immersive VR are explored and developed in the context of a creative work or a collaborative creative work. Students will develop a research and development portfolio as a pre-production component to the creation of the creative work. This portfolio is a comprehensive planning document that clarifies the theoretical, conceptual and technical scope of the creative work. Typical areas of investigation at this level include, but are not restricted to, interface design, interaction design, experience design and simple programming. Workplace health and safety is approached professionally at this level.
Maps are an invaluable tool for understanding and presenting research in the social sciences and humanities, but many researchers do not take full advantage of them because of the technical hurdles involved in map making. But those hurdles are getting lower, and this course will provide the theoretical background and technical skills needed to make maps for publications and presentations. Each week one lecture will focus on theoretical aspects, such as Critical Cartography and debates over colonialist maps, while a second lecture will introduce mapping techniques such as interpolation and data representation. During weekly lab periods, students will collect spatial data using GPS, and use spatial data and geographic information system (GIS) software to create maps. Students will also perform an independent project to collect data and create a map with a span ranging anywhere from a single archaeological excavation pit to some aspect of modern life covering several city neighbourhoods.
This course is an introduction to relational databases and the general skills for designing and using them. The topics include the relational data model, SQL, entity-relationship model,functional dependencies,(de-)normalisation, relational algebra, query processing and optimisation, database transactions and security. To deepen the understanding of relational databases, the current industry development of database systems such as NoSQL databases will be introduced at the end of this course.    
Information theory studies the fundamental limits of the representation and transmission of information. This course provides an introduction to information theory, studying fundamental concepts such as probability, information, and entropy and examining their applications in the areas of data compression, coding, communications, pattern recognition and probabilistic inference.
An introductory course in formal logic, dealing with propositional and predicate logic. Techniques of formal deduction and tests for the validity of arguments will be studied. Basic semantic concepts will be discussed.
"This course lays the foundations for the understanding of CPU architectures, networking and operating systems. Additionally, it introduces topics which cut across many computer systems, such as cross-layer communication and basic concurrency (as well as basic ideas of virtualization and efficiency through proximity).CPU architectures are discussed from first principles (digital logic) and are expanded into current day designs. This also involves assembler level programming to connect hardware circuits to the world of software. Representations of data types and high-level code at the machine level will be made clear by keeping the relations between high-level and machine-level code throughout the course. It will also look at how concurrent software constructs can or cannot be translated into parallel hardware operations. This course will cover a wide range of topics such as digital logic: transistors, gates, and combinatorial circuits; clocks; registers and register banks; arithmetic-logic units; data representation: big-endian and littleendian integers; ones and twos complement arithmetic; signed and unsigned values; Von-Neumann architecture and bottleneck; instruction sets; RISC and CISC designs; instruction pipelines and stalls; rearranging code; memory and address spaces; physical and virtual memory; interleaving; page tables; memory caches; bus architecture; polling and interrupts; DMA; device programming; assembly language; optimizations; concurrency and parallelism; and data pipelining.Knowledge of the principles of networking and operating systems (as well as their relation to computer hardware) are essential for every computer scientist and this course will provide those foundations. The relation of assembler level building blocks (macros) to constructs in direct compiled language is demonstrated throughout the course.While this course provides the above foundations (which stand on their own), it also prepares students for the follow-up course COMP6310 Systems, Networks and Concurrency, which rounds off the knowledge about concurrency in current computer systems of any scale, as well as expands the knowledge in networking and operating systems."
"This course studies networking fundamentals including local, metropolitan, and wide area networks (LAN, MAN, and WAN), the Internet, intranets, extranets, and the World Wide Web (WWW). Its focus is on the application, transport, and network layers. The topics covered include the following: hardware, software, network topologies, architecture, and protocols; network and web applications; website design and construction; information architecture; standards; privacy, security, firewalls, and reliability; systems integration; network monitoring and management; and professional ethics and social issues."
This course provides basic approaches for designing and analysing algorithms and data structures. It will focus on two fundamental problems in computing: Sorting and searching. It will cover various data structures and algorithm design techniques for solving these two classes of problems, as well as basic performance measures and analysis techniques for solving such problems.
"Processing of semi-structured documents such as internet pages, RSS feeds and their accompanying news items, and PDF brochures is considered from the perspective of interpreting the content. This course considers the \document"" and its various genres as a fundamental object for business, government and community. For this, the course covers four broad areas: (A) information retrieval, (B) natural language processing, (C) machine learning for documents, and (D) relevant tools for the Web. Basic tasks here are covered including content collection and extraction, formal and informal natural language processing, information extraction, information retrieval, classification and analysis. Fundamental probabilistic techniques for performing these tasks, and some common software systems will be covered, though no area will be covered in any depth."
A Java-based introductory programming course which includes aspects of good programming practice and software engineering.This course can be studied for credit in the following programs: Master of Information Technology Studies Graduate Studies and as an elective in other programs.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of software development with a substantial group software project at its center.    Major foci are data structures, object oriented programming, and an introduction to software engineering.   Students will extend their understanding of software productivity tools, using revision control for group work, and be introduced to test-driven development as an integral part of software construction. Students will be introduced to an industrial strength object oriented programming language, extending their understanding of the imperative programming paradigm with a solid grounding in object oriented programming.  Inheritance, polymorphism, and parametric types are taught, as well as concepts such as boxing and auto boxing.   The important role of standard libraries and their collection types will be emphasized.  GUI programming will be introduced. The course includes a deeper treatment of data structures, using hash tables, trees and lists, which are used to provide concrete implementations of abstract library collection types.   The theory of data structures and their time and space complexity will thus be tied to the practice of using standard collections such as those offered by object oriented languages. The foundations of software engineering including: major development paradigms (such as big plan up front, agile, and formal methods) and risk are introduced.
This course will introduce design and coding in the context of New Media Arts and Interaction. Topics covered may include the nature of New Media Art, Interaction with New Media Art, program organisation, control structures, graphics and audio. In terms of the modern art world, the computer is not just another medium, it is a whole other range of media. Students will design and experiment  to construct interactive works of New Media Art. They will learn how to conceptualise, brainstorm, plan and realise an original interactive work of New Media Art. The techniques used by computer professionals to visualise and present data are heavily influenced by techniques invented by artists and vice versa. Students will gain an appreciation of good visual and interactive design.
This course introduces the construction of web sites and web interface/interaction design. There is a key focus on the on new media / multimedia and its delivery on the world wide web. The course introduces multimedia as a combination of text, graphics, video, animation and sound for the purposes of information access, storage and dissemination. Topics such as the nature and types of multimedia objects, components of a multimedia system, Web authoring, delivery tools, multimedia applications, spam, podcasts, RSS, web spam and societal implications of the web. Students will create multimedia applications using some or all of HTML, XHTML, JavaScript, animation, sound, video and 3D. The course provides an introduction to the latest web technologies.
Digital technologies continue to radically transform the way we produce, experience and understand the built environment. The momentous impact of rapid prototyping and rapid manufacture has only just begun to unfold and the extent of change it will have on our lives remains unknown. The only certain thing is that in this time of massive change, digital literacy is an essential element of the designers’ toolkit. Digital form and fabrication develops the knowledge and skills required to design, specify and manufacture objects with digital tools through the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems. The course takes a structured approach to build core competencies for independent and extended inquiry through both set briefs and independently negotiated projects. Emphasis is placed on establishing technical and creative fluency in the use of CAD. Students are supported to develop and apply critical understanding of the constraints of CAD and CAM approaches, ensuring effective application of digital tools to  design practice. Students will be encouraged to expand their existing knowledge and skills through CAD and CAM.
This course introduces code and data as powerful tools for design and creative practice. By working directly with these fundamental processes of computing, students will develop practical skills and conceptual approaches that can be applied to design, fine arts, digital media, data visualisation and many other fields. Students without previous computer programming experience will gain an introduction to core concepts, processes and techniques of coding, with a focus on generating visual and spatial form. Through practical production workshops and design projects, students gain the expertise required to generate creative works for screen, print and fabrication technologies (such as laser cutting, CNC and 3D printing). This course will also introduce students to the vibrant cultural context of creative code platforms and practices.
Digital data is ubiquitous in contemporary culture: it documents environment, health, communication, government, arts, professional and private realms. For designers and practitioners data offers a profound opportunity to investigate, reveal and creatively represent this increasingly significant layer of our society. This practical course grounds students in data as a key element in contemporary design practice, and in the design and production of data visualisations. Through a series of hands-on exercises students will develop static, dynamic and interactive representations of data for screen-based and tangible forms, and come to understand the functional and poetic dimensions of visualisation as a creative practice. The course introduces students to the cultures and contexts of data visualisation and design, and the analysis and interpretation of visualisations. It also introduces critical perspectives on the questions of representation and interpretation that are central to the field. This course will be of interest to students from a wide range of fields including design, fine arts, digital humanities and information technology, where the visual representation of data offers both immediate challenges and creative opportunities.
In our increasingly computerised and networked society, designers and creative practitioners are faced with exciting new opportunities to incorporate computation into their production processes. Dynamic design embraces the constant change and variability of digital media, crafting flexible, interactive systems. Generative design takes up the potential of computing as a process, using rules and systems to create otherwise impossible physical and visual forms. The designed systems that result can give rise to endless variations in form and outcome, challenging traditional notions of design and object. To explore these ideas and opportunities, this course takes a practical, production-focused approach to computer-based generative techniques and design for dynamic content. It introduces skills and techniques with broad application which students may employ in image-making, visualisation, video and animation, interactive media, or 3D design for objects and structures. 
Front-End web design is concerned with the design and production of website elements that directly shape a user’s experience of a site. Front-end web has a broad scope, encompassing elements such as typography, layout, visual aesthetics, interface behaviours, and information architecture. It is a highly dynamic, burgeoning field of practice that is the creative engine-room of the modern web. This course provides a hands-on foundation in front-end web, introducing students to its fundamental concepts, theories, production practices and core technologies such as HTML, CSS and Javascript. The skills and knowledge acquired in this course are versatile and powerful, and will be of value to students from any field of study.
This course explores what is happening to literature, and its study, in the digital age. Digital technologies are profoundly affecting how literature is produced, read, and analysed. This course explores new theoretical perspectives on literature arising from this context: from innovative conceptions of textuality, authorship, and reading, to changing understandings of the book, publishing, and the library. These theoretical paradigms provide a framework for students to read new digital literary works as well as literary works about digital technology, and to employ new digital approaches to literary studies. Students will develop analytical skills for engaging with literary documents, in and about digital forms and/or with digital methods, and for exploring a range of issues relevant to our increasingly digital textual world, including authority, originality, and reproducibility. No technical background is required.
This course is concerned with the cultural politics of memory and trauma. Whose memories are sought, believed and commemorated in the public sphere? What problems do traumatic events present for those attempting to commemorate or represent them? Is trauma a useful cross-cultural concept? We will begin by tracing the history of the concept of trauma in psychoanalysis, medicine and popular culture. Next, students will be introduced to theories of memory, including methods for studying memory in national and transnational contexts. Students will also be introduced to concepts of testimony and witnessing, and explore their relation to memory. We will study the cultural politics of trauma and memory with a particular focus on the Holocaust and the Stolen Generations, with some attention to other sites of conflict. Texts for study may include films, memoir, graphic narrative, testimonies, memorials and human rights reports as well as secondary literature.
In many ways, contemporary life profoundly challenges our understandings of what it is to be human. This course explores the ways in which our bodies might be better described as ‘posthuman.’ We will examine our engagements with technology (from Fitbits to IVF), our entanglements with scientific and medical understandings of the body (such as those produced in genomics and neuroscience), and our ever-changing embodied relations to non-human animals and the material planet. Drawing on research and concepts from Science and Technology Studies, the Sociology of Health and Medicine, Feminist and Queer Theory, and Animal Studies, we will work through specific examples – relating to reproductive technologies, pharmaceuticals, self-tracking, and animals in space amongst others – to think about who and what we are today.
This course examines the role of history and historical research in the public sphere. It is concerned with the way audiences remember, imagine and in other ways engage with the past, whether it be as tourists at a theme park, visitors to a museum or war memorial, or as media consumers, broadly defined. Many of our postgraduate students are already contributing to areas such as documentary making, museum curatorship, oral history, or to heritage management. The course is aimed at such professionals, or at anyone wishing to seriously explore how narratives about the past are communicated publicly. The course will involve analysis of films, broadcasts and critical literature, and include site visits to major cultural institutions in Canberra. Students will have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate practical skills in interviewing or other forms of historical communication such as audio-visual presentation or curatorial design.
The meaning of Anzac has been debated since 1915, a subject of contention, as well as a site for the expression of consensual values in both Australia and New Zealand. The course will examine the origins, reputed decline, revival and reinvention of Anzac, including of Anzac Day itself, in the context of changing patterns of war commemoration and cultural memory. Topics to be explored include Anzac's connections to the history of popular culture, commerce, commemoration, government policy, pilgrimage, tourism, museums and heritage, political and media debate, historical writing and education. Students will be expected to analyse events, sources and debates connected with the centenary of the First World War.
What does it mean to practice history in the digital age? How are digital technologies shaping the way we conceptualise the past, design and conduct historical research, and communicate our findings? What does digital history offer in terms of innovative and substantive new ways of understanding the past, and how has it changed the way society ‘consumes’ the past? This course explores the expanding landscape of digital history from the perspectives of both theory and practice. The course is built around three main threads. The first-- the pedagogy of digital history-- explores how digital technologies have impacted the production, consumption, and preservation of 'the past' in modern society, and the wider theoretical and methodological issues facing historical study in a digital age. A second-- doing research in a digital environment-- focuses on the development of skills and abilities in using digital tools and the Internet in historical research, while the third-- producing history in a digital world--will give students the opportunity to apply digital methods to their own research, and experience in writing and producing history for the web through the design and execution of a small web-based project.
"Biography is many things. It is the study of significant and ordinary individuals; it is the study of families and groups; it can shed light on specific historical periods and problems; it can provide a way of accessing individual and collective experience; it can illuminate the whole process of social and historical change. This course challenges students to think critically and creatively about the writing of biography in all its forms. What is the relationship between biography and history, biography and theory, biography and fiction? How do biographical studies incorporate theory? Should historians use different approaches to biography depending on the culture and/or gender of their subjects? How important is the relationship between biographers and their subjects? What special problems face the biographer of living subjects, or subjects in living memory? Through exploring questions such as these, students will develop a critical understanding of the complex issues surrounding the writing of biography."
"The digital age is changing our interaction with information profoundly. The printed book and newspaper is under threat, the publishing industry is undergoing significant change, and issues surrounding information, such as freedom of information, copyright, and intellectual property, and the very ways in which we read, write, understand, and communicate are being debated and reconsidered. This course seeks to place these debates in historical perspective by exploring the history of information in the modern age. A history of information and an examination of issues surrounding information transmission and use will equip students to think critically and creatively about information and knowledge in contemporary life. The course will draw on a variety of disciplines and methodologies, thereby introducing students to issues in print history, communication and media studies, and information studies.  Specific topics that will be studied include: the impact of the ‘print revolution’; information and empire; the development of the publishing industry and how it shapes knowledge; information wars and propaganda; and the development of the Internet and its impact on information, knowledge, and communication."
The course is designed to familiarise students with interdisciplinary and cross cultural approaches to humanities research. It is led by experts in visual anthropology, literary studies, history, biographical studies and cultural theory, and comprises a range of readings from areas as diverse as pacific history, indigenous cultures, biography and life narratives, new media and globalization, postcolonial theory, world literature, and philosophical debates on disciplinarily. The course will challenge students to evaluate a range of humanities approaches and to consider which ones might best suit their own research. The course will be conducted through 9 sessions in two blocks. The first will run for 5 weeks, the second for 4. The first block will be facilitated entirely by the convener. In the second block, guest scholars will address the assigned readings and respond to students’ questions on their theoretical and methodological approaches. This second part will build students’ capacity to structure research questions and enhance their critical engagement with interdisciplinary work. The final session will be a 3-4 hour symposium at which students will present an overview of their research plans in relation to the issues raised in the course readings.
This course focuses on best practice in identifying, conserving and presenting the cultural values of World Heritage sites. Students will have the opportunity to learn practical heritage management skills as well as gaining a thorough understanding of the theoretical and political issues relating to World Heritage and, more generally, cultural heritage management. In details, the course analyses World Heritage philosophy, guidelines and protocols, cultural heritage management and its critics, the challenges and politics of World heritage, and the relation between World heritage and local communities. This intensive topic is offered only in online mode Presenters will include heritage experts who have worked locally and internationally in the field of heritage. 
"This course provides an in depth analysis of the field of heritage and museum studies and explores some of the conceptual, political and ethical issues faced by those working within and researching in the area of heritage and museums.  The course questions dominant perceptions that heritage is simply about the collection and management of artifacts, sites and monuments and challenges students to engage with understanding heritage as an area of cultural and political practice. Students are introduced to the key intellectual frameworks that allow us to understand heritage as a form of cultural practice, while each week students are introduced to particular issues or ‘problems’ that heritage represents and are encouraged to explore and debate their meanings, consequences and, where relevant, their resolutions."
This course focuses on the key issues at stake in the multifaceted relation between heritage and tourism in the global context. Heritage is regarded as one of the most significant and fastest growing components of the world’s largest industry - tourism. The globalization of heritage through tourism has had various effects on political, economic, social and cultural ideas of human society. In this course, we focus on both positive and negative effects of global tourism on heritage destinations, particularly in terms of commercialization, authenticity, sustainability, indigeneity, and ownership. Using theories and methods of anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and performance studies, this course analyses the dynamic role of tourism in the global circulation of people, capital and images.  In addition to lectures, students will engage with six short documentary films from different parts of the world, which exemplify and complicate prevailing theories in tourism studies. Through two field trips in Canberra, one roundtable and one workshop, students will be offered ‘hands on’ learning experience, and be encouraged to develop a critical understanding of the role of tourism in managing, interpreting and shaping realities.
This intensive course will introduce students to critical issues in archival practice in a rapidly changing terrain. They will experience archival culture firsthand: how and why archivists work and think across a broad range of institutions and they will engage directly with a diverse types of archival material including institutional records, personal papers, material culture, as well as sound and audio-visual archives. The course focuses on examining the intellectual processes rather than the mechanistic practices of archiving. Students will consider specific theoretical and practical issues raised by particular forms of archive such as the politics of selection, the impact of digital technology, conceptual frameworks such as DIY archiving and so-called ‘radical archives’ as well as different approaches to curating and exhibiting archives. Taking advantage of the university’s place in the national capital, this course will include field trips to many major cultural institutions which could include the ANU Noel Butlin Archives, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the War Memorial and the National Film and Sound Archive. This course is of interest to students of museum and heritage studies, history, anthropology, art history, music and digital humanities.
Dictionaries are the most widely-used source of information about languages. This course introduces the craft of dictionary-making, and looks at questions about the nature of languages and their descriptions that arise when making a dictionary. The course will focus both on existing lexicographic materials (e.g. various kinds of dictionaries of major world languages) and on the task of making dictionaries of undescribed languages from scratch (particularly for languages of indigenous Australia and the Western Pacific).
Qualitative Research Methods in Language Studies will give students the opportunity to explore the different types of qualitative research methodologies used within applied linguistics, linguistics and language and culture research. Emphasis will be given to an examination of what counts as evidence within a qualitative research framework and how qualitative research evidence can be evaluated. Students will examine a range of qualitative research methodologies, such as case study, ethnography, participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, discourse analysis. They will explore key approaches through reflecting critically on studies which have employed the methods in focus and through experiencing research techniques used in selected approaches. Students will apply this knowledge to a personal research interest.
Quantitative Research Methods in Linguistics provides essential skills for anyone who wants to undertake quantitative analysis in linguistics, including applied linguistics. It is an introductory course designed to enable students to acquire an understanding of quantitative research methods. It provides students with the basic skills for carrying out their research. Issues covered will include collecting, describing and interpreting data and reporting research findings. When discussing quantitative approaches, emphasis will be on the conceptual aspects of such procedures rather than on mechanical arithmetic aspects. Students will be given practical experience in the basics of statistical analysis and in computer tools to carry them out. This course is recommended for anyone wishing to undertake research in any field of linguistics and applied linguistics.
This course introduces students to a wide range of cultural and collecting institutions and to the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary museum practice in Australia and internationally. The course focuses on the social role of the museum and supports students to critically consider key concepts and practices informing contemporary museums and their collections. We investigate the idea of the museum as contested ground and examine the complex and shifting relationships between museums and the diverse communities they serve. We explore how objects and collections acquire meaning and how those meanings are conveyed to museum visitors, ask why some cultural forms and objects become iconic, debate the elements of a successful exhibition and consider the range of skills and practices applied in contemporary museum and collecting practices. In investigating various approaches to these questions, the course links key concepts in museum studies to specific case studies.
"Music and Digital Media is an interdisciplinary course focussing on the business, cultural context and scientific nature of the [inter]relationship between music and media. The course blends theoretical perspectives on digital music formats, production, consumption and dissemination with practical workshops on audio and music editing, sound recording and coding for online music and media platforms. Such is the evolutionary nature of music in the digital age that study topics may vary. Current course content includes: a short history of music and digitisation, intellectual property, copyright and ethics; massively collaborative online music production and distribution; case study analyses of music for gaming, music 'apps' and crowd funding for music projects; digital audio visual curation techniques; and, the 'place' of music in social networks, media players and blogs. Learning and teaching activities include lectures, tutorials, practical lab sessions and workshops. Students are assessed on a portfolio of practical work, to include: an individually constructed e-CV; a music current affairs podcast for public broadcast; and, a written essay on an individually negotiated topic."
This course provides an introduction to basic statistics with an emphasis on statistical concepts and methods commonly applied in social research. Lecture topics cover measurement scales, frequency distributions, measures of central location and dispersion, sampling distribution of statistics, confidence intervals and hypothesis test, Chi-squared test, correlation and linear regression. Teaching is provided through lectures and computer training sessions. No previous knowledge of statistics is assumed, however, a sound knowledge of basic mathematics and spreadsheets is required. The course will equip students with the skills required to assess the validity of common statistical tests used in quantitative research.
This course equips participants with the necessary skills to analyse and interpret qualitative data to answer research and policy questions. Students will build on previous experience in designing qualitative research methods and data collection and will develop skills in using in-text analysis software, interpreting and discussing the results of their data analysis, and the process of writing and publishing qualitative research. The course will provide students with the skills necessary to undertake a range of different types of qualitative data analysis which may be applied in areas of social science research such as population health, demography, medicine, communication, political science and sociology.
"The World Wide Web is only around 20 years old, but it has transformed the way we work, collaborate, engage in commerce, participate in the politics and interact socially. This course will provide students with thorough training in online research methods for social science Internet research.  While ""obtrusive"" social research methods (e.g. online surveys and focus groups) will be covered, there will be greater emphasis on unobstrusive research methods, e.g. quantitative (statistical) analysis of Internet trace data from emails, websites, blogsites and social networking sites such as Facebook."
This course provides a broad overview of the theory of qualitative research, and examines the basic skills involved in the application of these methods in social research, demography and population studies. Qualitative methods are defined, and their uses and limitations explored. Qualitative methods are compared with quantitative methods, and approaches to the integration of qualitative data are reviewed. Strong emphasis is given to practical exercises in the collection, analysis and reporting of qualitative data. In analyzing textual data, the use of NVivo will be introduced.
Quantitative research methods are a core element of the methodological tool kit of researchers in the social sciences. This course provides an introduction to the design of quantitative research projects and the collection of quantitative forms of social research data, and demonstrates how major research questions in social research can be answered using both primary and secondary data collection methods. The course includes four sections: (i) developing research questions and research designs (ii) the design and conduct of social surveys (iii) accessing and evaluating secondary data sources, and (iv) an introduction to quantitative data analysis.
The World Wide Web has transformed the way we work, collaborate, engage in commerce, participate in politics and interact socially. This course focuses on the contribution of social science to understanding life in the Digital Age. While attention is paid to relevant insights and approaches from other disciplines, for example applied physics and computer science, the primary focus is on theoretical and empirical contributions from sociology, political science and economics. This course equips students with the theory and methods for understanding the social, political and economic impact of the Internet. Students will also learn how digital methods and big data are being used to answer long-standing questions in social science.
This subject explores the evolving relationship between digital technology, justice and crime. How are the temptations and risks associated with harmful or illicit behaviour being re-shaped by information and communication technologies, by social media and the computer networks that increasingly hold organisations together? Cyber crime is typically understood as use of information and communication technologies to assist in the commission of other crimes, actions that target computer networks or software, or new offences that could only exist with the technology. Cyber justice meanwhile emphasises the use of information and communication technologies to improve access to justice and the efficiency of justice procedures, not just to deal with cyber crime. How does the law keep up with the emergence of new crimes and technology-enhanced versions of old ones, and how do forensic investigators and analysts contribute to this process? The subject examines how justice processes and spaces, as well as criminal networks and strategies, are being reimagined to take advantage of the new technologies.
This unit explores how innovation in the digital era is transforming society on a global scale. Reflecting on examples drawn from around the world, students learn about the latest trends in communication, media, computing and the knowledge economy. Current and future directions are surveyed in the context of contemporary issues such as big data, digital identity and privacy, social media and crowdsourcing, gaming and visualisation, geographical information systems, virtual environments and artificial intelligence.
The proliferation of the mobile device and the evolution of mobile networks has profoundly changed the social and interpersonal sphere and the global media landscape. This unit combines both theory and practice to engage with Mobile Communications and Society: the cultural, family and interpersonal consequences of mobile communication and its effect on every day life, social cohesion, political and economic activities, social development and change, and Mobile Media: current media production and distribution platforms, practices and trends. This unit includes the production of content for distribution via mobile devices.
Local and international industry trends show that strategic communication, particularly including agendas of innovation and ethics, are a growing force in the convergent media landscape. This unit introduces students to both the science and art of strategic communication. It is grounded in an advanced understanding of the complexity of human communication processes and driven by a conviction that systematic research and analysis is required to inform strategic communication responses. This unit is based around a series of assessments that require students to address a real-world business challenge or a social issue in ways that take advantage of convergent media environments.
The domain of User System Interaction or also known as Human Computer Interaction (HCI) dictates that IT graduates must be able to develop and evaluate interfaces that not only look professional but are usable, functional and accessible. This post graduate unit also examines HCI as a field of research and discusses novel areas of research in the area. Students in this unit will be required to complete a research project alongside a literature review document both of which comprise of content that is of a standard of being able to be considered for publication and/or presentation in a HCI conference or journal.
Computer networking is one of the fastest growing technologies of our time. The Internet interconnects billions of computers providing many new exciting opportunities and challenges. The Internet and the World Wide Web have provided the communication and infrastructure needed for global collaboration and information exchange. As a result of the rapid growth of networked systems and the diverse applications that run on them, success in many professions depends on a sound understanding of the technologies underlying these systems and applications. This unit explores these issues and provides the students with such an understanding. It covers the principles and current practices pertinent to computer networking and communications. It describes some of the important technologies and devices used in modern networks for information distribution and data sharing. The unit helps the students to understand important models, protocols and standards in networking and internetworking.
This unit is aimed at the students whose undergraduate study is in a discipline other than computing or information technology. This unit first covers the programming fundamentals on data types, conditional selections and loop structures, and then further develops the problem solving skills through the use of user-defined functions, records, files, as well as the basic concept and techniques of object-oriented programming. A high level programming language is employed to implement all the problem solutions.
The main purpose of this unit is to provide students with an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of developing a business information system in a systematic way. This unit examines the general methodology of systems development life cycle, including different phases and various modeling techniques. The unit specialises in the development of a full systems analysis and design documentation by using system development methodologies, including data analysis and modeling methods. It extensively covers database design techniques where students will use a set of business rules obtained from requirements and use case analysis, and database implementation using a commercial database management system. At the same time, student learning, intercommunication and collaborative working skills are enhanced by student participation in tutorial presentations and group assignments.
The contemporary creative industries landscape is characterised by the breakdown of traditional media silos and the transformation of media production and consumption practices. Media, marketing and creative professionals are now required to understand and connect with their audiences across multiple media platforms and to undertake diverse research deploying many new methodologies. The aim of this unit is to provide students with an historical, geopolitical and theoretical introduction to research in the creative industries. The case studies and topics covered vary from semester to semester and can include data visualisation, digital ethnography, digital games, community media, digital arts, activist networks, social media and cross platform projects. Using current media theory, design theories, and research methodologies, students will select, analyse and contextualise case studies.
This unit investigates the methodological possibilities of digital technologies for interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences research. It covers several major digital research methods, exploring previous applications and examining their orientations and implications. Digital research methods and applications may include digitisation, online curation, visualisation, network analysis, geographical information systems, data mining and simulation. In the context of these, the unit will probe histories of technology and knowledge production, the evolution of digital texts and practices, and issues in contemporary culture such as digital design, gamification, virtual identity, and digital rights.
"This research-focused unit enables students to develop and produce a major work on a convergent media subject and theme, such as: communications and design theories and practices, data visualisation, content creation for convergent media, and digital humanities. The unit will cover methods for designing and implementing an academic or practice-based research project through workshops and exercises. Students may be introduced to techniques for: differentiating appropriate research methodologies; integrating research techniques into the planning and creation of a research project; field research, action research and research-creation; devising a literature review and constructing a logical argument; and critical reading."
"This course examines the history, theory, and practice of digital humanities, paying special attention to the ways in which digital humanities are transforming research, disciplines, and even the academy itself. Topics include contrasts and continuities between traditional and digital humanities; tools and techniques used by digital humanists; the processes of planning, funding, managing, and evaluation digital humanities projects; ways in which the digital humanities impact scholarly communication and higher education; and the special roles of libraries and information professionals in this growing movement."
This course explores advanced methods and tools in the digital humanities, such as digital curation and preservation, databases and content management systems, text encoding and analysis, geospatial analysis, network analysis, usability, and open content creation and publishing platforms. Particular emphasis is placed on formulating research questions, critically evaluating data quality and project design, and disseminating knowledge artifacts for diverse audiences.
This course will provide a survey of scholarly communication past and present with a particular emphasis on the changes in scholarly communication in the past ten years. Students will examine the interaction between society, technology and scholarly communication, the theory and practice of the communication of knowledge in academic and research environments and how these trend developments of publishing and communication are affecting changes in scholarly communications.
"An examination of the nature of archives and the principles underlying their management. The acquisition and processing of archival material; appraisal principles and techniques; conservation of textual and non-textual materials, including control of the physical environment; use of archival materials; and administration of archival repositories are studied in depth."
This course examines principles and practices for enhancing access to cultural heritage materials and making digital content easier to find and use. Students will be provided the opportunity to explore, analyze, and evaluate state-of-the-art and emerging trends in the description and access of digital heritage collections in libraries, archives, and museums. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the range of theoretical and practical issues related to heritage data organization.
This required course introduces students to the theory and practice of museums and digital culture and to current research in the field. Students learn how digital culture is transforming museums across the full range of museum functions and activities and become familiar with the digital tools and technologies that engage and inform museum visitors. The course gives a broad overview of the field's development, and examines the issues and challenges museums face today and moving into the future. It surveys digital culture across the museum from the perspectives of digital technology and social contexts including digital information behavior, user experience, digital exhibitions and museums on the Web. Students experience and engage with museum digital culture through lectures, engaging with museum professionals, field observation, and by doing a final project drawn from coursework and class presentation.
The course serves as an integral part of the special collections concentration with a particular focus on bibliography and history of the book. It is an overview to gain an understanding of issues related to rare book and special collections librarianship. The course covers topics related to descriptive and analytical bibliography, reference, exhibitions, acquisitions, security, and other topics in rare books and special collections libraries. Of particular interest will be the special collections at The New York Public Library with emphasis on the Rare Book Collection. Other planned visits include The Morgan Library and NYU Fales Collection, as well as a printing workshop at Bowne & Co. at South Street Seaport Museum. Esteemed guest speakers will share their knowledge from the rare book trade and bibliography. Students will engage with actual special collections materials to gain a first-hand understanding of working with such material. Emphasis will be on the study of the ‘book as object’ as it pertains to the history of printing in Europe and the Americas. Students will be made aware of important rare book collections as well as gain practical knowledge of the practice of rare book and special collections librarianship.
This course introduces students to all aspects around the move of archives into the digital world. Topics covered include digitizing materials, managing born-digital collections, digital preservation, archival metadata and standards, legal issues, user access considerations, web archiving, personal digital archiving, and outreach. This course provides an opportunity for students to learn how to create a digital archive, and practice the implementation of such a digital archive with an archival collection.
"This course will cover all aspects of visual resources management: description, access, and curatorship. Keeping in mind how best to serve the needs of users for discovery and access of visual materials, particularly in digital formats, the course will be geared toward the acquisition of practical knowledge and cover such topics as: managing legacy collections and metadata in analog and digital formats; collection development; metadata schemas, content standards and authorities for art and non-art images; interface and database design considerations; digital asset management and preservation workflows; and the history and future of careers in visual resources. Readings, lectures, and discussion will be augmented with hands-on assignments using actual image resources and cataloging tools, as well as a final project of a larger scope that will entail creating an online collection of visual materials."
This course introduces students to all aspects around the move of archives into the digital world. Topics covered include digitizing materials, managing born-digital collections, digital preservation, archival metadata and standards, legal issues, user access considerations, web archiving, personal digital archiving, and outreach. This course provides an opportunity for students to learn how to create a digital archive, and practice the implementation of such a digital archive with an archival collection.
From film, video, to born digital, moving image and sound recordings have compelled users since their advent in the late nineteenth century. Today, many archives housed at universities or non-profit institutions act to preserve the moving image record. However, the fragility of this medium (particularly the magnetic medium that holds sound and video), combined with the preservation needs of today’s born-digital works (such as independent documentaries and time-based media art), are questioning our collective ability to preserve this work. This class will work to combat this trend by focusing on the theoretical and practical aspects related to archiving moving image and sound recording, with a particular focus on digitization and born-digital assets.
This course provides a broad overview of key ideas and information in Digital Asset Management. It covers the range of challenges, processes and technologies in the design, creation, documentation, publication, management and preservation of digital assets. It will address digital asset management from the lens of the cultural heritage sector, which includes libraries, archives and museums. It will teach the emerging area of digital asset management in both theory and practice, and make connections to related areas such as Records Management, Content Management, Knowledge Management and Digital Rights Management. 
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are tools for managing, describing, analyzing, and presenting information about the relationships between geographically referenced information. This course provides a strong foundation and overview of many of the underlying concepts in GIS as well as a practical skill set utilizing GIS software and data. Additionally, the course focuses on map design to maximize the message and impact of map output. Finally, students are introduced to spatial metadata standards and best practices for long term preservation.
"This course examines the art, science, and practice of information visualization. Particular emphasis is placed on the ways in which position, shape, size, brightness, color, orientation, texture, and motion influence perception of information and facilitate comprehension and analysis of large and complex bodies of information. Topics include cognition and visual perception; the aesthetics of visual media; techniques for processing and manipulating information for the purpose of visualization; studies of spatial, relational, multivariate, time-series, interactive, and other visual approaches; and methods for evaluating information visualizations."
This course develops skills to uncover data patterns for making informed decisions, shaping actions and beliefs. The course introduces statistical and linguistic data analysis techniques that are foundational for all information-centric fields, and prepares students to ask the right questions, make inferences and present the results. The course supports interests in data analytics, visualization, digital humanities, data mining, GIS, and general research. No previous knowledge of statistics is required.
"An introduction to research design and methods in information and library science. The course is intended for students with no previous coursework or background in research methods. The objective is to equip students with critical skills for understanding quantitative and qualitative research methods, designing their own studies, using research methods to collect original data, and critiquing published research. Topics include research question development; research design concepts, such as causal inference, sampling, and reliability; research methods, such as surveys, interviews, ethnographies, for original data collection; and critical evaluation of research."
This course provides the theoretical and practical foundations for evaluating digital interfaces from a user-centered perspective. Through lectures, in-class activities, readings and individual and group assignments, students will learn and apply usability principles and gain hands-on experience with several common usability evaluation methods, including traditional user testing plus inspection- and field-based methods. Because the goal of evaluation is always to improve the underlying usability of an interface, the course will focus on effectively communicating evaluation results. At the conclusion of this course, students will possess the knowledge and skills necessary for successfully planning, conducting, and leading usability evaluations across a diverse array of organizations and industries.
This course provides students with practical knowledge and hands-on experience designing digital interfaces from a user-centered perspective through an exploration of the dual practices of information architecture and interaction design. Students will go through the entire user-centered design lifecycle, from concept to prototype, and in the process will 1) learn about and employ a variety of design methods aimed at understanding users and their contexts and 2) learn about and use appropriate tools and media to create a range of design deliverables that effectively communicate design insights. At the conclusion of this course, students will have a foundation of knowledge and skills that will prepare them to do practical design work in a variety of settings and organizations.
This course focuses on the process, practices, and tools for designing engaging, understandable, and technically feasible digital products. Students will learn about and apply advanced techniques and tools relevant to the entire product design lifecycle, including identifying, investigating, and validating design problems, as well as crafting, designing, and testing digital solutions. Students will also learn how to visualize and effectively communicate design insights to various stakeholders.
With a theoretical foundation that combines aspects of information science and user experience (UX) design, this course covers practical, hands-on approaches for working with information organizations to conceptualize and implement user-centered tools, services, and/or information spaces. Throughout the course, students will explore and apply theories and principles of the emerging field of Information Experience Design (IXD) through applied, collaborative projects with partner institutions (e.g., libraries, archives, museums, or similar organizations). Topics will include design thinking, research and discovery, and project planning and implementation, with an emphasis on designing an information experience that meets the needs of both internal and external stakeholders.
The course will provide an overview and discussion of the range and scope of information policies as they affect the information society today, among them freedom of information, intellectual property, privacy, and government information. We will try and understand how tensions between conflicting laws and policies are resolved on a legal and pragmatic level. The course will be concerned primarily with access to and dissemination of information. Course reading will rely on both primary and secondary materials, and will include statutes, case law, law reviews, scholarly journal articles, books and popular press.
"The world of data is seemingly a new frontier for libraries, yet in some ways, data and data sets are comparable to other print and electronic resources that librarians historically have been charged with locating, teaching, collecting, organizing, and preserving. This course asks how best we can serve the needs of a burgeoning community of data users/producers while meeting the new challenges that data present to our existing skillsets, workflows, and infrastructure. Topics will include data reference and literacy; archives and repositories; formats and standards; ethics and policy. Statistical/GIS software and research data management are also explored."
Strategic Leadership is a seminar designed to equip SILS students with the skills, perspectives, and frameworks needed to help an organization achieve its mission or realize its vision.  This course introduces management and leadership theories and concepts and applies them to information environments, with a special focus on management responsibilities in order to emphasize the importance of these skills in the professional workplace. In each class we will focus on a particular set of management and leadership approaches and skills. Exercises and assignments will reinforce the concepts learned in class with activities that are aligned to real life issues and situations being faced today in libraries.
Students will explore the principles of resource description with an overview of metadata standards commonly used in digital collections and cultural heritage settings. The overview covers metadata structure standards, metadata value standards (cataloging rules and controlled vocabularies), and metadata syntaxes. Students will develop metadata application profiles, with an emphasis on the design of documentation and metadata entry forms. Additional topics include: technical and preservation metadata, rights metadata, metadata interoperability, metadata for local contexts, and Linked Data. 
Technical knowledge and proficiency is an increasingly valued and useful skill in a cultural heritage information professional’s skillset. This course will introduce and provide a platform for the building up of these abilities. Over the course of the semester the student will become familiar with programming, working with data in a programmatic manner and applying these skills to build a demonstrable project. This course will focus on teaching the basics that will enable an information professional to be successful in today’s digital world.
Covers the selection and use of technology, software, and other media—including instructional and assistive technologies—as they are used to acquire information to communicate, teach and learn. The role of information professionals as leaders in innovative uses of technologies is emphasized.
This course examines the notion of community within cultural heritage institutions and the larger framework of cultural informatics. Particular emphasis is placed on social media as a tool for communication, engagement, and action. Topics include communities and digital commons, user studies, diverse populations, media studies, digital identity, social networks, information ecologies, social media adoption and use, community building, social advocacy and activism, and technology in the service of democracy.
This course introduces students to a range of issues involved in the design, creation, management and use of electronic resources in the humanities. Topics may include humanities resources on the Web, creating electronic resources, digital imaging, metadata systems, encoding and markup systems, electronic dictionaries, text analysis, user needs, scholarly electronic publishing in the humanities.
"The delivery of content and information online is becoming increasingly dynamic and device-driven. This module introduces students to the concepts of markup for web pages, website structuring and design, and the issues involved in generating, delivering and evaluating content effectively. Topics include the design, construction and delivery of online content; best practice and standards for technical, accessibility and usability issues; information architecture and user experience; re-purposing of content; dynamic, multimedia and 3D applications on the web."
This module uses JavaScript (ECMAscript) to introduce the fundamental principles of procedural computer programming and scripting languages. It reinforces these concepts by practical application in the context of automated web browser and document manipulation. Fundamental programming topics include data types, operators, variables, flow control via selection and iteration, arrays and objects, functional abstraction, methods and constructors, abstract data types and pattern matching. Applications include manipulation of web browsers and documents, dynamic generation of web content, and form verification via regular expressions. The module concludes with a brief overview of a range of other common programming languages.
This module provides an introduction to the issues, techniques, technologies and underlying principles associated with creating and maintaining Web servers and database-driven websites. The course will describe different approaches to extending the functionality of 'plain' web sites by using structured data to build database-driven websites.
"This module will provide an overview of Extensible Markup language; give students the opportunity to practice XML markup techniques and demonstrate the use of XML in publishing. Topics include document analysis, the basics of markup, information modelling, DTDs and Schemas, Stylesheets and XSLT. The method of delivery will be mixed, involving lectures, class discussion, and practical lab based sessions."
The aims of the module are to give students familiarity with a range of methods for informing the design and guide the evaluation of systems (including robots) that are aware of, support or regulate the affective experience of the user. Module description: The aim of this module is to introduce students to the emerging field of affective interaction by bringing together research and methodologies from cognitive psychology (affective science) and human-computer interaction (HCI). One part of the module will aim at giving the students a basic introduction to the theory of emotion from psychology and neuroscience viewpoints and to understand its importance in human decision and communication processes. Particular attention will be dedicated to embodied sensorial experiences. The other part will focus on the challenges in designing and evaluating systems that are capable of affectively interacting with humans. Methods to inform the design, measure and influence the affective experience will be taught. Examples of current applications (e.g. in entertainment, education, health and wellbeing, rehabilitation, service robotics, physical activity) will be used to identify problems and design solutions. Finally, the ethical implications (e.g., privacy) of affective interactive systems will be discussed.
"This module introduces artificial intelligence and neural computing as both technical subjects and as fields of intellectual activity. The overall aims are: 1. to introduce basic concepts of artificial intelligence for reasoning and learning behaviour; 2. to introduce neural computing as an alternative knowledge acquisition/representation paradigm, to explain its basic principles and to describe a range of neural computing techniques and their application areas."
The computational analysis of space, structure and other aspects of architecture facilitates an understanding of the complexities of the built environment. A number of methods are introduced in this module, including the simulation of natural vision, machine learning algorithms and intelligent systems, with an emphasis on their application in design-related domains from agent simulation to structural engineering. This content is presented in the context of its implications in the creative process, emergent behaviour and relevance to design. The module forms an important theoretical basis for the creation of architecture via the generative methods presented within the Computational Synthesis module.
The module is designed to be self-contained, introducing the theoretical and practical aspects of modern photography and capture algorithms to students with only limited background in visual computing. The two primary aims are i) to introduce universal models of colour, computer-controlled cameras, lighting and shape capture, and ii) to motivate students to choose among the topics presented for either continuing study (for those considering MSc’s and PhD’s) or future careers in the fields of advanced imaging.
This module introduces a range of algorithmic techniques used for generating architecture, from parametric modelling to generative methods based on procedural rules. These are presented first as independent techniques, but also in the context of optimisation, which re-quires the framing of explicit design objectives and computational methods for evaluation of designs. Each session describes the theory and implementation of a particular algorithm or computational method. It exposes students to the potential for computation to be used to enhance architectural process, and gives an appreciation of the cutting edge techniques currently being developed, so that they form a basis for onwards research by the student.
In this course we critically explore cultural heritage by focusing upon the issues surrounding the applied context of heritage and thus on the practical, operational implementation of cultural heritage projects and programmes and more specifically we explore the complex relationships of heritage to the field of development. Moreover, we understand the field of development in complex and diverse ways and thus we examine development and its associated agendas such as poverty reduction, advocacy, human/cultural rights, citizenship, aid, humanitarianism, environmentalism, post-conflict reconstruction and wellbeing alongside a broader consideration of experiences of modernity, globalisation and change. The local - or better still 'globalised' - impacts of such experiences are a central critical and ethical concern. We thus begin by exploring the role of different heritage brokers, development and funding agencies, advocacy organisations and both public participation in and protest to heritage development and map the diverse 'actors' in such operational networks. From macro to micro contexts we critically examine how, for example, the World Bank, UN/ UNESCO, the Getty, the Aga Khan Foundation, interact with other 'actors' such as assemblies of Indigenous Peoples/ Survival International and national organisations including English Heritage/ Greenpeace and how these groups operate alongside regional/ local agencies, NGOs and campaigning/ protest/activist groups 'outside' mainstream heritage development. UK, European and International case-study contexts will be drawn upon to investigate emergent themes and issues and to engage in institutional analyses. We also address the changing nature of cultural heritage management and the transformation of professional skills and responsibilities.
This course considers the role that infrastructures of different kinds – from roads to energy systems, borders to algorithms – play in the shaping of social life around the world. The course brings together existing anthropological studies of infrastructures with student-led discussion about emerging contemporary digital infrastructures (e.g. smart cities, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, data-driven modelling). Together we will work to understand and reflect on these old and new infrastructures and consider how to best study and understand their effects on social and cultural relations. During the course, students will be introduced to historical and contemporary ethnographic studies of infrastructures and will learn about how material infrastructure have shaped social and political relations throughout the 20th century. In addition, students will be taught a range of theoretical approaches to understanding infrastructures, including: actor-network theory, the ethnography of infrastructure, affect theory, material politics, and ontological approaches to understanding technical systems. Through seminar based presentations, blog posts, collective reading exercises, and topic-based visits this learning will be applied to thinking about and understanding digital systems and social life. 
"This module provides a critical overview of the world of electronic publishing, whether commercial or non-commercial, and discusses various different types of products and techniques used in electronic publishing. The module is delivered with the aid of visiting speakers from the library and information profession, class discussion, and practical sessions in a computer lab. Topics covered include: electronic journals and open access; Web 2.0/3.0/4.0; e-books and e-reading; metadata and sustainability; digitisation and preservation; usability and user centred design; the development of new digital products."
This module is intended as an introduction to machine learning and data science. It focuses on the principles underlying probabilistic and statistical approaches, introducing a small number of explicit methodologies as exemplars, and looking at how these should be applied and evaluated by the careful practitioner.
This module is intended to act as a foundation in information science for those without a formal information background , covering theories and models of information science, the nature and value of information, information history, human information behaviour, knowledge organisation, information architecture and communication of information, domain analysis, metrics, metadata, information seeking and retrieval, information and society, legal and political frameworks, information economics.  It also provides a grounding in key aspects of the professional body of knowledge required by CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).
This module builds on the prerequisite module  (ARCL0094) to provide students with a theoretical grounding and practical experience in advanced uses of Geographic Informations Systems for archaeological purposes. There is a strong emphasis on the manipulation of raster data and we consider interpolation techniques, landscape geomorphometry, viewshed analysis, cost surface analysis, hydrology, as well as 2.5D, 3D and temporal modelling. We make use of a wide range of both commercial and Open Source software, including ArcGIS, Autodesk Map 3D, GRASS, Idrisi, Landserf and TauDEM. The module is taught using a combination of lectures, practical sessions and tutorials in the Institute's AGIS laboratory. There is an emphasis on comparative analysis of different algorithms and software implementations, as well as a strong concern with how such techniques might be applied to solve substantive archaeological problems. This module would particularly benefit those who wish to use GIS primarily in an analytical capacity. It is assessed in four practical components and one essay. 
This module provides a working knowledge of the statistical theory and methods used to comprehend spatial patterns, whether the latter be distributions of settlements across a landscape, densities of artefacts across a site or region, or different kinds of archaeological sampling procedure. Students learn the fundamental differences between spatial and non-spatial statistics, the design of appropriate sampling strategies for fieldwork, geostatistical methods (e.g. kriging), predictive modelling through logistic regression and more spatially-sensitive versions (e.g. geographically-weighted regression) as well as the multi-scalar analysis of point patterns (e.g. K functions and related methods). They develop practical familiarity with the R statistical package, which is the premier Open Source software environment for statistical analysis. The module is suitable for all those interested in spatial analysis (including those with no prior training in statistics or GIS). However, many students welcome the opportunity to learn a complete workflow from data extraction through to analysis and presentation of results (using the elegant links between GRASS GIS and R). The module is taught using a combination of lectures, practical sessions and tutorials in the Institute's AGIS laboratory and is assessed via a portfolio of analytical work and one essay. It would particularly benefit those who have an interest in statistically-supported approaches to spatial phenomena. 
This module aims to provide an understanding of the book as object, the principles of bibliographic description following principles and methods in Gaskell's New Introduction to Bibliography, the set text for the module. By the end of the module, students will have an overview of the history of the book and the materials that make it up (paper, vellum, bindings, illustrations, print, etc.), some practical experience of bibliographic description, and knowledge of the major techniques for research, including provenance research. Classes are a mix of lectures, seminars, and practical hands-on sessions, some of which take place at a range of libraries and museums. Current practitioners (many of them alumni of the module) share their expertise as workshop hosts and / or guest lecturers. The assessment for the module is a quasi-facsimile exercise and essay.
This module focuses on digital image processing. It first introduces the digital image, with a description of how digital images are captured and represented. It then goes on to cover algorithms for image characterisation, manipulation, segmentation and feature extraction in direct space. The course then proceeds to cover image filtering techniques with some indication of the role and implications of Fourier space, and more advanced characterisation and feature detection techniques such as edge and corner detection, together with multi-resolution methods, treatment of colour images, template matching and optical flow techniques. The course has a strong practical component that allows students to explore a range of practical techniques by implementing their own image processing tools using Matlab or Python.
This component is intended to allow Information Studies students (especially part-time students who wish to relate their work to practical external projects) to undertake individual study and/or research in specific areas not otherwise covered (or not covered in sufficient depth) by standard components.  Since each student undertaking this module is undertaking unique work, the specific content of each implementation of this module cannot be prescribed here but must be agreed, documented and approved by the co-ordinator (i.e. the relevant director for the programme under which the student is registered) before any student's registration for the module may be accepted.
The module covers advanced topics in interaction design, informed by current research in user experience, human-computer interaction and interaction design. A central theme is how to design technologies to meet people’s needs.
This module will serve as a practice-led introduction to the digitisation of cultural and heritage materials in the library, archive, museums and galleries sector. It is an advanced level module taught in two ways: theory and principle led lectures and tutorials, and hands on sessions in the computer lab and in the UCLDH Multi-modal digitisation suite (a custom built space for teaching and researching digitization at UCL). This module will also involve close liaison with UCL Museums and Collections, UCL Library Special Collections, and UCL Media Services to provide practical hands on teaching to understand the technical underpinnings but practical application of digitisation in the cultural and heritage sector.
"This module is intended as an introduction to formal logic, and to knowledge-based information technologies that use logic as an underlying theoretical framework. In particular, the module is intended as an introduction to logic programming, as this is a primary and well-established example of knowledge-based reasoning. The module starts with an introduction to formal logic, focusing on classical propositional and predicate calculus. The notion of a proof procedure is introduced, along with the concepts of ""soundness"" and ""completeness"" with respect to a formal semantics. The focus then shifts to logic-based computation, with detailed study of a state-of-the-art logic programming paradigm (e.g. Prolog, ASP or similar) as an example. The module ends with a basic application of the techniques covered to an artificial intelligence application area such as automated planning or diagnosis, as well as a brief survey of other logics and automated reasoning techniques, such as modal logic, non-monotonic logic and argumentation."
"This module explores the link between electronic publishing technologies, society and the law. Topics covered include: virtual communities; freedom of information and data protection; information security and governance; surveillance and legal access to information; health information; government information; copyright. The method of delivery is mixed and includes weekly set readings, lectures by expert guest speakers, short student presentations, and seminar discussion. "
This module introduces students to the province of medieval manuscripts, providing a foundation of the knowledge necessary to deal with manuscripts in a rare-books environment. The focus is the medieval book as object: how it was created and stored in its medieval setting, how it came into the hands of early-modern and modern collectors, and how it comes to be used and regarded in the present. The core of the course is a survey of the scripts in use in western Europe from Antiquity to the Renaissance. Students will be introduced to key landmarks along the road and to the varieties of names and terms that palaeographers use when discussing handwriting. Time in most sessions will be given to the business of reading medieval handwriting (introducing some of the common ways in which words were abbreviated). In addition, we will explore aspects of the medieval book: its physical construction, its place in the medieval, and then early-modern, library, and how it is catalogued.
In this course, you will move beyond programming, to learn how to construct reliable, readable, efficient research software in a collaborative environment. The emphasis is on practical techniques, tips, and technologies to effectively build and maintain complex code. We will use the Python programming language to deliver this content, and you will learn Python programming in this course, developing from simple scripts for analysing research data to efficient numerical computation.
"The course aims to introduce students to the basic principles and skills associated with object-oriented software engineering, encompassing requirements specification, analysis and design. It will provide students with the knowledge necessary to be able to analyse and architect larger systems effectively. Topics covered: Introduction to Software Engineering; Projects and Processes: UP and Agile; Data-driven Architectures; Requirements Gathering and Use Cases; Agile and Scrum Software Development; Object-Oriented Concepts; The Unified Modelling Language; Object-Oriented Analysis and Design; Software Engineering in the Real-World."
"This course provides a sound understanding of a range of issues relating to computer systems management and operation, including: day-to-day systems management, maintenance, user support, project management, system selection and evaluation, types of network, network management; website management, systems access and security, privacy, encryption, virus control, disaster planning, and system migration."
The paleography section introduces the handwriting and scripts of early modern England (1500-1800) and manuscript culture. Knowledge of these scripts is essential for students wishing to pursue archival research. In addition, this course provides access to the resources required for archival research, such as provenance markers and situating the source material in its historical context. The book history section is intended as a primer towards advanced bibliographical research and study which focuses on textual history. It equips the student with the resources, methodological questions and techniques required for understanding the historical context and processes of book production in the early modern period. The course combines practical research skills with a program of key areas of historical bibliography and history of reading. The course is practical, and is taught on-site within the UCL Special Collections reading room facilities, using carefully chosen material from the stacks. There are also two field trips to archives and institutions and the opportunity to meet and gain hands-on experience from leading manuscript and textual scholars.
It is a truism that we live in an information society and that this is a new and unprecedented state of affairs. The rediscovery and popularisation of classical learning, the explosion of printed material, and the birth of a modern concept of scientific knowledge presented a challenge to scholars and states across Europe: how to organise, use, and share information in an age where there was – in the words of Ann Blair – “too much to know”.
The Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary academic field that combines the application of computational resources, tools, and methods with the traditional humanities fields such as literature, history, and philosophy. Libraries have been instrumental in the development of the digital humanities by providing the underlying data, access to tools, and technical support for researchers. In this introductory course, students will explore the history, theory, and practice of digital humanities. Students will work with various tools for text mining and entity extraction, text encoding, social network analysis, topic modeling, and creative visualization.
An introduction to database concepts, database design and database implementation. Examines the role of data in the library/information environment and the application of database principles in information storage and handling. Students will have hands-on practice with a database management system
Digital Libraries are an important component of library services involving all aspects of the information cycle: creation, collection, organization, dissemination, and utilization. The course will provide an introduction of major Digital Library concepts to library and information professions focusing on developing the skills necessary to design and implement successful digital projects.
"How information is represented can significantly impact how information is accessed and disseminated; whether data is structured or unstructured, controlled by vocabularies or free-form, numbers or text, can determine how it is collected, processed, and stored. In this course, students will learn about a variety of internal and external data structures, how data is transmitted between systems, and the impact of representation on applications and users"
Data analytics is the process of examining data in order to draw conclusions about that information. Data analytics is used in a variety of organizations in order to make better decisions, to better serve customers, to find information gaps, and to develop new and/or improved processes, products, or ideas. In this course, students will be introduced to a variety of data analysis tools and models. Students will have hands-on experience extracting and processing data to solve real problems.
Provides a graduate-level introduction to the central issues, methods, and tools in the emerging field of the digital humanities. Digital humanities is an interdisciplinary set of methods, concepts, values, and practices that enable scholars to create and apply new technologies to answer social, cultural, and historical questions.
Over the last two decades, Visual Culture Studies has emerged as an interdisciplinary area of inquiry that considers the role of visual experience in everyday life. This graduate seminar will explore approaches to visual culture, including photography, cinema, television, digital media, public art, and memorials.  We will examine the key theorists, methodologies, and cultural practices that have shaped the field of Visual Culture Studies.
Exploration and analysis of complex information through visual interactive computational tools and techniques. Topics include analytic reasoning, sense-making, knowledge dissemination, data representation and transformation, visual abstraction, coordinated interaction, visual query languages, spatiotemporal visualization, and applications of visual analysis.
"A graduate seminar designed to explore the impact of computer technology on rhetorical theory. Examines electronic literacy in terms of the following themes: history and writing technologies; the politics of writing instruction in computer-mediated classrooms; rhetoric and issues of difference; and intellectual property in a computer age."
"Discusses and practices principles in GIS interface design and project management; integration of spatial data and spatial models with GIS; and spatial decision support systems (SDSS). Students will gain knowledge about the theoretical aspects of GIS technology."
Introduction to the principles and practice of collecting, servicing, and arranging archival holdings. Includes appraisal, acquisition, arrangement and description, preservation, and administration of institutional archives. Attention to issues of preservation, intellectual property, and service in both physical and digital environments.
"Introduction to the creation and development of digital collections and to the technical requirements for storage and dissemination of digital materials. Topics will include creation, development, organization,maintenance, and use of digital collections. Students will explore a variety of techniques and technologies for digitizing materials; evaluate the strengths and limitations of current efforts in creating, collecting and organizing digital materials; and explore the different opportunities and challenges of digital libraries, repositories, and archives."
The interactive web design server interaction with special emphasis on database connectivity and application development on the internet.
Data mining (DM) is the ability to discover useful patterns and relationships in large sets of data. DM is an induction-based set of computer-based methodologies to extract previously unknown patterns in data and can provide a way to both understand and predict behavior.
Information visualization is becoming key to LIS, due to the growing need for visual literacy and to the growing demand for data resources in almost all disciplines. Covers the basics of developing and evaluating information visualizations and the importance of data accuracy.
Provides an opportunity for student synthesis of principles and theories acquired in coursework and application of these principles and theories in an outstanding library/information center.
This course introduces the creation and visualization of humanities data and explores a broad spectrum of methods in Digital Humanities (DH) as they are applied to a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Thematically, the course will focus on the various movements in the Digital Humanities community, such as Feminist DH, Global DH, equity, social justice, and open scholarship. We will gain fluency in digital and computational methods such as text mining, social network analysis, spatial analysis, and multimodal approaches, while critiquing and evaluating digital humanities research. Readings and discussions of theory will complement some hands-on application of digital research methods and approaches. While the objects of study will primarily come from the humanities, the methods of analysis are widely applicable to the social and natural sciences.
Introduces timely subjects in the visual arts that cannot be offered on a regular basis. Information concerning the topics offered in any given semester is available prior to preregistration from the fine arts department.
Introduces students to game design, development, history, theory and culture through readings, discussion, game analysis and the iterative design process of non-digital games.
Provides a comprehensive overview of developing mobile applications using a range of technologies including software developers' kits, object-oriented programming and human interface design principles. Students incorporate leading edge technologies with their own academic pursuits and personal interests to develop mobile applications. Explores the social and cultural effects of app and mobile-based computing.
Provides students with a comprehensive survey of technologies used today in the collection, storage, processing, analytics and display of big data. Focuses on cultivating real world skills with students working on semester long projects to execute on a group project.
Analyzes special interest areas of multidisciplinary technology, arts and media research and practice.
In this course students work with both faculty and industry expert mentors on developing a semester-long group project. In small teams, students learn to develop an interactive experience that combines project design and technical execution. The class is designed to reflect a ¿real world¿ interactive design project experience, in which students must present and deliver a large scale completed project for demonstration/exhibition at the end of the semester.
Explores interactivity on the web using front-end web development concepts and technologies. Students will work with a range of technologies including JavaScript, jQuery, HTML5, APIs and user interface design methods to create interactive web applications. Individual and group projects will include animations, games, interactive narratives and web applications.
Survey of multidisciplinary research that examines various relationships between communication and technology. Students are encouraged to develop critical skills in perceiving assumptions and perspectives that motivate major theories in this area, and to examine how these phenomena have changed over time.
Facilitates understanding of current and past theory and research on a selected topic in communication and the ability to develop new theory and research on that topic.
Examines modern techniques for analyzing and modeling the structure and dynamics of complex networks. Focuses on statistical algorithms and methods, and emphasizes model interpretability and understanding the processes that generate real data. Applications are drawn from computational biology and computational social science. No biological or social science training is required.
Introduces basic data mining concepts and techniques for discovering interesting patterns hidden in large-scale data sets, focusing on issues relating to effectiveness and efficiency. Topics covered include data preprocessing, data warehouse, association, classification, clustering, and mining specific data types such as time-series, social networks, multimedia, and Web data.
Explores the theoretical and practical issues that arise in getting computers to perform useful and interesting tasks with human languages. Topics include information extraction, dialog systems and machine translation. Focus is on the use of language data and machine learning algorithms to build robust systems.
Explores advanced topics in geospatial databases, spatial analytics and geoprocessing in a Geographic Information System (GIS). Emphasizes how geographic concepts are linked to methodological frameworks for recording, transforming, storing/retrieving, analyzing, and processing geographic data as well as various forms of uncertainty. Exercises demonstrate the application of GIS-based methods to real world scenarios in interdisciplinary settings.
Re-conceptualizes topics surrounding traditional theories, methods, and practices of writing history in the digital age. Topics revolve around collating big data, curating digital exhibits, copyright and image preparation for digital/print publications, website development/design, cartography, sustainability and preservation, among other themes. Lab work provides conceptual and technical recommendations required to conceive, launch, and preserve online digital history projects.
"Introduces students to the theory of doing and making. Guiding questions include: what does it mean to place ""doing"" at the center of one's research agenda? What does it mean to do hands-on work in an art/design studio, a digital humanities lab, a media lab, a media archaeology lab, a makerspace or a hackerspace?"
Focuses on intermedia arts, writing and performance as they relate to digital media, communication and information.
Analyzes the mechanisms of peer production and crowdsourcing systems like Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. Students will investigate how these crowdsourced platforms work socially and technically, develop skills using tools for their analysis and critically evaluate platform and community limitations.
Introduces students to foundational computing and statistical concepts for analyzing humanities data. This course discusses the influence of digitization and data on humanist inquiry and exposes students to techniques for working with data in different areas of the humanities, including literature, history, and art. The course emphasizes technical practices involved in human data analysis. Comfort with programming is strongly encouraged.
Explores ethical and legal complexities of information and communication technology. By combining real-world inquiry with creative speculation, students will probe everyday ethical dilemmas they face as digital consumers, creators and coders, as well as relevant policy. Explores themes such as privacy, intellectual property, social justice, free speech, artificial intelligence, social media and ethical lessons from science fiction.
Explores the design, development and evaluation of information visualizations. Covers visual representations of data and provides hands-on experience with using and building exploratory tools and data narratives. Students create visualizations for a variety of domains and applications, working with stakeholders and their data. Covers interactive systems, user-centered and graphic design, perception, data storytelling and analysis, and insight generation. Programming knowledge is strongly encouraged.
Examines the diversity of roles that computation can play in information science research, ranging from an overview of some data-driven practices to prototyping and infrastructure development to computation-as-research-support. Provides students with a level of computational literacy to engage with the multiplicity of roles that computation serves in the different kinds of research work that is happening across the domain, including exemplars of different kinds of technical contributions and approaches.
Offers a foundation in the technologies of journalistic storytelling across a variety of established and emerging media platforms, such as print, television, radio, online publications, blogs, social media and emerging forms of communication. Students will emerge from the course with basic competence in the technical tools they will need as journalists.
Instructs students in data-driven investigative reporting. Includes hands-on, in-depth instruction in gathering data from census reports, commercial databases, information networks, and other sources, and utilizing statistical analysis software and spreadsheets to analyze the information in ways that can help deepen and strengthen journalistic stories on a wide variety of subjects.
Builds upon digital production skills through the creation of multimedia project. Applies media theory to evaluate digital media content and explore how digital forms influence the news industry, politics, culture and society.
Covers computer methods for doing linguistics with on-line corpora. Includes extensive introduction (with lab) to the Python programming language, UNIX corpus tools, concordance programs, syntactic treebanks, propbanks, and corpora for discourse and phonology research.
Provides a crucial frame through which students understand the evolution of film, television and gaming in the digital era. Explores an impending revolution in how screen media are created, circulated and consumed. Relates to a larger trend across the media industries to integrate digital technology and socially networked communication with traditional screen media practices.
Explores all aspects of political network analysis including disciplinary background, theories and concepts, approaches and applications, data basics and measurement, and techniques of analysis. Data assignments use software such as UCINET and R. Introduces visualization software including NetDraw, NetworkX and Cytoscape.
"Educates and trains students to become effective interdisciplinary collaborators by developing the communication and collaboration skills necessary to apply technical statistics and data science skills to help domain experts answer research questions. Topics include structuring effective meetings and projects; communicating statistics to non-statisticians; using peer feedback, self-reflection and video analysis to improve collaboration skills; creating reproducible statistical workflows; working ethically."
Introduces students to philosophical issues that arise in statistical theory and practice. Topics include interpretations of probability, philosophical paradigms in statistics, inductive inference, causality, reproducible, and ethical issues arising in statistics and data analysis.
The aim of this course is for the student to learn about digital humanities as a field and how it impacts the ways we conduct academic practices in the humanities. Approaches to defining digital humanities are discussed, and implications for research practices in specific humanities disciplines are addressed. The course gives an overview of the impact that digitization has on academic practices, as well as effects on increased collaboration across disciplinary boundaries and across the cultural heritage sector and related organizations. Selected digital methodologies are reviewed and critically discussed, including digital data collection and related digital research infrastructures.
"The course discusses perspectives on how the critical tradition of the humanities and social sciences can contextualize and problematize implementation of new digital technology in academia and society. Focus is a critical perspective on three aspects of digital humanities: the development of new methods for data driven research; the infrastructure of information sharing and searching; digitization within the cultural heritage sector. During the course, the student analyzes a chosen, active digitization project or methodological application. In this assignment, questions are raised and discussed about the influence of digitization and new research methods on issues such as social diversity, research ethics, ideological reproduction, gender issues and economic prerogatives."
The aim of this course is to learn about digital research methods to address research questions from the humanities. The course gives an overview of the impact of digitisation on the way research is conducted, an insight into a range of the different digital methods, as well as an awareness of difficulties related to the methodology. In the final project of the course, one has the option to focus on digital methods which are commonly applied in one's major discipline (e.g., from bachelor programme), while also being encouraged to complement them with those less commonly used in the discipline at hand. The aim of the latter is for the student to develop new perspectives on the subject tradition, in the spirit of digital humanities as a field, and thus to stimulate new and creative thinking. The digital methods are chosen from current research methods in the subject.
The course teaches programming language structure: theoretical and practical aspects, principles of algorithmic, computational thinking and exploratory programming, basic algorithms and data structures and examples of how and when they should be to solve pertinent problems.
The course covers different theoretical and technical aspects of the digitisation of cultural heritage. Topics that are covered in the course include interfaces, digital preservation, migration of data, selection, usage and provenance. The more technical aspect of the course focuses on basic techniques for digitisation of cultural heritage, including XML and various metadata standards.
The course addresses interactive techniques in digital humanities.
The course covers linked open data and related Semantic Web technologies, as applied to data sources within the humanities (such as documents and cultural heritage objects), especially those related to cultural heritage institutions.
This course deals with current issues on access to, and use of, information and data from an ethical perspective. Information ethics is discussed as a cross-disciplinary field of research, and current issues are analysed with the help of actual examples. Students who don't finish with degree project 15 credits take this course.
Students who wish to finalize the programme after one year (a degree of 60 credits) can choose to write a 15 credits master degree course during semester 2.
In this course, we will evaluate a variety of digital humanities projects through theoretical scholarship in the field, in order to critically assess the value of the new knowledge that is being generated, and to weigh that knowledge in terms of traditional humanities methods.  We will explore the fundamental arguments that are being advanced about these new methods and how they interact with humanities’ interpretive underpinnings. This course will prepare students to apply digital methods in ethical, reflective, and responsible ways—understanding the potentials of the digital within the humanities.
In this applied course, you will learn foundational knowledge of cutting edge data science tools through hands-on work. By the end of this course, students will learn how to program Python in Jupyter Notebooks, and how to access archives and explore and visualize data for purposes of social network analysis, computational text analysis, and machine learning.
Archival Design can make rare sources accessible to a broad audience in ways that offer conceptual structure, critical analysis, and user flexibility. In this area, students learn to transform traditional primary sources into dynamic digital archives, receiving dual training in conducting scholarly research and designing digital projects.
Online archival resources for cultural heritage are at the forefront of developing public digital humanities. How can the past be captured in digital form? Can advanced media visualization, such as augmented and virtual Reality, give new insights on ancient data? Can public dissemination of research using gamification positively impact our lives in the present? How can we ensure that our digital cultural achievements last as long as pyramids built in stone? This course will pair readings on the theory and practice of visual and public digital humanities cultural heritage projects. The digital archive resources used in class will be used to critique current offerings and trends in digital data capture and open access resources. The final project will be the creation of a new digital cultural heritage resource, presenting content created by students through a digital platform: augmented or virtual reality, location-based games, or a combination of both. Students will be offered a choice of visual and textual archival data from the UC Berkeley Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the National Museum of Sudan, or can identify their own open-access archival source of interest.
Critical Digital Humanities evaluates how information-age technologies influence and impact humanistic inquiry.  Digital capacities allow us to ask new questions, but they also shape how we organize and receive knowledge. Training a critical eye on the field allows us analyze the impact of the digital on the study of the humanities, and the culture at large. Fulfills L&S Philosophy & Values breadth. Section 1: Digital Hermeneutics: Close, Distant, Machine Reading This course places the tradition of hermeneutics--the study of interpretation--in the context of contemporary, data-driven society. Based on a historical overview of hermeneutics, it asks: how can we critically assess the algorithmically driven and often controversial claims to knowledge to be found online, in which virality and controversiality are key operators? Using text analytics, we will analyze how knowledge is generated and negotiated on social platforms such as Reddit. In doing so, we will build skills in both natural language processing and close reading, in order to push back against problems of filter bubbles, post-truths, and alternative facts. 
Digital Humanities and Textual and Language Analysis Textual and Language Analysis addresses a range of language use, spanning from the literary to the informal. Computational programs allow for humanistic inquiry and support critical analysis of texts. Students in this area learn to understand linguistics, genre, style, comparative analyses and literary interpretation through the digital. Introduction to Computational Literary Analysis Computational literary analysis is the quantitative study of literature using computational tools. This course serves as an introduction, and presumes no background in computer science. We will learn techniques of text analysis such as stylometry, topic modeling, and word embeddings, using the Python programming language. Novels to be read and analyzed include Wilkie Collins's mystery novel The Moonstone, and two short story collections: James Joyce's Dubliners and Katherine Mansfield's The Garden Party and Other Stories.
Transforming Tech: Issues and Interventions in STEM and Silicon Valley In this course, we will study major tech industry controversies and heavily criticized tech products, policies, and effects, including technologies used at the U.S.-Mexico border, social media platforms’ spread of disinformation and fake news, racial bias in algorithms, and internet trolling and harassment. We will also examine tech companies’ long-running tendency to exclude women and non-Asian minorities, and how tech workers have occasionally come under fire for the industry’s harms. Students will be required to brainstorm and design their own interventions into the workings of the tech sector to make it more inclusive, equitable, and diverse. 
This course (to be cross-listed in the instructor’s home department) is designed to introduce students to current topics and critical issues in this diverse, complex, and rapidly changing field, with a special emphasis on approaches to Digital Studies as practiced by faculty and other experts here at UMD. The course will combine an overview of key topics and methodologies with hands-on workshops, critical discussion, guest speakers (both from campus and elsewhere via virtual technology), and site visits to relevant facilities (again both on campus as well as area institutions such as the Folger Library or National Gallery). . Examples of topical areas to be covered include Data Mining the Social Web, Reimagining the Archive, Digital Aesthetics/Digital Play, and Global Digital Identities. Evaluation will be based on weekly hands-on exercises, class participation, presentations, and a series of written prompts.
Repeated enrollment in the Colloquium will ensure intellectual continuity and community throughout the student’s time in the Certificate program. The facilitator will organize periodic meetings–usually around a semester- or year-long theme–devoted to discussing shared readings, hands-on experimentation of a new tool or technique, meetings with visiting speakers, and the presentation of student work. Once during his or her time in residency in the Colloquium, each student will be required to present on a paper or project demonstrating a substantial degree of engagement with methods, tools, controversies, or theoretical issues in the digital arts and humanities (this paper or project may be drawn from work completed for one of the elective requirements below). While planning and scheduling will center upon students enrolled in the Certificate, it will be open to any interested faculty, staff member, or student.
This module explores the role and challenges introduced by digital technologies and the key strategic drivers behind the growth of the digital economy. The first half of the course will outline some of the basic concepts needed to understand the contemporary rise of a data-driven economy. Key theoretical approaches, such as cognitive capitalism, the knowledge economy, and the attention economy, will be introduced and analysed. We will then look at the value of data – a resource that is central to the modern digital economy, but that is surprisingly difficult to ascribe a value to. Of particular importance will be the value of the data that we generate – should we be owed money for the data that we give to companies? We will then look at two key organisational forms for the digital economy: the utopian image of peer production, whereby everyone freely participates to produce goods and services, and the more realistic image of the platform as a mechanism to centralise, extract, and control data. The second half of the module will use the concepts from the first half in order to look at some of the key industries within the digital economy today. This will include the online advertising market, the shadowy world of data brokers, the rapidly growing sharing economy, and finally, how workers are being forced to adapt to this new world, often with detrimental consequences. All of these industries will be illustrated with case studies, and the entire module will make widespread use of examples to show how these academic ideas are playing out in the real world. By the end of the module, students should have the tools to be able to understand the more mysterious aspects of the new digital world: why is Google interested in thermostats? why does Uber call its drivers ‘partners’? how does Facebook know so much about you? The final sections will aim to summarise the material learned, and to try and discern where the digital economy may be headed next. What does the economy of data mean for the openness of the internet? What does it mean for the power of corporations? What does it mean for surveillance and privacy?
"This module introduces the main ways in which the rise of digital cultures have disrupted existing politics. The module will focus initially on identifying three different understandings of politics prior to the rise of digital cultures and will then explore ways these have been changed. Following this examination it will suggest commonalities that point toward ideas about what digital politics might mean in its own terms. The three different understandings of politics that will be examined are: first, politics as representative governmental systems, including elections and party politics; second, politics as broad struggles over resources that constitute forms of exploitation, such as class politics and the clash between labour and capital or gender in the differences between men and women; and, third, the module will examine the micro-politics of everyday interactions, such as the politics of language. Each of these understandings of politics will be examined through some of its key case studies. For example through changes in election campaigns in the use of the internet in the Obama Presidential campaigns, through piracy and the Pirate Party, through online censorship in the UK and China and/or privacy and ownership in Facebook. Comparing and contrasting the disruptions the digital brings to these three understandings of politics will allow a broad understanding of digital politics to be articulated in conclusion."
In the second half of the module we move on to the changes in network technology wrought by the coming of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s. The Web to which computer users could contribute as well as consume led to the rise of social media, and all the changes in our societies and habits that it bought. The module will look at how mobile computing, GPS and wireless technologies have taken the Web from our desktops to our pockets, and reflect on how this has made the internet a network of people rather than a network of machines. Throughout, the module will highlight the contributions of key individuals to the evolution of network technologies, including those of Ada Lovelace, John Von Neumann, Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee. In conclusion the module will reflect on how the internet is governed and managed, focusing on battles over censorship and net neutrality, particularly conflicts between Anglo-American institutions (such as ICANN) and institutions with nation-state representation (such as the ITU). How has the history of the internet led to these battles? The course will conclude with a return to that key question of what the history of network technologies - and the most successful network technology of all, the internet - tells us about the relationship between analogue and digital thought and culture.
"This module is worth 30 credits and runs across the whole teaching year. It is only taken by BA Digital Culture students and forms our intellectual and organisational 'home'. Digital culture is introduced to establish both the disruptive effects digital cultures have on pre-digital institutions and the particular nature of ‘born digital’ cultures. The module is organised around four themes each covering half a semester and presented in the following order. Draft teaching syllabus Phase 1: Digitisation and the Internet: the dynamics of digital culture. This section introduces how digitisation works covering the reduction of media-objects to a single computerised file form (from media to bits) and how this reduction also involves reduced costs of production, consumption and editing of the digitised media-object. It examines the internet as a radically cheaper form of distribution of media-objects and explains the internet as a communicative form. The module concludes with the connection of digitisation to the internet understood as the underlying processes of digital cultures. Phase 2: Reading the world; The meaning of methods will be explore. The main methods of traditional humanities and social sciences will be introduced covering quantitative methods, interviewing, ethnography. Phase 3: Framing Digital Culture: This phase outlines several key frameworks that combine a theoretical and empirical vision of the meaning of digital culture. These frameworks are: digital culture as a technology that develops more rapidly than any other technology has; digital culture as the collapse of the producer consumer divide and the rise of co-production; digital culture as the new stage of capitalism; and, digital culture understood as a utopia of free access and as a dystopia of total surveillance. Each theoretical framework will be discussed in the context of one case study of a key current institution of digital culture, examples of possible cases are Google, Facebook, Wikileaks, World Wide Web Consortium. Phase 4: Remix, Digital Products and Management: This section introduces the rise and meaning of rip, mix and burn cultures as a result of digitisation. We examine the ways such cultures require projects that produce digital products and how these products are highly malleable because they are based on digitisation and the internet. We introduce different forms of digital management specific to creating such digital products."
This module provides students with the opportunity to explore fundamental theories of new media. It will provide the theoretical foundations to approach current debates in the field, and to understand the specificity of differences between an array of connected and overlapping definitions. The concepts covered in the course will include digital communication, networks, cyberspace, virtual communities, the difference between online and offline, the questions of hypertextuality, multimediality and interactivity. A number of crucial authors such as Lev Manovich, J David Bolter, George P Landow, Manuel Castells and Howard Rheingold, will be introduced to the students. The module begins by examining the nature of digital technology vis-a-vis analogue technology, by assessing the question the newness of new media from a historical, cultural, and political perspective and by discussing the difference between mass communication and networked communication. The second part of the module looks at different aspects of new media communication covering the connection between hypertextuality and authorship, multimediality and media convergence, and between interactivity and participation. The final part of module looks at the social and cultural effects of new media on our globally connected society, discussing the notions of post-fordism and information society, looking at the emergence of new virtual communities and connected cities, and discussing the connection between digital communication and new forms of inequality.
Successful research projects of any kind have two components: a good research question, and an appropriate method for answering it. is module is a blend of theoretical lectures and discussions on the epistemology and practice of (mostly qualitative) research as it encounters the digital, and it is the foundation upon which future modules, focused on quantitative research and specific digital tools, will build. The goal of the course is to give students an overview of and some practice in research methods, so that they can evaluate the role that research methods play in the academic literature they read during the course of their studies, as well as choose and apply appropriate methods for future research projects.
Knowledge is fundamental to the information societies we now live in and knowledge never exists in the æther but is represented through texts, videos, sound and more. These forms of the representation and transmission of knowledge are fundamental, both in how we interact now and as one of the forces that helped shape our minds, history and world. This module introduces students to the principles of knowledge representation. The module starts with a discussion of key concepts of 'knowledge representation' such as the definition of knowledge and of issues of storage, transmission, and reception of knowledge both in the pre- and post-digital world. Students will review the ways in which knowledge has been and can be represented.
This module will extend understandings of digital culture and its relationship to socio-cultural, political and economic vectors of knowledge and experience. The first part of the module will focus on big picture and more theoretical issues surrounding digital culture. We will begin with some of the broad theoretical approaches surrounding networks as a metaphor for contemporary society, and looking at how this may fail to adequately represent our condition. The module will then look at debates around posthumanism, and reflect upon the ways in which technology warps and adapts what it means to be human. From these abstract heights, we will then turn to the concrete materiality of the digital. The first week of this will look at how our digital world relies upon physical infrastructures, with particularly focus on the ecological impacts of a digital society. The second week will then look at the bodies that make possible our digital experiences. The second half of semester one will then examine a number of important contemporary debates around digital society, ranging from privacy concerns, to issues of race and gender, and lastly, the growing economic and political power of giant tech monopolies. In each case, we will try to make sense of current issues while also pointing towards future developments. Semester two will then turn towards more practical focused issues. To examine this, the semester will include a number of guest speakers from and lectures about industry, and seminars on different digital culture writing/production practices. The theoretical and political issues in semester one will be illustrated through these industry practices, developing a sense of how digital society is evolving as it grapples with various philosophical and political debates. This will culminate in the final weeks where we look to artificial intelligence and its growing role in our everyday lives, while also investigating its implications for the economy and what it means to be human. Across both semesters, students will gain insight into how traditional research methods can guide critical enquiry into the workings and challenges of digital culture.
Module description: The optional work placement module is seen as an important part of the BA Digital Culture programme, strongly recommended to all students for whom it is relevant. This module complements the theoretical and methodological approaches taken in the compulsory and other supporting modules. It allows students to observe and analyse first-hand an organisation in the digital culture sector while gaining work experience and developing transferable skills. Where relevant the work placement may also feed into dissertation research, possibly with the host organisation serving as a case study. Students in their entering their second year in 2019/20 will be able to register to this module during their second year, in addition to the 120 credits of level 5 modules that they will study. They must complete their internship before the beginning of their final year, and will complete their assessment in semester 1 of their final year. The internship placement must be found by the student.
Module description: What are digital methods? How can they be used for social and cultural research? What are their affordances and limitations? How can we reflect on their use in light of leading research on the internet, online platforms and digital culture? This module will explore the use of digital methods for social and cultural research. It will provide a conceptual and theoretical introduction to doing research with “born digital” data from the web, social media platforms and other digital devices. Students will learn how to extract, analyse and interpret digital data from these sources, as well as how to critically reflect on the tools, methods and approaches they use. The first part of the module will focus on situating digital methods, research design and doing research with and about hyperlinks, search engines and web archives. The second part of the module will focus on analysing networks and working with data from online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
This module maps out the contemporary social media landscape. It explores the concepts, practices and cultures that have emerged through the use of social media, and the issues of contention that have developed in related academic debates. The module also situates social media in a historical context, drawing attention to continuities and disjunctions in how computer-mediated communication interacts with economic, political and social life. Drawing on case studies and platforms from around the work – from Anglo-American formations like Facebook and Twitter to China’s Renren and Weibo to Russia’s Vkontaki and beyond – this module challenges participants to think critically about social media use, design and development. 
This module will address the two complementary topics of design and human-computer interaction. The design of digital services for the Web and for smartphones and our methods of interaction with them have significant effects on the ways in which we understand, use and perceive these services. Different modes of accessibility will affect the ways in which users are able to interact with and access the digital world. From desktop computers to mobile devices to screen-readers, the course will explore the ways in which design can support the user or exclude them. In understanding the methodologies behind digital design practices against the background of design theory, students will learn to evaluate competing requirements to create their own designs while being able to critically assess existing designs. Throughout the module's seminar series students will have the opportunity to critically analyse the design of existing digital services and will be guided in the development of a personal project, consisting in the production of a design blueprint for a web or smartphone service.
This module interrogates claims that underpin digital culture and digital technologies. Building on concepts explored in the first-year module 'Theories of New Media', this module provides students with an in-depth overview of the critical issues, debates and theoretical frameworks that inform developments in digital culture. Lectures will focus historical case studies concerning digital media, particularly concepts of cybernetics and information, and how they came to shape (and were shaped by) critical and cultural debates in politics, the arts, culture, economics, gender, and related fields. Seminars will extrapolate from these case studies to critically interpret the contemporary phenomena that inform digital culture, and these phenomena's roots in historical debates surrounding digital culture.
"This module aims to introduce students to the theoretical and practical principles of management when it is specifically located in and related to a digital domain. This module links to the optional Year Three module on Management for the Digital Domain II. Students who focus upon these management oriented modules will be well equipped for management and leadership roles and careers in cultural heritage, memory institutions; media, publishing and performing arts organisations; creative and cultural industries; marketing, advertising and social media oriented businesses. The module will enable students to grasp the concept that benefit is fluid and mutable in digital cultures and thus to critically examine how we derive benefit through digital management. The module will introduce the essential aspects of management from a strongly theoretical and critical perspective – vision, strategy, resources, people, audience, impact, risk, quality and benefit. These will be placed in the context of digital culture through extensive case studies and exemplars across varied sectors. Further context of how the differing modes of management in the digital domain affect society and culture will be explored to consider the ethical, moral, political and power dynamics of management in digital culture. This theoretical underpinning will be augmented with exploration of management tools and methods. The module will also introduce a basic understanding of audience analysis and evidence-based management techniques and methods. The module will conclude with examination of benefits, strategies and existing examples of digital management to critically examine how they impinge on society and culture and what the key elements that drive management thinking are with regard to digital endeavours. It will conclude with a review of the potentials, limitations and challenges in Digital Management, with reference to future directions to equip students with the principles to carry forward in future. The assessment will be based on two essays that will require a critical analysis of topics considered in the sessions. One essay question will be oriented towards the principles of management, the other relating to audiences and benefits in a strategic context.   "
This module will explore the phenomenon of subcultures and communities in the digital world. It will examine how different forms of social groupings develop online, and try to identify aspects of the cultures that are specific to them, both online and offline. Encompassing topics as varied as political social and political activism, education, the creative industries, pornography, user-generated content and gaming culture, it will investigate the nature of new forms of identity, belonging, and community, as well as phenomena such as hacking, trolling and grieving, that are being constructed through a variety of general and specialised social media and content-streaming platforms. By drawing on literature across the fields of subcultural studies and of internet and new media studies, the module will explore the languages, imageries, and styles through which digital communities and subcultures express themselves and interrelate with varied online and offline social, cultural and political contexts.
"This module will teach students the basic structures and syntax of a common programming/scripting language Python. Programming is at the heart of the human control of the digital world; through the use of programming and scripting languages, we can gather, manipulate and share data, create new applications and extend the existing ones. Further, learning the logic, possibilities and limitations of programmatic structures allows us to better appreciate and understand the technology within the greater digital world. Active engagement with data gives the researcher a unique appreciation of that data and the meaning encapsulated within it. As the amount of data increases, the methods of interaction, analysis and management become increasingly computational. This module aims to introduce students to the fundamental programmatic methods applicable in writing their own scripts for various tasks of data analysis as well as for bridging the gap between the existing tools. Python was selected as the introductory language as it is widely used in Digital Culture research and offers a comprehensive suite of data analytics libraries. This module focuses on the project-oriented uses of Python to equip students with strong transferable skills that they will be able to extend into the areas outside academia. "
This module will examine popular culture and its manifestations in the digital domain. The module content will critically analyse and decode the evolution of popular culture across the digital age, observing phenomena like news making, video making, art, celebrity and micro-celebrity, fashion, work and music. Students will learn to identify, understand and critically assess how popular culture has been evolving in conjunction with digital technologies and their increasingly ubiquitous role in the everyday life of a large number of people. By drawing on literature across critical theory, cultural studies, cultural sociology and media studies, the module will investigate the nature of cultural value, the modes of expression and sociality of the digital age, with the aim of understanding the social and cultural imaginaries that develop in a digital culture. The module will expose students to a variety of phenomena, with the aim of stimulating independent appraisal and critical examination of the various manifestations of popular culture in the digital domain. The assessment will be based on two essays that will require a critical analysis of theoretical and practical examples of popular culture based on the case studies considered in the sessions. One essay question will be oriented towards the theoretical principles underpinning the study of popular culture in the digital age, the other relating to the critical evaluation of a case study in a specific digital context.
The module combines theoretical and empirical content in the analysis of digital campaigning. Digital campaigning is hereby understood as comprising all forms of social and political campaigning that make intense use of digital media, from election campaigns, to social movements and charities. Theoretically the module will cover social movement theory, resource mobilisation, and digital politics theory, and the work of authors such as Manuel Castells, Jeffrey Juris, Daniel Kreiss, Andrew Chadwick and David Karpf. Furthermore, it will cover a number of relevant digital concepts such as the digitisation of political activity, the notion of hybrid media system, the consequences of interactivity, crowd-sourcing, networking and participatory culture for social and political campaigning. Empirically, it will draw on a number of digital campaigns, from social movements, to charities and civil society campaigns as well as political and election campaigns. Its geographic scope will mostly focus on the Western context, but with some case studies and examples from other world regions including India, China and South America.
This module allows students to demonstrate independent research abilities. The module requires students to conduct original research on a topic of their choice and to write a 10,000-word research dissertation. In addition, students will be required to submit an un-assessed dissertation proposal of 1,000 words. Students, in consultation with their supervisor, will devise a research topic within the field of digital culture (as defined by the knowledge and understanding acquired in core and compulsory modules of the BA Digital Culture). The dissertation is based on independent study in which the student will be expected to define, research and write up their own topic related to digital culture. Independent study will be further supported by a group tutorial and four hours of supervision.
"This module allows students to demonstrate independent abilities to produce and conduct an appropriate research project related to digital culture and to write an academic report explaining the theoretical context and process of creation. Students will devise a project within the field of digital culture (as defined by the knowledge and understanding acquired in core and compulsory modules in the BA Digital Culture). The project will involve the independent creation of a digital culture related ‘object’ which may include, but is not restricted to, the following examples: a visualisation, web design, business plan, project management design, marketing campaign, or crowd sourcing project design. The student will be expected to independently study to define, research and create their own project related to digital culture and then to write an academic report on that project. The length of the report will vary depending on the project but should normally not be less than 4,000 words and not more than 6,000 words. An un-assessed proposal of 1,000 words is also required. Independent study will be supported by a group tutorial and four hours of supervision. The project must be approved in-principle; failure to receive approval will result in the student’s reallocation to the 6AAVC200 Digital Culture Dissertation (Thesis) module.  "
The optional work placement module is seen as an important part of the BA Digital Culture programme, strongly recommended to all students for whom it is relevant. This module complements the theoretical and methodological approaches taken in the compulsory and other supporting modules. It allows students to observe and analyse first-hand an organisation in the digital culture sector while gaining work experience and developing transferable skills. Where relevant the work placement may also feed into dissertation research, possibly with the host organisation serving as a case study. Students in their entering their second year in 2019/20 will be able to register to this module during their second year, in addition to the 120 credits of level 5 modules that they will study. They must complete their internship before the beginning of their final year, and will complete their assessment in semester 1 of their final year. The internship placement must be found by the student.
This module engages with some of the most recent theorising about digital culture and society, introducing emerging trends in the analysis of digital media and their effects on society. It will build upon theoretical foundations set in other modules and provide students with an understanding of advanced theories used to make sense of digital culture and technologies. Students will be equipped to engage critically with current debates in areas such as new materialism, Actor Network Theory, affect theory, digital aesthetics, the habituation of the body, and the technologies of the self. Theorists such as Stiegler, Leroi-Gourhan, Ingold, Simondon, Barad, Braidotti, Foucault, and others will be studied. Students will be invited to use theories and concepts to critically analyse emerging and developing trends in digital culture, while constructing their own interpretations of the state and prospects of our digital society.
This module aims to build on the foundation from the Year Two module on Management for the Digital Domain I to achieve a sophisticated understanding of the theoretical and practical principles of management. Students who focus upon these management oriented modules will be well equipped for management and leadership roles and careers. The module will reflect upon the critical appraisal of digital management from Year Two module. There will be a critical appraisal of differing modes of digital management including a historical overview of how these management tools developed from Information Management, Knowledge Management to Digital Asset Management. We will also examine one of the key issues facing digital businesses – namely the valuation and handling of big data. The module will then look at alternative approaches to ownership, which are rapidly expanding due to new technologies such as the blockchain. The second half of the module will then analyse some of the core management tasks, including project management from early implementations of lightweight development methods through to iterative design and agile development. We will also look at how firms can both create and manage ‘disruption’, with some focus on how legacy firms have failed to meet these challenges. We will then look at the broad issues of financing and what the digital domain adds to these tasks. Lastly, we will look at various strategies for growth, which have been significantly altered due to the rise of things like service platforms, network effects, and venture capital.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now widespread, usually in the form of machine learning, in a broad range of applications including finance, healthcare, law, and social care, as well as playing a role in the Arts and Humanities as a tool to explore culture. This module introduces students to the issues raised by the development and deployment of AI. The content focuses on providing information and raising debate about the known and predicted effects of artificial intelligence on culture and society. This module will begin by charting the rise of algorithmic decision making. Students will explore the main technical concepts and evaluate the applications of AI in different fields. Students will then examine the implications of AI on culture and society, including issues around privacy and security, bias in data sets, and representation of the individual. From this base, the module will reflect on the challenges of AI governance and the tensions between innovation and regulation, and students will work towards a systematic understanding of how current government policy – both national and international – aims to direct future development.
How can we make sense of the complex relationships that exist between science, technology, and society? As we navigate across the city, mobile devices coordinate with orbiting satellites that are the product of decades of planning by military scientists. Efforts to manage our physical and psychic well-being—for example, through practices of mindfulness and meditation, pharmaceutical aids, or gamified exercise regimes—integrate our bodies into biopolitical technologies of care. Even calls for a more organic diet and lifestyle rest upon appeals to scientific expertise and biological purity. This module provides an introduction to the intertwining of science, technology, and everyday life by considering science and technology as cultural practices. Resisting conceptions of science as a specialized domain isolated from the rest of society, it considers how the production of science (and scientific production) intermingles with broad social norms and cultural ideals. Topics studied during the term may include how gender shapes IT professions and industries, how the military shaped science and and technology in the twentieth century, and how social practices in African contexts drive innovation in mobile digital technologies.
What is digital journalism? How are digital technologies changing journalistic practices, and with what consequences? What can research about digital journalism tell us about the role of digital technologies in society? This module provides an introduction to digital journalism, including the current state of this field as well as different ways of studying it. It examines different responses to the emergence of digital journalism, including how digital technologies are said to change who makes the news, who is able to access it, who is given voice, who participates, how news content is produced, how news audiences are measured and quantified, how content is paid for and who makes money from the news. These issues will be explored through a combination of key readings and “empirical experiments” with digital methods for studying web trackers, hyperlinks, online platforms, data, algorithms, bots, “fake news” and other digital objects, devices and infrastructures. Please note that while students will indeed gain digital skills and an understanding of digital journalistic practices from this module, its focus is academic rather than vocational.
The module will observe current phenomena and case studies to the aim of unpacking what are the main advertising and marketing principles, and how these are applied, reshaped or newly created within and by digital and mobile technologies. The module will enable students to grasp concepts such as branded content, programmatic advertising, influencer marketing, and engagement, by framing their relevance in digital cultures. Students who undertake this module will learn how to critically examine existing advertising and marketing strategies and/or campaigns and will develop an understanding of business approaches to advertising and marketing in the digital realm. The module will provide students with knowledge on work in a digital advertising or marketing context, and is conceived as an essential prerequisite for those willing to build a career in the social media industry. 
This module explores contemporary debates around 'international development' and 'humanitarianism' in a world increasinglycharacterised by digital connectivity. 'Information Communication Technologies for development' (ICT4D) is a rapidly expanding field, and scholars and practitioners are increasingly interested in the ways in which digital connectivity can impact upon both macro-economic growth and human development.The module begins with a critical analysis of the historical and philosophical concepts of development and humanitarianism.We will examine the history of the emergence of a global development and humanitarian 'industry' and think critically aboutmany of the assumptions and power-dynamics that underpin popular, policy, practitioner and scholarly understandings of how these actors operate in the globalised world and how development 'happens'. After defining these key concepts, students will be encouraged to think about the historical relationship between the media and responses to humanitarian crises. We will analyse the extent to which the development of 'new media' technologies affects these dynamics as well as different forms of armed conflict which often cause or exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophes that modern aid agencies engage with. Aside from this politics of mediated humanitarian 'visibility', we will also explore the practical applications of digital media technologies (e.g. crowd-sourcing, crowd-funding, big data analysis) for responses to different types of natural and man-made disasters.Shifting focus away from crisis-orientated humanitarianism, the module moves on to consider the wider field of ICT for broader strategies of socio-economic development across the world. Starting from the broadest level, students will consider the opportunities and constraints faced by states in the 'developing world' in leveraging the technologies of the 'network society' for macro-economic growth. This will be followed by examination of the ways in which new media tools potentially facilitate 'market inclusion' in these changing economies for marginalised groups. This leads to a discussion of a broader conceptualisation of 'human development' and an exploration of the extent to which digital connectivity can lead to positive social change, empowerment, or new forms of contestation.The final part of the module looks at the relationship between digital connectivity and the emergence of so-called 'new'development actors. Shifting the focus away from 'traditional' (primarily Western or Western-based) donors or agencies, we will consider the role of groups such as digitally connected diasporic populations, powerful non-Western development orientated states, and transnational social movements in both contributing to and challenging orthodoxies of development and paths to socio-economic change.
This is a research methods module designed (a) to prepare students to use simple quantitative methods in their dissertations, and (b) to provide the conceptual tools needed to produce, commission, evaluate, and interpret statistical information in professional contexts. It will provide a brief but systematic introduction to three forms of data collection: sample surveys, experiments, and content analysis. It will explain the theory behind these techniques, the form that they would ideally take, the compromises that are made in order to conduct them in the real world, and the consequences which those compromises have for the reliability of findings. Pitched at students with no background in mathematics or statistics, it will introduce appropriate forms of analysis and visualisation, focusing on best practices as well as on limitations and potential pitfalls, and it will train students in the skill of reading and summarising different forms of quantitative research. Students will create proposals for quantitative research projects, analyse pre-prepared datasets, and receive an introduction to the practicalities of data collection by jointly designing and conducting a piece of survey research (working within parameters agreed in advance by the college ethics committee).
"Ambitious claims have been made about the impact of digital culture and technology, and some areas and aspects of publishing have been significantly transformed, but others very firmly follow print-era models in most senses. At heart of this is a clash of interests and cultures between a complex range of protagonists, including digital media companies, ‘traditional’ publishers, users/readers and authors/content creators. The ongoing negotiation between print era paradigms and new models for publishing is still far from being resolved, but networked digital content has fundamentally changed the manner in which content is created, disseminated and consumed and this has affected the whole publishing cycle, from content creation to final ‘publication’ and beyond. In this module we evaluate a range of digital publications in terms of their audiences, delivery platforms, presentation, marketing and criteria for evaluation. We will explore different models presented by digital and print publishing; the different ways in which content can be ‘framed’ for publication; the impact of user-generated content and social media; the impact of the digital culture on the act of reading; eReaders and eBooks; access and intellectual property; and ongoing debates about the future of publishing. The module will consider different formats and platforms, as well as engaging in practical exercises to test some of the issues we discuss, reviewing case studies and hearing from practitioners in the field."
"The module combines theoretical and empirical materials to discuss the nature and dynamics of digital gaming. The notion of digital gaming hereby comprises all the ludic activities that are channelled through digital and online media, from console videogames to multi-user online games and anything in-between. The module begins by reconstructing a history of the development of gaming, from early consoles as Amiga and Atari to today's hyper-connected and immersive gaming practices, and continues by looking at a number of key issues connected with this area of digital culture, from issues of individual experience, to the relevance of notions of simulation, leisure, experience, exploration for an understanding of gaming experience and the problem of videogame addiction. Theoretically the module will cover insights coming from a number of areas media theory, software theory, and the emerging area of ""game theory"". It will explore how a number of theorists have conceived of gaming in different ways, and in particular of gaming as a symbolic practice, drawing insights from the theory of narratology, ludology and game theory. The work of a number of authors will be covered including McKenzie Wark, Mark J.P. Wolf, Janet Murray. Empirically, the module will explore a number of relevant phenomena and case studies: including the socio-economic basis of gaming; the specific nature and affordances different platforms (PC, Arcade, Console, Handheld), of different genres (shooter, strategy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, multi-user); gaming's reflection of society's ideology; and its influence on popular culture."
This module introduces the digital humanities and examines how they bring digital theory and practice to the study of human culture, from history, English and music to museums, digital publishing and beyond. We will begin with an overview of the digital methods and techniques applied to the study of human culture, examining how changes in society’s interaction with technology have influenced the way we create and disseminate information and knowledge. We will look at how digital resources in the humanities are created and what they represent in scholarly terms. We will examine the growing popularity of the digital humanities and the opportunities and tensions which this has provoked in its relationship with related areas of human endeavour. We will study the pragmatics of coding in the humanities and how we can apply programmatic perspectives to the study of human culture using the Python programming language element (for which no prior technical knowledge is required).
This Dissertation module is a compulsory part of the MA in Digital Humanities in which students develop their own research project under the supervision of an assigned member of staff. Usually students choose dissertation topics in an area related to one or more of the modules taken on the programme, but students may, pending agreement from their supervisor, undertake a research project on any topic within the field of the digital humanities broadly understood.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a widely applied technology from conversational interfaces (Siri, Alexa, chatbots) to self-driving cars, from medical apps to assisting in policing and social care. By mapping a broad range of applications, issues arising, and key debates this module will equip students with a deep and systematic understanding of current developments of AI. By studying applied AI in context, students will also acquire the ability to critically and ethically evaluate applications in their own substantial investigations. The module contextualizes current applications of artificial intelligence in three parts: In part one, students acquire knowledge of its main technical concepts and evaluate applications of AI in different fields. In part two, students will systematically learn about the challenges AI poses for society. In part three, the module will then reflect on potential responses to curb AI including policy answers and regulations.
This course utilises the notion of digital networks to trace their potential to foster powerful relationships as part of entrepreneurial activities. Digital technology created a number of platforms that are significant in distributing ideas for growth and innovation. Above all, the single most important feature of these networks is that they allow individuals to build meaningful social relations with like-minded individuals and targeted audiences. Students will critically reflect on concepts of digitally mediated social interaction, social capital, interpersonal trust and affordance theory with the aim to utilise these concepts to devise strategies to build businesses/interventions harnessing affordances of digital platforms.
How do you create services and products that are aligned with actual, rather than imagined, users’ needs, desires, and circumstances? This module will discuss how to plan and carry out user-centered research to underpin the design and development of products and services. It will cover the lifecycle of user-centered research - from project planning to managing budgets, stakeholders, timelines and human resources - and the main methods employed to understand users - from interviews and focus groups, to object-centered activities, from usability and bench-marking to data analysis. Students will do group work on a user-centered project throughout the term, and develop their own project portfolio.
This module will train students to formulate clear and unambiguous research questions, and to answer them through systematic collection and analysis of data. Those who take it will learn to design questionnaires and content analysis codebooks, as well as learning the most fundamental forms of survey sampling and experimental design. They will learn about the basic types of data, and about how to visualise and analyse individual variables as well as the relationships between pairs of variables. They will receive an introduction to statistical inference, learning what concepts such as statistical significance and confidence intervals mean and how to interpret them as well as how to calculate them and (perhaps most importantly) the circumstances under which they should not be calculated. This will provide a thorough grounding in basic quantitative research methods, whether for use in the dissertation, for enhancing techniques learnt in other modules, or for employment purposes after graduation.
Digital data from the web, online devices and social media platforms promise to provide unprecedented insights into social and cultural life. Yet many researchers and practitioners argue that the value of such data is limited if we cannot account for the role of digital devices and technologies in shaping and social and cultural life in particular ways. How can we make sense of links, likes and shares? How do platforms and algorithms play a role in mediating social and cultural phenomena? How can 'born digital' data be used to understand more about the interplay between digital technologies and digital cultures? This module will provide a conceptual and practical introduction to digital methods for internet studies. Through a series of hands-on workshops students will develop projects experimenting with digital methods to do research both with and about online devices and platforms. This is not just a practical, technical or computational task: online devices and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Github and Wikipedia play a role in both shaping social and cultural life, as well as enabling particular ways of knowing it. Drawing on leading research in internet studies and associated fields, the module will explore how to study this 'double aspect' of online devices through creatively repurposing data associated with objects such as likes, shares, retweets, hashtags, links, search engines and web archives. Digital data has become important in organising and knowing many areas of life, including through social media analytics, marketing and big data sources which are said to complement more established forms of knowledge about society, such as statistics, polls, surveys, interviews and ethnography. On the one hand, this module will show students how to critically reflect on the specific affordances of natively digital methods, devices and data, including through mixed-methods research. On the other hand, while platforms and devices come with certain 'built in' methods for knowing about society and culture, students will learn how to creatively repurpose data for analytical scenarios other than those intended, including through 'critical analytics' and 'inventive methods'. As well as understanding how to extract, repurpose and analyse data from a variety of online devices and platforms, the module will cover basic approaches to data visualisation through open source tools. It will support students to collaboratively conceptualise, prototype, design and implement digital methods research projects which will be developed through the full-day 'data sprint' workshops with invited guests. As the proliferation of online devices and platforms continues to spark controversies and hybrid practices, this module will provide students with a solid grounding for making sense of these fast-changing developments in the contexts of both research and practice.
This module teaches the concepts pertinent to web technologies and web design, including the themes of information architecture, navigation, collaboration, and aesthetics. On the practical side, it teaches how to hard-code a website on the client-side by using HTML5, CSS3 and some JavaScript. The module is structured around three didactic components: lectures, seminars, and practicals. All three components intertwine to provide a coherent and comprehensive agenda for learning how to apply major web technologies in creating functional web design informed by the interplay among User Experience(UX), User Interface (UI), and Information Architecture (AI). Apart from the fundamentals of HTML5, CSS3 and some JavaScript, students will also learn about other web technologies that are part of modern web design and the complex ecosystem of multiple browsers, platforms and the like. A strong emphasis is placed on web technologies that make websites more findable, redistributable, cross-compatible, and accessible to a diverse range of users. Those include semantic HTML, responsive design, and WAI-ARIA technologies. All three didactic elements are placed on the continuum of theory and practice. This means that students will be encouraged to learn by reading, doing, presenting and critically reflecting on two types of projects that they will develop throughout this module. Lectures are geared toward theory with a view on a range of complexities that come along with the planning, designing, and implementation of web design. Seminars are geared toward the presentation of social group designs to generate critical debates as students proceed through the major stages of their projects, including researching, ideation, prototyping and creation. Practicals are designed to take students through a wealth of hands-on activities in learning to hard-code.
"The UN has declared a “data revolution”. Countries, countries and commentators around the world argue that data is “the new oil”, and have set up new programmes to exploit it. But who stands to benefit from this vast proliferation of digital data in society? What is rendered into data and how, and who decides? How are different actors challenging and contesting processes of datafication, and exploring alternatives to surveillance and the dominance of a small number of big platforms? How can data be used to render issues visible, and to mobilise, energise and institutionalise action around environmental, social, economic and political initiatives?  This module provides an introduction to the research and contemporary practices of “data activism”. The module will introduce various practices of “making things public” and “keeping things private” through interventions around data infrastructures. But this is not just a straightforward story of balancing transparency and privacy. Data activism is an important and emerging site of knowledge politics and experimentation around the role of information in society. Journalists, NGOs and civil society groups use various forms of digital data to draw attention to their causes (from inequality to climate change), by telling stories and making different kinds of evidence and experiences with data. This includes both creatively using, questioning as well as providing alternatives to data from public institutions and platforms. Data can be used not only to quantify and analyse issues, but also to assemble publics to address them. Activists also challenge surveillance, commodification and discrimination by drawing attention to systems for mass data collection, analysis and algorithmic classification, and by exploring the use of encryption tools and alternative infrastructures. Data politics can be very obvious, such as in the way in which different sources of information are put to work in governing collective life. The politics of data can also be more subtle, such as in the everyday practices of classification and quantification facilitated by the digital devices around us. While the bias of the data is easy to assert, it can be much more difficult to observe. Information systems hide their political attachments, not necessarily maliciously, but simply because it allows them to more effectively perform their tasks. Data activism arises precisely from the desire to expose (and if possible rebalance) the power asymmetries inherent in information systems. It seeks to promote spaces for deliberation around data infrastructures; to investigate the conditions of their production; to explain the constraints they generate; and to propose alternative ways of redistributing their social consequences. Through a series of readings, seminars and participatory workshops with external guests this module will explore how data activism seeks to change our perspective on data and to shift our attention from particular information systems to the broader sociotechnical arrangements that shape collective life."
The Digital Asset and Media Management in Practice module introduces students to a range of related themes that frame the practice of Digital Asset and Media Management as organisational response to digital innovation.
Metadata helps us organize a variety of physical and digital content. This course will prepare students to determine the most effective strategies and tools for the creation, evaluation and application of metadata in library, archival and museum contexts. By completing this course, students will be able to discuss essential metadata schema and accompanying content standards, along with technologies and tools that facilitate their implementation. 
What is data journalism? What kinds of techniques and approaches are journalists using to create, use and tell stories with data? How can data be used for analysis but also for interactivity? In the last few years, journalists have been experimenting with different techniques for investigation, analysis, storytelling and interactivity with digital data. These developments have been referred to as “data journalism”. This module will explore this emerging field, including how digital data is being put to work to enable different forms of making sense, telling stories and involving publics. Students will learn how to develop a “critical data practice” for understanding and working with data. This will include critically reflecting on the data sources, tools, techniques and methods of data journalism through a series of readings, as well as learning how to assemble, clean, analyse, visualise and tell stories with data through their own projects.
In the digital age, data visualisations are becoming an increasingly prominent way to represent and organise collective life – from digital analytics dashboards to interactive news graphics. Data visualisations are also becoming more popular as tools for exploration and analysis in research contexts, including for social and cultural inquiry. This module will provide a hands-on introduction to creating, using and studying data visualisations. It will cultivate a “critical data practice” for working with data visualisations in research as both instruments and objects of study. As well as facilitating creative experimentation with tools, methods, approaches and best practices for creating data visualisations, it will also draw on leading research from media studies, science and technology studies and associated fields in order to support critical reflection about their evolving role in the digital age.
The digital content we encounter is increasingly contingent on the myriad ways we engage with online platforms and services whether this be social media newsfeeds, videos on Netflix, recommendations on Amazon or search on Google. The aim of this module is to equip students with a body of knowledge and skills that will enable them to study the relationship between processes of datafication and the intensification of personalised economies. Students will unpack the social, cultural, political and economic relationship between content industries and the intensification of personalisation and personalised ecosystems. In the process, we explore how this relatively new phenomenon, which was initially propelled by the advertising and marketing industries has spread to other areas of our everyday lives including but not restricted to business, politics, journalism, service industries, and healthcare. The module will also give students the opportunity to explore an array of theories, and concepts in big data which frame the unprecedented quantification of the self and the computational environment and algorithmic practices through which it circulates and is processed. Major debates surrounding social big data as it relates to the cultural, economic and political dimensions of personalisation will be discussed covering key aspects and characteristics involved in the relationship between material infrastructures, digital culture and personalisation. Given the contemporary focus of this module, some topics that could be covered include but are not limited to: social big data and social media, third parties, internet of things, applications, political campaigns, privacy, identity/subjectivity, and user experience.
This module explores design principles and human-computer interaction (HCI). Digital resource design has significant effect on the ways in which we understand and respond to these resources. Design decisions also influence users' and non-users' methods of interacting with digital objects. To that end, this module evaluates the consequences of design decisions for the user experience. With attention to desktop screens to mobile devices and tablets, this module examines ways in which design can support accessibility goals or, conversely, exclude users. In locating and analysing the methodologies and principles that underpin digital design practices, students will develop the ability to assess competing design requirements and design choices. They will also learn how to critically evaluate existing human-computer interaction designs, and to develop their own interfaces.
"This course is an introduction to the Digital Humanities, its methods, theories, and applications in humanistic research. It covers a variety of digital tools and approaches to organize, explore, understand, present and tell stories with data. In this course, you will learn how to reverse engineer DH projects to understand how they were built; identify, use, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different tools and methodologies; develop strong humanistic research questions that can be answered through digital research methods; conduct original research; and build a collaborative digital project. You will also learn how to organize and clean data, develop charts, create spatial and network visualizations, work with a content management system, and use basic text analysis tools to explore qualitative data. Often the best digital humanities projects are the result of collaboration, so you will learn how to work effectively and efficiently in teams as you build project management skills. Each unit will guide you through the development, analysis, and application of the skills listed under the course learning goals. In each unit, you will also critique examples of research projects that employ the methods and/or tools that you are learning. This class meets twice a week for interactive lectures and once a week in smaller lab sections; additional group work outside of the allocated class time will be necessary. We will discuss ways to organize in-person meetings, as well as ways to stay on track through virtual simultaneous and asynchronous group work. No prior experience is necessary, and there are no prerequisites."
This course introduces the fields of UX research and design. It covers UX design methods and process, including ethnographic field research, persona-scenario development, information architecture, prototyping, and usability testing. Students will learn by hands-on practice in a human-centered process : how to understand users, how to design interface & interaction for users, and how to evaluate and communicate user experience design with users.
The historic theaters in Downtown Los Angeles are part of a rich cultural legacy that provides insight into the architectural practices of the early 20th century. This project investigates how these monuments were constructed, decorated, and used through in-depth archival research, photogrammetric modeling, and a variety of interactive visualizations including virtual and augmented reality platforms. Students will identify a topic of interest and work in groups to produce an experience and documentation detailing their research, procedures, and process. Read more about Architectural Reconstruction on Broadway and see previous and ongoing projects.
Description: Using a preliminary sketch of the Data Management concerns for the Archive of Healing, students in this capstone would develop an actual policy for DM for the site. Secondly, the students will provide an action plan for the inclusion, review, and coding of new data submitted to the site that would take the form of answered questions on the site and wholly different data types such as bibliographies, working papers, websites, visual media, etc. Required Skills: The site is in Drupal so some familiarity would be useful but not necessary. Some CMS familiarity could be useful, but not necessarily. Also, the course would likely be more useful meeting every other week if that’s possible. A cap of four students would be preferred since a smaller team is easier to work with in terms of collaboration.
Description: In 1947, an anonymous sketchbook of images was discovered in a buried bottle in Auschwitz. To date, no one knows who made it or how the artist could have seen what he/she depicted. Using 3D models of the camp, digital maps, and other data, the class will try to figure out what the artist saw and where he/she moved. Required Skills: None, but interest in 3D models and mapping, Photoshop.
Description: In this course, students will conduct user experience design research by utilizing the concepts, theories, and skills of digital humanities. Students will learn how to independently and collaboratively design and execute an advanced user experience design project. Required Skills: No specific technical skill required, but web documentation and interactive prototyping skills are helpful.
Description: Big data and family networks in the Roman world. This seminar will explore the history of the Roman Republic through an analysis of the most complete database of ancient persons available. (http://romanrepublic.ac.uk/) We will simultaneously harness the affordances of this extant rdf database while we subvert the existing data model to make new and unexpected connections. Students who take this course will have the opportunity to explore visualization techniques via D3 (a javascript library), the Google Visualization API, and Unity3D. In addition, students interested in designing a graphical language and creating digital assets for data visualization projects are encouraged to enroll. This DH course is affiliated with the UCLA RomeLab working group. (romelab.etc.ucla.edu)
Lecture, three hours. Lectures and readings in English. Formal, quantitative, and computational methods for analysis of poetry and prose. Digital tools for analysis. P/NP or letter grading.
In this capstone, students will work with Dr. Ashley Sanders Garcia (Vice Chair, Digital Humanities Program) on text mining early Native American treaty council notes and other historical records to uncover the perspectives of Indigenous leaders and the ways in which their actions shaped the course of early American history. We will apply entity extraction, discourse analysis, and sentiment analysis methods to our primary sources and do some light reading to understand the historical context. Students will need to have some experience with Python prior to participating in this capstone. We will be exploring advanced text mining techniques that employ vector space models to turn qualitative text into quantitative entities that can be explored with machine learning (statistical techniques). Together, we will share the results of our collaborative research, visualizations, and methods on a website and prepare presentation materials.
Description: Archaeological field data requires processing and analysis before interpretations can be made. In this capstone students will learn about the entire life cycle of archaeological data and participate in entering data in the primary excavation database, and then work to answer research questions incorporating small data visualization projects using these data. Students will also learn how to prepare data for deposit into a long-term preservation repository. We will finish by discussing the entire data workflow, from recording to long-term preservation, as well as the pros and cons of the different visualizations. Required Skills: None, but seeking students with an interest in working with data, data visualizations, and learning about preservation.
Tech Skills: None required, but interest in 3-D modeling, sound recording, VR/AR. This project seeks to create an immersive experience of Yaangna, the largest Gabrieliño-Tongva village, with its center close to DTLA Union Station. Students will explore relevant archival materials, artworks, archeological sites, and oral histories to assemble information on the village’s built and natural environments, as well as cultural life. They will then have the opportunity to use 360-degree cameras, ambisonic sound recorders, photogrammetry, and 3-D modeling to create interactive, data-rich, VR/AR experiences of aspects of life in Yaangna, as it once might have been, or could have been today. Besides organizing the assembled data to create an interactive VR/AR experience, students will also forge relationships with Gabrieliño-Tongva community organizations.
Description: The historic theaters in Downtown Los Angeles are part of a rich cultural legacy that provides insight into the architectural practices of the early 20th century. This project investigates how these monuments were constructed, decorated, and used through in-depth archival research, photogrammetric modeling, and a variety of interactive visualizations including virtual and augmented reality platforms. Students will identify a topic of interest and work in groups to produce an experience and documentation detailing their research, procedures, and process. Read more about Architectural Reconstruction on Broadway and see previous and ongoing projects.
Description: In 1947, an anonymous sketchbook of images was discovered in a buried bottle in Auschwitz. To date, no one knows who made it or how the artist could have seen what he/she depicted. Using 3D models of the camp, digital maps, and other data, the class will try to figure out what the artist saw and where he/she moved. Required Skills: None, but interest in 3D models and mapping, Photoshop.
Description: In this course, students will conduct user experience design research by utilizing the concepts, theories, and skills of digital humanities. Students will learn how to independently and collaboratively design and execute an advanced user experience design project. Required Skills: No specific technical skill required, but web documentation and interactive prototyping skills are helpful.
Tech Skills: Familiarity with Python. If you haven’t taken a course on Python, please complete one via Coursera, Udemy, DataCamp or Learn Python the Hard Way. In this capstone, students will work with Dr. Ashley Sanders Garcia (Vice Chair, Digital Humanities Program) on text mining early Native American treaty council notes and other historical records to uncover the perspectives of Indigenous leaders and the ways in which their actions shaped the course of early American history. We will apply entity extraction, discourse analysis, and sentiment analysis methods to our primary sources and do some light reading to understand the historical context. Students will need to have some experience with Python prior to participating in this capstone. We will be exploring advanced text mining techniques that employ vector space models to turn qualitative text into quantitative entities that can be explored with machine learning (statistical techniques). Together, we will share the results of our collaborative research, visualizations, and methods on a website and prepare presentation materials. **Graduate students are welcome to apply the methods taught in this course to their own project rather than to the Native & Early American corpora the undergraduates will be using.
Description: Archaeological field data requires processing and analysis before interpretations can be made. In this capstone students will learn about the entire life cycle of archaeological data and participate in entering data in the primary excavation database, and then work to answer research questions incorporating small data visualization projects using these data. Students will also learn how to prepare data for deposit into a long-term preservation repository. We will finish by discussing the entire data workflow, from recording to long-term preservation, as well as the pros and cons of the different visualizations. Required Skills: None, but seeking students with an interest in working with data, data visualizations, and learning about preservation.
Description: Using a preliminary sketch of the Data Management concerns for the Archive of Healing, students in this capstone would develop an actual policy for DM for the site. Secondly, the students will provide an action plan for the inclusion, review, and coding of new data submitted to the site that would take the form of answered questions on the site and wholly different data types such as bibliographies, working papers, websites, visual media, etc. Required Skills: The site is in Drupal so some familiarity would be useful but not necessary. Some CMS familiarity could be useful, but not necessarily. Also, the course would likely be more useful meeting every other week if that’s possible. A cap of four students would be preferred since a smaller team is easier to work with in terms of collaboration.
Tech Skills: None required, but interest in 3-D modeling, sound recording, VR/AR. This project seeks to create an immersive experience of Yaangna, the largest Gabrieliño-Tongva village, with its center close to DTLA Union Station. Students will explore relevant archival materials, artworks, archeological sites, and oral histories to assemble information on the village’s built and natural environments, as well as cultural life. They will then have the opportunity to use 360-degree cameras, ambisonic sound recorders, photogrammetry, and 3-D modeling to create interactive, data-rich, VR/AR experiences of aspects of life in Yaangna, as it once might have been, or could have been today. Besides organizing the assembled data to create an interactive VR/AR experience, students will also forge relationships with Gabrieliño-Tongva community organizations.
To describe a course on media studies, the term “comparative” might seem both redundant and paradoxical. Redundant because, some might argue, media studies has always been comparative: The formative years of the discipline relied on a comparative tradition of intermediality, distinguishing between single medial forms implicated in “screen media” or weighing the consequences of analog content migrating to digital platforms, for example (see Schüttpelz and Gießmann 2015: 7). Paradoxical because, as others have noted, the act of comparing often assumes that the entities being compared are stable, whole and clearly demarcated: “To begin comparing, no doubt one must presuppose an essential knowledge of the general essence of the comparables” (Derrida [1979-80] 2008: 29-30). Rather than seeking to compare analog and digital media, or different national approaches to media studies, this course takes the framework of the comparative as a point of departure for investigating the presumed essence, stability and wholeness of both single medial forms and nationally-specific disciplinary traditions, such as the supposed ‘German’ technophilic approach to media studies and the ‘Anglo-American’ cultural studies influence (see Geoghegan 2013: 66). This course aims to understand the history of these ideas by tracing their genesis alongside various digital media, and it aims to trouble them. We will view, listen to and experience a wide range of audiovisual and digital media objects, exploring the complex relationships, for example, between women weavers and computer programmers, flowcharts and video games, library catalog systems and Twitter hashtags, television flows and podcast streams, 1920s cat experiments and cochlear implants, and painterly abstraction and YouTube compression techniques. Theoretical texts in media studies from Anglo-American and European traditions will inform each session, and we will think critically through and about these approaches. One could ask, for instance, why works by Harun Farocki, who was supposedly “discovered” as “Germany’s best-known important filmmaker” by a US-American audience, are repeatedly described in terms of cinema, or even a metacinema, when they are clearly interested in medial forms beyond the cinematic (Elsaesser 2002). “Why has the career of Farocki, our big poster boy who made it, often been stylized in almost religious terms as a journey from the darkness of television to the light of the contemporary art museum?” (Hüser 2019) What are the media hierarchies, histories of transatlantic cultural exports and disciplinary trends that inform such value distinctions?
In this class, you’ll learn about some of the new technologies that scholars are using for humanities research. We’ll look at the history and affordances of these tools, asking which possibilities each enables and which each excludes. We’ll also examine the history and current debates within the field of digital humanities. This class is designed for graduate students who are “tech-curious” but not yet experienced with coding or working with data. If you’re more advanced, that’s OK, too! We can find lots of ways to challenge you. I only ask that you practice patience with your classmates and work with me to ensure that everyone reaches their goals. My own goal is for you to leave this class with a well-developed digital humanities project that is relevant to your research interests and displays a range of skills. To that end, we will spend a significant portion of class co-working and workshopping projects, as I find that is often the best way to make progress with a new set of skills. By the end of this class, you should be able to: discuss the origins, present, and possible futures of digital humanities. form your own ideas about how technology might be wielded in support of humanities methods. manipulate and understand a structured dataset. create multiple kinds of data visualizations. create interactive web-based maps. write basic HTML and CSS, and publish a website. perform basic text analysis.

Encoding, archiving and computational modeling for projects of interest to historians and philosophers of science.
Concerned with a comprehensive view of the processes involved in developing formal access to information from a user-centered point of view. Considers various database models such as flat file, hierarchical, relational, and hypertext in terms of text, sound, numeric, image, and geographic data. Students will design and implement databases using several commercial database management systems. ILS Z512 Information Systems Design: Students identify, design, and implement a significant information design project, such as the redesign of a complex Web site for a local business, library, or nonprofit. Principles and practices of project management are discussed in the context of team-based web site redesign.
The main focus of this course is to instruct students to develop and implement dynamic and interactive web applications. In order to do so, students will learn the basics of an open source programming language both through lectures and hands-on exercises in the lab.
Focuses on Web site development. Students study information architecture as an approach for site organization and design, and learn about project management for complex web development tasks. In lab sessions, students work with advanced markup languages and scripting and develop sites, typically for real clients.
Theory and Practice: Introduces basic information retrieval (IR) theory and examines cutting- edge IR research in order to gain insights into how theory can be applied to practice. After learning about IR models, classification, clustering, Web IR, and fusion IR, students will explore how these IR methods can be employed in working IR systems to enhance the retrieval outcome.
This course will teach students to design and publish documents on the Web and for common eBook platforms such as iBook and Kindle. We will learn about XML-based document formats (such as TEI, DocBook, Office Open XML) and eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT), a special-purpose programming language for transforming XML documents into other XML and non-XML formats. We will also learn to develop publications in common eBook formats, including ePub (iBook, etc.), AZW (Amazon Kindle), and KF8/AZW3 (Amazon Kindle).
"This course is geared towards students concentrating in Computational Linguistics with little or no experience in programming; Linguistics students are welcome, too. It will introduce the fundamentals of programming and computer science, aiming at attaining practical skills for text processing. While we will work with Python, the main focus is more on introducing basic concepts in programming such as loops or functions. In contrast to similar courses in Computer Science, we will concentrate on problems in Computational Linguistics, which generally involve managing text, searching in text, and extracting information from text. For this reason, one part of the course will concentrate on regular expression search. Through lectures, lab sessions, and (bi-)weekly assignments, students will learn the essentials of Python and how to apply these skills to natural language data"
L545 is a graduate course in natural language processing and computational linguistics. The course is concerned with concepts, models and algorithms to interpret, generate, and learn natural languages, as well as applications of NLP. The goal of the course is for the students to be familiar with basic concepts in NLP, understand the algorithms and methods for NLP, and acquire the skills for developing NLP tools. We will look at the different levels of linguistic analysis, morphology, morpho-syntax, syntax, and lexical semantics. Additionally, we will cover machine translation. No prior programming experience is assumed, computer experience presupposed.
In recent years, statistical methods have become the standard in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). This course gives an introduction to statistical models and machine learning paradigms in NLP. Such methods are helpful for the following goals: reaching wide coverage, reducing ambiguity, automatic learning, increasing robustness, etc. In this course, we will cover basic notions in statistics, focused on the concepts needed for NLP. Then we will discuss (Hidden) Markov Models, exemplified by an approach to POS tagging. The following sessions will be dedicated to probabilistic approaches to parsing. In the second half of the course, we will cover semantic and discourse annotation, and in the final part, we will look at applications, such as machine translation, sentiment analysis, and dialogue systems.
An introduction to computer programming methods for artificial intelligence and computer simulation of cognitive models. Emphasis on the necessary data structures and their application to cognitive science. Programming projects may be related to state-space search for problem solving and game playing, production systems, and cognitive modeling tasks including memory models and neural simulations.
An introduction to modeling in various areas of cognitive science, including computer simulation models of complex cognition, models within artificial intelligence, models based on neural mechanisms and networks, and formal and mathematical models in areas such as psychology, linguistics, and philosophy.
This course explores the complexity of the brain and its network architecture on several different levels, including neuroanatomy, spontaneous dynamics, neurocognitive networks, development and disease states, and embodiment. Building on a basic foundation of network theory, information theory, and nonlinear dynamics, the course covers both empirical and computational studies.
Students will learn how to use the major tools in the makerspace community (3D printers, laser cutter, CNC machine, microcontrollers/electronics) and will participate in related outreach projects in local schools and the community. These projects might involve activities such as engaging youth in making activities, mentoring a school robotics team, offering maker-related programing at the local library or science center.
Overview of the principles and practices of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Spatial data models, database design, introductory and intermediate GIS operations, and case studies of real-world GIS applications. Laboratory exercises will provide significant hands-on experience. Lecture and laboratory.
Intermediate and advanced topics in geographic information science and spatial analysis techniques using GIS software. This advanced course is for graduates who seek a greater understanding of this rapidly developing field and to learn how to construct, manage and analyze their own GIS data and models.
Applications of Geographic Information Science principles in the collection, analysis and visualization of spatial data. Integration of GIS, remote sensing, and GPS technologies with web-based GIS applications. Review of current literature on techniques, theory, technology, and applications. Discussion, laboratory, and research project.
Introduces students to various disciplines: approaches to the understanding, organization, representation (summarizing) and use of knowledge information. This survey looks for commonality among the approaches taken in information science, cognitive psychology, semiotics, and artificial intelligence, among others. The goal is to identify criteria for evaluation and improvement of ways to organize and represent information for future retrieval. Information systems currently used in libraries and information centers will be studied as examples. Emphasis in the course is on concepts and ideas, with appropriate attention to terminology and technology.
The objective of this course is to help students think critically and constructively about information & communication technology and its relationship to work, leisure, and society at large. This course covers a series of concepts and analytical devices as well as empirical case studies related to social consequences of information & communication technologies when it is shaped and used by individuals, public agencies, and businesses.
Examines the human factors associated with information technology and seeks to provide students with knowledge of the variables likely to influence the perceived usability, and hence the acceptability, of any information technology. In so doing it will enable students to progress further towards specialist’s work in the important field of human-computer interaction.
The success of commercial search engines shows that Information Retrieval is a key in helping users find the information they seek. This course provides an introduction to information retrieval theories and concepts underlying all search applications. We investigate techniques used in modern search engines and demonstrate their significance by experiment.
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is human-to-human interaction via computer networks such as the Internet. This course examines potentials and constraints of several types of CMC, and considers how content and dynamics are influenced by the systems’ technical properties and the cultures that have grown up around their use.
Introduces basic theories, methods, and significant problems in archives and records management. The course also discusses how archivists are responding to the challenge of managing and preserving electronic records.
This course provides a graduate-level introduction to social media mining and methods. The course provides hands-on experience mining social data for social meaning extraction (focus on sentiment analysis) using automated methods and machine learning technologies. We will read, discuss, and critique claims and findings from contemporary research related to SMM.
Application of Content Analysis methods to web documents, interactivity features, and links.
This course surveys organizational, legal, political, and social issues surrounding the creation, dissemination and use of big data from the perspective of social and organizational informatics. It focuses on ways in which the integration of big data is changing structure, culture, and work practices in private and public sector organizations.
Examines the design and operation of digital libraries and related electronic publishing practices from a socio- technical perspective. Students develop understanding of major issues, concepts, and trends, enabling them to understand the sociotechnical character of digital libraries that can and will be effectively supported and used by various groups.
Advances in computer technology have revolutionized the ways linguists can approach their data. By using computers, we can access large bodies of text (corpora) and search for phenomena. The course will give an introduction to the methodology and applications in the field. using automated methods and machine learning technologies. We will read, discuss, and critique claims and findings from contemporary research related to SMM.
Introduces students to the wide range of social scientific and humanistic theories which guide research in media.
An introduction to the computer music studio, techniques of digital recording and editing, analog and FM synthesis, MIDI sequencing, and a comprehensive study of the literature and styles of the classic tape studios.
Study of advanced topics in computer music, including direct digital synthesis, acoustic research, and interactive composition.
Basic quantitative analysis techniques applied to political science data: principles of measurement, tables, graphs, probability distributions, nonparametric statistics, matrix algebra, Markov chains, correlation and simple regression, tests of significance. Computer processing of data and applications of bivariate statistics to problems in political science are emphasized.
Opportunity for stu­dents to investigate the computer as an interactive tool in the process of art making while examining aesthetics and processes of major artists working in this field. Provides the opportunity for exploration of the computer’s potential use in the art work of each class member.
Opportunity for stu­dents to investigate the computer as an interactive tool in the process of art making while examining aesthetics and processes of major artists working in this field. Provides the opportunity for exploration of the computer’s potential use in the art work of each class member.
Opportunity for stu­dents to investigate the computer as an interactive tool in the process of art making while examining aesthetics and processes of major artists working in this field. Provides the opportunity for exploration of the computer’s potential use in the art work of each class member.
Through advanced studio projects in digital art, the student will create a body of work involving experimentation with technology incorporating installation, multimedia, networks, virtual environments, and/or portable media. Topics of relevance to contemporary digital art will be considered, such as interaction, time-based media, location and virtuality.
Basic concepts of data analysis and statistical inference, applied to 1-sample and 2-sample location problems, the analysis of variance, and linear regression. Prob­ability models and statistical methods applied to practical situ­ations and actual data sets from various disciplines. Elementary statistical theory, including the plug-in principle, maximum likelihood, and the method of least squares.
Introduction to R from a software engineering perspective and an introduction to algorithms commonly used in applied statistics. Optimization algorithms including gradient descent, stochastic gradient descent, the EM algorithm, and topics in convex optimization. Stochastic algorithms including rejection sampling, Metropolis-Hastings, and Gibbs sampling.
This course introduces Ph.D. students in th Department of Statistics to an in-depth cross-disciplinary research experience, emphasizing the role of statistics in solving scientific, technological, or policy problem. Each student identifies a research project, forms an advisory committee, and provides interim written and oral progress reports throughout the remainder of the semester.
Provides a strong base in costume construction techniques for incoming graduate students. It provides a foundation of sewing, craft, fitting, and patternmaking techniques as well as training in team management from which the students may develop a construction project and perform assignments including supervisory roles in production work.
Variable topics course focusing on lighting genres, techniques, and criticism. Topics include architectural lighting, lighting consulting for the theatre, stage lighting aesthetics, and rendering light.
Stage lighting design concept development, presentation, and implementation are emphasized. Advanced lighting techniques and approaches. A practicum will be assigned.
Study of the practical use, aesthetics, and implementation of sound in theatre productions. Focus is on using computers to assist in the creation, selection, and playback of sound cues. Topics include sound system operation and design for both plays and musicals. Emphasis on researching, selecting, and recording music for production.