New interactive environments 2012

General information

Course code: IFI7144

Facilitators: Dr. Terje Väljataga & Dr. Sebastian H.D. Fiedler

Credit points: 5 ECTS (minimum work load 135 hours total)

Language of instruction: English

Level of course: MA

Program: Interactive media and knowledge environment (IMKE) master program (an elective course), Institute of Informatics, Tallinn University

Course duration: 12 weeks, weekly minimum workload 11,5 hours.

Fall semester 2012. Please keep an eye on this page for further information about this course and its tasks from September 2012 on. In the beginning of the first week there is no need to be online at certain times. Our main information sharing (info about specific assignments, announcements etc.) is going to happen in a course weblog.

NB! This year this course is used for CoCreat project research purposes. It means that the course is going to be more interesting, but also challenging and ends with an international, distant group work, where students from Norway, Finland and Estonia work on an educational problem and present their solution as a book chapter. Every country starts with their own course and they will be merged for the group work. While working in groups Estonian students are expected to be experts in interaction and interactive environments, Finns are expected to be experts in educational theories and students from Norway will be experts in cooperation technology.

Prerequisite: Basic knowledge and skills for computer use (word processing, web browsing) and willingness to explore new networked tools and services and ability to read, understand and discuss about the course topics in written and oral English.

Requirements for participation: Participation requires a computer and access to Internet. There are no specific requirements for the network as far as it supports web browsing, Skype conversations and videoconferences. The participants are required to have headsets and a microphone and a camera is recommended. Most of the software used in this course is free and available to everyone.

Participation: The course is designed for IMKE (Interactive Media and Knowledge Environment master program) students. If you would like to participate in this course, add yourself to Participants page. Everyone is free to enroll and participate, but official credits are only available via Tallinn University. Contact the course facilitator for more information.

This e-course was supported by the European Union through the European Social Fund.

(Remark: According to the rules of Wikiversity the logos of the supporters are not allowed)

Objectives

Participants acquire dispositions (conceptual knowledge, procedural skills, orientations):

• for conducting the analysis of new interactive environments for collaborative work and study;
• for representing (visually, textually, etc.) new interactive environmnets;
• for redesigning and reinstrumentalising interactive environments as human activity systems with digital technology and new media for one’s own purposes;
• for working in international groups mediated by digital technology.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the programme, the participants will have knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:

Disciplinary skills

• demonstrate an understanding of key concepts, theories and themes within the field of interactive environments and the ways in which interactions and meanings of different digital technology are produced;

• demonstrate an understanding of how digital technology can reflect and shape personal and social identities;

• demonstrate an overview of contemporary digital instrumentation options for interactions (communication and collaboration);

• apply key concepts, theories and ideas to specific digital technology, processes and products;

• assess the merits and challenges of different frameworks for analysing interactive environments;

• reflect critically on the impact of contemporary digital technology on their own ideas, beliefs and values;

Transferable skills

• learn both independently and in groups;

• present ideas to different audiences using appropriate technology and media;

• use technology as a communication and learning tool;

• use English as a foregin language to express ideas and thoughts.

Course tools and services

The course will be supported by the selection of various networked tools and services, such as Weblogs, wiki, synchronous web-based collaboration service, videoconference service, synchronous communication tool, etc.

Course information

Study guide

Tutorial for course tools and services

Course outline

week 1 (3.09-9.09) – Introduction to the course

week 2 (10.09-16.09) - Me and digital technology, self-observation

week 3 (17.09-23.09) - Frameworks for analysing interactive environments

week 4 (24.09-30.09) - From interaction to interactivity, operationalising interactivity

week 5 (1.10-7.10) - Mass media versus personal media, conceptualising personal media

week 6 (8.10-14.10) – Media theory and interactive environments

week 7 (15.10-21.10) – International group work: getting started

week 8 (22.10-28.10) – International group work: working on a chosen educational problem

week 9 (29.10-4.11) – International group work: working on a chosen educational problem

week 10 (5.11-11.11) – International group work: working on a chosen educational problem

week 11 (12.11-18.11) – International group work: presentations

week 12 (19.11-25.11) - Conclusions and final reflection

The course does not consist of a body of content participants are supposed to remember, rather, the learning in the course results from the activities participants undertake, and therefore will be different for each person.

The need for synchronous online meetings (via Skype, Flashmeeting, PiratPad, BigBlueButton, etc.) will be organized and agreed with the course participants during the course.