Ryan Griffis +

ARTS344 :: interactivity 1

syllabus

Spring 2008 :: M/W 4 - 6:40pm :: Room 336A
ryan griffis
office hours: wed 12 - 2pm, room 131 a+d bldg.
rgriffis[at]uiuc[dot]edu

course objectives

This course is about the basics of interactivity as it pertains to contemporary art and cultural production. It is NOT a computer science, graphic design or human-computer interaction class, although related concepts and techniques will be a significant aspect of it.

We will be exploring the potential of interactive objects and situations for aesthetic and critical purposes. Some of the methods we will cover for producing such objects and situations include electronic, mechanical, digital and social. Rather than attempting to facilitate a fluency or mastery of particular technologies or systems, this course aims to be a broad investigation of several interactive forms. Our goal will be to engage with interactivity as a strategic form rather than a technological one - meaning that any specific tool set that is introduced will be considered for its relationship to the larger problems of interactivity, not as a medium that makes whatever is produced with it "interactive."

Upon completion of this course, students should expect to be conversant in some of the central concerns and issues related to interactivity and interface design as they have been framed within the realms of art and culture. Students can also expect to work with some of the basic technologies employed by artists, designers and other cultural producers.

The course will be broken down into three primary technical and conceptual sections:

1. Screen-based interaction (human-computer): hypertext, digitally programmed/designed interfaces

2. Physical interaction (human-object): mechanical, sculptural and electronically mediated input

3. Social/networked interaction (human-media-human): network supported human-to-human interaction

required texts

Specific readings, made available on the web or reproduced for you in PDF format, will be required of you throughout the course. Often, these readings will introduce conceptual and/or technical frameworks for the work produced in class, and are therefore extremely important. There will usually be short writing assignments for each reading as well as in class discussions.

supplies

USB or firewire portable hard drive and/or recordable CD[s] (all computers have CD-RW drives). Other supplies may be necessary for the completion of projects.

facility fee

Students taking courses in the Art+Design Resource Lab are all assessed a $75 facility access fee and a $10 materials fee. The facility fee supports acquisition and maintenance of computers, peripheral equipment and software,and helps provide technical support. The materials fee provides the means to purchase items for direct use and consumption by the class and may include video rentals and other materials that are entirely consumed by your specific class.

grading criteria

Regular attendance is a necessity, as is classroom participation. Both will have a crucial bearing on your final grade. Excessive absences [3 or more] can lower a grade by one full letter or more.

Credit/no credit technical quizes will be given periodically.

Students will also be given occasional writing exercises. These will be graded on a credit / no credit basis, and will also be a deciding factor in each student's final grade.

The artwork created in class will be evaluated and graded according to the following criteria:

A outstanding; thoughtful and intelligent ideas presented in a clear, organized, and engaging manner; among the very best.
B good; the ideas are interesting and successfully presented; shows potential, but not necessarily distinctive; roughly equal in quality to the majority of work completed by other students.
C mediocre; achieves minimum requirements of the assignment, but not particularly clear, successful, or ambitious. quality of the work is below that of most other projects submitted.
D poor; does not satisfy the minimum requirements of the assignment; generally unsatisfactory in terms of quality and clarity.
F you probably didn't submit a finished assignment.

Your final grade will be determined roughly as follows:

100 points for each project, 10 points for each reading/writing assignment, 50 points for participation (cumulative).

workload i suggest you budget 5 - 6 hours a week for doing course work outside of our classtime.

Be aware of the University's Policy on Academic Integrity + Nondiscrimination as they apply to this class