2021-22 BSc Interactive Media Programme Design Document

	A	C	F	G	I	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z	AA	AB	AC	AD	AE	AF	AG	AH	AI	AJ	AK	AL	AM	AN
1	Programme Information & PLOs
2	Title of the new programme – including any year abroad/ in industry variants
3	BSc Interactive Media
4	Level of qualification
5	Please select:				Level 6
6	Please indicate if the programme is offered with any year abroad / in industry variants																				Year in Industry Please select Y/N								No
7																					Year Abroad Please select Y/N								No
8	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department
9	Lead Department		TFTI
10	Other contributing Departments:		NA
11	Programme Leader
12	Please name the programme leader and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
13	Dr Jonathan Hook
14	Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
15	Statement of purpose for applicants to the programme
16	Interactive media has entered almost every aspect of our lives. Mobile apps, websites, games and social media have transformed the way we work, play, learn and interact with each other. But this is just the beginning. With emerging mainstream technologies such as augmented and virtual realities and the Internet of Things, we are only just beginning to understand the huge potential of interactive media to transform and enhance our lives. Our Interactive Media BSc is a unique multidisciplinary degree which will give you the skills and understanding to create the new types of interactive media content that are transforming our society and culture. To innovate in interactive media, you need to be able to understand it from technical, creative and socio-cultural perspectives. In the words of Steve Jobs, "technology alone is not enough — it is technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing". Our unique multidisciplinary course will support you in developing your creativity, acquiring design, technical and programming skills needed in the production of interactive media, and the ability to analyse and assess the impact of interactive media upon individuals and society as a whole. The course combines creative with technical work, user experience design with computer programming, and human-computer interaction with critical analysis of digital culture and society. With hands on engagement in the latest digital technologies, design methods and digital culture theories, you will learn how to understand and create interactive media software, content, and products for a variety of platforms and uses including mobile apps, games and virtual environments, responsive websites, virtual reality, social media, augmented reality, interactive television, digital art installations and many more. This course is academically focused, but also gives you the freedom to develop your own practical ideas from the first year onwards, and so to create a portfolio to show your future employers. Through various courseworks and projects, you will develop skills that useful in any sectors of prefessional and social life, such as for management, communication, negotiation, research and group work. You will have access to superb technical facilities, be surrounded by students studying closely interrelated courses in performance (theatre), media technology and production (film and TV), and digital technologies (computer science), and be taught by teachers who are groundbreaking researchers in interactive media. You will benefit from our excellent links with industry as well as cultural and governmental organisations through masterclasses, internships and employment opportunities. Upon completion, you will be a well-rounded professional, attractive to a huge range of employers, from entertainment to finance, from technology development to design, from industry to academia.
17	Programme Learning Outcomes Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the programme can be expected to do. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
18	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
19	1	Initiate, plan and execute interactive media projects, both individually and collaboratively, using various creative, artistic, analytic, technical, organisation and communication skills
20	2	Identify needs for mediated expression, communication and interaction and devise, model, evaluate and communicate meaningful interactive media concepts and artefacts that address them, through the application of user experience design methodologies
21	3	Create high quality interactive media assets, including graphics, pictures, video, sound and virtual environments, through the application of aesthetic principles, understanding of human perception and application of dedicated authoring tools
22	4	Select, devise and apply appropriate algorithmic abstractions to model behavior of interactive media artefacts and express such models in computer programming languages
23	5	Theorise interactions between media, technology and culture, and critique the social, political and cultural implications of such interactions employing relevant theoretical frameworks
24	6	Adhere to established norms of professional conduct that operate in relation to interactive media, including business, legal, regulatory and ethical aspects
25	7	Mediate conversations between people of various specialities involved in the process of interactive media development, including designers, art and content creators, software developers, business operators, and media analysts
26	8	Approach specific situations with creativity, analyse them critically and with rigour, and communicate ideas with clarity and persuasiveness
27	Programme Learning Outcome for year in industry (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year in Industry’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year in industry b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year in industry by alteration of the standard PLOs.
28	NA
29	Programme Learning Outcome for year abroad programmes (where applicable) For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year Abroad’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year abroad or b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year abroad by alteration of the standard PLOs.
30	NA
31	Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
32	i) Why the PLOs are considered ambitious or stretching?
33	This programme has a strong multi-disciplinary approach to the study and development of interactive media, combining elements of science and technology, arts and humanities, social sciences and business, and theory with practice. In terms of traditional subject areas, it combines art, design, computer programming, digital media production, digital culture and scientific underpinnings of digital media. The programme stimulates students’ creativity and imagination, but at the same time it develops their ability to formulate rigorous specifications as computational models. It develops their skills in media production tools, but with a strong foundation in computer programming and digital media technologies. It develops their ability to identify specific needs and opportunities and develop corresponding pragmatic solutions, but at the same time to critically engage with debates on how interactive media impacts upon human society.
34	ii) The ways in which these outcomes are distinctive or particularly advantageous to the student:
35	The widely multi-disciplinary approach, mentioned above, makes this programme a clearly distinctive and probably unique offering. In-depth studies of traditional subjects, such as art and design, computer science, video and audio engineering, and media studies will continue to have their place, but in the context of the rapidly growing area of interactive digital media, it is their tight combination and mutual influence that is conducive to significant and responsible innovation. This programme grows “the architects” of the new interactive media artefacts and the need for such professional profiles is clearly recognised by the all the industries.
36	iii) How the programme learning outcomes develop students’ digital literacy and will make appropriate use of technology-enhanced learning (such as lecture recordings, online resources, simulations, online assessment, ‘flipped classrooms’ etc)?
37	Digital literacy is an intrinsic aspect of the programme. In fact, the programme goes far beyond developing the students’ digital literacy: the Interactive Media students will develop new forms of digital interaction in which the others will need to become literate.
38	iv) How the PLOs support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
39	http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
40	The ability to understand interactive media from a variety of perspectives, ranging from pragmatics of human-computer interfaces to theories of digital culture and society, and to create and develop various facets of it through a set of core complementary skills, ranging from computer programming to artistic design, make this programme’s graduates very versatile on the job market. At the same time, interactive media is a growing component of any sector of our social and professional lives, including entertainment, health, education, finances, manufacturing, and social relationships, and the opportunities for employment are growing accordingly. The programme ensures relevance to evolving needs of the interactive media industries through its advisory board, who share industrial expertise in order to ensure the PLOs and programme structure produces graduates that have the right skills and knowledge to succeed in a variety of roles. This is further enhanced by the masterclass programme, which brings in interactive media professionals from a range of backgrounds, who share real world experiences and expose students to industrial perspectives across the programme strands. Our design-related modules are grounded in contemporary industrial contexts such as heritage, entertainment and advertising, and involve real industrial partners and site visits where appropriate, to ensure that all student work is conducted with a strong understanding of specific real-world needs. The programme is designed so that students create a range of high quality artefacts as part of their study and assessment, which are ideal for use in portfolios, and help students demonstrate skills and knowledge to potential employers. Along with the complementary support on CVs, applications and schemes from the university Careers service, students are well placed to achieve excellent roles across interactive media industries and beyond.
41	vi) How will students who need additional support for academic and transferable skills be identified and supported by the Department?
42	We have been using the university’s Writing Centre and are aware of the Maths Skills Centre, which we will recommend in the future when if and when the need arises. Computer programming is a skill for which some of our students require extra support. So far, as the numbers were manageable, such support was provided by lecturers. In the future we are planning to set up a tutoring system supported by PhD students (from TFTI and other departments, such as CS).
43	vii) How is teaching informed and led by research in the department/ centre/ University?
44	The content structure of the Interactive Media (IM) programme, as reflected by the curriculum, results from the teaching team’s multi- and inter-disciplinary research. In terms of the specific content taught, in years 1 and 2 research topics find their ways into teaching particularly via courseworks and projects, as well as in the examples employed in lectures, practicals and seminars. The optional modules in year 3 are all inspired by the IM team’s key research interests. The final year projects, too, are aligned with the team’s research topics. Research also enters the teaching space via internships on specific research projects. Examples of this include Digital Creativity Labs, YCCSA and XRStories, which have already offered internships and other forms of involvement to the IM students.
45	Stage-level progression Please complete the table below, to summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of each year. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each PLO, but this can be done if preferred (please add information in the 'individual statement' boxes). For a statement that applies across all PLOs in the stage fill in the 'Global statement' box.
46	Stage 0 (if your programme has a Foundation year, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
50	Stage 1
51	On progression from the first year (Stage 1), students will be able to:											Global statement - only needed at stage 3 if it's an integrated masters because at stage 3 of a 3 year stage it becomes the programme outcomes
52	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
53	individually initiate and produce a complete interactive media prototype (an artefact that illustrates the key features of a potential product) following experimental design and implementation methods		design and communicate, following experimental methodologies, interactive media artefacts			create good quality 2D media through dedicated tools, with knowledge of human perception and appreciation of aesthetic and narrative principles					design and implement substantial prototypes, through the use of algorithmic abstractions and programming languages for sketching digital media					engage in critical discussions on aspects of digital culture, using basic theoretical frameworks					adhere to ethical principles					employ multi-disciplinary vocabulary in describing facets of interactive media					exercise some creativity in approaching specific situations, find critical standpoints in their analysis, exercise a good degree of rigour, and communicate with clarity and persuasiveness
54	Stage 2
55	On progression from the second year (Stage 2), students will be able to:											Global statement
56	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
57	individually and in group initiate and produce a complete interactive media prototype (an artefact that illustrates the key features of a potential product) following established design and implementation methods		identify needs, design and communicate interactive media artefacts, following established design methodologies			create good quality 2D and 3D media through dedicated tools, with knowledge of human perception and appreciation of aesthetic and narrative principles					design and implement substantial prototypes, through the use of algorithmic abstractions, programming languages for sketching digital media, and programming languages used in industry					critique, within relevant theoretical frameworks, implications of interactive media and digital technologies upon society, including cultural, political, economic and social perspectives					adhere to ethical principles and some aspects of business development (e.g. product description)					employ multi-disciplinary vocabulary in describing facets of interactive media and mediate conversations between people of various specialities in interactive media production					exercise creativity in approaching specific situations, clearly express critical standpoints in their analysis, construct rigorous models and arguments, and communicate with clarity and persuasiveness
58	Stage 3
59	(For Integrated Masters) On progression from the third year (Stage 3), students will be able to:											Global statement
60	PLO 1		PLO 2			PLO 3					PLO 4					PLO 5					PLO 6					PLO 7					PLO 8
61	Individual statements
62	Programme Structure
63	Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme. ‘Option module’ can be used in place of a specific named option. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided in the next section. From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA') . It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets). If summative assessment by exams will be scheduled in the summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7) a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place.
64	Stage 0 (if you have modules for Stage 0, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
78	Stage 1
79	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
80		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
81	10	TFT00021C		Programming for Digital Media			S									EA
82	20	TFT00020C		Introduction to Media Technologies			S									EA
83	30	TFT00019C		Digital Culture, Aesthetics and Storytelling			S									A										EA
84	30	TFT00018C		Computational Thinking													S								A					EA
85	30	TFT00021C		Developing Interactive Media													S														EA
86	Stage 2
87	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
88		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
89	20	TFT00018I		Media Production for Interactive Environments			S								E	A
90	20	TFT00016I		Interactive Media and Society			S				A				E	A
91	20	TFT00034I		Web Application Design and Development													S					A			E	A
92	20	TFT00036I		User Experience Design													S				S				E	A
93	30	TFT00037I		Interactive Media Group Project																			S									EA
94	10	TFT00035I		Project Preparation & Development																						S				A	E
95	Stage 3
96	Credits	Module				Autumn Term										Spring Term										Summer Term
97		Code		Title		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
98	40	TFT00024H		Interactive Media Individual Project			S					A																			EA
99	20			One of Option List A			S								E	A
100	20			Another one of Option List A			S								E	A
101	20			One of Option List B													S								E	A
102	20			Another One of Option List B													S								E	A
103
104
105
106
107	Optional module lists If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
108	Option List A		Option List B			Option List C					Option List D					Option List E					Option List F					Option List G					Option List H
109	Mobile Interaction		Advanced Interaction Techniques and Technologies
110	Experience Evaluation		Critical Design
111	The Future of Story		The Digital Self
112	Esports Content Production		Gaming: Industry and Culture
113			Business, Legal & Professional Issues