ART 211Y: Introduction to Digital Art and Design Criticism

Summer 2025

Course Description

Art 211 focuses on developing a critical, theoretical, and historical understanding of media art and design. Participants will learn to do research and write effectively on contemporary media art and design practice, while also developing a project of their own in response to the material discussed throughout the class. Participants will attain an intimate understanding of  how image, sound and text are redefined by emerging media and deployed in the physical world as well as networks in order to communicate ideas. To achieve this, participants will examine the conventions, language, practices, and aesthetics used by media artists and designers in direct relation to the social and cultural implications that creative production has in society, politics, philosophy, economics, race, gender, and technological development.

The class focuses on developing conceptual skills that will enable students to create engaging experiences with greater depth and intellectual rigor when using all media forms, particularly  in relation to their own production. The main purpose of the class is to prepare students to learn how to perform. effective research for the successful production of advanced art and media design projects according to their own interests in future classes as well as beyond the classroom.

Emphasis of Class:

The class will focus on international media art and design. To accomplish this, students will make use of online resources and databases considered historically and critically important.  Participants will study and analyze selected art and design works to learn about the history   and cultural questions that inform. contemporary media art and design practice. Participants will also implement cultural analytic methodologies in order to examine works effectively.

This means that students will learn the principles of quantitative and qualitative analysis as part of major projects and class presentations. The class will also use selected books and readings that explore key principles of critical analysis. The online resources, selected books, and class discussions will enable students to attain a concrete understanding of the research  and writing process needed to develop successful critical analysis. Participants will apply what they learn to their own research, writing, and project development.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

•   Develop effective form. and style. of writing in order to make critically balanced arguments on the history and theory relevant to an interdisciplinary practice in art and media design that crosses over to other fields of specialization.

•    Organize research material in a logical manner for effective evaluation of content and form. that may potentially change in meaning from medium to medium.

•    Enhance the possibilities to communicate ideas as artists, designers, or cultural producers, by making the most of differences across media.

•   Develop research skills that will carefully inform. the choice of technical tools and technology used to produce interdisciplinary work.

•    Express ideas in a logical and clear manner in relation to advanced understanding of conceptual models that are essential for interdisciplinary art and media production.

•   Provide constructive criticism to peers during online forum discussions for their writing as well as creative projects.

•    Produce projects that communicate messages effectively and are critically invested.

Requirements To Pass Class

Please note that final grades are dependent upon consistent performance in all course requirements.

• Participate in class exercises, and forum discussions. Class participation will also include in-class exercises.

• There are a total of 3 minor projects and 3 major projects.

• There are no make-ups. Please check with me for possible exceptions. Not

consulting with the instructor prior to the dates when assignments are due will lead to an automatic F.

• Final projects cannot be late—no exceptions.

Required Materials:

The class will use two texts: Available at the PSU Bookstore and Library:

Bookstore:

•    Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. New York: Hill and Wang, 2012.

Library:

•    Eduardo Navas, Art, Media Design and Postproduction: Open Guidelines for Appropriation

and Remix. Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 2018/Second Edition 2025.

https://cat.libraries.psu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/0/0/0/57/5?user_id=PUBLICNONPS U&password=PUBLIC&searchdata1=^C23788241#

We will be studying in depth the arguments as well as the writing approaches by the authors in order to attain a concrete understanding of the research and writing process that each of  them went through for their respective publications.

You also need to create accounts:

ChatGPT: https://openai.com/product/gpt-4

DALL-E-3: https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2

See “Materials Letter” for details on how to order these materials, located under the modules tab in Canvas.

Optional Materials:

I will be referring to specific cultural terms throughout the school term. You may buy the following book to look up additional information on terms that may come in discussions.

Recommended Reading :

Williams, Raymond. Keywords: A  Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.

In addition, you are not required to buy the following books. They are included because they will be useful in helping you engage with contemporary new media and digital art:

Rush, Michael. New Media in Art. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1999.

Paul, Christiane. Digital Art. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2015.

Technical Requirements:

The following configuration has been rigorously tested with this course and represents an optimal setup that should cause you the fewest difficulties. This is not to say that other supported devices and browsers will not work; however, you may experience mixed results using other configurations.

Recommended System Requirements

•     Device less than 4 years old

•    Windows PC or Mac OSX

•     Chrome web browser (up to date)

•     Broadband internet connection (cable or DSL)

Notes: The latest version of Adobe Flash Player is required. Cookies and JavaScript. must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State Web sites.

Any reasonably current browser should work, including the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.  This course has limited support for Android, iOS and Windows phones and tablets, so it is recommended that you use a PC or Mac.

Course Requirements and Grading:

The following course requirements will provide the basis for the determination of your grade:

Grade Scale

•   94-100 = A

•   90-93 = A-

•   87-89 = B+

•    84-86 = B

•   80-83= B-

•   77-79 = C+

•    74-76 = C

•    70-73 = C-

•   60-69 = D

•    0-59 = F

Quizzes:

•    There will be 3 quizzes at the beginning of the semester.

•    The first quiz is an“Orientation Quiz”and you will be able to take it as many time as you would like in order to earn the desired grade. It is the only quiz you can take multiple times.

•    Each quiz will be open from Monday through Sunday.

Discussion Forums:

•    Each Discussion Forum will be active during the Lesson week with which it is assocated from Monday through Sunday.

•    Each week a group of students (at least two) will lead the forum discussion on the

readings for the week. The readings will be matched with a selected set of works available online. Those leading the discussion must post their summaries by Tuesday evening at 6 pm.

•   The professor provides basic questions for the readings designed to help students

leading the discussion keep the postings going. The professor will also be active in the forums in order to clarify historical details, or particular concepts relevant to the readings.

•   The forum discussions come to a close each Friday evening, at which point students should turn their focus to the next week’s assignments and readings. Note that the forums will remain open until Sunday, but contributions will be marked late. 5 points will be taken off.

•   Each post must show a clear awareness of the readings. General broad statements will not be considered adequate contributions.

•   The summaries by students leading a discussion must be present the major points of the assigned text.

•    Initial posts should take place in the first two days. Waiting to the last minute will be closely evaluated in relation to the overall engagement of the student in class.

Projects:

•   Minor Project 1 (preparation for first major project), due on week 4

• Major Project 1: Analysis of new media art/design project, due on week  6

•   Minor Project 2 (preparation for second major project), due on week 8

• Major Project 2: Analysis of second new media art/design project, due on week 10

•   Minor Project 3 (preparation for third major project), due on week 11

•   Major Project 3: Production of new media art/design project (by students), due on Week 12

•   The assignments and projects must meet the minimum requirements according to respective guidelines in order to receive a passing grade.

•    Students will be evaluated for their creative approach to complete the assignments.

•   Assignments and Projects must show an awareness of the historical and critical material discussed in class, as well as demonstrate rigorous independent research.