General description

This course deals with the research approaches and methods of analysis for interactive media, especially online interactive services and digital games.

Learning outcomes

The student will learn to build an overall view into the current state of Internet and games research. He will learn to identify and analyse the key elements of online services, games and experiential media, especially from the viewpoint of users and user experiences.

Contents

The key forms and the current evolution of Internet pages and online services. Critique of media production. Forms and different dimensions of interactivity in online services. Communication and community in Internet and games. The concepts of user culture and game culture. Cultural media analysis and its theories. The analysis and critique of Internet services and games. Writing an analysis report.

Teaching methods

Teaching method	Contact	Online
Lectures	21 h	0 h
Exercises	7 h	0 h

Teaching language

Finnish

Evaluation

Numeric 1-5.

Study materials

Three of the following:
- Mizuko Ito & al.: Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out (MIT Press, 2009)
- Mäyrä, An Introduction to Game Studies (SAGE, 2008)
- Consalvo & Ess (toim.) The Handbook of Internet Studies (Wiley, 2010)
- list of articles (from the teacher)

Belongs to following study modules