Prospectus

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Sound, Space and Interaction

Course
2020-2021

Admission requirements

Bachelor degree (completed)

Description

The Sound, Space and Interaction course focuses on created and existing interrelations between Sound, Space and Interaction. It addresses sound-based interaction, structuring interaction in space and structuring sound in space.

Part of the interrelations between Sound, Space and Interaction are determined by the physical world around us while we can shape, structure and create new relationships that build upon or even contradict the physical world.

Key concepts developed in the course are:

  • The concept of sonic language, including representational and non-representational forms.

  • The concept of interactive dialog, including aspects of control, meaning and surprise.

  • The concepts of sonic and spatial interaction as opposed to, for example, screen-based interaction.

It could be said that the course aims to extrapolate the abstract nature of music into interactive and spatial directions.

The course form is a hybrid of lectures and labs that converge towards the final project. The lectures are used to transmit knowledge regarding the course topic, while developing and ways to work with sound in a spatial and interactive way. The course has two phases. During the first phase the labs have assignments that aim to develop the student’s skills, challenge their creativity in specific ways and prepare them for the final assignment. In the second phase of the course the students use the lab to get support with the development of their final assignments.

The Sound, Space and Interaction course uses Pure Data, an open source visual programming language for multimedia, as development platform. However, students are not restricted to this and can create combinations with other platforms.

As final assignment the students have to make their own interactive sound environment.

Course objectives

  • Develop a substantial level of understanding in the field of Sound, Space and Interaction.

  • Enable the students to make their own work.

  • Challenge the creativity of the students to develop new forms of sonic language, interactive dialog and spatial interaction with the aim to demonstrate their understanding of the field and make a possible contribution to the field.

Timetable

Date, time and location of this course is included in the Media Technology calendar.

Mode of instruction

The course consists of lectures and labs that are usually scheduled on the same day. Both the lectures and labs have compulsory attendance. The course finishes with one or two presentation days.

Assessment method

In order to complete the course, the students have to successfully execute the final project, successfully complete the lab assignments, actively engage in the course and adhere to the compulsory attendance.

The final grade of the course is based on the project grade under the condition that above requirements are met.
The project grade is based on the quality, ambition and originality of the final project. The final project is judged from the perspectives of sonic language, spatial interaction and interactive dialog. The final project consists of a presentation of the work, a written report regarding the development and execution of the work, submission of all the related material including source code, sound samples, etc.

There is a possibility to do a retake for the project. This normally includes the development and realization of a fully new work. The deadlines can be discussed with the lecturer on an individual basis.

Reading list

The course uses a combination of articles that will be communicated during the course. The deadlines regarding the reading material will be communicated through the course website as well.

Registration

  • You have to sign up for courses and exams (including retakes) in uSis.

  • Due to limited capacity, non-Media Technology students (elective, external and exchange) can only register after approval of the programme coordinator/study advisor Barbara Visscher-van Grinsven MA.

  • Students who have not yet completed their bachelor degree cannot be admitted to Media Technology courses.

Contact

Media Technology MSc programme coordinator/study advisor: Barbara Visscher-van Grinsven MA