< ECU Directory

Benjamin Unterman

Lecturer

Availability:

Research Interests

cognitive science, Interaction Design, media art, user behaviour

Courses

Course Name Department Course Code Term
Media History MHIS 207 26/SP

Description

This course explores interactive media in the context of influential artistic, scientific, and philosophical thought on information technologies and their impact on different forms of interaction and participation. In mapping both historical and contemporary landscapes of interactive media, the course surveys key perspectives on human-machine interaction and technologically mediated perception; explores cybernetics and its influence on media aesthetics and culture; and questions discourses of novelty ("new" media) that continue to shape emerging media platforms. Students consider common formal elements that define interactive arts with focus on electronic art and design, as well as understand cultural and political forces that have shaped their production and circulation. Course material emphasizes the work of theorists, artists, and designers who have developed interactive media, alongside engineers and mathematicians who innovated computing technologies and attendant models of communication. Course lectures and assignments engage students in critical dialogue with historical movements alongside contemporary interactive electronic arts.

Pre-requisites

No prerequisites.

Foundation Studio Courses FNDT 156 26/SP

Description

This course offers an introductory exploration of the principles and techniques behind designing with human behaviour in mind. Understanding how practical cognitive psychology and user behaviour infuences and is influenced by design is a critical skill for designers, service, and product creators. Throughout the duration of this course, students will embark on a journey to discover how human psychology, emotions, and cognitive processes shape user experiences and drive user decisions. This course combines lectures, hands-on workshops, case studies, and hands-on design projects to provide a well-rounded understanding of designing with behaviour. Students will have the opportunity to apply the concepts and methods learned fostering creativity and problem-solving skills applied to real-world design challenges.

Pre-requisites

No prerequisites.

Foundation Studio Courses FNDT 153 26/SP

Description

This introductory course provides an understanding of computer coding using an intuitive graphical software interface for real-time sonic art and video practices. Using Max/MSP software, a visual programming environment, students learn the fundamentals of code, interaction, and procedural thinking for creative output. The course includes possibilities for mapping digital processes onto physical interfaces, such as drum controllers, fader boxes, and touch interfaces. Weekly programming assignments culminate in original code and a final project using techniques learned in class. No previous coding experience is necessary.

Pre-requisites

No prerequisites.