Digital Studies

This course will introduce fundamental principles and practice involved in digital studies. Students will explore different digital media and discuss these artifacts from a variety of perspectives including social, cultural, economic, and artistic. Topics include the impact of digital technologies on culture and communication, sociological effects of technology on the individual and community, and emerging philosophies of technology. In addition, principles of media theory, human factors, and usability will be introduced.

Digital design thinking tries to apply design thinking process into a digital environment. The course will introduce a systematic, non-linear, iterative design process to solve a problem of the digital world like web, mobile, wearable, VR, etc.

DIGI 1100 Introduction to Digital Studies. This course will explore issues in digital media including but not limited to journalistic integrity, ethics, copyright issues, e-communication, e-communication, and project management. It will provide an understanding of core cultural themes related to contemporary digital media, including access, surveillance and privacy, participation, and global citizenship.

This course deals with user interface (UI) and use experience (UX) design based on a visual communication perspective, rather than marketing or programming. Students will learn methodologies for research, wireframing, rapid prototyping and developing an interactive project from an abstract idea through the UI and UX design processes.

Previously titled: Design Theory and Principles. This course introduces core coding concepts using a major programming language, oriented towards creating interactive media and creative visual output. The course will focus on both fundamental programming skills and practical, applicable techniques for creating user interfaces, games, interactive stories, data processing applications, code-based art and more.

Prerequisite DIGI 1100 or Corequisite DIGI 1100. This course focuses on the creative, aesthetic and technical aspects of game design and development and virtual reality experiences. Course topics include game history and genres, game design, story development, content creation, interface design, 3D modeling & animation, and event-driven multimedia programming using a major game design engine. Students will work individually and in groups to design and develop several creative game projects from start to finish.

DIGI 1100 Introduction to Digital Studies. ARTV 3621 Web Design. This course presents the process of designing and developing web sites from conception through publication, using web authoring software programming. Students will design techniques for mobile, tablet and desktop devices, integrating graphic design, audio/video, and social media interactivity. This course also covers the principles of search engine optimization and implementation of web analytics services.

Open to juniors and seniors only. This course analyzes and discusses major issues of digital culture, including history, diversity, cross-culturalism, human-factors and mass-collaboration. In this student-centered, hands-on course, students explore digital culture by closely examining and participating in digital communities and by developing a digital learning environment. Faculty: J. LEE

To be taken in one of the final two semesters of coursework. This culminating course will be an applied/practical course in which the student completes an internship or special project relating to the field of digital studies. Internships may be taken at off-campus or on-campus sites (dependent upon availability) and will focus on the professional use of digital media skills. Students may pursue a special project over the course of one full semester based on student interest and supervised by one of the faculty.

This course will explore the wide array of opportunities in the animation industry. The course will also overview the entire animation pipeline for animation while curating practical skills to create animation like key frame animation, basic rigging and texturing.

Permission of Instructor. A DIGI internship occurs in a course setting and allows students to blend academic study with practical work experience. The internship is supervised and spans an entire semester. Done in the student’s senior year.