Syllabus

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this course, you  will be able to:
- express ideas and narratives by means of visual writing and experimental typography
- recognise the multiplicity of textual practices, their conventions and potentialities
- express yourself confidently by textual means
- challenge preconceived ideals of readability, legibility, and authorship
- describe theories on and give examples of the materiality of language
- use writing as material for design, and design as material for writing

Credits: 6

Schedule: 10.01.2022 - 30.05.2022

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Arja Karhumaa

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

Teacher Arja Karhumaa, arja.karhumaa@aalto.fi

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Focusing on the materiality of language, this course helps you amplify your identity as a 'visual person' towards full confidence in working with text, and to expand your vocabulary of expression accordingly. With a playful and experimental mindset, the course introduces you to a variety of methods, examples and theories concerning language and writing from a visual and material perspective.

  Notions and methods such as textual appropriation, translation, illegible writing, flarf, writing by rules and constraints, as well as other means of uncreative writing are explored both in practice and in theory. Experimental typography as well as concrete, visual and conceptual poetry can be explored according to your interests.

  The course projects can be gathered and presented as a book, a website, an installation, an exhibition, or any combination of these.

• applies in this implementation

  What work is expected of you?
  

  These are the assignments needed for the completion of this course:

  1 The small class assignments submitted on time

  2 Your 6-page writing contribution to the course publication (book)

  3 Your contribution to the Reading Room event (reading, performance, video... or something else)

  NOTE Items 2 and 3 can be the same project, done individually or with other people.

  4 Course journal submitted at the end of the course. Describe your ideas, findings, readings, learnings, thinkings on the course, as well as feedback. 5 pages minimum (with default settings in google docs).

  
  

Assessment Methods and Criteria

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Class exercises and course assignments/projects. The successful completion of this course will require 80 % attendance. Students will be required to give course feedback in order to successfully complete this course.

• applies in this implementation

  The course is graded numerically 1–5.
  

  As evaluation criteria, the following are considered at the end of the course:

  - reflective and original responses to assignments

  - assignments showing consideration of convention vs. expression

  - active participation in conversations and commenting, sharing, and respect towards fellow students’ work

  - discernible evolution of design/writing/thinking process

  - submitting all assignments on schedule

  - an element of care in craft and presentation

  - all assignments must be submitted in order to pass the course

  
  
  

Workload

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Class work 48 h, independent work 114 h

DETAILS

Study Material

• applies in this implementation

  All course materials will be shared via Google Drive in the beginning of the course.
  

Substitutes for Courses

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Substitutes for Courses

Prerequisites

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Prerequisites

SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality Education

10 Reduced Inequality

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information

• valid for whole curriculum period:

  Teaching Period:

  2020-2021 Spring III

  2021-2022 Spring III

  Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=DOM-E2214

  Registration for Courses: Sisu replaces Oodi on 9 August, 2021. Priority order to courses is according to the order of priority decided by the Academic committee for School of Arts, Design and Architecture: https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/registering-to-courses-and-the-order-of-priority-in-aalto-arts

  The order of priority is as follows:

  1. students for whom the course is compulsory for their major/programme and who have scheduled it for the current academic year in their personal study plan (HOPS);
  2. exchange students for whom the course is a part of his/her officially approved learning agreement and scheduled to be taken during the current semester;
  3. students for whom the course is compulsory for their major/programme and who have not completed it yet;
  4. students, for whom the course is part of his/her major s or programme s alternative studies and has been scheduled in the student's PSP (HOPS) for the current academic year
  5. students, for whom the course is part of his/her major s or programme s alternative studies and who have not completed the requisite number of credits for alternative studies yet;
  6. students for whom the course is compulsory for their minor;
  7. students, for whom the course is part of his/her minor subject s alternative studies and who have not completed the requisite number of credits for alternative studies yet;
  8. students who have applied for the course through a student mobility scheme (internal mobility within Aalto University, flexible study right (JOO) studies etc.);
  9. other students.

Description