Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Participants will be exposed to with a diverse range of case studies, theories and methods of working across and beyond disciplines. By the end of the course they will have acquired practical tools methods and theoretical frameworks with which to reflect upon their own transdisciplinary practice.

Credits: 5

Schedule: 02.11.2021 - 07.12.2021

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Patrizia Costantin, Laura Beloff

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

Patrizia Costantin patrizia.costantin@aalto.fi

Laura Beloff laura.beloff@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:

    Transdisciplinary practice is one of the core features of Aalto University and it is emphasisedzed in the Master of Arts studies in Visual Cultures Curating and Contemporary Art (VICCA) program. Rather than addressing art only with past traditions, studies in VICCA train thinkers and artists for the future through diversity of research-based approaches. Navigating Transdisciplinaryis a mandatory ViCCA course that presents a range of theoretical and practical facets concerning work and collaboration across disciplines. Whether you are a physicist working through video games, a biologist who makes graphic novels, an artist who works with bacteria, or a performer working with international banking; this course will support you to situate and reflect upon your ongoing investigations. Navigating Transdisciplinaritywill initiate thinking towards questions that are related to societal developments, challenges and also ponder over the role of art in society and in the world at large.

  • applies in this implementation

    The focus for this year's Navigating Transdisciplinary course is Pervasive/Persuasive Technology. As the course title calls for, we will approach this subject in a transdisciplinary way. Researchers, artists, and other cultural and creative practitioners have been invited to discuss their perspectives on a variety of subjects with the aim to unpack and further understand the complex theme of Pervasive/Persuasive Technology and its impact on society.

     The aim of this course is not to provide you with an overview on transdisciplinary theory. This course allows you to approach a complex subject in a transdisciplinary way through real-world examples of work that is carried out this way. We will initiate discussions, readings and exercises around the variety of expertise and experiences brought in by the invited speakers. Some of the topics that we will encounter are: wearable technology, human enhancement, perceiving through technology, observation cameras, tracking,  bio-censoring, wellness and social media, attention economy, health and addiction, geoengineering and climate change, AI bias and data management, etc; as well as critical perspectives on what these technologies mean with regards to our lives and our close community.

    You will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of what it means to work from an arts perspective within such a transdisciplinary framework as well as the issues that can emerge from it. Throughout the course, you are expected to reflect on your own background as well as questioning what it would be like to combine methods of inquiry from different disciplines and fields in order to expand your own practice. 


     


Assessment Methods and Criteria
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Coursework and course participation.

     InsideCourse Time: Lectures & in-class exercises (30%)

    There will be a series of in-class presentations and readings

    Participation will be followed by a critical essay assignment.

  • applies in this implementation

    Individual and group work, short assignments and presentations throughout the course: 

    1. IN PAIRS: Before starting to work as a group, you split into pairs within the same group and one pair will choose an aspect of pervasive technology and the other pair will work with an aspect of persuasive technology. Trigger: keyword exercise as starting point (more details in session 1). 


    1. INDIVIDUALLY: Students are challenged to avoid social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and others - set borders) completely for 24-48 hours, keep a diary of emotions/feelings and reflect on how they found this challenge afterwards. Post 2-3 photos + diary notes and your name on the ViCCA Instagram channel. Title the post Navigating Transdisciplinarity + Name’s diary (number of total hours spent in social media - exclusion. (Ex: Navigating Transdisciplinarity + Patti + 36h + ‘diary notes’ + ‘photos’ )


    1. IN GROUPS: Students will begin working on task 3 as pairs (task 1), the results of which will form the beginning of the discussion for the group work (task 3).  Students are encouraged to approach an aspect of pervasive/persuasive technology in a transdisciplinary way and may develop their own exercise as part of an experimental and situated knowledge-building process.


    You will be evaluated on in class participation and the 3 tasks.
    80% of attendance is necessary to pass the course.

Workload
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Contact 42h, independent work 93h

DETAILS

Study Material
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Will be provided in syllabus

Substitutes for Courses
Prerequisites

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Teaching Period:

    2020-2021 Autumn II

    2021-2022 Autumn II

    Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=TAI-E3146

    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

    Weboodi

  • applies in this implementation

    LINK FOR ALL SESSIONS

     https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68622970552

Details on the schedule
  • applies in this implementation

    2 NOVEMBER

    9:15-10:15 Introduction By Laura and Patti: general concepts/ideas/questions around transdisciplinarity and intro to the course themes and speakers

    10:15-10:30 break

    10:30-12:00 introduction to assignments (15 minutes); group task exercise (5-6 groups) with books-page-line-word to begin develop ideas for task 3 and organising pair work for task 1 which is the basis of the work for task 3; 

    12:00-13:00 Lunch

    13:00-14:00 David Jackson 

    14:00 - 15:00 make your way to...

    15:00-16:30 The Museum of Technology - guided tour

    Viikintie 1 00560 Helsinki

    You can easily get to the museum by bus. Several lines stop at the main gates or near them.

    From the Central Railway Station buses 55, 71 and 78

    https://tekniikanmuseo.fi/in-english/

    HOMEWORK: STUDENTS TO COMPLETE TASK 1 IN PAIRS

    9 NOVEMBER 

    9:15-10:30 Laura's session: wearables, augmented reality, human enhancement, art

    10:30-10:45 break

    10:45-11:45 Task 2 and the Take Control Toolkit by Centre for Humane Technology (Patti)

    11:45-13:00 lunch 

    13:00-15:00 students to present what they did for task 1 in pairs (max 5-6 mins) 

    15:00-16:00 Minna Tarkka

    16:00-17:00 work individually to organise your task 2 

    HOMEWORK: STUDENTS TO COMPLETE TASK 2 INDIVIDUALLY


    16 NOVEMBER

    9:15-10:30 Patti’s session: Anti/Post/Trans-disciplinary? The non-discipline of curatorial practice. 

    10:30-10:45 break

    10:45-12:00 group discussion on Social Media Challenge

    12:00-13:00 lunch

    13:00-17:00 students to work in groups on group presentation - task 3

    HOMEWORK: STUDENTS TO KEEP WORKING ON TASK 3 IN GROUPS 


    23 NOVEMBER 

    9:15-10:15 an introduction to the themes and work at the Humane Technology Institute 

    10:15-10:30 break

    10:30-13:00 screening and discussion of The Social Dilemma

    13:00-14:00 lunch

    14:00-15:00 Lila-Lee Morrisons 

    15:00-15:15 break

    15:15-17:00 Time for group work

    HOMEWORK: STUDENTS TO KEEP WORKING ON TASK 3 IN GROUPS 


    30 NOVEMBER 

    9:15-10:00 Class catch up

    10:00-12:00 Samir Bohwmik

    12:00-13:00 Lunch

    13:00-14:45 Group work on final presentation (task 3) for next week

    14:45-15:00 break 

    15:00-16:00 Forensic Architecture Kishan San


    HOMEWORK: STUDENTS TO COMPLETE PRESENTATION ON TASK 3 IN GROUPS 

    7 DECEMBER 

    Group presentations

    9:15-10:00 Group 1

    10:00-10:45 Group 2

    10:45-11:00 break

    11:00-11:45 Group 3

    11:45-12:30 Group 4

    12:30-13:30 lunch

    13:30-14:15 Group 5

    14:15-15:00 Group 6