DTMC, Spring 2022 |
DTEM, Fall, 2021 |
DTEM, Fall 2020 |
DTMC, Spring 2020 |
HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN & ENGAGED MEDIA
INFO 6940/ENGL 4705/INFO 4940/COML 4231
Wed & Fri RCK 102 12:25 – 2:20 and ZOOM for Partner Meetings
Prof. Jon McKenzie • jvm62@cornell.edu • Office: W 2:40-4:00
ZOOM LINK GOOGLE FOLDER PROJECT SITE LINK
This StudioLab course connects critical design teams with researchers, activists, and community stakeholders. Practicing methods of research translation, design thinking, and participatory action research, students collaborate on projects through Cornell Cooperative Extension and community organizations in the US and Africa:
• Digital Equity+Excellence: Across the country, COVID has exposed the lack of access and equity to basic digital services: can a youth media campaign help democratize data and cyberinfrastructure in schools and communities and connect to wider social issues?
• Health Access Connect: A small successful non-profit in Uganda, HAC has for years worked with remote Ugandans to access low-cost government healthcare services: how to share their knowledge and experience on such work across Africa?
• Singular XQ: An exciting start-up nonprofit is exploring a software development framework that addresses sustainability more adequately. How to design multimedia artifacts to illustrate the research and the framework itself?
• Us Undivided: A cross the nation, political polarization divides people and communities: how to articulate values we share as humans that bring us together – rather than the things that drive us apart?
Consulting on partners’ ongoing projects, teams study and practice critical design drawing IDEO’s Design Thinking and Stanford’s Design for Extreme Affordability, as well as tactical media and organizational developed by ACT-UP, Black Lives Matter, Guerrilla Girls, and contemporary, multi-platform campaigns. Teams present and share their collaborations via project site and other platforms.
Part of a multi-year Civic Storytelling project to translate StudioLab into practices, policies, and infrastructures of different disciplines and institutions in order help democratize digitality, the class and workshops are supported by the Society for the Humanities’ Mellon Rural Humanities Initiative, Einhorn Center, and a Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellowship, with support from the Department of English and the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research.
Design thinking, transmedia knowledge, and artist activism overlap and all focus on engaging multiple stakeholders. Our partners’ interests include issues of social justice, rights of the incarcerated and dispossessed, economic development, and public health and well-being.
This course serves Cornell’s long-standing mission of public engagement, as embodied in Cornell Cooperative Extension, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Engaged Cornell, and the Mellon Rural Humanities Initiative. In particular, it seeks to translate research found in Transmedia Knowledge for Liberal Arts and Community Engagement: A StudioLab Manifesto (Palgrave, 2019).
Course Process and Projects
Over the semester, Cornell students develop design, media, and community engagement skills through seminar, lab, studio, and field activities: conceptualizing projects, learning technical skills, creating media, and consulting with school students and educators.
Critical design teams will work with their partners, using design thinking to share their knowledge of transmedia forms, to learn from them about project-based learning, and to reflect together to generate insights and recommendations regarding the viability and scaleability of civic storytelling.
Teams complete three projects, focusing on the theory and practice of design thinking, transmedia knowledge, and strategic storytelling while reporting on their work with partners. Over the semester, students create reports, info comics, Pecha Kuchas, and a portfolio project site.
Traditional and emerging scholarly media genres often seek to inform, enlighten, convince, persuade, and sometimes entertain and move readers. We will learn critical and creative skills for sharing research, consulting on community projects, and creating impact with different audiences, including specialists, community members, and the general public.
Evaluation
Each of the three projects is worth 20% of the class grade; participation (including attendance, discussion, and exercises) is also worth 40%. Two absences may result in final grade reduction; three in failure.
Learning outcomes
Conceptual analysis and synthesis
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Hands-on knowledge of transmedia genres
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Academic Integrity: Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s own work.
Inclusivity: The English department is committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity. While working together to build this community we ask all members to:
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Share their unique experiences, values and beliefs
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Appreciate the opportunity to learn from each other
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Accommodations for students with disabilities: In compliance with the Cornell University policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for student with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made. Students are encouraged to register with Student Disability Services to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations.
Schedule
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8/23 Introduction |