UIC | ART 150 | Intro to New Media Art

  • instructor: dr. garrett laroy johnson (he/they)
  • time: Tu/Th 12:00pm - 02:30pm
  • term: Fall 2023
  • location: (see course schedule)

Introduction to New Media Arts is a studio-based course that introduces theories and practices in new media art forms along with hands on workshops of creative computing, circuitry design, basic to intermediate electronics, and technological interactivity. Students will learn to use computer programming to create interactive sound, light, and environmental interfaces using an array of native applications to device art (microcontrollers such as the Circuit Playground Express). This course also adopts strategies for scientific inquiry from an artistic lens as well introduces current and historical new media artists through lectures presenting history, theory, and contemporary practices of new media artworks.

The class will be taught as a series of lectures, discussions, tutorials, project work, and student critiques.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Draw inspiration from the history of artists and designers who explore ideas and applications of interactivity
  • Gain practical experience with basic electronics, coding, and other techniques related to digital art production
  • Develop experimental art, interactive objects, and responsive environment projects based on conceptual assignments
  • Research digital and experimental artworks and trends

Important Dates

GRADING, ATTENDANCE, PRIVACY, AND ACCOMODATION POLICIES

Department of Art, UIC

Contact / Credit Hour Policies

Grading Key

Attendance

makeup

Disability Accomodations

>UIC is committed to full inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of university life. If you face or anticipate disability-related barriers while at UIC, please connect with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at drc.uic.edu, via email at drc@uic.edu, or call (312) 413-2183 to create a plan for reasonable accommodations. In order to receive accommodations, you will need to disclose the disability to the DRC, complete an interactive registration process with the DRC, and provide me with a Letter of Accommodation (LOA). Upon receipt of an LOA, I will gladly work with you and the DRC to implement approved accommodations.

Inclusivity Statement

“UIC values diversity and inclusion. Regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic background, religion, political ideology, language, or culture, we expect all members of this class to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every other member of our class. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion, engagement, accurate assessment or achievement, please notify me or your TA as soon as possible.”

Religious Holiday Observance Policy

In accordance with Illinois state laws and with respect for cultural diversity, we will make every effort to avoid scheduling examinations or requiring student projects be turned in or completed on religious holidays. Students who wish to observe their religious holidays must notify the instructor by the tenth day of the term that they will be absent unless their religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day, in such case students must notify instructor at least five days in advance of the date when he or she will be absent. UIC’s Policy on religious holidays and Religious Calendar

Safe Space

The UIC School of Art & Art History is committed to creating a safe space in our classrooms that is a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. See also: UIC’s Nondiscrimination Policy, Open Expressions Policy, and SAAH’s Allyship Booklet.

Image Reproduction

Images of projects created in this course may be used for educational purposes, including instruction in future courses and promotion of the School, College or University. If you have concerns about sharing or distributing any of your work for these purposes, please discuss these with your instructor.

Cheating

In accordance with UIC policies, any student caught copying homework, plagiarizing a paper, or any copying visual material without giving appropriate credit will:

  1. Fail the assignment
  2. Be subject to removal from and failure of the course
  3. Be reported to the Dean of Students for possible removal from the University.

Digital Privacy @ CADA

The College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA) strives to safeguard the privacy of its faculty, students, prospective students, and employees in online learning environments and other online events and activities hosted or sponsored by the College.

The College may record online events for internal use and faculty may record and post live online lectures on Blackboard, UIC's internal Content Management System; those recordings are permitted under these guidelines. However, the meeting host should endeavor to give notice whenever an online class or event is being recorded. If any student is identifiable in an image or recording from an online class, distributing that content publicly (i.e., outside of password protected Blackboard) may constitute a violation of the educational record protections provided under FERPA.

Individuals who suspect a violation has occurred should report that matter to Assistant Dean Dina Taylor (dltaylor@uic.edu) or Associate Dean Cheryl Towler Weese (cheryltw@uic.edu).

Lecture Recordings

Occasionally, class sessions may be recorded via Zoom (or a similar platform) for the purposes of study / review or for students who are unable to attend an in-class session. Your instructor will inform you if they plan to record the lecture. The “record” feature for students will be disabled so that no one may be able to record the session without your knowledge. Recording in-class lectures without the permission of the instructor is not permitted.

If you have privacy concerns and do not wish to appear in lecture recordings, you may turn OFF your video and notify the instructor. If you prefer to use a pseudonym on screen instead of your name, please let the instructor know what name you will be using, so that they can identify you during the class session. If you wish to ask a question but don’t want your name to appear in the chat, you may direct-message the instructor through the chat feature. If you have questions or concerns about this video recording policy, please contact the instructor before the end of the first week of class.

These guidelines do not restrict a student's right to record lectures or download content pursuant to the assistive technology accommodations outlined by the UIC Disability Resource Center.

It is also important to maintain a learning environment where everyone feels comfortable participating. To protect these interests, students and other participants may not copy, record, reproduce, screenshot, photograph, or distribute the following content:

  • Live discussions or meetings
  • Discussion boards
  • Rehearsals, Critiques, and other creative activity
  • Images of students, faculty, or other participants

Any attempt to disrupt an online course or event (e.g., "Zoombombing") or to use the College's online platforms to introduce malware or gain unpermitted access to files or networks is prohibited and may violate other University policies depending on the nature of manner of the conduct. Students who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action under the UIC Student Disciplinary Policy.

Student Disciplinary Policy

The Student Disciplinary Policy is the University's process to handle allegations of misconduct by UIC Students. The Student Disciplinary Policy addresses both academic misconduct (such as plagiarism, cheating, or grade tampering) and behavioral misconduct (such as theft, assault, under-age drinking, and drug-use.) See also: Guidelines for Academic Integrity


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