This is a studio-based course that introduces students to computer programming with an emphasis on using creative practices to formulate new ideas. No previous programming experience is required. Students will develop a technical aptitude for generating dynamic and data-driven visual projects, and through a socio-historical analysis of computation, art and philosophy, contextualize their projects with an understanding of how computation has augmented how we make meaning from our visual environment. Composing a series of projects throughout the semester, students will experiment and develop their own strategies to develop and evaluate project rubrics and goals. Students will complete the class with a foundation of technical skills to pursue individual learning of more advanced programming, scripting, and web development. There are no prerequisites for this course.
The class will be taught as a series of lectures, discussions, tutorials, project work, and student critiques.
The following had been carefully written by the faculty of the UIC Art Department and is used in all art classes.
This is a studio course built on active participation, making together, thinking together, and learning from one another. If you are not in class, then you cannot participate. Therefore, students are expected to attend all scheduled classes for the full duration of the course. Three unexcused absences will lower your final grade by one full letter. Excessive absences would be considered four or more and may be cause for failure in the course. Two tardies, or leaving class early, or stepping out for long durations during class time (20 minutes or more) constitutes one absence. Any absence beyond two, that is not an excused absence, will affect your grade. Excused absences are only missed classes due to the death of an immediate family member, observation of a religious holiday, hospitalization, contagious sickness, or a victim of a crime, all of which should be accompanied by appropriate documentation provided to your professor within a week of the absence. All other reasons for missing class are considered unexcused.
*Please note that if you communicate with your professor in advance about a class to which you will be absent or tardy, that does not mean the absence or tardy is excused. Only the reasons written above, with documentation, yield an absence as excused. Also, if you have a friend in the same class who is, on your behalf, letting your professor know that you are running late, you will still be marked tardy.
*Please also note that it is your responsibility to track your attendance, to remain aware of it, and to communicate with your professor if you become concerned. Your professor will be taking attendance every class period, but it is not their obligation to communicate with you if your grade is being affected by your attendance.
You are responsible for looking at the website and working through the textbook in order to familiarize yourself with what was missed in class. You might also be in touch with a peer in the class to learn what was covered in the course you have missed. It is your responsibility to ask questions about subject matter you may have missed in class. I assume you are in conversation with your peers about course material regularly. Indeed I encourage the class to self-organize; take collective notes in a GoogleDoc, start a Discord, and so on, to share and learn from each other. I am happy to boost these efforts if that is helpful to you.
>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.
“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.”
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
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.
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.
In accordance with UIC policies, any student caught copying homework, plagiarizing a paper, or any copying visual material without giving appropriate credit will:
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).
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:
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.
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