The studies in the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication last for eight semesters, (i.e. four years). Students are required to (successfully) attend 20 compulsory courses in the field of Information Technology and Cultural Studies.
Compulsory (C) courses are taught in the first three years of studies (the first six semesters), while in the last (fourth) year (i.e. seventh and eighth semester respectively) students attend only Compulsory Optional (CO) courses. Compulsory (C) courses are offered as follows: four in the first, second, third and fourth semester (1st and 2nd year), and two in the fifth and sixth semester (3rd year).
Semester 1
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Through a variety of teaching materials, in-class activities and group work, the students of the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication:(1) Learn how to understand (printed or electronic) short and long specialized scientific texts written in English;(2) Get familiarized with writing summaries of difficult English specialized texts in English and Greek; (3) Learn to share the knowledge they have gained with the rest of their fellow students orally in English;(4) Are taught how to conduct research in their specialization in English in printed and electronic form; and (5) Learn how to use the knowledge they have acquired in their lives and in their professional career (Knowledge Management), by constructing and using the electronic bilingual (English: Greek) Terminological Data Bank (TDB).
This course introduces students to the study of social and cultural structures and changes related to the process of formation that led to the emergence of modern societies. More specifically, it attempts to follow this historical process of transition to modernity concentrating on the influence that the Enlightenment, rationalization and industrialization had on the constitution of new forms of cultural and social structures and relations (for example class and gendered relations or the western views and representations of non-western cultures). In this context, it pays particular attention mainly on cultural representations -perceptions, ideas, beliefs, values, attitudes and practices which formed and were formed by individual and collective identities throughout the long period of formation of modernity. Placing greater emphasis to the study of cultural phenomenon, this course also initiates students into theoretical approaches which analyze representation as a signifying process related with meanings, knowledge and power. Moreover, it provides students with the different meanings that the concepts of ‘civilization’ and ‘culture’ have conveyed in modern western thought.
The course is divided into thirteen lectures. The weekly schedule of the course topics is presented in detail during the first lecture and remain available in the e-class of the course afterwards.
The course covers the teaching of IT and programming initially though a number of introductory lectures on Hardware and Software, numeral systems, networks and the Internet. The course continues to cover basic programming areas like general principles for program design, algorithms, flow charts, techniques for designing algorithms and solving algorithmic problems. Finally the last set of lectures focuses on the Introduction to Programming through the Python programming language by covering the aspects of Program elements: variables, constants, expressions, basic data types, operators as well as Data Input/Output commands, Decision control commands and Repeat structures.
The course focuses on several mathematical tools, which constitute the very core of innovative technologies used in Cultural Informatics, such as: Relations-functions, Boolean algebra, geometry, linear algebra and matrices, derivative-integral, and statistics.
The course's purpose is to introduce basic theoretical and technical knowledge concerning the audiovisual arts and the production of audiovisual material. In this context, the stages of the production of an audiovisual work are analyzed, basic technical characteristics of digital cameras and auxiliary equipment are examined, and basic rules of image/shot composition (camera and lighting) are presented to create meaningful content. The basic principles/rules of imaging are presented, and an introduction to simple image and audio editing software is given. Numerous examples from audiovisual works are shown during the course, and simple, practical exercises in imaging and editing are given to record events digitally. The projection and analysis of clips from films of all kinds and the application of theoretical knowledge in certain exercises are an integral part of the teaching. For this reason, continuous attendance at the course lectures is necessary.
From the beginning of human history, the evolution of communication has determined the pace of social and cultural rearrangements and the development of knowledge. In this course, press, radio, cinema, television and the internet are presented in a broader historical and social context as technologies that have largely defined and determine the economic, cultural and social developments in the modern world. The history of the media is presented critically by exploring their effects on human behavior, both individually and collectively. The invention of typography was an important milestone in shaping the modern western world, as it contributed to the revolutions that took place after the 14th century. The Italian Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the French Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Nuclear Revolution, and the Information Revolution are examined under the perspective of the communicative developments and social conditions that have risen over time. At the same time, the course emphasizes on the role that media have today, both as an institution in the wider social context, and as an industry from an economic perspective.
In this course the following issues are presented: Introduction to the basic terms and concepts of the digital humanities’ field, review of the diachronic changes and transformations of digital media (Archaeology of Media), Documentation- Visualisation- Recording/Storage, Interaction- Ubiquity- Connectivities, Algorithms και AI, Ecologies of the 21st century (spatiotemporal restructuring, the redefinition of subjects, the reframing of “sociality”), Memory and digitality, Case studies (History, Archaeology, Museology, Anthropologies of the “digital”, Digital Media and Cultural Heritage Management).
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SEMESTER 2
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This course is an introduction to multimedia and the available technologies applied for multimedia systems development. The course is divided in three sections. The first section introduces the basic multimedia concepts, relevant terminology, as well as issues related to digitization of analogue data, compression, data storage and representation of various media: hypertext, graphics, audio and video. The second section introduces the required hardware and software for the creation, processing and reproduction of multimedia data. In addition, available authoring tools for the development of multimedia data are introduced. While the third section of the course is referred to issues related to the design and development of multimedia data. The course tutorials introduce multimedia authoring tools used in the market.
The course introduces the basic concepts of Internet technologies and the basic problems in the design and development of web pages and websites. Initially, an introduction to the basic concepts and principles of computer networks, of the Internet and of the WWW. Different ways of organizing concepts in the Web are presented, as well as tools for the check of correctness and performance of websites. The HTML5 language is then presented in detail, for the web page development, as well as the CSS3 technology for the common formatting/styling of documents on the Web. The course also providing knowledge on principles and techniques of good practices in the design of websites. In the lab, students are getting familiar with the syntax and coding of HTML5/CSS3 languages, as well as with tools and techniques for the development and publication of websites.
This course focuses on developing algorithms using the principles of structured procedural programming. The C language was chosen as the most characteristic language for teaching both structured programming and basic data structures. C also serves as the foundation for more modern object-oriented programming languages such as C++, Java, and C#. The course covers the C programming language, including its syntax: variables, constants, expressions, basic data types, statements, operators. Input/output operations. Control flow statements. Loops, Functions, Pointers, Arrays, Structures, Communication channels, and file management.
Lectures focus on the following topics: Basic concepts (culture, modernity, postmodernity), cultural policy in Europe after World War II, Cultural heritage management (international perspectives, the Greek case), museums in Greece (transformations and challenges), cultural communication, protection of cultural and natural heritage and its contribution to new forms of understanding “heritage”, cultural heritage and sustainable development, tourism and heritage management, cultural heritage and New Media.
This course introduces students to the study of significant changes related to new social and cultural structures and identities, which are emerging in the post-industrial and increasingly globalized world of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In this prospect, it presents and critically discusses theoretical approaches concerned with analyzing the fluid and constantly changing character of postmodernity and the relationship between the modern and postmodern society. Emphasis is given to theoretical approaches which emerged mainly from post-structuralism and doubt basic principles of modernity. The course also presents key debates on whether the paradigms and theories used to explain and analyze modern societies are adequate for postmodern era.
The course is divided into thirteen lectures. The weekly schedule of course topics is presented in detail during the first lecture and remain available in the e-class of the course afterwards.
The course focuses on the use of quantitative research methods in Social Sciences. Initially, students get acquainted with concepts such as variable, scale, population, sample, reliability and validity of the research. During the semester, students become familiar with the use of the SPSS statistical package, which is a useful tool for analyzing quantitative data.
The content of the course is the emergence and development of cultural policy, cultural institutions and the administration and formulation of strategy in cultural institutions, from the 19th century to today in the international and Greek space.
Τhrough a variety of teaching materials, in-class activities and group work, the students further develop their: (1) Academic Skills in English (EAP) and in Modern Greek, when necessary by carrying out: a. Advanced search in the Library and on the Internet for bibliographical references; assessment of the materials found; b. Advanced Search for electronic dictionaries and engines of machine translation, so that problems with difficult terminology will be overcome; (2) Advanced Writing and Presentation Skills by: a. Making oral presentations; b. Writing essays, where they learn how to paraphrase, rephrase and avoid plagiarism; c. Constructing a CV and a Cover Letter; (3) Interlinguistic, interscientific and intercultural skills by: a. Comparing different styles of writing and presentation in Englishes around the globe (i.e. British and American English); and b. Comparing academic and professional skills in English and Modern Greek so that students enhance (and maximize) their interlinguistic, “inter-scientific” awareness and intercultural competence.
The course is an introduction to the theory and practice of using editing software. In the theoretical part of the course, we will analyse the technology of digital video and audio files along with their contribution to the production process of an audiovisual work. Particular importance is given to understanding the role of technology not as a simple technical choice but as a mechanism that reorganizes and reshapes the content of an audiovisual work. In the practical part, emphasis is placed on learning the basics of an open access digital editing programmes with the aim of acquiring basic technical knowledge about the digital processing of audiovisual data.
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SEMESTER 3
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The course focuses on introducing object-oriented programming. The transition from procedural to object-oriented programming is the challenge and goal of the course. The language chosen is Python, which combines these two programming philosophies and makes the transition from one programming philosophy to the other smoother and less painful. Using the tools of the language, all the concepts of object-oriented programming are gradually analyzed. Special attention is given to the object-oriented design of programs, not just the use of object-oriented tools. The knowledge gained from attending the course facilitates the learning of other object-oriented programming languages such as Java, C++ and C#.
Introduction to the basic concepts of ontology to the students, presentation of HTML as an ontological model, introduction to the CSS3 and HTML5. Introduction JavaScript programming language, and the contemporary relevant programming techniques.
Introduction to Art and Art History and Theory. From the ancient civilizations to the Baroque period. Art Theory after the 17th century. Τhe evolution of the visual arts and their theoretical content and frame during the 19th and the 20th centuries. Neoclassicism, Romanticism, academic art and Impressionism in Europe, the new directions of visual arts and their theoretical frames. Post-Impressionism and Cezanne, the Greek example, the School of Munich and Europe. The sociopolitical and theoretical frames of Modernism, the artistic movements in Europe (Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism, Expressionism, Constructivism), the relation between 20th century and psychoanalysis (Picasso, the Surrealists, Giorgio De Chirico and Sigmund Freud. Modernism in Greece. Europe and Greece after 1945. The aftermath of Modernism. The Postmodern.
Narration has been characterized as a communicative phenomenon or act that describes the human condition, whether imaginary or real, through a series of events that represent action. Narration can take the form of spoken or written language, but it can also use various media to express itself, such as sound, image, and live action. In this way, and in its broad sense, narration is found in oral tales, novels, theater, cinema, and other representational arts, in comics, and in various digital media, such as online games, documentaries, and applications showcasing cultural heritage. A fundamental element of any narrative is its structure, that is, the way individual stories and their relationships are organized, which can lead to linear and non-linear narratives. The aim of this course is to introduce and examine narrative theory in order to then focus on, analyze, and critically discuss the forms and function of narration, as well as its contemporary fields of application in the cultural sector. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to utilize the theoretical and methodological issues they will learn to create a non-fiction narrative script on a topic from the broader field of the Creative and Cultural Industries.
The course examines the history of moving images and the ways in which they form part of humanity's cultural heritage. In this context, in the course we will analyse the characteristics of the audiovisual stock (eg films) as evidence and we will discuss the theoretical and methodological framework for the study of film historiography, through the dialogue with the films and the spaces they are kept (Archives, Museums, Film Libraries). Finally, we will examine the trajectory of audiovisual works today and theoretical approaches to the activity of documenting, rescuing and disseminating audiovisual works, through the process of their programming and promotion by the organizations that host them and by organizations that cooperate for the same goal, such as the Film Festivals and Cinematheques.
The course focuses on the Internet and WWW technologies, emphasizing the content management systems (CMS) and the programming/development of Web applications using CMS WordPress. An initial overview of technologies related to computer networks, Internet, WWW, CMS, etc. is provided. Later, the distinction between simple tools for the development of websites and the CMS. The emphasis is given in both, presenting, and working with Bootstrap framework as well as with Wix/WordPress CMS respectively. Finally, Web applications are developed using WordPress CMS (forms, forums, blogs, databases, etc.).
Graphic Design 1 course refers to the use of design elements and principles and the decision making using the visual language of a designer. Topics include basic terminology and graphic design principles, an introduction to the fundamentals of graphic design that lead to the discovery and comprehension of the visual language. More specifically, form and composition issues are being examined and their value during the designing process, balance, structure, rhythm, and harmony. Furthermore, basic principles of color theory and its semiotics are studied as well as Typography fundamentals and typographic grid.
This course introduces students to the theory and methodology of teaching, aiming to help them understand the complexity and diversity of the teaching phenomenon while recognizing its significance in education. The course's objective is to establish a strong theoretical foundation and to develop the ability and readiness for planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating teaching practices.
Specifically, the course seeks to gradually familiarize students with student-centered teaching methods, emphasizing the promotion of the teacher's freedom and creativity for original, engaging, and effective teaching. Additionally, it aims to help students develop a personal theory of teaching.
The course also underscores the necessity of continuous pedagogical reform, a hallmark of critically thinking, responsible, and effective educators. Such teachers, aware of their teaching freedom, can lead students to reflect deeply, involving them in the process and encouraging self-directed action, creative expression, and effective learning.
The course is an introduction to qualitative research methods. It is divided into three thematic sections. The first is the contribution and use of qualitative methods in social sciences as well as their relation with theory (anthropological, sociological, and cultural). In the second, the course focuses on the research conditions, as well as on tools and means that are used in the qualitative methods. In this phase, students form working groups, choose tasks for their assignments and plan their work. In the third thematic section, the course focuses on the students' practice including presentations, discussion and commentary of their assignments in the class.
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SEMESTER 4
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This course is an introduction to multimedia and the available technologies applied for multimedia systems development. The course is divided into three sections. The first section introduces the basic multimedia concepts, relevant terminology, as well as issues related to digitization of analogue data, compression, data storage and representation of various media: hypertext, graphics, audio and video. The second section introduces the required hardware and software for the creation, processing and reproduction of multimedia data. In addition, available authoring tools for the development of multimedia data are introduced. While the third section of the course is referred to issues related to the design and development of multimedia data. The course tutorials introduce multimedia authoring tools used in the market.
The course is an introduction to the field of Educational Technology, through the discussion of the main topics concerning the classical theories of learning, namely Behaviorism, Constructivism and the Socio-cultural approach (or Social Constructivism), various Alternative Pedagogical Approaches, as well as the practice of New Learning and Communication Technologies. More specifically, it initially identifies the role and importance of Learning and Communication Technologies through a framework of criticism and reflection. It then focuses on the basic principles of classical learning theories and the ways in which these theories have influenced the education system and the design of educational software and other (digital) applications. It also discusses alternative pedagogical approaches and how they could influence the education system, through a different way of thinking and criticizing the existing dominant system. Through interactive presentations of students’ assignments in the classroom, the promotion of free, creative, critical and inductive thinking is attempted as well as the production of new ideas for a wise education.
Why do we have museums and galleries? Why societies create such institutions? What is the purpose of their existence? Do they affect, and in what ways, the way people understand the past, the present and the future? What kind of responsibility does this mean? How do museums and galleries communicate ideas and values through their collections, their exhibitions and all other activities? What is – and what should be – their public role? For whom are they established? Who do they represent and, most importantly, who they do not represent? And why? Does it matter if they do not represent everybody and they do not include all cultures and histories? Is it possible to include everybody? Are, at the end, museums "neutral spaces” that consist of “objective truths”?
This course will aim to answer to some of the above questions but also to pose a more general problematization about what exactly is a museum today, what is its role and its relationship to society, but also what exactly is museology and how is it relevant today.
The course aims to teach fundamental theoretical and methodological principles of cultural representation. This involves understanding how narratives are formed to transmit elements related to a specific historical, economic, social, and cultural context into another socio-spatial setting. We will explore classic paradigms of cultural representation, including discourse analysis, documentary film analysis, or the arrangement of culturally diverse items in modern museum collections Each of these paradigms demonstrates how narratives can be infinitely reproduced: spoken narrations can be retold by different agents in various contexts, documentaries can be updated or used as archival material for new productions, and museum collections can be re-curated or combined with additional data. In our contemporary world, dominated by multimedia and the internet, a significant portion of representational procedures now focuses on digital presentations, such as websites, web portals, or multimedia presentations. From this perspective, the course focuses on representational procedures utilizing new communication technologies, including computers and other technical systems (ICT). We will examine theoretical approaches to representation and delve into specific methods and techniques for representing cultural material digitally.
Art theories for the 21st century, Globalism and multimedia art, Art and Technology, Exhibitions: Biennale, documenta, e.t.c. , The sociopolitical background of new art forms, Participation, Activism and Agency,, Art Critique and the Academies : Towards a History of Contemporary Art, Posthumanist perspectives.
This course is an extension of the “Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) I” course and concentrates on the Python programming language. Students exploit the capabilities of Python language to implement programs and applications with the use of ready-based libraries. This language is a continuation of the same language taught in previous semesters. However, it explores in depth the capabilities of Python through its high-quality open source libraries for data science, covering every stage of data analysis. Special attention is given on the smooth transition of the “Object-Oriented Programming I” course of the 3 semester to the specific “Object-Oriented Programming II” course.
Under modern conditions of postmodernity, the emergence of the new information economy, the rapid use of digital technologies, and the ever-increasing networking in various aspects of social life bring multiple transformations and changes in the processes of cultural production and consumption. These transformations highlight the field of Digital Culture and reshape the functions of the cultural market. The new possibilities for the production and meaning-making of cultural experiences, as well as the challenges in the broader cultural dimensions of the construction, circulation, and consumption of cultural products and goods arising from the use of digital technologies, make contemporary Creative Industries a key area of study for understanding the processes of modern cultural production at local, national, and global levels. From this perspective, the course aims to: a) Understand and critically examine the theoretical approaches concerning Digital Culture and Cultural Industries under the influences of digital technologies, b) Outline the conditions and challenges of the cultural market that reshape the aspects and characteristics of modern cultural production and consumption, whose boundaries become blurred, c) Study and analyze the practices of cultural production and consumption that affect the mechanisms of forming cultural identities and differences, as well as the mechanisms of managing and organizing the leisure time of social actors, and d) Study and evaluate the implemented policies for the Creative Industries.
The proper application of the visual communication and visualization rules, in practice, for creating visual identity is an important field of research and engagement in Graphic Design.The course «Graphic Design II» is a first approach of basic graphic applications of a promotional campaign, analyzing the strategy (branding) and the role of visual corporate identity on the profile of a company or organization. The course process, with laboratory exercises and presentation of examples oriented to the creation of specific design concepts sets the basis for logo design. At the same time, the adjustment of corporate identity in print and digital applications such as cards, letterheads, brochures, websites, etc., is being reviewed.
This course introduces the theory of computer graphics and digital processing of vector images. The lectures also include the principles of computer animation and aspects related to 2D and 3D graphics.
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SEMESTER 5
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The course aims to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of data base systems. It presents the conceptual modelling techniques with emphasis on the Entity-Relationship model. Extensive reference to the relational data model and the structured query language (SQL) is made. In addition, the physical file structures and access methods used in data base systems are described. Finally, the capabilities of the data base management systems are presented in the laboratory through the use of an RDBMS.
This lesson emphasizes on bitmap image processing and analysis, to improve the quality of the image and to extract all useful information. The latest techniques of image acquisition, segmentation, binarization and compression are also discussed analytically in the lectures. The course studies the basic concepts and techniques involved in grayscale and color image processing, as well. Upon the end of the semester, the student will be able to understand the structure of a digital image and the algorithmic ways that we can use to process and extract information from it. Specifically, the concepts of resolution and histogram are extensively studied. Then, the course focuses on pixel-based and edge-based segmentation. Next, the color spaces and transformations between them are analyzed in details. Finally, special techniques for image compression are described, such as the JPEG compression scheme. The course includes laboratory lessons to learn useful techniques in image processing software for image processing algorithmic applications.
The following is an outline of the general frame of the course. The course focuses on part of this general frame per academic year. Visual Culture and Photography. Photographic theory. The sociopolitical and artistic context of photography from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, academic art and Impressionism in Europe, the new directions of visual arts and their theoretical frames. Post-Impressionism and Cezanne, the Greek example, the School of Munich and Europe. Photography and Modernism: The sociopolitical and theoretical frame, the European artistic movements (Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism, Expressionism, Constructivism). Case studies, Group 1: Alfred Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, Lewis Hine and social photography, Eugene Atget. Greek photography: Nelly’s, Spiros Meletzis, Kostas Balafas. Case studies, Group 2: New Objectivity and American Neo-realistic photography, Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Capa and the Magnum, Alexander Rodchenko Russian Avant-Garde, the photographic magazines and the dissemination of photography. Photography during the second half of the 20th and the early 21st century. Influences of contemporary cultural theories. Photography on the web and the social media, marketing and photography. Photography and issues of integration in the 21st century. The non-western photography
Sound design is a techno-cultural practice of creating sounds that carry meaningful information and evoke emotions to the users as they interact with the social, economic and technological environments of everyday life. Sound design concerns techniques of manipulating audio material by taking into consideration communicative, aesthetic, ideological and ethical issues. The course aims at developing the acoustic culture of the students and their skills of manipulating audio material in order to create meaningful and affective sonic content and environment across various technological media and cultural settings, such as films, interactive digital media, museums, sound logos, etc.
The course focuses on the basic theories and principles of interactive design with the objective of applying informed interaction design to present cultural content in an attractive way. While the course content is connected to the theoretical and methodological principles of the "Cultural Representation" course from the 4th semester, it stands alone as an independent teaching unit. Key areas of emphasis include: a) Identifying and selecting elements that prominently signify a cultural practice, an object, a collection of objects, etc., b) (Re)combining these specific elements to create an initial presentation scenario, c) Adapting this scenario into a final form. This adaptation considers specific design standards as well as feasibility issues for the development of the final interactive application which ultimately shape the dissemination of the cultural content, d) Utilizing elements of the scenario and design standards to attract a specialized audience/users of the produced application (if required and is possible).
The course focuses on the way(s) that culture affects and determines human communication. Culture is a structural element of identity and it determines -in a significant extent- the inter-group relations. Our perception about “the Other” or “the Others” is formed within specific historical, social and cultural contexts that produce and reproduce representations about "us" and "them", the "identical" and "non-identical". When related to Other / Others, stereotypes and prejudices are recorded in the majority of cases, equating the Other / Stranger with an Unwanted or an Enemy. This leads to negative discrimination practices, which result in the marginalization and alienation of (ethnic and cultural) groups that do not belong to the dominant group according to jus sanguinis (law of blood / origin). The result of this procedure is an unconnected social body, including groups that are unable to communicate, interact, benefit both sides. Exploring the relationship with the "Other", factors such as sex, gender, sexuality, or disability are also taken into account. The massive movement of people worldwide (migration) has changed the population composition in the host countries forming multicultural societies. The challenge that these societies nowadays face is to organize the relations between people in order for communication and creative interaction of cultures to exist, aiming at integrating all (locals and immigrants) in the social body. The role of education in this context is of particular importance, since school can be either a place for maintaining or a place for removing stereotypes.
Museum communication is a well-organized and carefully controlled communication relationship that develops between producers and consumers of museum exhibitions and other activities through museum collections. When museum or heritage visitors encounter museum objects and the interpretative suggestions prepared for them by heritage professionals, they develop (consciously or unconsciously) their own ideas about them and therefore construct their own understanding about the past, history, art, archaeology, nature, etc. These personal ideas affect in a way the creation of social community ideas, contribute to the creation of identities; they are often conflicting, or they recreate national or other narratives. During this course, we are going to discuss different forms of direct or indirect communication, inside and outside museum spaces, the design of learning programs, as well as methodologies and tools for their critical evaluation.
With the constant evolution of digital technology, the emergence of new communication media and the ever-expanding use of the Internet in everyday activities, the traditional organisation and function of the museum is changing. First of all, it is obvious that traditional exhibitional techniques are questioned, since alternative possibilities can be supported. Furthermore, we are urged to re-examine the museum’s social role itself: its exhibit theme and content, its fundamental theoretical principles and methodological practices, its communication policy. Contemporary museums should determine their position in the extended communication networks, the excessive dissemination of information and the construction of new cultural identities. This course explores the impact of media and technology on the museum. It will specifically discuss: The theoretical and methodological context for digital museum applications. The traditional role of the “authentic museum object” in the context of digital and virtual reality. Traditional exhibitions and digital technology. Digital technology and interactivity in museum. Digital technology and museum communication. Digital technology and museum education. Virtual museums. Specific examples of digital museum applications.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the most significant environmental problems at a global level. The anthropogenic threats against the environment have led to the perturbation of its balance several times, with, in many cases, important and equally grave repercussions to the quality of life of living organisms. Issues like the greenhouse effect, the stratospheric ozone reduction, the irrational management of natural resources, the reduction of natural ecosystems are some of those conflicting matters. Finally, for all the environmental issues that are presented within the frame of this course, special attention is given to the possible consequences they might have to the preservation of the tangible cultural heritage.
The course objective is to analyze a number of subjects, which constitute the very core of Artificial Intelligence. These subjects are summarized as follows: (1) problem resolving using searching algorithms, (2) introductory issues that concern the intelligent agents, (3) propositional and categorical logic, (4) knowledge representation and rule based systems, (5) basic structure of expert systems.
This course examines the social implications of the internet and digital technologies. It explores how online environments influence individual behaviors, social relationships, cultural norms, and societal structures. Topics include online communities, identity, digital inequality, surveillance, and the impact of social media on politics and activism.
This course examines the processes of social interaction and the forms of collaboration that are presented in educational environments, as they are delimited by modern research data in our digital age. The characteristics of collaboration and social interaction based on critical constructivism are also identified. In particular, collaborative learning is examined primarily on the basis of Kincheloe's model of critical cognitive theory, identifying its theoretical background, principles of collaboration, its effectiveness, and factors that determine it. Then, it is explored in practice through a collaborative assignment, applying specific collaborative strategies for the design and implementation of a project in small groups of 4 people, identifying the appropriate collaboration strategies that the participants in the group will adopt and implement for the implementation of the various activities that make up the project, while incorporating various types of collaborative work tools to support the project and collaboration. The practical part of the course concerns the implementation of one (1) optional assignment (project) in groups of 4 people, which is monitored every week (step by step) during the lecture. It includes a presentation of the progress of the work by each group and individualized feedback from the teacher to each group for the improvement and the more effective implementation of the assignment. The theoretical part of the course (which concerns only the final written examination) includes the study of a series of basic topics for Collaborative Learning. This theoretical part consists of the following 12 topics for the study of which the files found in the "Notes" folder of the course on the eClass platform are used.
The course investigates issues and questions concerning the theory and philosophy of the moving image. Students are introduced to central theories of cinema such as feminism, postmodernism, psychoanalytic and queer theory, studying cinematic examples from the last decades. Through lectures, screenings, and discussions, students develop critical thinking and interpretation skills while acquiring tools for evaluating and understanding moving images in cultural and historical contexts.
The course is an introduction to the basic elements of narration and of screenwriting for audio-visual projects, i.e. the design of content processing and visualization. The importance of the central idea, the structure, the existence of characters and the use of expressive means in the development of audiovisual works is analyzed. Emphasis will be placed on all forms of narrative as well as non-narrative works, as the most popular forms of such works are examined (from reportage to ads and educational videos).
This course provides a comprehensive overview of digital research methods, ensuring students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
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SEMESTER 6
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There is a growing awareness that a thriving, dynamic cultural life contributions to the establishment of sustainable and prosperous communities. In addition, the awareness of the contribution of culture to those goals has increased the complexity of planning and decision- making. Cultural planning is a response to these problems and a strategy which provides the creation of a single framework for maintaining and appreciation of the cultural resources. Cultural planning is a multi-faceted approach, can be better understood as: The strategic use of cultural resources for the comprehensive development of communities at the local and regional level. An approach based on broad definitions of "culture" and "cultural resources", which cover heritage, local traditions, arts, architecture, urban planning, sports, tourism etc. A culturally sensitive approach to urban and regional planning and environmental, social and economic policy.
The course explores the relations between 'culture' and 'technology' in digital media. What are the processes involved in the development of the technical media that are available today and how do the digital media shape the contemporary experience of communication, subjectivity and social life? The aim of the course is to elaborate on the above questions by drawing on basic schools of thought in media theory. Developing a “spiral” method of learning, students learn and deepen their knowledge of concepts and methods of media theory through lectures, essays and creative practices such as audiovisual and game design.
The aim of this course is to focus on the theory and practice of managing objects and collections in museums and other heritage organisations. During the course we will examine the formulation of a collecting policy for an institution; issues of documentation using DMS and online databases as well as manual systems; the role of research and its importance in creating and sharing knowledge about collections; collection security, transportation and storage, but also issues of accessibility. During the course, we will also discuss national legislation and international conventions that relate to the establishment and management of collections, along with the ethical dimensions of collections management and the responsibilities of professionals working in cultural heritage institutions. Special emphasis will be placed to contemporary needs and concerns, such as decolonization of museums, management of “difficult” collections, as well as contemporary collecting.
This lesson analyses Digital Culture applications with emphasis on 3D data Visualization for creating Mixed Reality environments and 3D printing files. In the first part of the course, the students with acquire the fundamental knowledge for 3D Visualization through the theory of photogrammetry and the respective software. The second part of the course deals with the latest 3D data Visualization technologies, including the use of terrestrial 3D scanners, UAV/drones and portable 3D scanners, as well as the successful data registration of multiple 3D point clouds and 3D views. In the context of the course issues related to efficient documentation and promotion of Cultural Monuments with the latest equipment, as well as the production of Digital Environments for Mixed Reality Applications. The laboratory includes: 1) the use of appropriate software for photogrammetry and cloud management of objects of cultural interest and 2) demonstration and use of the necessary equipment (3D scanners).
The following is an outline of the general frame of the course. The course focuses on part of this general frame per academic year. More specifically: The course focuses on the so-called "9th Art", i.e. comics, in all their forms (comic strips, graphic novels, online, series, etc.) in all genres (fantasy, science fiction, history, a.k.a. genres of fiction) and throughout the world, from their birth in the 19th century to the present day. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the structure (combination of image and speech) and function of this special and omnipotent art, as well as its effect on the moving image and digital media (cinema, animation, gaming) and in general on the cultural industries as a whole. Special emphasis is also placed on the cultural inclusion of the 9th art in the universe of visual arts and storytelling. The social role and ideology of comics in relation to ideologies, concerns and social movements from the 19th century to the present is also highlighted. Their relationship with audiences by generation is also examined. Greek comics will also have a special place in the course, with their particularly long history and presence from the post-colonial period until today. Greek authors are also presented, as well as publications, festivals, events and all activities related to comics in our country.
This course presents known e-learning systems as well as existing standard or ad-hoc course production patterns. The course examines the content, aims and modern trends of distance education as well as the forms and processes which are necessary for its realization. It also includes the analysis, design and production of distance learning courses, including their multimedia constituents, taking into account existing instructional design specifications and standards. The practical part of the course concerns the implementation of one (1) optional assignment (project) in groups of 2-3 people, which is monitored every week (step by step) during the lecture. It includes a presentation of the progress of the work by each group and individualized feedback from the teacher to each group for the improvement and the more effective implementation of the project. The theoretical part of the course (which concerns only the final written examination) includes the study of a series of basic topics for Distance Education. This theoretical part consists of the following 12 topics for the study of which the files found in the "Notes" folder of the course on the eClass platform are used.
The course introduces students to the theoretical approaches, the methodologies and tools necessary for the development of software systems. It includes the following sections: software development models, software requirements, system design, techniques and tools for the software development, software quality, project management.
Protecting users’ privacy in modern Information Systems is of vital importance especially during design and implementation stages. The rapid development of personalized web-based services used from a continuously increasing number of online users have led the service owners to collect, store and process users’ private data in order to increase service innovation offered to them. In parallel, the degree of the newly presented threats that aim on reveling users’ identity as well as on gaining unauthorized access on their personal data is increasing dramatically. The aim of this course is the reveal and presentation of the basic privacy issues that concern analysts and developers when realizing an Information System.
The course focuses on the Internet and WWW technologies, emphasizing the programming/development of Web applications. An initial overview of technologies related to computer networks, the Internet, WWW, browsers, Web servers, etc. is provided. Later on, the distinction between client-side and server-side programming is presented. The emphasis is given to both technologies (sides). In addition, different technologies for the description of data that are used in Web environments/systems are presented (XML, JSON, JSON-LD), and applications for the access of those data (using JavaScript, AJAX) are developed.
The course aims at introducing students to the field of 3D graphics as well as familiarizing them with the basic principles of designing and creating applications. Emphasis is given on their use in the wider field of culture and the promotion of cultural asset. In this perspective, it focuses both on a theoretical exploration of the field as well as on the production of 3D graphics, especially for real-time applications
Basic concepts of machine learning. Supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning. Basic structure kai function of the artificial neuron. Basic structures and training of feedforward neural networks. The back-propagation training algorithm. Basic structure and training if fuzzy systems. Evolutionary computation algorithms such as swarm intelligence algorithms.
This course explores the contribution of memory to the construction of personal and collective identity as it is through the uses of ‘social’ or ‘collective memory’ in everyday life that people shape their perceptions of themselves, others, and the objectives for which they are fighting. The course also examines the main theoretical approaches that illuminate the ways in which individual and collective memory are interwoven and lead not to recall, but to reconstruct the past from the present point of view: the reconstruction of the past always happens ‘here and now’ and within the social framework of collective memory of social groups to which people feel they belong. In addition, the course introduces students to research and theoretical approaches which examine issues associated with the relation among oral urban memory, space and otherness, as well as with the power relations emerging during the creation and interpretation of oral narratives, mainly when these narratives aim at the public recognition of those aspects of collective identity and experience that have been ignored or suppressed. The course is divided into thirteen lectures. The weekly schedule of the course topics is presented in detail during the first lecture and remain available in the e-class of the course afterwards.
Introduction to the basic concepts of middle-tier programming languages, especially PHP, basic functions of web servers, and interaction between the front-end and the back-end of an online system (AJAX).
This is the advanced approach to audiovisual editing based on the course EDITING AUDIOVISUAL MATERIAL. On one hand, it accomplishes the knowledge about audiovisual data at the level of a professional user, on the other it goes further on the special techniques of postproduction such as color correction sound mixing and visual effects with compositing. A full training on software for image compositing such as Black Magic Davinci Fusion is offered.
Within the framework of this course, issues concerning the teaching of Computer Science and Media Pedagogy in both primary and secondary education (teaching objectives, content selection, teaching strategies, learning and evaluation processes) and laboratory teaching (Computer Science lab exercises) are studied. In particular, this course addresses the following topics: (a) Trending orientations in Computer Science Didactics and Media Pedagogy, (b) Digital literacy or Media literacy, (c) Students' practical-experiential knowledge of digital technology concepts, (d) Teaching approaches in Computer Science and Media Pedagogy, (e) Modern approaches to digital technologies and the use of software, and (f) Development of digital educational material. Additionally, students engage in a practicum in schools that includes three phases: observation of teaching, creation of teaching scenarios, and classroom teaching. Presentations are mandatory in all three phases of the practicum and include: presentation of teaching observation sheets, presentation of scenarios and peer feedback, and presentation of the documentation of the teaching implementation and reflection on the scenario application in the classroom. For better course organization, groups of two (2) students are formed, and each group collaborates with the classroom teacher and the supervising professor. The goal is to utilize alternative pedagogical approaches for the design and implementation of a different holistic teaching proposal based on qualities such as creativity, dialectics, imagination, emotion, inspiration, intuition, respect for diversity, reflection, spirituality, and wisdom, among others.
Within the framework of the Internship Program, employment bodies offer positions related to the cognitive and technological skills promoted by the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication. The employment scope may include participation in: the design and development of interactive and web applications. The design and development of information systems and software related to collection management. The processing and composition of digital data for the creation of videos, animations, and moving images. The design and editing of graphics and animations for interactive multimedia applications. The production of digital audiovisual products. The production of communication materials. The organization of exhibitions, educational programs, and other cultural and communication activities of cultural organizations. The cataloguing and curation of archival material using computers and the creation of databases. The implementation of research programs related to the academic field of the Department. Additionally, but not exclusively, trainees may participate in administrative-economic activities of the employment body. For each student, the employment body will provide a workplace (i.e., office, computer, necessary software, or other essential equipment) so that the trainee can meet the obligations of the assigned employment scope.
The course focuses on theoretical and technical issues of directing, starting from the stage of pre-production and the transformation of the script idea into an audiovisual vision (decoupage, storyboard, etc.), reaching the stage of filming and the composition/assembly of the shots in the stage of post-production and editing, to create short audiovisual works based on the rules of narrative continuity. For this purpose, special emphasis is placed on the operation of expressive cinematographic tools, such as the shooting angle, camera movement, color/lighting, mise en scène, etc., and how these can serve and highlight the narrative idea. The theoretical issues of the course are examined through the presentation and analysis of illustrative examples. At the same time, this knowledge is applied in exercises and group projects with the aim of creating short audiovisual works.
Within the framework of the Internship Program, employment bodies offer positions related to the cognitive and technological skills promoted by the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication. The employment scope may include participation in: the design and development of interactive and web applications. The design and development of information systems and software related to collection management. The processing and composition of digital data for the creation of videos, animations, and moving images. The design and editing of graphics and animations for interactive multimedia applications. The production of digital audiovisual products. The production of communication materials. The organization of exhibitions, educational programs, and other cultural and communication activities of cultural organizations. The cataloguing and curation of archival material using computers and the creation of databases. The implementation of research programs related to the academic field of the Department. Additionally, but not exclusively, trainees may participate in administrative-economic activities of the employment body. For each student, the employment body will provide a workplace (i.e., office, computer, necessary software, or other essential equipment) so that the trainee can meet the obligations of the assigned employment scope.
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SEMESTER 7
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The course focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT). Specifically, the syllabus of the course concerns the following topics and correspondent lectures: Introduction in cyber-physical systems and IoT: Definitions, basic features, architectures in IoT, IoT and AI, the future of ΙοΤ, 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), the Semantic Web of Things, IoT and communication: Protocols and architectures of wireless and mobile communications, wireless sensor networks, protocols ΙΕΕΕ 802.15.4 and ZigBee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Machine-to-Machine communication, 6LoWPAN and RPL protocols, IoT and software: OS for resources-constrained devices (TinyOS), application-level protocols for IoT (CoAP), Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Representational State Transfer (RESTFUL Services), Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP), Websockets, IoT and hardware: Smart devices, sensors, actuators, Arduino and RaspberryPi platforms, smart devices development and programming – Ι, smart devices development and programming – ΙI, IoT and Big Data, cloud computing and data centers: Crowdsourcing, interoperability, collection and smart storage/processing/analysis of data (data analytics), IoT and Mobile and Pervasive Computing Systems: Architectures and design issues, applications, localization, IoT and Use Cases/Applications: Smart Cultural Spaces, Smart Buildings, Smart Museums, Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart Transportation, etc., interoperability in IoT, privacy and security in IoT.
This course covers as wide range of 3D Graphics and Virtual Reality production and research aspects. In detail, the course introduces students to the basics of Virtual and Mixed Reality, along with Real-Time Rendering. Finally, students use 3D Graphics and Visual Scripting to develop Virtual Reality interactive applications and games.
In this course the following issues are presented: Introduction to the basic terms and concepts of virtual reality, computing-communication-digitality, computing machines and intelligence, digitality and ethics, cyberpunk and virtuality cyberfeminism, platform capitalism, surveillance capitalism and societies of control, archaeology of media, Internet politics, the challenges of networked society.
The course consists of the following sections: Introduction to advanced and natural interfaces and Intelligent Interaction systems and technologies. User experience and interaction design. Affective Computing. Intelligent Interaction. Virtual and Mixed Reality Interaction. Haptic and multi-touch interfaces and technologies (e.g. multi-touch interactive tables). Projection mapping systems. Gamified interaction. Brain-computer interfaces. Personalization and adaptive interaction. Recommender systems and persuasive technologies. Ubiquitous and mobile interaction. Interaction with context awareness.
This course is an extension of the “Database Systems” course and concentrates on the design and implementation of the Database Management System (DBMS). It is also concentrates on the advanced issues of SQL language. The basic course aim is the students’ preparation and enriching knowledge on designing and implementing applications using open source PostgreSQL language. Special attention is given on the smooth transition of the “Database Systems” course of the 5th semester to the specific “Contemporary Issues of Databases” course.
Content Management Systems (CMS) are web-based applications that allow the content of a website to be modified online. CMS allows content to be modified without the need for specialized knowledge about creating web pages or graphics. Website changes can be made from any PC connected to the Internet, without having to install special programs for editing web pages, graphics, etc. Through a simple browser, the user can update his site directly simply by inputting text. The course focuses on understanding the features of modern, popular CMS, with an emphasis on open source platforms. Additionally, the use of such CMSs to create websites with basic functional specifications, to change the look and feel of websites that are built using CMS, and to integrate new components to enhance website functionality.
The course explores the key role of the senses in the way humans and the technical media communicate. Emphasis is placed on: a) the practices through which digital information is presented in formats which are compatible with the human senses (images, sounds, vibrations, etc.), b) the discourse of information input devices as simulations or metaphors of the human sensory organs (camera-eye, microphone-ear, cursor-hand, and other sensors), c) the coevolution of the technical media with the experience of space and time. The contribution of the senses in the production and use of media technologies is presented and analyzed in relation to various historical periods, epistemological traditions, cultural and economic processes. Students design, develop and present collaboratively a locative mediawork addressing issues of multimodal content creation, kinesthetic narrative and geolocated technologies.
Introduction to 1st and 2nd order Cybernetics, Philosophical views on the concept of “social human”, The theory of autopoiesis in Biology and Sociology, The function of communication and the meaning of the meaning, from a systems-theoretical perspective.
The aim of this course is to explore the impact of environmental conditions in areas where museum collections are stored or exhibited. Air pollution, humidity, temperature, (improper) lighting and noise pollution are environmental parameters which can cause deterioration on various collections which are valuable and should be preserved for future generations.
Cultural policy affects both government and private support for the arts and cultural heritage in every country. It relates to a wide range of practices and data, such as national and European legislation; the ideology around culture and cultural heritage; cultural diplomacy; funding and sponsorship of cultural heritage; cultural tourism. This course aims to focus on the importance of cultural policy and how it affects cultural production and consumption as well as participation to culture in Greece and Europe. Cultural policy and planning involves a wide variety of institutions and areas, tangible as well as intangible heritage: from language and food, to fashion and social action. In this course, we will focus on museums, although references to other categories of cultural institutions will be made regularly.
The practical part of the course concerns only the two optional assignments and includes the exploration of alternative pedagogical approaches through the didactic use of digital tools in order to highlight Critical Pedagogy and a new education policy concerning another educational framework and pedagogical approaches. The theoretical part of the course (which concerns only the final written examination) includes the study of a series of basic digital tools used in learning and teaching practice according to modern theories for the knowledge and learning and the development of critical thinking. This theoretical part consists of the following 12 topics for the study of which the files found in the "Notes" folder of the course on the eClass platform are used.
The course focuses on the Semantic Web technologies and the Internet of Things. Initially, an introduction in the Semantic Web, its vision and basic principles is provided. Later, the main technologies for structuring documents, for data and knowledge representation are presented (XML, RDF, RDFS, OWL). Emphasis is given in the engineering of Ontologies, in well-known ontologies and in their application in the Semantic Web. In addition, the following topics will be discussed: a) Ontology-based accessing, integration and retrieval of (large volumes) heterogeneous data and knowledge (SPARQL, OBDA), b) Linking (Big) Data.
The contemporary reality of various groups’ presence in western societies claiming recognition of social and political rights has raised issues of identities as crucial arguments in the discourses about multiculturalism. This course attempts to review the key points of the debate about multiculturalism. Moreover, it presents the recent debate about identity in the social sciences and highlights and analyzes, among others: a) the relation of similarity and difference always required for identity construction b) the interactive relationship between personal and collective identity, c) the role of classifications, of internal self-identification as well as of external categorization process which are developed mutually in the context of the current and often unequal distribution of power in a given political and historical context. This constantly changing identification process entails practices, strategies and discourses, which strengthen or question the sense of belonging to a particular cultural identity. The contemporary presence of migrant groups in western societies has become more intense in the second half of the 20th century as it is connected with the ongoing process of globalization. The course presents the main theoretical and methodological approaches concerning the study of post-war migration to western Europe and the USA. It also provides an introduction to recent research and theoretical approaches which, focusing on migration to Greece of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, explore the construction of migrant identities from a gender perspective, which further reveals social hierarchies and power relations embedded in everyday interaction between people, groups and institutions. Ethnographic examples are used throughout the course to illustrate the theoretical points presented. The course is divided into thirteen lectures. The weekly schedule of the course topics is presented in detail during the first lecture and remain available in the e-class of the course afterwards.
The course approaches the theoretical and methodological frame of exhibition narrative building. It begins with the basic principles of narratological theory, as it can be, particularly, adopted in exhibition design. Furthermore, all available exhibition tools will be analysed, with the use of various real examples. Finally, students working on specific exercises will reflect on each tool’s potential and limitations.
This course is designed as an introduction to the world of non-fiction film, as well as a production course in which students will develop non-fiction film projects from pre-production to post-production. It will offer a critical look at the historical development of non-fiction film forms, mostly documentary and ethnographic films as well as experimental films from early films to contemporary examples. It will cover documentary theories and criticism, ethical issues, issues around the problematic of representation, developing ideas, research methods, writing proposals, funding opportunities, and distribution channels.
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Semester 8
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The concepts of the social systems, functional systems, organizations and societies. Analysis of the modern society from a systems-theoretical perspective. The problem of the governance of modern societies, and contemporary theoretical approaches. The practical applications of contemporary systems theory, different views, radical constructivism.
The objective of this course is the introduction to the basic issues related to the design and development of Information Systems (IS) and their use in business organisations. It is organized in the following sections: IS categories, organisation and IS, social and moral issues (systems quality, systems privacy, intellectual property rights), technology infrastructure (hardware, databases, communication networks), IS development issues (methodologies and tools).
In this course the following issues are presented: Terminology of related terms from the field of Information Systems Security, Identification and Authentication, Access Control, Information System Risk Assessment and Management, Operating Systems Security, Malicious Software, Information Systems Security Policies, Cryptography: Typical cryptographic methods, Symmetric and Asymmetric Cryptosystems, Codes of message authentication, Digital Signatures, Certification Authorities, Public Key Infrastructure, Greek Law Framework, Case Studies in Cultural Informatics Environments.
The course deals with technologies and methods of annotating and representing knowledge with emphasis on information related to the wider cultural industry. Introductory concepts of knowledge, data, information and logic are presented while describing the conceptual and technological stack of the Semantic Web. Knowledge organization and support approaches with emphasis on metadata taxonomy as well as related issues and challenges such as heterogeneity and interoperability, scaling, etc. are discussed and indicative approaches are presented. Popular cultural metadata standards (DC, CIDOC-CRM, EDM ESE, LIDO, MARC) and related technologies (XML, XSL, DTD, XSLT, RDF, OWL) are included in the curriculum. The theoretical part of the course is accompanied by practical exercises in the computer lab using software packages of imprinting, processing and interconnecting knowledge and information that help to better assimilate the learned material.
Digital games today represent a widespread social practice and an ever-growing phenomenon that deserves special attention as an object of interdisciplinary studies. Additionally, digital games are part of the growing sector of the creative and cultural industries, competing equally with established fields such as film and music. But what exactly are digital games? What is their role in today's societies and culture? What are the basic categories of games and the main differences in gameplay? What are the basic principles of game design? What are serious games? How can they be used to develop experiences within the framework of interpretation and connection with the past? The course "Theory and Design of Digital Games" provides an introductory examination of the broader context of the theory and creation of digital games, focusing on critically analyzing and discussing the evolution of this phenomenon and its influence on societies and individuals as a cultural product. Τhe course aims to: (a) Approach the emerging field of Game Studies from an interdisciplinary perspective, (b) Encourage student participation based on their interests, expertise, and experience with games, (c) Study the structure, function, and impact of serious games on culture and society, with particular emphasis on the design of games with social and cultural content.
The course aims to introduce students to different kinds of audiovisual industries from their perspective as a business, presenting their special characteristics and how their particularities determine their production process. Consisting of a theoretical and applied part, the course wants to get to know the various stages of development of these industries and the audiovisual project they produce, the analysis of representative examples, indicative of the Greek industry, and ultimately the production of original audiovisual materials.
The course focuses on the evolution of moving image technologies and the innovative artistic practices underlying experimental audiovisual expression. Students are introduced to experimental film and video and their evolutionary, conceptual, and historical differences and relationships in the arts. In this context, they delve into projects and techniques that challenge traditional narrative and aesthetic forms, such as video art, multimedia installations, and interactive works. Emphasis is placed on the presentation, analysis, and critical approach of examples of experimental art with moving images, with the final aim of creating original audio-visual applications or works with experimental methods by the students themselves.
The course approaches the successive stages of exhibition design and implementation: from the initial determination of its purpose and aims, institutional and organization issues up to its implementation and evaluation. Oriented to the design and implementation of a real exhibition, as case study, and with reference to other existing or imaginary examples, thoroughly touches upon topics related to museological theory when it is tested in practice.
Basic concepts of data bases and knowledge discovery in large data sets. Data pre-processing, classification algorithms, and clustering algorithms. Techniques for establishing relationships for various types of data sets. Tools for knowledge discovery. Knowledge discovery in Web-based content by applying data mining methods. The course aims to teach the planning, implementation and evaluation of cultural projects. The course will provide the opportunity for students who wish to work in the management of a cultural project, learn basic concepts for project management, know methods and tools necessary for the implementation and evaluation of projects, claim to fund for their work, gain knowledge and develop skills in organizing and managing cultural projects, be informed by the institutional framework for the implementation of cultural activities and to evaluate the final products or services that through.
The course discusses the topic of online social networking, the construction of digital – individual and collective – identity and the penetration and utilization of social media in several environments (e.g. in education, culture, politics). Initially, an introduction to social networking, the types and evolution of social media is attempted, as well as a brief presentation of well-known social media. Issues such as the construction of the digital self and digital identity through the choice of disclosure or the intentional concealment of information, issues regarding privacy and its protection, social control, reputation, recognition, social capital benefits are included, among others, in the first part of the course. The second part attempts an approach to issues related to the emergence of new behaviors, such as cyber-bullying or cyber-sex, while also examining the use of social media in education, politics, social movements and the impact of social media in shaping public opinion.
The course approaches digital exhibitions, starting from basic concepts such as virtuality and digitality. Then, all the issues faced when we are planning or/and evaluate a physical exhibition will be discussed, taking into considerations the minor or major changes that the digital frame induces. Thus, it touches upon digital narrative, the exhibition management of digital objects, the use of digital narrative toolkit, the audience and community building in digital environment, etc. The course deals theoretically with the concept of social space both in its real and virtual dimensions. It also analyses the concept of topos as it is formed in the context of cultural theory. Yet it focuses on spatial dimensions of culture as they are formed through social and historical processes. Examples of spatial palimpsests where historical, social and cultural data is embodied are presented. Finally the course emphases on methods of cultural documentation (archival and bibliographic research, oral testimonies) and the use of technological tools (Geographical Information Systems) for the organisation of spatial data bases. The course is divided into thirteen thematic lectures. Part of the teaching material is posted on the course’s digital platform. During the lectures students’ participation is encouraged for the better understanding of the theoretical concepts and the technological applications. In addition, students undertake team assignments on cultural documentation (collecting and organizing data, thematic mapping). The course includes advanced issues of processing and analysis of digital images with the main purpose of extracting information about their content. The theoretical part of the course is accompanied by practical training in the computer laboratory using image processing software packages (Octave) and image sequencing using artificial intelligence. The memorable experiences we gain from contemporary interactive media, such as mobile applications and extended reality, as well as digital games, share a common characteristic: a captivating story or an engaging central message that is thought-provoking and sometimes calls for action. The interdisciplinary field that systematically deals with the creation of digital narratives, a process which the user as a participant can (co-)shape, is called Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN). The history of IDN begins with the first attempts at interactive cinema and the early "text adventures" and culminates in contemporary experimental forms of participatory storytelling and narrative games. The aim of this course is to introduce the broader framework of IDN and critically discuss the current and interdisciplinary issues that concern creators and researchers in this field, such as complexity, participation, creative ownership, flow, identification, and more. It will then focus on the practical aspects of the field through the study and discussion of contemporary examples from the broader area of the Creative and Cultural Industries. Alongside the lectures, students will have the opportunity to create their own interactive stories and/or narrative games using open-source tools such as Twine and Bitsy. In this course the following issues are presented: Introduction to the basic terms and concepts of the digital humanities’ field, review of the diachronic changes and transformations of digital media (Archaeology of Media), Documentation- Visualisation- Recording/Storage, Interaction- Ubiquity- Connectivities, Algorithms και AI, Ecologies of the 21st century (spatiotemporal restructuring, the redefinition of subjects, the reframing of “sociality”), Memory and digitality, Case studies (History, Archaeology, Museology, Anthropologies of the “digital”, Digital Media and Cultural Heritage Management). This course examines how Social Informatics Systems can be defined as the field focusing on the research and study of socio-technical interactions at various levels of action within the Information and Knowledge Society. This field synthesizes, develops, and further specializes theoretical and methodological approaches and research tools from the domains of social sciences and informatics, as well as related scientific areas such as Communication and Socio-Technical Systems, broadening the scientific discourse on the phenomena under study. The ultimate aim of the field is to construct solid theoretical and methodological frameworks between the social and technological perspectives adopted, in line with the evolution of modern societies and informational/communication infrastructures. This is to provide the necessary knowledge and tools to the academic community, society, and the market, enabling them to adapt to the contemporary, ever-changing physical and digital environment. Cultural representation is a basic concept in cultural studies. For Stuart Hall, culture is a system of representation within which meanings are constantly reproduced, exchanged, transformed, subverted and instituted. This course examines a) the poetics and politics of representation, b) contemporary theories which criticize representation’s conceptual foundation, c) ways of applying the notion of representation in order to create meaningful content in digital media. The above issues are discussed each year around a specific field of cultural production, such as body, gender, AI, technology, tourism, city, movement, and other topics. |
Regarding the internship of summer 2021, due to the special situation of Covid-19 pandemic, the Internship will be implemented by distance in collaboration with the organisations that are still open and haven’t suspended their operation.
For the undergraduate students registered after 2019-20, the curriculum includes the following course interdependencies among courses in the form of prerequisites. More specifically, in order for students to register in a lesson in column C they should have successfully completed the corresponding lesson in column B.
A/A (Α) | Course (Β) | Prerequisite Course (C) |
1 | Introduction to Programming | Object-Oriented Programming I |
2 | Data Bases | Contemporary Data Bases Issues |
3 | Object-Oriented Programming I | Object-Oriented Programming IΙ |
4 | Internet technologies | Design and Development of Websites and Web Applications |
5 | 3D Computer Graphics | Virtual Reality |
6 | Multimedia Applications Programming I | Multimedia Applications Programming ΙΙ |
7 | Communication media and Society | Intercultural Communication Issues |
8 | Introduction to audiovisual arts | Editing and direction of audiovisual data |
9 | Visual Culture and Digital Communication Ι | Visual Culture and Digital Communication ΙΙ |
10 | Art History | New media art |
11 | Graphic Design I | Graphic Design II |
12 | Exhibition Design Ι | Exhibition Design ΙΙ |
13 | Human Computer Interaction Ι | Human Computer Interaction ΙΙ |
14 | Theory of culture II | Themes in Cultural Theory and Digital Culture |
15 | Technology of Audiovisual Editing Ι | Technology of Audiovisual Editing ΙΙ |
In order for students to successfully complete the following courses compulsory attendance at the laboratory sessions is required, except for the assessment criteria defined by the faculty members at the beginning of the semester.
It is noted that the courses: Pedagogical Psychology - GEO 450 (5 ECTS) (Geography Department), Sociology of Education - 467 - (6 ECTS) (Sociology Department) and General Teaching - GEO 350 - (5 ECTS) (Geography Department) fall into the interdepartmental (interdisciplinary) courses category of the Faculty {Optional courses with no limit}.