The course will consist of 14 lectures in which new technologies and forms of interaction are introduced and discussed, followed by intensive exercise sessions during which students will develop and then present interaction and game concepts based on the technology in question. Finally, an academic perspective on the technology will be discussed, such as social and cultural implications, issues of usability, or the psychology of interaction. There will be three projects during the course in which students will more fully prepare one of their existing designs (or create a new one) and hand in a prototype and reflection on the interaction generated by it.
There will be two mandatory assignments that are to be passed in order to be able to attend the final exam. The mandatory assignments must be handed in to the course manager by the dates specified. The assignments to be handed in will be as follows: 1/ Three diverse experimental interaction designs for games or game mechanics developed to a point where prototyping could confidently begin along with some discussion of the predicted or "mentally simulated" experience that would be involved in the designs. Due: 29-09-2010 (i.e. 4 weeks from start of course) 2/ A paper or other non-functional prototype of one of the three previously handed-in designs or of a new design (though it can be functional if the student wishes to make it so). The prototype will be accompanied by some explanation of the design and how it will function when made interactive. Due: 03-11-2010 (i.e. 9 weeks from start of course) At the end of the term, the (possibly reworked) assignments are to be handed in at the Examinations Office and will form part of the final evaluation. The final hand-in of written and production work is to be a functional prototype of one of the previously handed in designs or of a new design. The prototype must be playable to the point that the experimental mechanics and other aspects can be experienced by a player. The prototype will be accompanied by an explanation of the design process and the experimental philosophy behind the experimental design concepts. Due: 15-12-2010 (no later than 3pm). Finally, an oral examination will be conducted to further establish the student's understanding and synthesis of the material presented in the course as well as their own design and prototyping work. The oral examination will focus on the student's interpretation of their own experimental interaction work in the context of the literature and discussion encountered in the course and user experience evaluation of the designs created.