General provisions

The course is a free standing course and elective course in the Bachelor's programmes Game Design and Graphics, Game Design and Programming, Game Design and Project Management and Game Design

Entry requirements

30 credits in game design

Learning outcomes

The overall aim of the course is to develop knowledge and skills related to character design in digital games, with special focus on how gender and ethnicity are represented.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of character design and production of graphics for digital games
• Identify and critically discuss theories of cultural representations
• Describe and critically discuss cultural conventions in terms of how people and groups are represented in games
• Identify and critically discuss dimensions of power, particularly gender and ethnicity
• Demonstrate ability to discuss and justify ethical choices and aesthetic results, in writing as well as orally, and to describe the underlying theoretical knowledge and argumentation
• Demonstrate in problem identification solving within specific time frames.

Content

The course has an interdisciplinary foundation based on game design and gender studies. The course covers different perspectives on cultural representations and dimensions of power, such as gender and ethnicity, and focuses particularly on different ways to present these in games and through game mechanics. The course consists of theoretical and practice based components. The students apply their theoretical knowledge in practice based creative assignments that are carried out in groups and individually, allowing them to reflect on their own work processes and results. The students are encouraged to use examples from their own local environment in the creative assignments. Guest lecturers in the course contribute with perspectives from their respective areas.

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures, mandatory seminars, workshops and group work. In addition, students are expected to work on assignments, individually or in groups.

Assessment

Examination is based on active participation in seminars with oral presentations, written assignments and a final written minor essay that describes the connection between theory, method and artistic results. The grading scale on the course consists of the expressions Pass with Distinction, Pass or Fail. Achieving a Pass grade on the course, requires a Pass grade on each of the assessed elements in the course: Seminar participation, written assignments and the final written minor essay. To achieve a Pass with Distinction, a deeper understanding of the underpinning theory is additionally required, as demonstrated by applying said theory in the final written minor essay.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Plagiarism and cheating

Uppsala University takes cheating and plagiarism seriously and disciplinary measures are taken against students who are suspected of being involved in any form of cheating and/or plagiarism. The disciplinary measures are formal warnings and suspension during a specified time.

Note: The course needs to be fully completed in order to be included in a degree.