Course Title: Game Cultures

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Game Cultures

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
OART1048	City Campus	Undergraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 1 2016, Sem 2 2016, Sem 1 2017
OART1048	City Campus	Undergraduate	370H Design	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2023, Sem 1 2024
OART1079	RMIT University Vietnam	Undergraduate	370H Design	Face-to-Face	Viet2 2024, Viet3 2024

Course Coordinator: Emma Witkowski

Course Coordinator Phone: Please email

Course Coordinator Email: emma.witkowski@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Please email

Course Coordinator Availability: Please email

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

In this course, you will explore how different cultures have developed histories of play and how videogame communities organise and communicate among themselves. Your exploration will develop both theoretical and practical research skills through the analysis of play, players and games. You will examine research into the dynamics of play, the nature of game communities and associated digital cultures.

Emphasis will be placed on building research skills such as play observation, basic ethnographic and sociological methods.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes: 

• Apply a body of conceptual and practical knowledge to address forms of media and communication outside your discipline.
• Critically analyse how games and play have specific local and global contexts.
• Communicate using diverse formats and strategies to audiences within and external to game art and design.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Critically analyse how culture influences histories of play.
• Discuss how videogame communities develop and operate.
• Analyse and explain the dynamics of play, digital cultures and videogame communities.
• Identify and apply appropriate research concepts and methods to analyse play, players and games.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in learning that involves a range of activities such as studios, project work, lectures, tutorials, class discussion, individual and group activities.

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources that are relevant to the focus of your own learning.

There are services available to support your learning, including the University Library and Study Support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include essays, reports, reflective papers, creative projects and presentations, individually and in groups. Assessment will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of your learning.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

Assessment One: 30%

Critical research practice (CLO: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Assessment Two: 20%

Mid-semester research presentation (CLO: 1, 3, 4)

Assessment Three: 50%

Project submission  (CLO: 1, 3, 4)