Games, Play, and Selfhood: Immersive Media and Extended Realities

CMAC 660S

Interdisciplinary study of history, theory, criticism, practice of digital places, spaces, things, identities. Expanded idea of the metaverse: maps, apps, virtual reality, augmented reality, games. Deep geographies; sociocultural, aesthetic, & expressive effects. Hybrid realities, digital divides, authorship, authority, biases, constraints. Links to old & analog media, social media, archives, psychogeography, digital cities, utopias/dystopias, digital humanities debates. Theories of space, place, memory. Museums, cultural heritage, art, journalism, and popular media. Hands-on authoring. Weekly blogs, critical research paper, digital final projects. No specific technical experience required.

Interdisciplinary study of history, theory, criticism, practice of immersive and interactive media, with emphasis on virtual worlds, games, and extended reality. Critical examination of the metaverse and playable, interactive environments as analog, historic, and contemporary phenomena. Online selfhood, avatar identities, and digital cultures. Ludology versus narratology, hyperreality, agency, aesthetics. Theories of space, place, memory, gamification, participatory media. Applications in museums, cultural heritage, art, journalism, theater, and popular media. Hands-on testing and authoring. Weekly blogs, critical research paper, final projects. No specific technical experience required.
Curriculum Codes
  • STS
  • ALP
  • SS
Cross-Listed As
  • ISS 660S
  • VMS 660S
Typically Offered
Occasionally