Class Media, Digital Platforms and Participation

The media and digital platforms are the result of two historically separate trajectories: computing and media technologies. At the end of the 20th century the emergence of the first Internet browser led to exponential growth in knowledge, commerce and social media platforms. These platforms and their interfaces are obscure to most citizens, with significant impacts on their personal, professional and public lives. Information systems, computers, communication networks and mobile phones bring together the conventions of all other media: text, images (static and moving), audio, visualisation of spaces and information, and archiving. Digital media also have a set of characteristics that distinguish them from other media because they are written in binary language. More recently, content can be created autonomously, which introduces new existential challenges that must be considered and analysed in this degree programme.

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The architecture of platforms and their expansion strategy: datafication, i.e., the systematic capture of user data; commodification, i.e., the transformation of online and offline activity into a commodity; the selection of user data and activities. The user/citizen as a product. Platforms as ecosystems. The governance of digital platforms and the compatibility between their private interests and the maintenance of public values: privacy, accuracy, security, and protection. The social effects of platforms, such as justice, accessibility, democratic control, and accountability. The role of interfaces as mediators of the citizen experience. Interaction and participation. The potential of games and cultural heritage in creating a European culture. Individual accountability and civic participation through the development of playful media experiences based on interactive storytelling tools.    

A learning paradigm based on constructivism and constructionism, meaning an educational approach that emphasizes active, hands-on, and meaningful learning, where learners build their own understanding and knowledge through experiences. Learners create artifacts as a way to express their understanding and knowledge.

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