93553 - Organization and Management of Multimedia Systems (Lm)

Learning outcomes

The course provides the competences to critically analyze technologies, languages and multimedia contents both from an industrial and a cultural point of view. Particular attention will be given to the study of the integration of different media languages within telecommunication and entertainment systems, taking into consideration economic-institutional contexts and their relationships with new consumer cultures. At the end of the course, the student:
-masters the methodologies of multimedia systems analysis;
-has a thorough knowledge of the languages of telecommunications and digital entertainment;
-is able to critically analyze the advantages and the issues in the integration of different media systems, as well as their relationship with consumer cultures;
-is able to apply the acquired knowledge to the design, organization, and management of multimedia systems;
-is able to evaluate the effectiveness of multimedia systems for telecommunications and entertainment.

Course contents

The course introduces the concept of multimedia systems as digital architectures. It provides the tools to critically analyze their contexts of operation, industrial assets, business models, strategic directions, user experiences, promotional rhetorics, and socio-cultural externalities.

In particular, the course centers on digital platforms and cultural industries, with a focus on new forms of entertainment as streaming, podcasting, social media entertainment.

The following issues will be addressed:

- Redefinition of business models in the digital environment and the "platform society";
- Markets, infrastructures and governance of platforms;
- Computerization of culture;
- System-thinking, network effects, digital ecosystems;
- Logics of algorithms and recommendation systems, data-driven decision cultures;
- Branding and curation strategies;

The course  proposes models of systemic analysis of some emblematic cases, in order to better understand their technological, institutional and industrial mechanisms, as well as their socio-cultural implications.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

• M. D. Smith, R. Telang, Streaming, Sharing, Stealing. I big data e il futuro dell’intrattenimento, Minimum Fax, Roma 2019
• Course slides and notes
• Anthology of selected texts, prepared by the teacher and available on Virtuale from the beginning of the course.
  

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

• M. D. Smith, R. Telang, Streaming, Sharing, Stealing. I big data e il futuro dell’intrattenimento, Minimum Fax, Roma 2019
  
• José Van Dijck, Thomas Poell, Martijn de Waal (eds.), Platform Society. Valori pubblici e società connessa (Italian edition by Giovanni Boccia Artieri and Alberto Marinelli), Guerini Scientifica, Milano 2019
• Marco Delmastro, Antonio Nicita, Big Data. Come stanno cambiando il nostro mondo, Il Mulino, Bologna 2019.

Teaching methods

Lectures with slides, audio-visual materials, web resources, shared materials with students.

Lectures will not be recorded. 

Assessment methods

ATTENDING STUDENTS: FINAL PAPER

The examination for attending students consists of a written essay on a topic of the student's choosing. The topic must be on theme with the course's contents.

The indications for the choice of the subject of the the paper, for the writing and deadline, as well as the evaluation criteria, will be explained at the beginning of the course and then uploaded to Virtuale.


NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: WRITTEN TEST
Written test based in the three textbooks in the program, aimed at verifying the adequate study of the bibliography of examination.

The test will take place on EOL, in a classroom equipped with PCs. It will be composed of three open questions.

ATTENTION/1: It is necessary to register for the exams through AlmaEsami; it will not be possible to register students who cannot be registered because of delays in the study plan, payment of fees, etc..

ATTENTION/2: In order to rationalize time and space, it is advisable that students, if they decide not to show up, cancel themselves from the roll call list.

 

In both cases, the ability to expose the arguments in a way that is not only formally correct, but also critically aware, will be rewarded. A purely notional exposition will result in a fair evaluation. Lacunose knowledge expressed with uncertain or inappropriate language will lead to a result that will not exceed the sufficiency. The detection of important gaps both on the theoretical-critical and bibliographical level will lead to a negative evaluation.

Teaching tools

For those attending, the study material related to each lesson will be uploaded on the  platform of support to teaching (Virtuale).

Class discussions will be stimulated and encouraged and will also be extended through the activation of a bulletin board on Padlet.

During the first class, all the teaching methods and tools used will be introduced.

Office hours

See the website of Paola Brembilla