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 focuses on the digital platforms of the cultural and entertainment industries, addressing the following issues:

- Redefinition of business models in the digital environment and the "platform society";
- Computerization of Culture;
- System-thinking, network effects, digital ecosystems;
- Logics of algorithms and recommendation systems, data-driven decision cultures;
- Library composition strategies;
- Promotional rhetorics;
- Cultural convergence, transmedia storytelling, participatory cultures.

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. Among them, Apple, YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Disney+ will be considered.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

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

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

• M. D. Smith, R. Telang, Streaming, Sharing, Stealing. I big data e il futuro dell’intrattenimento, Minimum Fax, Rome 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

Due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 emergency, the professor will be present in the designated classroom, where she will give frontal lessons with support of slides, web sources, clips and other audiovisual materials.

Students will take turns in the classroom according to a shift schedule that is currently being defined (more detailed information about the scheme and the mode of access to the classroom will be provided later). It will always be possible to connect remotely and follow live streaming of classroom lessons through the TEAMS platform.

Lectures will not be recorded.

 

ATTENTION: Given the unpredictability of the emergency situation, and since this program is published in July 2021, it is possible that the teaching mode will change in the upcoming months. In this case, timely communication will be given by updating this program, as well as through notices published on the institutional channels: the faculty page, the website of the INCOM Degree Course and on the official FB and IG pages of the INCOM Degree Course. All students are encouraged to consult these resources periodically.

Assessment methods

ATTENDING STUDENTS: PRESENTATION + DISCUSSION

Oral discussion of a power point presentation based on a single case study, related to the course and agreed upon with the teacher. The presentation must be a maximum of 10 minutes, followed by questions on the topics covered in class and/or on the texts in the program.

The presentation can also be done in a group (max 3 people), in which case the time available will be 20 minutes.

The exams for attending students will take place in dedicated appointments in the month following the end of the lessons. The dates will be defined during the course, also depending on the number of attending students.

More details will be provided during the first lesson.


NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: ORAL DISCUSSION

Oral test based in the three textbooks in the program, aimed at verifying the adequate study of the bibliography of examination.



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.


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.

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 forum on the Virtuale platform and a bulletin board on the Padlet platform.

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

Office hours

See the website of Paola Brembilla