in the last month we discontinued our activites around this Blog due to several reasons. However, if you might not recognized, our study program is going to celebrate its 10th anniversary with an exhibiton in the Weserburg, Teerhof 20, which will be opened tomorrow the 3rd of July. Everyone is invited, its free of charge. So join the grand opening tomorrow at 18:00h !
More infos :http://www.dm4hb.de/

Additionally unpleasent developments cast a shadow on this anniversary. To sum up in short, the future of the study program and its inter-university cooperation between the currently involved universities is more than unclear at the moment. During the last year the Joint Commission on Digital Media put a lot of work on it to renew the accreditation of the study program to ensure its legitimation, to improve the quality of study conditions and the scope of lectures offered. As a result of this process several changes and prerequisites has been designed as a roadmap. Sadly, the rector´s office of the University of Applied Sciences announced that a central prerequisite won´t be fulfilled. This decision puts the future of the whole study program into question !

Due to that reason the students representatives at the University Bremen (StugA Digital Media, stuga-dm@informatik.uni-bremen.de) took the initiative and asks all Digital Media students to a sign a signature list to set a sign for the preservation of our study program and its inter-university cooperation.

Support them to save the study program !

Official press release in english :

Students of Bremen fight against the end of their study program

The continued existence of the cooperative study program Digital Media is in danger. The reason is the decision of the rector´s office of the University of Applied Sciences Bremen not to integrate the separate degree course Media Computer Science into the cooperative offer of the University of Bremen, the University of the Arts Bremen, Universities of Applied Sciences of Bremerhaven, and Universities of Applied Sciences of Bremen. The cooperation agreement managing the collaboration between academic and research institutions requires this for continuing the study program.

„We were shocked by the news“ reported Marc Modrow of the student council. Lecturers, professors, research assistants, and students worked for the future and the advancement of the study program during the last 12 month. However, the future is uncertain now. In their search for support the students received a lot of recognition by officials on different levels but it seems they do not have any advice on what to do either.

Everything seemed to go well with the study program celebrating its 10th anniversary with a great showcase at the Weserburg in Bremen on Saturday, July 3, 2010. Students intend to use the exhibition to draw attention to the current problems. „The students are behind the study program and we don’t want to give it up easily“, reports André Griepenburg, another member of the student council. „The cooperation has to continue! Without the opportunity for students to take advantage of all the diverse classes offered by the different locations, the program would lose a lot of its diversity and quality. This would mean the end for the independent study program Digital Media at some locations because there would be no sense in continuing it as there wouldn’t
be enough distinction from the computer science program.“ During the exhibition there will be a book of condolences which visitors can sign to show their support for the study program. Additionally, students and the public will be informed via posters, flyers, and a projection on the wall of the Weserburg.

Additional information:
Showcase 10 years Digital Media
http://www.dm4hb.de/
Study program Digital Media:
http://www.digitale-medien-bremen.de/

Contact:
Student Council (StugA) Digital Media, stuga-dm@informatik.uni-bremen.de
Study Program: Marion Wittstock,dm-info@tzi.de

Official press release in german :

Bremer Studierende wehren sich gegen Niedergang ihres Studienganges

Der Fortbestand des hochschulübergreifenden Studiengangs Digitale Medien in Bremen ist in Gefahr. Grund ist der Beschluss des Rektorates der Hochschule Bremen den separaten Studiengang Medieninformatik nicht in das Kooperationsangebot mit Universität, Hochschule für Künste, Hochschule Bremerhaven und Hochschule Bremen einzugliedern. Der Kooperationsvertrag, der die Zusammenarbeit der Lehr- und Forschungsanstalten in den Digitalen Medien regelt, sieht dies aber zwingend für das Weiterbestehen des Studienganges vor.

“Uns traf diese Nachricht wie ein Schock”, berichtet Studiengangsaktiver Marc Modrow. In den letzten 12 Monaten haben Lehrbeauftragte, Professoren, Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter und auch Studierende für die Zukunft des Studienganges gearbeitet und die Weiterentwicklung voran getrieben. Doch nun ist die Zukunft ungewiss. Auf der Suche nach Unterstützung ernteten die Studierenden zwar von Verantwortungsträgern verschiedener Ebenen breite Zustimmung, doch es scheint, dass auch hier guter Rat spärlich gesät ist.

Dabei schien alles so gut zu laufen, feiert der Studiengang doch diesen Samstag, den 03.07.2010, sein zehnjähriges Bestehen mit einer großen Werksschau in der Bremer Weserburg. Nun wollen die Studierenden diese Ausstellung nutzen, um auf die Probleme aufmerksam zu machen. “Die Studierenden stehen hinter dem Studiengang und wir wollen diesen nicht einfach aufgeben”, berichtet André Griepenburg, ein weiterer Studiengangsaktiver. “Die Kooperation muss Bestand haben! Ohne die Möglichkeit für die Studierenden die Angebote aller inhaltlich verschieden ausgerichteten Standorte nutzen zu können, würde das Studium sonst jeweils an immens Breite und auch Qualität verlieren. An manchen Standorten wäre es das Ende für den eigenständigen Studiengang Digitale Medien, da ein Fortbestand parallel zur Informatik wegen der geringen Abgrenzung gar keinen Sinn mehr machen würde.” Auf der Ausstellung wird es ein “Kondolenzbuch” geben, in das sich Besucher eintragen können um ihre Unterstützung für den Studiengang auszudrücken. Auch über die Fassadenprojektion auf die Weserburg und über Plakate und Flyer werde man die Studierenden und die Öffentlichkeit informieren.

Weitere Informationen:
Werksschau 10 Jahre Digitale Medien
http://www.dm4hb.de/
Studiengang Digitale Medien:
http://www.digitale-medien-bremen.de/

Ansprechpartner bei Fragen:
StugA Digitale Medien, stuga-dm@informatik.uni-bremen.de
Studiengang: Marion Wittstock, dm-info@tzi.de

We will explore several aspects of early digital art – both aesthetically and technically – from the point of view of the media perspective. Two exhibitions, named in the title, are a case from which we can learn a lot. Another one are the two authors, Max Bense and Marshall McLuhan. There will be more. I promise excitement.

An excursion to ZKM Karlsruhe will be part of the course: 14/15 May We will build groups of students working on specific topics over the semester. Their results will be entered into the
compArt DaDA database on Digital Art.

More about Cybernetic Serendipity on DaDA.

Kristian Gohlke and Michael Haltky from the University of Applied
Sciences Bremen presented a set of slick controllers for quick and
easy multipoint interaction with any audio software at TEI Conference
2010 at the MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA. Seems like the good old
mouse is not quite dead yet.

Read more here.
Full paper here.

currently the future of the joint study programme in digital media is discussed on the administrations side. Currently the degree course is certified and we don´t really need to care about, but this certificate thats proves the quality of the degree course needs to be refreshed. As we all are more or less aware of specific problems within our international, inter-university degree course, these lacks are not unheard and the administration really tries to improve the quality of our studies, the organisation and further aspects which will be taken into account during the process of certification, the so-called “Reakkreditierung”.

This discussion is at least very essential. If we won´t manage it to retrieve the certificiation of quality again, it´s not really clear what a degree of an uncertified study programm is worth in our future, professional life. And the administration really would like to prevent this, in our interest.

Since the end of December I´m a official elected students representative within the Joint Committee of our study programme, the so-called “Gemeinsame Kommission Digitale Medien”.

You´ve never heard about that ? Oh, then let me provide me the information. We´ve got three administrative organs / committees for our degree course, let me introduce them briefly.

Joint Committee Digital Media (Gemeinsame Kommission)

The Joint Committee of Digital Media (JC) is the top committee of the study program. It is made up of representatives of the four universities: teachers, students and scientific staff. They are elected by the specific committees of each university. Meetings are hold every second month and they are public. Petitions have to be passed in one week before. Meetings agenda are often affected by organization of the study program.

Usually the meetings are open to the public and everybody could join. Just to mention, in the last meetings mostly students from the University of Bremen participated in the meetings. None of the Univerisity of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven nor the University of Arts Bremen.

Board of Examiners (Der Prüfungsausschuss)

The Board of Examiners is the committee for examination questions. As well as the Joint Committee it consits out of representatives of the four universities, which are also elected by specific committees of the four universities. The meetings are not open to the public as students objections regarding examination results are decided within this committee, for example.

Currently only two students are elected into this commission, studentic representatives for the Unversity of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven as well as the University of Arts are vacant. Meetings are usually held on the same day as the Joint Commitee.

Academic Committee (Die Studienkommission)

This third organ is responsible for the course offers within the degree course. According to the studies regulations its main task is to ensure the provision of the course offer, including the projects provision within the BSc as well as the MSc degree course. Also, this commission has also the function to introduce new modules to the course offer.

Sadly this third committee meets very unfrequent. The problem is more or less that from the lecturers side most of them are already enrolled in one of the other committees. Also there is a lack of studentic represenatives, which is in fact essential for this committee.

Students Union Digital Media

Last but not least I´ld like to catch your awareness for another organ. The StugA Digital Media (Wiki pages, german only) at the University of Bremen (Studiengangsausschuss Digitale Medien). This is more or less the students union for Digital Media students at the University of Bremen. Actually only a few BSc students are active for the StugA. They meet every Wednesday at 16:00 during the lecture period within the 5th floor of the MZH building, Room 5300. Every student is welcome to join this meetings. They provide also a mailing list for Digital Media students.

So, finally. From my point of view we´ve got a definite lack of students participation within this administrative committees, thus the discussions related to the future of our study programme lacks the feedback of the students, which are essential in my opinion.

For more info visit the site http://dm.tzi.de/en/events/ggj2010/

Global Game Jam 2010 in Bremen

Do you think you can build a computer game in 48 hours?

The GGJ is a global event around the world, where game makers have the chance to express their skills in 48 hours, yet it doesn’t require any professional skills. GGJ starts at 5pm on January 29th and goes for 48+ hours through January 31st, 2010.

That means, you meet others, build a group and develop a video game in just two days. It does not have to be finished then completely, but it would be nice, if you can imagine the game and if you can play a little as well – just like a prototype.

We do not need exclusively professional programmers – for a game you need to develop the concept, the audio, the design and lot more as well! Everybody is welcome!

In addition, you will learn a lot on the event! On the one side, you will learn how to make a game in 48 hours and on the other side you will learn a lot about tools etc. We try to get some people of well-known companies who give talks on some tools or topics.

However, the most important thing is that the basic purpose of the gamejam is to have fun and make games together, and even though the teams are competing, you should still focus on being nice and helpfull to each other.

For more information please check our Game Jam site or contact any of us – the organizers – through the site! Then register and choose our location in Bremen, “Digital Media Jam” in your profile!

“Will Wright – a legend among gamers, the nerd’s nerd, undisputed king of the simulation.“

He developed Sim City, The Sims and finally Spore. In this talk from 2007 he presented Spore as a preview.

A trail version of the Spore Creature Creator could be downloaded for Mac and PC for free, just check the link.

A brief summary (in german) is listed on his thesis description, on his website. So, for those iPhone Users… I think that it´s clear and that I don´t have to translate the whole announcement and thesis description

14th december, 11:00h or 14:00h

20min of instruction to the multi-touch-table of the AG Digital Media at the University
60min game play in teams (Galcon MTT), with different scenario set-ups
30min of discussion and answering session
coffee, tea, water and cookies are provided.

as the multi-touch-table is in the room 5400 of the mzh, I think the meeting will be there.

Inform Daniel if you would like to join via eMail dweidner[at]tzi.de.

Sadly, I´ve lectures during this period of time.

Liebe Freunde der Digitalen Medien,

ich arbeite momentan an meiner Bachelor-Abschlussarbeit und suche in diesem Zusammenhang noch Interessierte, die bei einer etwa zwei-stündigen Evaluation eines von mir entwickelten Computer-Spiels für den Multi-Touch-Table der AG Digitale Medien mitwirken möchten. Es erwarten euch:

* 20min – Einführung in den Multi-Touch-Table der AG Digitale Medien
* 1h – Spielen in Teams und verschiedenen Szenarien an einem
Multi-Touch-Strategiespiel
* 30min – Diskussion und kurze Frage-Session
* Kaffee, Tee, Wasser & Gebäck

Die Evaluation findet am 14. Dezember 2009 in zwei Gruppen statt, einmal um 11 Uhr und einmal um 14 Uhr. Die Räumlichkeiten werden den Teilnehmern in den kommenden Wochen mitgeteilt. Erfahrungen aus herkömmlichen Computer-Spielen sind wünschenswert. Bei Interesse freue ich mich über Nachricht unter Angabe des gewünschten Zeitfensters an dweidner[at]tzi.de.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Daniel Weidner

Get involved in our vimeo group:  http://vimeo.com/groups/digmed, free to join and to submit your own video contents directly on the degree course, or related contents ! ( after you´re proved by the group moderator )

Currently 28 29 30 members, hopefully growing

See a summary of the best videos in our channel: http://vimeo.com/digitalmedia

Just the latest video contributed:

Digital Media Master Project Con-Action: QuickWoZ Pretest from sanook on Vimeo.

This is the video that was produced for the midterm presentation of the master project “Con-Action” at the University of Bremen and the University of Fine Arts, Bremen in November 2009. It shows the pretest of an experiment about the impact of the character and gestures of an embodied conversational agent on users’ expectations of such systems.
The pretest was only a small test of the rather complex setup which proved that the concept worked and subjects where successfully tricked to believe that the agent was driven by an AI and not a hidden operator (wizard).
The presentation can be found at: slideshare.net/Sanook/conaction-project-midterm-presentation

What is that actually ? Have a look at the last years keynote !

Registration is already open, detailled informations on the event in Bremen, organized by the Digital Media Master freshmen are also online. Very easy, just register at globalgamejam.org and select the location (Digital Media Jam) within your profile settings.

Tuesday, December 8th. 20:00, Haus der Wissenschaft, located here.

Just an announcement for a open scientific talk, related to the topic of ethics in computer science digital media. Might be of interest for the DM Master students, participating in Master Digital Media lecture at the university, as this talk is strongly related to artificial intelligence and ethics.