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.

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.

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

I just stumpled upon Stephan Scholdra´s documentation of his bachelor report which he submitted recently to retrieve his bachelor degree. And I must commit that I´m really impressed so far!

Just check the related website connoc.de for an teaser, the thesis download (in german) and even an simulator of the game (adobe flash 10 required) which combines an multi-touch interface with further physical interaction, balancing on a see-saw.

Seems to be a lot of more fun than I had with my theo-practical research thesis. Where can I play it ?

Thanks to Toni !

Tomorrow !

Friday, Nov. 20th 2009. Start at 12:30
University Bremen, Theatersaal. It´s in the basement of the “Zentralbereich B“. Just search for ZB on the Campusplan

presented projects:

12:30 – 13:30

MobileHive (HSB + HS Bhv.) A Context-aware Mobile Learning Game

13:30 – 14:00

coffee break

14:00 – 15:30

DaVisMo (HfK + Uni) Data Visualization & Student Mobility

Confetti (Uni) Embodied Conversational Agents

Dear DM-Students,

we hereby invite you to the plenary meeting of all digital media students.

This year’s plenary meeting of digital media students will take place on Wednesday 25th of November 2009 at 12:00 s.t. at the University of Bremen, Room MZH 1400.

We will elect a new financer, and the official participants of the StugA (Studiengangs Aktive). The StugA takes care of your needs and issues in the study course. You are kindly invited to participate in the StugA Team. If you like to participate, or have any Questions, feel free to write us an Email: stuga-dm@tzi.de .

Our weekly meetings take place on Wednesday at 16:00 in the 6th Level of MZH at the University Bremen.

Regards,
StugA Digital Media.

via mail from stuga-dm@tzi.de.
The StugA mailing list could be subscribed here.

This announcement in german :

Hallo DMler,

hiermit laden wir euch zur Vollversammlung des Studienganges Digitale
Medien ein.

Die diesjährige Vollversammlung des Studienganges Digitale Medien findet
statt am Mittwoch den 25.11.2009 um 12.00 Uhr s.t. vor Medieninformatik
1 im großen Senatssaal (MZH 1400).

Wir werden einen neuen Finanzer zur Wahl stellen. Wir bitten euch zu
kommen, denn der StugA kümmert sich um eure Belange und Interessen im
Studiengang. Ihr seid außerdem gerne dazu eingeladen, bei dem StugA
Digitale Medien mitzuwirken.

Wenn ihr Fragen habt oder mitmachen wollt, meldet euch unter stuga-dm@tzi.de.

Schöne Grüße
Stuga Digitale Medien

The course “Eventual Design: Exploring Another Approach to Making Things That Make Things Happen” from Nathan Felde had to be canceled for personal reasons.

the stupid thing is that those people who need this module missed the beginning of other courses which have started already (not me luckily).

via dm

There´ll be the master retreat at Verden on November 6th and as I´m an junior in the master programme I´m really looking forward to it.

To give an brief overview: There are 5 projects which will start in the next term, mandatory lectures started already and it´s up to us to form our groups in the next weeks, months. Just have look at the projects page on the official programmes website to retrieve an overview.

So, I´m a parcitipant within the upcoming Serious Games : Entertainment Computing project at the university. Recently I stumbled upon this blog called acagamic.com of an Ph.D. Candidate in the research field of Serious Games. His academic presentations are also online on slideshare . Could be also of interest for the parcitipants of the mobile gaming project at the University of Applied Sciences Bremen ?

Might be the right to time to distribute the url of this blog and to have a look if there´ll be a bit more parcitipation in the future to improve the communication between the different projects and institutions? We´ll see.