PCER0047-1

Duration

16h Th, 110h AUTR

Number of credits

	Inter-university and high school certificate " Working with videogaming culture " (non organisé en 2023-2024)	5 crédits

Lecturer

Björn-Olav Dozo

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This teaching unit will introduce participants to an analytical and scientific vision of video game culture. Today, video games have established themselves as one of the most popular and influential mass media. The consumption and appreciation of video games, like other cultural practices, is part of the development of a specific culture with its own codes, specialized language, references, genres and world views. The teaching unit will therefore begin by highlighting the constituent elements of this videogame culture: games, their classifications and genres, related practices and the ramifications of video games in daily life. The acquisition of this encyclopedic information is a prerequisite to the understanding and analysis of the videogame field for learners. The continuation of the teaching activities will bring into dialogue the cultural and media references present within the videogame works (which testify to the inclusion of the videogame medium in a larger cultural whole) with the relative empowerment of videogame culture. Learners will be introduced to the theoretical and analytical tools developed in the field of video game studies. Two main frameworks of analysis will be presented: on the one hand the analysis of the game as a set of formal rules, and on the other hand the analysis of the play as an expression of a playful attitude.
The teaching unit will then deepen four axes essential to the understanding of videogame culture. Firstly, the reputed "immersive" character of video games will be questioned - the notion of immersion generally screens the analysis of the real and concrete practices of the players - notably through the study of the avatar, the representation of the player on the screen. Secondly, the essential role of the specialized press in the construction of a specific culture will be exposed in order to understand the modalities of the development of an artistic and cultural critical discourse on video games. Thirdly, it will report on other modalities of player involvement in the video game field, such as the creation and consultation of fan-produced works. Finally, the eminently political dimension of the video game will be analyzed through the question of the relationship between the political space and the videogame space, as well as the modalities of political or social action mobilizing the video game.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The following competencies will be verified during the assessments (each assessment may cover one or more competencies):
- Understand a scientific and analytical discourse on video games - Mobilize concepts from gambling studies in personal analysis and in answering citizen questions. - Make connections between video games and other practices and media - Participate in discussions with peers and present his analyses to them. - Produce socio-cultural content integrating video games - Demonstrate general knowledge of video gaming culture - Demonstrate a reflexive and critical view of video game discourse

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Written and oral, active and passive mastery of French (learning language) as well as basic office computer functions (word processing, e-mail, slide show) is required of participants.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

1. Elements of video game culture: initiation and discovery - Trainers: Group session 2. Culture in video games and video game culture: intermediated dialogues - Trainers: Pierre-Yves Houlmont and Bruno Dupont 3. Game and play, game and play studies: elements of definition - Trainers: Fanny Barnabé and Pierre-Yves Hurel 4. Demystifying immersion through the study of the relationship between player and avatar - Trainer: Julie Delbouille 5. The specialized press as the epicenter of a culture under construction - Trainer: Boris Krywicki 6. Fan works and creative practices around video games - Trainers: Fanny Barnabé and Maxime Godfirnon 7. Video game and political space - Trainer: Hamza Bashandy 8. Video game culture: for a critical approach - Trainers: Collective session

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

There will be three types of teaching modes: - Face-to-face instruction (which will include commented play time in the classroom) - subject to current regulations regarding the health crisis. - Hybrid classroom/online teaching (SPOC type, small online private course) - Project-based learning (dedicated sessions in class and at home).

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

The program of the sessions is available at this address: https://www.facphl.uliege.be/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-09/certificatjv_horaire_en_ligne.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0IeDxXiJw-ThDyF7Cg_dCUY6yyLFfpc9p7RF-5cnNPyd613mzW2A-Vk9o.

Contacts

Coordination and information

Academic Director

Björn-Olav Dozo, bo.dozo@uliege.be

Department of Media, Culture and Communication, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters - ULiege

Continuing Education Unit

formation.continue@uliege.be

+32 (0)4 366 91 07

Association of one or more MOOCs

The MOOC entitled 'Introduction à la culture vidéoludique (P2)' is associated with this course.

Video games as an object of analysis and study