Map out your ICCIT courses

Disclaimer: this course mapping tool is for information purposes only (and does not reflect your ACORN account)

This course provides an opportunity for third or higher year students to assist with the resource project of a profession in return for 499Y credit. Students have an opportunity to become involved in original research and enhance their research skills. Participating faculty members post their project description for the following summer and fall/winter session on the ROP website in mid-February and students are invited to apply at that time. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their second year to work in the research project of a professor in return for 299Y course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third year to work in the research project of a professor in return for 399H course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their fourth year to work in the research project of a professor in return for 499H course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

Examines organizational discourse with special attention to financial analysis and financial documents as rhetorical elements. Students will design and carry out primary research into organizations such as publicly listed companies and non-profit organizations and will examine different modes for reporting research findings. Principles of discourse analysis and genre theory provide a conceptual framework. Students do not need backgrounds in accounting or finance to manage this course. [24L]

This course examines how professionals in a variety of contexts communicate data. The course explores the growing relevance and allure of data in all its forms. Students will learn to interpret data to tell a story through numbers by creating infographics, writing informative articles from their own data mining, and presenting further findings at the end of the semester. [24L]

Examines theory and practice of editing in a professional communications environment. The course will consider principles of editing and the editorial process as it applies to various forms of writing, from daily news, to magazines, books, web pages and blogs. Study will include examination of the building blocks of an editor’s skills – grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation – and the means employed by an editor working with a writer to achieve clarity, accuracy and immediate comprehension. [48L]

Examines writing about geographic places and the multiple rhetorics — scientific, historical, geographical, social, political, economic — that come into play. Students will design and carry out original primary research to develop their writing projects. [24L]

Climate communication introduces students to the emergent and diverse field of professional communication around the ongoing climate crisis. Climate communication is an interdisciplinary field that includes public science, environmental sciences, activism, political economy, technology, and policy. Course assignments build skills in public communication, science and nature writing, and solutions-based climate journalism. [24L]

This course offers the skills and techniques needed to script, record and publish podcasts to the Web. Students will design and carry out original primary research to script, edit and produce independent podcasts. The course also explores the growing popularity of podcasts, and modern societies’ shift into a secondary orality. [24L]

A research/writing project designed by the student in consultation with a faculty member. Independent Study students will produce a substantial body of writing at a high professional standard submitted in weekly installments and will develop their drafts in editing sessions with other Independent Studies students. Students will also design and carry out a reading program. Students may not take WRI390H5 and WRI391H5 in the same term.

A research/writing project designed by the student in consultation with a faculty member. Independent Study students will produce a substantial body of writing at a high professional standard submitted in weekly installments and will develop their drafts in editing sessions with other Independent Studies students. Students will also design and carry out a reading program. The Project Supervisor will be chosen in consultation with the Program Coordinator. Students may not take WRI390H5 and WRI391H5 in the same term.

Explores the practice and experience of writing across cultures, languages, and space. We examine writing as inflected through questions of translation, migration, colonialism, and social identity. Students will consider these themes through a historical and theoretical lens to sharpen analytic and writerly skills. [24L]

This courses provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third year to work in the research project of a professor in return for 399Y course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March.

This course is a practical internship and is available only upon application from PWC Majors. Through a placement, students will apply their expertise in writing, editing and communications. Students must plan well in advance for their placement and work closely with CCIT/PWC placement officer to determine eligibility and suitability. A report of the placement, samples of work completed on the placement and a presentation about it will be required at the end of the placement. These, and the employer’s assessment, will determine the course mark.

This course is a practical internship and is available only upon application from PWC Majors who have completed WRI410H5. The course is intended for students who have the opportunity to continue their WRI410H5 internship for a second semester. A report of the placement, samples of work completed on the placement and a presentation about it will be required at the end of the placement. These, and the employer’s assessment, will determine the course mark.

Examines principles, procedures and practices in book publishing. Students, working collaboratively, will collect material for, design, edit, typeset, print and assemble books. Students will consider philosophical, aesthetic, and economic factors that guide publishing, editing and design decisions. Students must apply using the on-line application form on the PWC website to take this course. Students who do not receive formal permission may not take this course. [24L]

This course examines principles and practices in journalistic investigation and writing, and provides an introduction to the main socio-political issues related to contemporary journalism. The course will consider various models and formats of journalistic writing. Students will design and carry out investigative projects that culminate in a series of journalistic articles. The course will also analyze the Canadian media industry and its evolving labour market. [24L]

This course examines speculative non-fiction and explores ways writers communicate about research, projections, and plans for humanity’s future. Students will consider how writing and other cultural forms act not only as “products” of science and reportage but as tools of knowledge-making. Students will produce portfolios that respond to and add to the literature of speculative non-fiction. [24L]

This course examines the central role of characterization and character development in nonfiction prose. Students explore the theory of psychic space, working to understand how the creation of that space operates to advance audience engagement. Classwork explores the furnishing and unfurnishing of psychic space in relation to meaning and characterization. Students focus on a small set of characters they develop over time via a writing portfolio. The course considers the impacts of place, incident, narrative arc, and complication-resolution models, with reference to theories by Gerke, French, Wolfe, and Van Manen. Weekly exercises and assignments focus on developing believable, memorable characters. Readings include a mix of student-authored and contemporary professional works.

This course examines narrative approaches to researching and writing about food-related topics. Students will design and carry out research projects that culminate in a series of life stories, narrative articles/chapters, or personal essays that investigate complex relationships surrounding food in society.

An in-depth examination of topics in writing. Topics vary from year to year, and the content in any given year depends upon the instructor. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable. [24L]

Price setting is one of the most important marketing mix decisions, which involves understanding both supply side factors (e.g., costs), and demand side factors (e.g. consumer willingness to pay). In this course, we will approach the pricing decision with a more pragmatic view encompassing a comprehensive understanding of the demand side; both at the level of individual customer values, and the more aggregate level of price sensitivities of the market. Using diverse categories, such as healthcare, industrial products and consumer packaged goods, this course will equip students with economic and behavioral approaches to pricing, value pricing, price customization, price bundling and retail pricing strategies. [24L]

This seminar course students will conduct original research to examine the role that culture plays in choosing and using communication technologies within the context of family, work, and friendship. We will focus on how individuals draw on communication technology to navigate cultural expectations and roles at home, work, and in social settings. To frame this research we will discuss various approaches to defining and understanding culture, and consider how these approaches help us to understand the use of communication technology within a variety of relationships. [24S]

This course provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of media, technology, and cultural policy in a global context. The course focuses on issues such as national identity and globalization, media convergence, intellectual property, global media regulation, security and privacy by examining how media, communication, and cultural policy is created, influenced, and contested by a range of actors.

An in-depth examination of selected topics in communication, culture, information and technology. Topics vary from year to year, and the content in any given year depends upon the instructor. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable. [24S]

An in-depth examination of selected topics in communication, culture, information and technology. Topics vary from year to year and the content in any given year depends on the instructor. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable. [24L]

This course provides an opportunity for third or higher year students to assist with the resource project of a profession in return for 499H credit. Students have an opportunity to become involved in original research and enhance their research skills. Participating faculty members post their project description for the following summer and fall/winter session on the ROP website in mid-February and students are invited to apply at that time. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

Electronic business, the extensive use of the web and the Internet, is radically changing existing businesses. New Internet businesses are also being created at an unprecedented rate. New business models, e-business technologies, payment mechanisms, legal and regulatory issues (e.g., intellectual property rights, privacy and security) and the economics of e-business will be investigated from a research and practical perspective. [24L]

This course explores the methods and frameworks of entrepreneurship through an experiential learning model (learning by doing). Students will begin the process of developing a new business venture, exploring their own business ideas and developing a business plan and pitch while working in teams. Topics include the business model, customers and markets, financial models, competition, intellectual property, funding and investment and characteristics of entrepreneurial teams. [36L]

This course will address the identification and management of risks that are specific to digital industries such as network penetration, transaction processing interruption and flow disruption, provision of audit and backup facilities. The course will also integrate technical security issues along with managerial and legal considerations. [24L]

This course will build on the foundations established in CCT206H5. Issues relating to the protection of digital rights, taxation, privacy, jurisdiction and regulation will be examined in detail through the use of recent legal scholarship and evolving case law. [24L]

This course offers an overview of data analytics principles, approaches, and technologies that allow businesses to generate business intelligence. Business intelligence refers to all the means required to collect, exploit and analyze data in order to provide the right information to decision-makers at the right time. This course is designed for individuals interested in Business Intelligence practices and analysis from a management point of view, without a detailed focus on statistical or programming methods. [24L]

This course is an introduction to creative nonfiction as both a genre and a methodological tool for a variety of fields. It explores creative narrative approaches by professional writers in the form of journalism, documentary, ethnography, memoir, and narrative essay. This course also serves to begin and/or strengthen students’ own writing practice through craft-oriented workshops. Students explore ideas about product and process, form and meaning. Students will experiment with syntactic structures to explore how the form of language serves, or fails to serve, intention and the expression of meaning that may be understood and interpreted by others. [24L]

Writing communication is a social act that both shapes and is shaped by community. Students in this course develop a narrative portfolio based on research into the experiences of individuals within a community that interests them. The course aims to enhance students’ storytelling by incorporating aspects of community such as unwritten rules, community language and nomenclature, rituals, history, ironic juxtaposition, and profiles of community members. Readings include a mix of student-authored and contemporary professional works. [24L]

Examines theory and offers practice in creating content for Social Media. The course explores the growth of the Web, from information gathering to interactive and cooperative information/opinion dissemination. Students will critically examine the rhetorical practices of Social Media users and how these practices currently shape communications. Students will create and maintain individual content creation projects. [24L]

Examines theory and offers practice in nonfiction narrative with a specialized purpose. Students will explore conceptions of genre and the way genre shapes, and is shaped by, the social context of communications.

This course provides an introduction to journalism and examines journalism’s role in a democratic society. Students learn the fundamentals of journalistic writing, with a focus on news and reporting. The course examines news formats and styles, sources, interviews, research, structure, and other fundamentals. The course functions as a newsroom, with students producing several reported articles throughout the term, and includes guest talks and workshops with practicing journalists. [24L]

In this course, students design and carry out writing through a series of research techniques. Students learn to select and evaluate expert and scientific information from primary sources and produce content for an array of different media. A critical reading program exposes students to research-based writing. Assignments are aimed at developing professional skills across different forms and topics. [24L]

Introduction to Technical Communication serves as an introduction to the academic and professional fields of technical writing and communication. It explores strategies for analyzing organizational contexts, including professional audiences, professional purposes for writing, and organizational cultures. Assignments will build skills in technical writing, document design, documentation, accessibility, and ethical considerations for communication in professional settings. [24L]

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their second year to work in the research project of a professor in return for 299H course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

Examines conventions and standard practices when scientists write for other scientists in academic science journals, in conference and poster presentations, and in grant applications. This course focuses on presenting primary and secondary research. Humanities and social science students will gain specialized skills in technical writing and editing. Science students will learn the writing practices expected in professional labs and research groups. Students will present an article-length paper presenting primary research findings and a conference poster presenting the same findings to a scientific audience. [24L]

Examines the best practices of science writers and journalists who, based on research published in science journals, communicate scientific information to an educated audience which lacks specialized training. Science students will learn techniques for educating and informing public audiences. Humanities and social science students will learn to access and present current scientific information in engaging narrative. This course examines scientific writing and journalistic writing about science. [24L]

Examines language by approaching it through its social users — ethnic groups, genders, and social classes — and its contextualized usages — the languages of publishing, advertising, law, technical communications, academe and the electronic media. The course explores the functions of these languages and the roles of such forces as dictionaries, social change, and new communications technologies in the evolution of these languages. [24L]

Examines written history as rhetoric and considers various conceptions of history and procedures for historical research and writing with reference to a range for models from Thucydides to contemporary writers of specialized and local histories. Students will conceptualize, design, and carry out primary source historical research to produce original history using locally available sources and materials. [24L]

Examines the rhetoric of speech drawing on theorists from Plato to Havelock to Ong, and considers implications of "great leap models" that present orality and literacy on a continuum. This course considers a range of oral practices from informal to formal, and from spontaneous to research-based and examines a range of rhetorical modes: dialogue, storytelling, "street-talk," reporting, debate and presentational address. Significant course time will be devoted to students’ oral performance, both individual and team-based. [24L]

This course approaches reading and listening as time-bound processes by which we sense and make sense of the world around us. Reading and listening are not to be reduced merely to how we consume written or aural texts, but rather will be explored as the perceptual and cognitive activities that structure our sense of time, space, self and environment. We will place a particular emphasis on reading and listening in contemporary digital culture by engaging selectively with fundamental concepts in critical theory, as well as recent work in media and sound studies. [24L]

This course examines the history, politics and aesthetics of a range of alternative, underground and radical media, as well as their relation to mainstream media. Students will study and experiment with a range of alternative media, including zines, graffiti, hacking, and culture jamming, for example. Students will gain hands-on experience in the creation of alternative media. [24S]

The course analyses the political, historical, and technical relationships between media, technology, and work in contemporary capitalism. The course will examine the power and social relationships that structure work in contexts such as media, creative industries, and the platform or "gig" economy. The course will focus on critical theories of work and will engage with case studies of the intersection of work, media and technology. The aim of the course is to build a tool kit for encountering an increasingly casualized and digitally-mediated labour market. [24S]

This course allows students to explore issues related to user interface, user experience, materiality, gamification and game theory. Board games represent a space to consider social interaction, the use of materials, the role of emotion in design (UX), knowledge sharing and the role gamification plays in influencing behaviour. Students will be exposed to professional and research publications related to design, game theory, user experience and game mechanics. [36S]

The variety of ways in which various information technologies influence and are influenced by globalization will be critically examined. The class will explore metaphors or ways of thinking about society and technology to critically examine the complex process and the diverse consequences of globalization. Topics may shift focus yearly but will include the economy, culture, politics, social movements, migration, social identity, war and global conflict, etc. [24L]

An in-depth study of the development of innovative strategies for organizations with an emphasis on digital enterprises. The nature of strategic innovation will be studied and a variety of analytic frameworks introduced. Concepts will be explored through a combination of lectures and case studies. [24L]

The rise of information and communication technologies in contemporary societies has highlighted the interdependent nature of relationships; person-person, person-machine, machine-person, and machine-machine. Network analysis offers a point-of-view with which we can analyze networks to understand the roles of people and technology, identify the source of existing or potential issues, and the exchange of resources and information. This course applies network theory and methodology to examine how technology is used to maintain and build personal networks. It will further explore how personal networks intersect with larger institutional networks (e.g. corporations and universities) and informal networks (e.g. online communities and sports clubs). In the process, students will be guided in how to identify, measure, and collect data on selected networks, how to then analyze this data using a variety of analytic techniques. [24L]

Drones, robots, and artificial intelligence are three interrelated technologies that are changing the most fundamental considerations of how society and sociality should operate. Work, war, consumption, and even love are being reconfigured. This course will address debates concerning the cultural, political, economic, military, and economic considerations surrounding the growing use of these technologies. [24L]

A self-driving car should always protect pedestrians, even if that implies serious threat for the vehicle’s passengers. Current ethical challenges within our computational cultures has brought forward dilemmas involving code such as designing killer robots, the use of technology to predict and prevent crimes before they happen, and platform surveillance in social media. Students in this course will use theories and case based examples to examine questions such as what is meant with ethics in new media and critical computing, can we program computational systems according to ethical models, and does digital culture force us to rethink what ethics are? [24L]

An advanced project-based seminar on the art and creative directions of design thinking. Combining traditional and innovative creativity methods, a variety of design projects are conceptualized and drafted for proposal or implementation. This course embraces design thinking as a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that integrates methodical creativity and overarching design principles, such as aesthetics, futures-thinking, progress and metadesign. [36L]

Examines the relationship between media studies and Outer Space inhabitation and exploration. Through analysis of military, technological, industrial, scientific, design, artistic, and civilian projects, films, novels, science fictions, and other media forms, the class investigates and reveals the historical, social, cultural, and political implications of our mediated relation with Outer Space. Technologies and topics include: the space race and the Cold War, space imagery, extreme environments, space travel, space suits, space vehicles, and space habitats, satellites, extra-terrestrial intelligence, mining, extraction, terraforming, radiation, gravity, and levitation. [24L]

This seminar course students will conduct original research to examine the role that culture plays in choosing and using communication technologies within the context of family, work, and friendship. We will focus on how individuals draw on communication technology to navigate cultural expectations and roles at home, work, and in social settings. To frame this research we will discuss various approaches to defining and understanding culture, and consider how these approaches help us to understand the use of communication technology within a variety of relationships.

How is social inequality reproduced and encoded in technology systems and in digital media? In what ways do technology and media creations inform and influence perceptions, beliefs, and practices that impact girls and women, communities of colour, Indigenous groups, LGBTQ+ and other minoritized people? This course will address overlapping and intersectional issues of power, privilege, oppression, and sociotechnical imaginaries – all related to networks, big data and predictive analytics, algorithms, digital gig economies, and interactive multimedia like social media and virtual reality. [24L]

Building on the CCT353H5 Digital Media Production I, this course will further develop theoretical and practical aspects of video production and editing. Over the course of the term, we will explore advanced video and sound capture techniques, media mixing, applications of digital libraries and effects in post-processing. [48P]

This course explores the form and practice of documentary. Objectivity, ethics, censorship, representation, reflexivity, responsibility to the audience and authorial voice will be examined. Students will engage in practical engagement with documentary forms including the expanded field of documentary using tools such as photography, audio, video, 360 video, VR and new technologies. [36P]

This course builds on the front-end web development skills acquired in the Web Development and Design I & II courses by adding a server-side programming and database design component. Students will learn the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing data-driven applications, leveraging query languages, APIs and Content Management Systems for enterprise systems. Further topics include integration of analytics and search strategies in CMS systems. [36P]

Visual literacy and the visualization of information are increasingly important competencies in a growing number of fields. This course will explore the history of visually representing information, consider issues related to data visualization and approaches to visually representing data. In addition, students will develop a better understanding of what visualization works best for various types of data, what makes for a strong visualization and the importance of narrative in the construction of graphic data representation. [24P]

This course examines media as technical objects with specific histories and a contemporary presence. In the contemporary context where media technologies are programmed to become obsolete, residual forms and practices provide materials traces for analysis. The class will focus on the evolution of media forms, looking particularly at early, antiquated, and obsolete practices and technologies of communication in order to recover their material traces, and to situate them in their historical, social, cultural, and political contexts. Through texts, archival materials, and case studies, old media will be brought back to life to question notions of authenticity, authority, preservation, archiving, temporality, agency, power, evolution, decay, and death.

Operations Management deals with the functions of an enterprise that create value for the customers. The scope of study covers all processes involved in the design, production and physical distribution of goods and services. With global competition continuously increasing, a firm’s survival depends upon how well it integrates the operations function into the enterprise’s general planning and strategy. It is thus essential for business managers to acquire an understanding and appreciation of operations. [24L]

The focus of the course is on understanding the experiences of users and their communities as affected by their interaction with digital technologies in information-centric societies. Students will learn the theoretical framework and practical aspects of advances user-centered design principles (such as participatory design and techno-centric ethnographies). This course represents an opportunity for students to enrich their understanding of the deep interconnections between human factors, human needs, interactive technologies, information, as projected on several dimensions: cultural, societal, ergonomic, and economic. [36P}

The course investigates how people interact with interactive digital systems from an evaluation and formal testing perspective, and introduces students to the methods of User Experience Assessment and User Experience Analysis (UXA). This studio-based experiential course examines how interactive systems are implemented and deployed to meet users’ needs, with a focus on formal Human Computer Interaction (HCI) evaluation methods. Students will acquire the capacity to evaluate systems and to critically assess different HCI and UX validation methods which are based on industry approaches carried out by User Research Analysis. [36P]

Increasingly we are seeing a hybridization of information and location, where media provide a framework or environment for users (participants) to construct reality and relationships. The course explores emergence of new ubiquitous communication practices and the increasingly pervasive use of technology for the augmentation of people, places, and objects. In this course, students will explore various approaches to context-based information systems, and the shaping of social media spaces. [24L]

Students will explore the complex relationship between games and play. Starting with an overview of the major play theories, students will learn how cognitive, philosophical and social theories of play are used to guide and inform game design. The increasingly prominent role of the player in the co-creation and performance of digital games will be examined. Students will also explore the emergence of player communities and consider the various issues that this introduces into design and management process, including important new questions about governance, player and creative freedoms, and immaterial labour. [24L]

From Apple, Amazon, and Facebook to LINE, WeChat and Tik Tok, digital platforms dominate contemporary life. This course provides an intellectual voyage of the global spread of digital platforms from the days when they were not yet recognized as platforms to the contemporary era when users can hardly think of an internet without platforms. We will explore questions concerning the penetration of platforms into the social fabric of our digital life on a global scale while paying attention to the local conditions and specificity. Students will engage with key concepts, theories, and approaches related to platform studies through readings and discussions about different types of platforms, ranging from e-commerce and social media to live-streaming and on-demand service matching.

From the Orwellian Big Brother to Foucault’s panopticon, surveillance has become an everyday facet of modern life. From a surveillance studies perspective surveillance can be applied as a framework for understanding social, political, and technological interrelationships. This framework can help us study more effectively power, identity, persuasion, and control associated with the spread of Information Communication Technologies (ICT’s). This course will introduce students to viewpoints, vision and visibility in surveillance studies. The class will look at a range of topics from information politics, identification, privacy, security, suspicion, social sorting, bodies, borders and biometrics to explore a range of perspectives under the surveillance studies umbrella. It will introduce students to key issues surrounding data, discrimination, and visibility in a global context to undercover the watched world. [24L]

Sound as Media will provide students with an immersive introduction to the field of sound studies. The course offers a counterpoint to surveys of visual media by exploring acoustic technologies in historical, cultural and spatial context. By considering examples such as the gramophone, public address system, boombox, and MP3 player as well as the theories that account for them, students will develop an understanding of media forms that engage the ear as well as the eye. They will in turn, have the opportunity to apply this understanding to the final project which will give them hands-on experience with creating a sound-based documentary. {24L]

The course approaches current information and communication technologies from critical and historical perspectives. It investigates the interests, motives and tactics of news media, pop culture producers, amateurs, universities, corporations, and governments in promoting, sustaining, and interpreting information and communication systems. It also asks how the focus will be on media and information technologies, more theoretical or methodological readings will necessarily cover other systems. Case studies may include investigations of orality, writing, the printing press, industrialized printing, and electronic media from the telegraph and the telephone to broadcasting and the internet. [24L/12T]

This course explores the fundamental processes involved in the design and fabrication of everyday objects, considering factors such as construction, social meaning of objects along with form, comfort and function. Students are introduced to creative techniques to develop insight into human behaviour and explore the idea of human needs. To facilitate this, they will learn how to make prototypes that begin with rapid paper prototyping techniques and later develop into tangible 3D models using 3D modelling, 3D printing and laser cutting techniques. Students will learn how to use CAD software such as Rhino(3D) or Fusion 360 for 3D modelling, along with Adobe Illustrator to generate laser cutting files and Cura as the primary software to 3D print objects.

The emphasis in this course will be on theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues in the study of Human-Computer Interaction. Intelligent interface designs, usability assessment, user modeling and the accessibility of the technology for the disabled are among the topics to be examined. Related behavioural investigations concerning the ease and efficiency of users’ interactions with computerized environments will also be discussed. [36P]

Audiences are social constructions which must be imagined to be actualized. Beginning with an exploration of the nature and role of audiences from early 20th century media, students explore how audiences make meaning of popular media platforms today. How are audiences situated within media texts, what role does this play in how media is generated and circulated, and how do audiences both enact and resist media influence? Broadcast models, interactive models, audience reading, gender, culture, race, and audience feedback are investigated. [24L]

This course explores the fundamentals of the process of game design through prototyping. It focuses on the contexts and components of game design, such as design iteration and user testing along relevant dimensions such as art style, narrative, and game balance. Students will be introduced to design across different genres and types of digital games, including games for education, serious games, indie, and AAA games. Working in collaborative groups, students will learn and practice the appropriate methodology to design game mechanics, characters, art assets and other appropriate deliverables in order to create a game or high-fidelity prototype.

This course introduces students to the theoretical and practical study of how interactive digital media and systems affect, influence and reshape our society and what does it mean to be a "user" in the information-centric society. It will expose students to specific theoretical issues such as privacy by design, usable privacy, marginalized and at-risk user groups, the digital divide, behavioural modification (persuasion) through new media, ICT4D (info tech for development) and empowerment/alienation through intelligent interactive systems. Focus will be on developing skills that will enable students to propose changes (design, policy, framework) to existing and future envisioned interactive technologies that address the issues analyzed. [36P]

Virtual environments, immersive 3D environments accessed via computers or virtual reality headsets, comprise a unique and futuristic communication environment. Virtual environments have the potential to support a wide variety of activities related to information creation, distribution, and reception and can support social, economic, and cultural causes. Compared to everyday information practices, however, those enacted in virtual worlds are uniquely characterized by multimodality, synchronicity, digital embodiment and geographic distribution of users. In this course, students engage in participatory learning in virtual environments, using avatars to assess how the world’s technological and social affordances support and constrain information practices. Using theories of gaming, virtuality, and information lifecycles, students critically analyse how information is produced and used in these environments. [24L, 12T]

Students on International exchange programs are encouraged to seek out courses in digital media and technologies that enrich their learning within an international context. This course is intended as an opportunity for students to study global issues and contexts abroad that provide a comparator to the Canadian media and communications landscape. [36S]

An in-depth examination of selected topics in communication, culture and information technology. Topics vary from year to year, and the content in any given year depends upon the instructor. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable. [24L]

This course provides an opportunity for third or higher year students to assist with the research project of a professor in return for 399H course credit. Students have an opportunity to become involved in original research and enhance their research skills. Based on the nature of the project, projects may satisfy the Humanities, Sciences or Social Sciences distribution requirement. Participating faculty members post their project description for the following summer and fall/winter session on the ROP website in mid-February and students are invited to apply at that time. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides an opportunity for third or higher year students to assist with the research project of a professor in return for 399Y course credit. Students have an opportunity to become involved in original research and enhance their research skills. Based on the nature of the project, projects may satisfy the Humanities, Sciences or Social Sciences distribution requirement. Participating faculty members post their project description for the following summer and fall/winter session on the ROP website in mid-February and students are invited to apply at that time. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

Majors and specialists are given the opportunity to develop a critical perspective on selected issues in CCIT. Students design and implement an advanced project on a topic of interest by engaging with advanced readings. A central aim is to refine the skills in critical analysis and in oral and written communication.

Students will carry out a research project on a topic of their choosing which is related to their specific program focus in Digital Enterprise Management. Students will meet as a group for selected seminars emphasizing advanced research skills and thesis writing. Students will develop a research proposal, conduct research, and produce a research paper.

Digital artifacts play an increasingly important role in our society. It is essential that in the digitization of these artifacts appropriate attention is paid to their representation, protection and management. Students will review the theories and practices of representation. They will investigate the technologies associated with the storage of digital artifacts as well as investigating appropriate legal perspectives. This varied knowledge will be integrated into a study of best practices in the management of digital artifacts. [24L]

Students will learn about financial aspects of digital industries. They will gain knowledge about how financial and other incentives shape the decisions of agents in the digital marketplace. Such a knowledge helps to identify industry trends aiding their own decisions when participating in Internet related industries. Topics covered include online and traditional media industries, aspects of e-commerce and marketing, open source software and crowd-sourcing. A highly effective way to gain such knowledge is by covering a relevant topic in an academic essay. This way the students will also improve their writing skills, and learn better how to cover financial aspects of their chosen topic in a scholarly manner. [24L]

A research project carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. Students will carry out a research project on a selected topic related to CCIT. Students must obtain signed permission from the faculty member who they would like to have as their supervisor.

This course investigates the collective nature of creativity and the wider social, cultural, economic and technological factors that structure it. The course discusses the ways that technology organizes human cooperation, mediates labour remotely, and fosters and captures workers’ creativity.

An advanced unpaid field placement working on specially designed projects that explore collaborative, collective and global approaches to practical knowledge application. The placements may include international internships, collaborative group internships and community-based initiatives. The projects may vary from year to year depending on the external partners. Students will engage with others in the course through an online class component and complete individual reports and critical evaluations of the work experience.

This course is a practical internship and is available only upon application from students registered in the CCIT/DEM programs. Through a placement, students will apply the expertise in communication, culture, and information technology that they have gained through previous courses. Students must plan well in advance for the placement and work closely with the placement officer for CCIT to determine eligibility and suitability. A report and presentation will be required at the end of the placement. These, along with the employer’s assessment, will provide the main part of the course mark. [14S]

This course is a practical internship and is available upon application from students registered in any CCIT program who have completed CCT410H5. The course is intended for students who have the opportunity to continue their CCT410H5 internship for a second semester. A report and presentation will be required at the end of the placement. These, along with the employer’s assessment, will provide the main part of the course mark. [12S]

An in-depth examination of selected topics in interactive digital media with emphasis on knowledge, media and design. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable. [24L]

This course highlights the research in analysis for social data and builds skills to undertake those analysis. It is a lab-intensive course intended to build up data analytic skills for novice and intermediate researchers. Students look at recent studies using "big data" which are primarily theoretical, including critiques of data analytics and concerns surrounding data ethics. Students learn a programming language — Python — and how to scrape social data, store and collect it, run basic statistics, generate visuals, and create a report based on a project of interest. [24P]

This course applies a variety of theoretical and practical approaches to consider the multiple and often conflicting ways representations in media are produced and consumed. The study of representations is approached from the perspective that they are best understood as both discursive and ideological. Questions to be examined include: What does it mean for historical and contemporary representations to carry economic, ideological and discursive power? To what extent do audiences hold power to resist or negotiate with representations? How might we interrogate the notion that we live in a post-feminist, post-racialized society in which older ideas about gender, race and power no longer apply or need re-thinking? [24L]

A study of theories in communication and meaning with different reference to advertising, advertising messages, and advertising management. [24L]

This course will instruct students in the use of programming languages such as Python or Processing for novel applications, including cases from animation, design, and information visualization. Appropriate use of code libraries, platforms and programming techniques will be developed. Assessment will be based on both programming and the expressive use of programs in their case context. [24L/12P]

This course focuses on investigating the impacts of the digital enterprise on sustainability. The course presents an overview of the sustainability challenges and the concrete approaches to solving those challenges with the use of technology. The course uses an active learning approach allowing students the opportunity to learn while working on different sustainability projects linked to digital enterprises. [24L/12T]

This course explores how media and media technology have shifted the nature of the existing political and social orders, We will focus on how social movements and political challengers have used media to disrupt and, in many cases, overthrow leaders, corporations, and governments. This will bring us in contact with theories of social movement mobilization, political communication, and digital media. We will also explore the ways that legacy and digital media have changed to be in service of misinformation and state repression. [24L]