Digital media and methods for sampling and analysis

This course is created because of a need for updating the thinking and applying of methods in humanities and social science. The need consists of on the one hand to understand and make use of digital media in various scientific studies. On the other hand the need is to understand and make use of relevant methods including digital methods when studying digital media. At the same time, there is a need for discernment in relation to the wealth of information that lay readily before us on various platforms throughout the digital world: how can we as scholars use this information for our own projects in the best way? How do we use it in an ethically sound way?

Therefore, this is a course for students interested in advancing knowledge on the importance of understanding digital media in general as a framework, to include ethical aspects and also the ability to apply concrete sampling and analysis methods for digital media.

The course covers how digital media change culture and social relations and how this affects scientific sampling and analysis methods. The course further develops ethical approaches for the collection of research materials. Through various theoretical starting points research data is analysed. During the course you will try various digital techniques to analyse and visualise data.

This is an online course for 7.5 credits and it is adapted to an advanced level. Therefore, we as lecturers build on and deepen the knowledge, skills and abilities that you as students have gained at the graduate level in a humanistic or social science discipline. The pace for the course is a so called quarter speed. This means that you will devote about a day a week for the course. We as teachers will guide your effort during the course by giving assignments continuously throughout the course.

Teaching and learning will take place through a MyMoodle course web site. You are expected to visit the course web site every week. The course is structured as themes, or course modules. This first course module is “Introducing digital media, theory and method”. Second module is “Understanding contexts and approaches”. Third module is “Sampling methods”. Fourth module is “Analysis methods”. Fifth and concluding module is “Exam”.

For every course module you are expected to watch video lectures with attached assignments, to take part of assigned resources, read about news from teachers and students and to contribute to moderated discussions in Forum, seminar. Communication with us teachers takes place through the course web site in assigned communication forum Questions for teacher. When individual communication is needed, you can email us.

Distance – study where you are

Distance learning can be structured in different ways – it may be entirely online, or include a few on-campus sessions or meetings at one of our learning centres. The common factor is that most of the learning happens online.

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