PhD Course - Theory Jam - Playable Media

Organizers:
Professor Espen Aarseth, IT University of Copenhagen
Dr. Olli Tapio Leino, City University of Hong Kong, School of Creative Media

Website: TBD

Lecturer: Dr. Rune Kristian Lundedal Nielsen, IT University of Copenhagen

Dates of the course: 30.06.2017 - 01.07.2017

Room: The course will be held at City University of Hong Kong in room CMC M6025. The location will also function as a Northeast Asia networking opportunity for ITU PhD students.

Course description:
Theory is a difficult notion to come to grips with for many PhD students. In many fields, theory is treated with suspicion, sometimes hostility. This “fear of theory” creates an unhealthy atmosphere which can hamper the progress of the individual as well as the academic environment of which they are part. What is needed is a type of practical introduction that can lower the threshold to theory and give PhD students a sense of theoretical agency.

This course introduces to the world the concept of a theory jam inspired by the global game jam1- phenomenon. A theory jam is a 48-hour intensive theory construction workshop. It will start with a lecture by Rune Nielsen (assistant professor, Philosophy of Science lecturer at ITU) that explains what a theory is, and thus sets the stage for the jam. The students will be prepared by the readings (philosophy of science, game studies methodologies), and will be asked to construct a theoretical model based on an empirical problem and a practical constraint (e.g. 500 words, a visual model of key concepts that maps their relations). This theoretical model (if successful) can then be further developed in the shape of a short research paper (4000 words) that gives an additional 2 ECTS.

The theory jam has the following intended learning outcomes:
• Participants will get to grips with what a theory is, both in theory and in practice
• They will be able to make their own theory about a relevant phenomenon in their field
• They will learn how to quickly build a model, given an empirical problem
• They will attain a more intimate understanding of how theory is crafted, and through this become better theorists.

Reading list:
Chalmers, A. F. (2013a). Chapter 5: Introducing falsificationism. In What Is This Thing Called Science? (Fourth). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Chalmers, A. F. (2013b). Chapter 10: Feyerabend’s anarchistic theory of science. In What Is This Thing Called Science? (Fourth). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Paul, C. A. (2011). Optimizing play: How theorycraft changes gameplay and design. Game Studies, 11(2).
Strevens, M. (2016). How Idealizations Provide Understanding. Explaining Understanding: New Perspectives from Epistemology and the Philosophy of Science, 37–49.
van Quine, W. O. (1964). On simple theories of a complex world. In Form and strategy in science (pp. 47–50). Springer.

Programme:
June 30th, 10:00 Coffee
Opening words, Aarseth and Leino
Round of introductions and speed-dating style round of getting acquainted
10:30-11:30 What is Theory? – Lecture by Rune Nielsen
11:30 The reveal of the jam constraints, Aarseth
11:45- Coffee break, Teaming up, the theory jam begins
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00 – the jam continues
18:00-18:45 Coffee -- short presentations of preliminary ideas, with feedback
19:00 In-house Dinner, the jam continues. --> 22:00 or so.

July 1st 9:00 – Coffee - The Jam continues
11:00 – Coffee break
13:00 -14:00 Lunch
14:00 – The jam continues
16:00 – Coffee break
18:00 – 20:00 Final presentations and feedback, Aarseth and Leino
21:00 Dinner

Prerequisites:
Attendees should be PhD students in game studies or a neighbouring field. A letter of motivation and a letter from PhD supervisor is required for external (non-ITU and non-CityU) participants.

Exam:
Participation (2 ECTS). Written Paper (2 ECTS)

Credits:
2 ECTS, participation
4 ECTS, participation and written paper

Amount of hours the student is expected to use on the course:
Participation: 28
Preparation: 28
Post-Processing: 46 (= paper)

How to sign up:
Write a mail to aarseth@itu.dk (Professor Espen Aarseth). Include letter from PhD Supervisor attesting the relevance of your PhD Program.