UXS-2/3048 Transmedia Storytelling

Dr. Lyle Skains, Coordinator & Instructor, Creative Studies and Media, Bangor University, Wales

Ms. Isabel Vincent, Seminar Leader, School of Creative Studies & Media, Bangor University, Gales

Course Type: Research-Creation

Keywords: storytelling, narrative, argumentative, meta-element, creative.

University Department Level Credits Length Medium
Bangor University School of Creative Studies and Media’s Undergrad 20 12 Weeks In-person

Course Description

In this module you will investigate storytelling in its various forms, writing through an awareness of critical theory, and creating original work relating to your investigations. You’ll develop an

awareness of issues (critical and creative) connected with storytelling, and consider the range, type and style of stories (genres, media, perspectives). You will discover how cultural norms and assumptions influence the telling of stories, exploring and applying relevant critical theory from the perspective of a writer, and reveal through your original work the nature of authorship and readership.

Weekly Outline

Week 1: Introduction: Narrative Evolving

Week 2: Writing Literate Culture

Week 3: Participatory Culture

Week 4: Narrative Across Media

Week 5: Narrative & Cognition

Week 7: Narrative Discourse

Week 8: Unnatural Narrative

Week 9: Archontic Literature

Week 10: Reader Response

Week 11: Digital Humanism

Week 12: Reading Week

Course Objectives ​

2048

Through this module, you will:

  • Discuss notions of creative writing authorship and readership
  • Outline an understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence the telling of stories
  • Define the range, type and style of stories (eg. fiction, film and new media);
  • Show an awareness of issues (ie. textual, creative, cultural, technological) connected with storytelling
  • Understanding of storytelling in its various forms, and create original creative writing work relating to it

3048

Through this module, you will gain:

  • A critical understanding of the discourse on creative writing authorship and readership
  • A critical understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence the judgment and
  • evaluation of narrative stories
  • An in-depth understanding of issues (ie. textual, creative, cultural, technological) connected with storytelling
  • A critical comprehension of the range, type and style of stories (eg. fiction, film and new media)
  • A critical understanding of storytelling

Reading

Critical:

  • Donovan, Stephen (ed.). (2008). Authority Matters: Rethinking the Theory and Practice of Authorship
  • Hühn, Peter et al. (eds.): the living handbook of narratology. Hamburg: Hamburg University Press. URL = http://hup.sub.uni-hamburg.de/lhn/index.php/Implied_Author
  • Fludernik, Monika. (2009). An Introduction to Narratology
  • Burke, S. (1995). Authorship: from Plato to the postmodern: a reader.
  • Tompkins, J.P. (Ed.). (1980). Reader-response criticism: from formalism to post-structuralism.

Creative (print):

IDN Artifacts

IDE and IDN Authoring Tools

  • Adobe Flash
  • Twitter
  • HTML/Javascript/CSS

Major Assignments (being assignments whose value is of 25% or more)

Creative Portfolio Assessment (45%)

  • Platform: Blackboard, wiki
  • Purpose: The overall creative activity on this module is a group transmedial narrative in a wiki (on Blackboard). Your portfolio consists of a series of tasks culminating in a final piece of creative writing (2000 words).
  • Requirements:
    • Project Length: 10-20 minutes
    • Project Size: 2000 words
    • Project Aesthetics: narrative storyworld that reflects collaboratively-agreed narrative structures and elements that contribute to meaning and/or reader engagement
    • Coding Proficiency: use WYSIWYG function of wiki to include hyperlinks, at a minimum
  • Evaluation: 
    • Interactivity: Understanding storytelling in its various forms, and create original creative writing work relating to it: The work communicates a clear narrative, utilizing the appropriate devices afforded by its medium, and is presented appropriately for publication.
    • Story and narrative: Task shows evidence of innovative thinking and revision for purpose, and its discussion synthesizes theory/practical references covered on the module.
    • Production values: Understanding issues connected with storytelling: The work’s narrative structures are appropriate for the medium and mode of production.

Critical Essay Assessment (45%)

  • Platform: Blackboard, Critical Wiki
  • Purpose: 2000-word argumentative essay based in the practice of creating Creative Portfolio, in addition to research based in critical readings.
  • Requirements:
    • Project Length: 15-20 minutes
    • Project Size: 2000 words
    • Project Aesthetics: clear written communication
    • Coding Proficiency: Write an argumentative essay! Spark controversy! Have an angle and support it with analysis and examples!
  • Evaluation: 
  • Interactivity: n/a
  • Story and narrative: 
    • Understanding of authorship and readership: The essay analyses creative works’ relation to the roles of author and reader, using specific examples.
    • Understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence the telling of stories: The essay uses appropriate critical readings in support of its analyses and arguments. The materials cited are synthesised, interpreted, and integrated into the essay’s own argument.
    • Understanding of the range, type and style of stories: The essay analyses creative work(s) in the context of relevant cultural contexts.
  • Production values: Task shows evidence of innovative thinking and revision for purpose, and its discussion synthesizes theory/practical references covered on the module

Course Best Practices

  • Student handbook states that “[e]ach student is expected to devote 200 hours of study to each 20 credit module”. This module meets 3 hours/week for 12 weeks, except for reading week. That means meetings account for only 33 hours of the expected workload for this 20 credit module. You are expected to do approximately 10-15 hours of module-related study per week.
  • Academic Dishonesty is defined as any attempt by a student or any attempt by an individual to aid a student, to gain an unfair advantage in any assessment by deception or fraudulent means.
  • Use Proper Referencing. References should be given in the form of Harvard references within the main text.
  • The minimum requirement per assignment is the final piece; however, to achieve higher grades, you must complete the “optional” tasks arranged in each week.
  • You will be marked according to your overall contribution, your influence on and cooperation within the established group transmedia storyworld/narrative, and the consistency of your contribution throughout the semester.
  • You are also expected to check your university email on a daily basis. University email is official correspondence, and it is how I will communicate with you outside of class.
  • Dissemination options for students’ work:
    • Creative Portfolio Assessment: Final Creative Work Must be submitted to the Official Creative Wiki for your year group.
    • Critical Essay Assessment: The essay will be posted as part of a Critical Wiki; as such, references will be hyperlinked, and you may incorporate discourse (and thus reference links) responding or referring to your classmates’ essays.
    • Group Assessment: Write and post A meta-element of the Creative Wiki and An editorial commentary on the Critical Wiki.