Ethics and Contextual Practice
This course introduces students to the ethical, historical, and contextual foundations of creative media industries, including games, film and television production (both animated and live-action). Students explore how moving images and interactive entertainment have developed historically, from early visual technologies and art traditions to contemporary film and game theory, genres, and practices.
Alongside this historical perspective, the course highlights ethical challenges in the creative industries, covering industry practices (e.g. inclusion, diversity, labour, crowdfunding), content representation, user behaviour, and emerging issues such as AI, monetisation, and platform politics , with attention to sustainability and the international dimensions of creative industries..
Students also gain insight into how human perception and storytelling traditions shape media technologies, and how media in turn influence society. Emphasis is placed on developing critical awareness, approaches to respectful communication, and collaborative professional behaviour. Through lectures, discussions, case-based learning, and structured reflection, students learn to connect historical and theoretical knowledge with ethical reasoning and practical communication strategies.
Learning outcomes (E-LAER):
After completing the course, the student:
Knowledge
- can connect developments in global art history to the technologies and methods that underpin today’s moving images and digital games industries
- has knowledge of key ethical challenges in games, film/TV and animation productions
- can describe how ethics influence production, distribution, and consumption of creative content, including relevant ethical theories and practices
- has understanding of basic strategies for respectful communication, international collaboration and professional cooperation in creative and interdisciplinary settings
- has knowledge of the international history of moving images and digital games as part of a wider art and media history, focusing on the development of important film and game movements that have shaped our current ideas about what motion pictures and games can be, and situating them within inclusive and cross-cultural perspectives
- has knowledge of sustainability as a principle in creative media industries, including its ethical, social, and cultural dimensions
Skills
- can connect theoretical concepts and ideas such as form, style, and genre to practice
- can apply simple strategies for constructive dialogue and international cooperation in professional contexts
- can critically reflect on the ethical and societal implications of creative work and industry practices
- can draw on an understanding of human perception to create effective experiences across different technologies
- can apply ethical reasoning to sustainability challenges in creative production and distribution
- can reflect on personal values, historical influences, and biases in professional practice, and demonstrate contextual awareness in creative and professional industries
General competence
- can communicate the technical and creative concepts of motion pictures and interactive entertainment using appropriate vocabulary
- can communicate ethical and historical perspectives clearly across diverse, international audiences, both verbally and in writing
- can articulate the practical, social and ethical implications of storytelling through motion pictures and interactive entertainment in a range of contemporary and historical contexts, demonstrating awareness of how narratives influence collaboration, diversity, and representation
- can engage proactively in ethical decision-making and professional communication within collaborative and individual work, applying basic cooperation strategies suitable for international and cross-disciplinary teams
- can reflect on sustainability as a long-term consideration in professional and creative decision-making
The core of the course is taught jointly for students from Games and Entertainment Technology (SPO), Computer Generated Art and Animation (CGA), and Film and TV Production (FTV), with shared lectures, seminars, and discussions. In addition, parts of the course are organised separately within each programme, allowing students to apply ethical, historical, international and contextual perspectives directly to their own discipline.
Teaching methods include lectures, workshops, project-based tasks, guest lectures, and independent research. Attendance is expected for workshops and seminars due to the collaborative nature of the work.
Compound assessment (SV) Graded: A-F
Coursework (0/100):
- 5 Mandatory coursework (AK1) - approved/not approved
- 4 mandatory on-campus tests (AK2) - approved/not approved
Students must complete all mandatory activities before being eligible for the final examination.
Exam:
Portfolio (MA) (100 /100), Individual - consisting of 4 of the mandatory coursework.:
Students receive formative feedback on their coursework and submit a revised portfolio for final assessment.
Graded: A-F