Artifacts and their affordances (seminar with workshop) 2500-EN-COG-F-37
The aim of the course is to prepare participants for a theoretically grounded analysis of the interactions we make with the tangible objects around us. What are their characteristics that make us know what they are used for? How is it possible that we are able to use objects we see for the first time? What role does culture play in the way we use objects? We will use the concept of affordances as an explanatory theory. We will test the extent to which it helps us understand the things around us and the cultural meaning we give to them during everyday interactions. Each class is divided into two parts: a) a workshop, during which we will subject the assumptions of a particular object to reconstruction, treating it as a cultural artifact, b) a theoretical one, the aim of which is to link the conclusions of the workshop part with elements of theory regarding artifacts and their affordances.
Learning activities:
seminar (50%), workshop (30%), field research (20%)
Learning outcomes
Students will learn how to apply theoretical frameworks to the practical analysis of tangible objects, including theories of:
• affordances
• instruments and instrumentalization
• instrumented activity
• cognitive artifacts
• environment.
Assessment criteria
a) Assessment methods: homeworks, final projects
b) Components of the final grade and their weights (homeworks 30%, final project 70%)
c) Grading scale: over 50%: 3, over 60%: 3+, over 70%: 4,, over 80%: 4+, over 90%: 5
d) Requirements for retaking the assessment: project submitted on time
Attendance rules:
2 absences for a 30 hour course. It is also possible for students to complete additional work if they miss classes.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: