Methods lens-based
The Reading, Writing, and Research Methodologies Seminar is tailored towards (further) developing research methods within the first year of this master. By establishing a solid foundation of research skills, it will eventually prepare students for their Graduate research in the second year. Through reading core theoretical texts, they will establish a common vocabulary and set of references to work from. They will learn the practice of classic ‘essayistic methodologies’, including close reading, annotation, description and notation, students learn to survey a body of literature, filter what is relevant to their research and create comparative pieces of analysis. The seminar helps students to establish methodical drafting processes for their texts, where they can develop ideas further and structure their use of notes and references. The course takes as axiomatic that the perceived division between ‘practice’ and ‘theory’ is essentially an illusion.
Curriculum: The seminar will involve:
(a.) Identifying the object of your research: description and analysis of your work
(b.) Contextualizing your work through description and reflection on contemporary and historical practices.
(c.) Identify research material key to your practice.
(d.) Synopsis and annotation of key texts
(e.) Writing machines: creating methods for group and individual writing.
Throughout, there will be an emphasis on working collectively, whether in a larger discussion group or in smaller reading and writing groups.
Editing Reading, Writing & Research Methodologies - handbook information
Outcomes of the seminar
There are THREE specific outcomes to the Reading, Writing and Research Seminar.
1) TEXT ON PRACTICE (TRIM 2): The first specific outcome for the RW&RM seminar of 2023-24 will be a 1500 word text which reflects on your own practice and situates your work in relation to a broader artistic and cultural context. The various texts produced within the RW&RM seminar in TRIM 1 and TRIM 2 will serve as source material for your text on practice. In common with all modules on the course RW&RM serves to support your self-directed research. The text on practice will provide the basis for your Graduate Project Proposal that you will produce in TRIM 4.
Text on Practice outline 2019-2020
2) OUTLINE FOR A PROJECT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE MADE (TRIM 3):The second specific outcome is an outline for a project that may or may not be made. This is a speculative document which prepares us for writing the Graduate Project Proposal in TRIM 4.
PROJECT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GET MADE
3) RAPID PROTOTYPE DIRECTORY (TRIM 3): The third specific outcome of the seminar is the Rapid Prototype Directory. This is is built by everyone in the RW&RM class; it is a repository of 'hacks', 'scratches' and 'rapid prototypes'. RPD is a directory of directives which may or may not be executed; a directory of instructions which are used by the group to generate work and texts.
Session one 13 Sept
Session One
TODAY' S OUTCOME: descriptions of work
11:00am -12pm
Intro Natasha Soobramanien and Steve Rushton in the large project space:
General intro to the methods sessions how they fit into the two year programme and outline of the day.
TODAY'S PAD https://pad.xpub.nl/p/MethodsLB23_24Sesh1
Outline of today's session.
12:00-13:00
Describe three of your works/ projects
For each work describe
What (200 words max)
How (200 words max)
Why (200 words max)
600 word description of three works = 1800 words (max)
13:00
LUNCH
14:00
Meet as a group
For groups of three
Read each other's texts
Readers: give feedback (what were you given to understand by the text? how can it be improved to make it clearer?).
Spend no more than 10 MINUTES giving feedback on each text
Writer: REMAIN SILENT, do not try to defend the text, concentrate on what the text is actually communicating to your readers.
writer: Make notes of your reader's comments
14:30
Make changes to your draft. (Keep original version below edited version)
UPLOAD ON TO THIS PAD
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/MethodsLB23_24Sesh1
15:00
Choose another piece of work and repeat exercise
What (200 words max)
How (200 words max)
Why (200 words max)
15:30
Meet in groups of three
Read each other's texts
Readers: give feedback (what were you given to understand by the text? how can it be improved to make it clearer?).
Spend no more than 10 MINUTES giving feedback on each text
Writer: REMAIN SILENT, do not try to defend the text, concentrate on what the text is actually communicating to your readers.
16:00
Make changes to your draft. (Keep original version below edited version) UPLOAD ON THE PAD
16:30
Round up and discuss
Session two
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Steve Rushton Session Two: Reviewing self-directed research
OUTCOMES:
1) making a wiki page
2) Interview
3) edits to current and previous texts
TODAY'S AGENDA
11:00-11:30 Organising our methods wiki pages. Putting the text we made in the first session on the wiki. Organising METHODS - THEMATIC PROJECTS and SELF-DIRECTED RESEARCH
11:30 today's workshop
Interviewing each other: a interviews b; b interviews a
11:30 work on this pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LBLensBasedSeshTwo22
Interview about your self-directed research. (Your current work).
Stage 1
30 mins:
a interviews b
a asks:
What are you making?
Why are you making it?
How does it relate to other things you have done?
How is it different to other things you have done?
What are the most significant choices have you made recently?
Throughout this exchange a takes notes on the pad
Stage 2
30 mins:
b interviews a What are you making?
Why are you making it?
Does to relate to other things you have done?
How is it different to other things you have done?
What are the most significant choices have you made recently?
Throughout this exchange b takes notes on the pad or makes a 'speech to text' recording of the exchange.
Stage 3
60 mins
A HANDS THE TEXT OVER TO B and B EDITS THE TEXT A HAS STARTED; elaborating on the points they have made in the interview
13:00 LUNCH
14:00
Stage 4:
14:00-15:30
1) Continue to edit today's text
2) return to groups of 2 (a & b).
Read each other's text;
a) ask questions about it
b) answers those questions in the text
15:30 review progress as a group.
Check list:
Make wiki page
upload texts from session two
Make space for all aspects of the course = methods; reading and writing; thematic projects; notes; toolbox sessions &c. have a section, so your page looks something like this:
other stuff
Use remaining time to tie the above loose ends and finish for the day.
Session Three
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Steve Rushton
Outcome: a series of images (photo, videos), a scratch directory
Scratch orchestra.
Outcome: a photo-piece.
Also: Steve will meet for tutorials in your scratch groups. He will annotate what you read and write and talk about your ambitions for the next two years.
References:
Scratch Orchestra's Nature Study Notes (1969) http://intuitivemusic.dk/iima/sonsn.pdf
John Cage's Song Books Vol 1 (1970) https://monoskop.org/images/0/03/Cage_John_Song_Books_Volume_1.pdf
Pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LensBasedScratchNov2
Addition to small library: Eno: Oblique Strategies (card game)
https://monoskop.org/images/8/8c/Eno_Brian_Schmidt_Peter_Oblique_Strategies.pdf
Order of play
We start at 11:00. Please be prompt. 11:00 AM
1) Look at Nature Study Notes (1969) by Scratch Orchestra (ed.Cornelius Cardew) read out some of the instructions. Look at other examples. Talk about restraints as agents for making work (Dogma, Sol LeWitt &c).
2)
Write your own notations (instructions) Compile Scratch Directory (below).
In groups, invent, perform, make work from notations in the Scratch Directory (below). Over the day, we will use the directory as an 'engine' to produce images.
a) make work from your own scratches
b) make work from another group (so, we end up with different versions of the same piece = cover version).
12:00-13:00 write scratches, add them to the directory and make work from your own scratches.
Take no more than 10 mins to write and produce work from each scratch; move on to next scratch.
13:00- 13:10 meet to review progress and plan the afternoon
13:10 LUNCH
14:10 continue to write scratches, add to directory and make work from your own scratches; make work from other scratches (cover versions).
16:00 Gather together to review the pieces we have produced.
Discuss how to archive today's work.
Scratch Directory
Session Four Nov 22 2023
Session Five
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Steve Rushton
Outcome: Group annotation of work
Today's pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/methodsAnnotation30-11
To prepare for this weeks Methods session please bring along
1) a two minute video clip of your work
OR
2) an image of your work (photo or drawing for instance)
We will follow restraints which serve to generate text about our work in the
We will work in ANNOTATION TEAMS of THREE PEOPLE
Morning
11:00 Intro, Steve
11:10 Feeding the question generator
11:15 We look at the work together and make general annotations (what, how, why, choices)
13:15 LUNCH
Afternoon
14:15
Use template provided in AnnotationDirectory
Work in annotation groups of 3 (30 mins each work) to go into greater detail.
16:00 Review AnnotationDirectory together as big group
Previous note:
This week we will make a hybrid of the Scratch Directory session (with Steve)
and the session directed at mode of address (with Natasha)
https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/16NovMethods
Session Six
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Steve Rushton
AM Annotation Directory # 2
PM Text for EYE project
Today's pad:
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/methodsAnnotation30-11
Log lines pad
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/EyeLoglines
at 2:00
1) review progress on annotation directory
2) work as a group on TEXT FOR THE EYE.
Comprising
a.) a text about the project and
b.) a log line about your own work (two short sentences max)
Session Seven Jan 24 2024
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Natasha Soorbramanien
Outcome of session: First draft of text on practice
This session will be the first of four dedicated to producing your Text on Practice (deadline 8 March):
Text on Practice Session 1 (25 Jan): Producing a first draft (with Natasha)
Text on Practice Session 2 (8 Feb): Reviewing and redrafting your text (with Natasha)
Text on Practice Session 3 (22 Feb): Editing + tutorials (with Natasha)
Text on Practice Session 4 (8 March): Final read-through + line editing + upload (with Steve) – Deadline for Text on Practice EOD
In today's session we will cover:
- An introduction to the Text on Practice + outline
- Generating, gathering and writing material for your first draft
Full plan for the day:
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RWR%26M_Text_on_Practice_1
Session Eight Feb 7 2024
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Natasha Soorbramanien in the large project space
This is the 2nd of our 4 sessions dedicated to producing your Text on Practice (deadline 8 March):
Text on Practice Session 2: Reviewing and redrafting your text
Outcome: First draft + plan for second draft
Today's activities:
- Finish the writing process begun in session 1 and produce a full first draft of your Text on Practice
- Read and review one another's draft texts and share feedback
- Make a plan for your next drafts
Pad and full plan for the day:
https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RW%26RM_TOP2023_session_2
Previous session recap:
Text on Practice Session 1 (25 Jan): Producing a first draft (with Natasha) https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RWR%26M_Text_on_Practice_1
Next sessions:
Text on Practice Session 3 (22 Feb): Editing + tutorials (with Natasha)
Text on Practice Session 4 (8 March): Final read-through + line editing + upload (with Steve) – Deadline for Text on Practice EOD
Session Nine Feb 22 2024
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Natasha Soorbramanien in the aquarium
Text on Practice Session 3 of 4: Text on Practice (deadline 8 March)
Today's session: Redrafting/Editing + tutorials (with Natasha)
Outcome: Edited draft of Text on Practice / Plan for final draft
Pad and full plan for the day:https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RW%26RM_TOP2023_Session_3
Previous sessions:
Text on Practice Session 1 (25 Jan): Producing a first draft (with Natasha) https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RWR%26M_Text_on_Practice_1
Text on Practice Session 2 (8 Feb): Reviewing and redrafting your text https://pad.xpub.nl/p/LB1_RW%26RM_TOP2023_session_2
Session Ten
LB1 11:00 - 17:00 Reading, Writing and Research Methodologies with Steve Rushton
Deadline for Text on Practice:
https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Text_on_Practice_2023
(8 March): Final draft + line editing + upload (with Steve) – Deadline for Text on Practice EOD
Session Eleven
Scratch Directory Redo:
https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/ScratchDirectory
Session Twelve
Session Thirteen
Session Fourteen
The outline
Future project that MAY or MAY NOT be made
The outcome
PROJECT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GET MADE
Session Fifteen
This will be the last session. We will meet again at the GRS in Sept. This week: Review of the year (what was useful, what didn't work);Edit Project That May or May Not be Made; make scratches for Project That May or May Not; individual tutorials...
Note on wiki page being searched
Thanks to Michael M (Xpub) for this.
When you make a page, it's in the "Main" namespace by default.
Often these pages are personal and can better be "subpages" to your wiki homepage.
You can move an existing page with "Move"
Pick "User" instead of where it says "Main" (the namespace)
And give a name that starts with the students wiki user name followed by a slash and the pages name...
so like example:
There was a page:
(Main:) Dave Young - Related Keywords
And I move it to be a subpage of "Dave Young" (nb the slash):
(User:) Dave Young/Related Keywords
Then they also get a link to their user page... AND by default it's not in wiki search results.