Main
Research
Publications
Teaching
CV
Blog Notes
Digital Photos
Other
University of Tampere    SIS/TRIM    www.unet.fi

Teaching activities

  • For the current teaching, see the curriculum of Information Studies and Interactive Media.

I have enjoyed combining research and teaching, and indeed seeing them as inseparable: all genuine research involves learning, and all engaging education should optimally resemble adventurous research expedition – to a local library if not beyond that.

I have been teaching both in classrooms as well as online, and think that both forms have their distinctive strengths and weaknesses. A combination of both, and informed blending of various learning cultures with a moderate use of new and old technology is often the most advantageous way to go.

I have hold classes and lectures in a range of institutions and on broad range of topics. In literary studies I have taught modern fantasy, horror, science fiction and often discussed the role of technology in our Western culture. For several years I was teaching creative writing to children in Viita-Akatemia, a prestigious writers' school in Tampere.

Hypermedia is what new media and digital culture is called in the University of Tampere. I have been working in the department, then school, next faculty (currently named "School of Information Sciences", SIS) from 2001, and taught on various topics, including Introduction to Digital Culture, Digital Communities, Digital Games, the Methodology Workshop and the Research Seminar, Theories and Approaches of Interactive Media. A research seminar (PhD & MA level) of Game Studies is one of the key elements among these. There is now also a full degree study path available in game studies and interactive media research in the University of Tampere.

Since 2003 I have been involved in multiple initiatives to establish Game Studies as an option in academic education. We developed the Master's Course in Digital Games Research and Design in 2004–2005, as well as a series of Finnish language game studies courses for Hypermedia and different educational projects in the following years. A series of guest lectures and game design research oriented workshops formed the backbone of Games and Storytelling, a three-year long project that we implemented with Helsinki University of Art and Design, Nokia and Veikkaus (2003–2007). More about the history of game studies in the University of Tampere can be read from the UTA Game Research Lab web pages

  • The most detailed listing of my lectures and other teaching activities is in my CV.

latest update: 06.05.2016

(cc) Frans Mäyrä, frans.mayra{at}uta.fi, University of Tampere, Finland