What media practice does media studies teaching need? Practice seminars are an integral part of many curricula, but they are given varying degrees of care. With this research project, we are re-examining the artifical divide between media practice and media theory. We analyse existing approaches and develop new forms of teaching practical knowledge.

We approached the questions about the integration of practical teaching in media studies primarily from an empirical perspective. We first analysed the regulations and module handbooks of most study programs in Germany. In addition, we conducted 27 interviews with lecturers from different institutes in order to compare narratives and models of media practice with personal experiences. The results of this research were published in an article in addition to a prelude article in ZfM Vol. 29.

On site at the Institute for Media Studies in Bochum, we conducted research on the more than 20-year history of the media practice module. From the derived data, we created a visualisation that gives hints to the institutional dynamics of media practice, at least in Bochum. Through the visualisation, tendencies, continuities and fashions of media practice teaching become apparent. We'll make the compiled data and the underlying code openly available.

In addition to analysing previous and current models of media practice, another focus was on projecting our own approaches to teaching. Thus, over two semesters, we developed seven seminar types to familiarise students with how digital platforms change media practice and cultural production, how data and their mediation need to be considered critically, and how self-programmed interventions can be designed. The blueprints of the courses are available as Open Educational Resources.

The project was funded
from 2022 to 2023 by