Knowledge Media Design

Knowledge Media Design: Introduction

Lead Faculty of the Collaborative Specialization

Information

Participating Degree Programs

Architecture — MArch
Computer Science — MSc, PhD
Curriculum and Pedagogy — MA, MEd, PhD
Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies — MA, PhD
Information — MI, PhD
Landscape Architecture — MLA
Language and Literacies Education — MA, MEd, PhD
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering — MASc, MEng, PhD
Medical Science — MSc, PhD
Museum Studies — MMSt
Religion — MA, PhD
Urban Design — MUD

Overview

The Collaborative Specialization in Knowledge Media Design (KMD) was launched in 2002 as the teaching arm of the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI). KMD provides a specialization for graduate students from a variety of academic backgrounds to engage in the design, prototyping, evaluation, and use of knowledge media. In keeping with KMDI's human-centred approach, students explore the design and use of new media in the context of real-world practices of individuals and communities. Access to an intensely collaborative and cross-disciplinary faculty encourages students to take a broader view of technological and social change and to be constructively critical of technological utopian and dystopian visions alike. The goal is for students to take into account heritage and history, to understand the realities of today, and to design for tomorrow.

Students have access to a community of scholars and the network of relationships that the institute coordinates. They gain first-hand experience of a living network of innovation, an environment in which the resources are people and knowledge, and the social capital and value that are generated through collaboration.

The collaborative specialization is open to master's and PhD students in the participating graduate programs listed above. Upon successful completion of the degree requirements of the participating home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization, students will receive the notation “Completed Collaborative Specialization in Knowledge Media Design” on their transcript.

Contact and Address

Web: kmdi.utoronto.ca
Email: admin.kmdi@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-5634

Collaborative Specialization in Knowledge Media Design
Knowledge Media Design Institute, University of Toronto
Faculty of Information
John P. Robarts Library Building, 7023A
130 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
Canada

Mailing address:
Faculty of Information
Knowledge Media Design Institute
University of Toronto
140 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3G6
Canada

Knowledge Media Design: Master's Level

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Students wanting to apply to the collaborative specialization must be enrolled, or anticipate being enrolled, in a participating degree program. They must apply separately to the collaborative specialization and the home graduate unit.

  • Please consult the KMDI website for application guidelines. Admission will be subject to the approval of the graduate unit concerned and the collaborative specialization committee.

Completion Requirements

Master of Applied Science in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MEng Project Option);
Master of Architecture;
Master of Arts in Curriculum and Pedagogy;
Master of Arts in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies;
Master of Arts in Language and Literacies Education;
Master of Arts in Religion;
Master of Landscape Architecture;
Master of Museum Studies;
Master of Science in Computer Science;
Master of Science in Medical Science;
Master of Urban Design

  • Students must meet all the requirements of their home program.

  • Students must successfully complete a total of 1.0 full-course equivalent (FCE):

    • KMD1001H Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design.

    • 0.5 elective FCE related to knowledge media and design. Courses are subject to availability.

  • Students must attend two KMDI Speaker Series Lectures during one academic year of their degree program. Attendance will be monitored and appear on the transcript as KMD2100Y Master's Seminar.

  • The thesis or major research project in the participating degree program should be relevant to the area of knowledge media design, as approved by the home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization committee.

  • Students must submit a portfolio that includes completed student coursework and research in knowledge media design. The collaborative specialization committee will review all portfolios for their quality and contribution to the area of knowledge media design. Students' thesis or major research project will be a component of their portfolios.

  • Collaborative specialization courses may be taken as electives for the purpose of satisfying home program requirements.


Master of Education in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development;
Master of Education in Language and Literacies Education;
Master of Engineering in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (Coursework-Only Option)

  • Students must meet all the requirements of their home program.

  • Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs):

    • KMD1001H Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design.

    • 1.0 elective FCE related to knowledge media and design. Courses are subject to availability.

  • Students must attend two KMDI Speaker Series Lectures during one academic year of their degree program. Attendance will be monitored and appear on the transcript as KMD2100Y Master's Seminar.

  • Students must submit a portfolio that includes completed student coursework in knowledge media design. The collaborative specialization committee will review all portfolios for their quality and contribution to the area of knowledge media design.

  • Collaborative specialization courses may be taken as electives for the purpose of satisfying home program requirements.


Master of Information (Coursework-Only Option)

  • Students must meet all the requirements of their home program.

  • Students must successfully complete a total of 2.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs):

    • KMD1001H Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design.

    • 2.0 elective FCEs related to knowledge media and design. Courses are subject to availability.

  • Students must attend two KMDI Speaker Series Lectures during one academic year of their degree program. Attendance will be monitored and appear on the transcript as KMD2100Y Master's Seminar.

  • Students must submit a portfolio that includes completed student coursework in knowledge media design. The collaborative specialization committee will review all portfolios for their quality and contribution to the area of knowledge media design.

  • Collaborative specialization courses may be taken as electives for the purpose of satisfying home program requirements.


Master of Information (Thesis Option)

  • Students must meet all the requirements of their home program.

  • Students must successfully complete a total of 1.0 full-course equivalent (FCE):

    • KMD1001H Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design;

    • 0.5 elective FCE related to knowledge media and design. Courses are subject to availability.

  • Students must attend two KMDI Speaker Series Lectures during one academic year of their degree program. Attendance will be monitored and appear on the transcript as KMD2100Y Master's Seminar.

  • Students must submit a portfolio that includes completed student coursework and research in knowledge media design. The collaborative specialization committee will review all portfolios for their quality and contribution to the area of knowledge media design. Students' thesis will be a component of their portfolios.

  • The thesis in the participating degree program should be relevant to the area of knowledge media design, as approved by the home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization committee.

  • Collaborative specialization courses may be taken as electives for the purpose of satisfying home program requirements.

Mode of Delivery: In person

 

Knowledge Media Design: Doctoral Level

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Students wanting to apply to the collaborative specialization must be enrolled, or anticipate being enrolled, in a participating degree program. They must apply separately to the collaborative specialization and the home graduate unit.

  • Please consult the KMDI website for application guidelines. Admission will be subject to the approval of the graduate unit concerned and the collaborative specialization committee.

Completion Requirements

  • Students must meet all the requirements of their home program.

  • Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs):

    • KMD1001H Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design and KMD1002H Applications in Knowledge Media, if not already taken in the master's program, and

    • 0.5 FCE from the KMD series or a list of recognized affiliate courses.

  • Students must attend four KMDI Speaker Series Lectures during one academic year of their degree program. Attendance will be monitored and appear on the transcript as KMD2200Y Doctoral Seminar.

  • Students must submit a portfolio that includes completed student coursework and research in knowledge media design. The collaborative specialization committee will review all portfolios for their quality and contribution to the area of knowledge media design. Students' portfolios will most often be connected with one or more chapters of their dissertation.

  • The dissertation topic must be in the area of knowledge media design. The thesis advisor and at least one other committee member must be from participating graduate units.

  • The home graduate unit and the student's supervising committee will determine further requirements. The participating graduate units cooperate in jointly developing a program that is tailored to meet the needs of each student.

Mode of Delivery: In person

 

Knowledge Media Design: Courses

For courses offered in a particular year, check the Knowledge Media Design website.

Knowledge Media Design

Required

Course CodeCourse Title
Theory and Methods in Knowledge Media Design
(Required for master's and PhD students.)
Applications in Knowledge Media
(Credit/No Credit. Required for PhD students only; elective for master's students. Offered once every two years.)
Master's Seminar (Credit/No Credit)
Doctoral Seminar (Credit/No Credit)

Electives

Course CodeCourse Title
Technologies for Knowledge Media
Readings in Knowledge Media Design

Participating Graduate Unit Electives

Not all courses are offered every year. Please consult the KMD website for a full list of eligible electives that meet the KMD collaborative specialization requirements. Courses that are mandatory for a student's degree from the home graduate unit cannot normally be counted. Some of the elective courses may require a significant amount of background knowledge and experience. Enrolment in such courses may require the permission of the instructor.

Architecture; Landscape Architecture; Urban Design; Visual Studies

Course CodeCourse Title
Visual Communication 1
Visual Communication 2
History, Theory, Criticism 1
History, Theory, Criticism 2
The History of Toronto Urban Form
Introduction to Urban Design Theory and Practice
Contemporary Art Since 1960
Contemporary Art: Theory and Criticism
Paradigmatic Exhibitions: History, Theory, Criticism

Computer Science

Course CodeCourse Title
Human-Computer Interaction
HCI: Topics in Ubiquitous Computing
Information Visualization
Topics in Computational Social Science
Algorithms for Collective Decision Making
Systems Thinking for Global Problems

Curriculum and Pedagogy; Language and Literacies Education

Course CodeCourse Title
CTL1602HIntroduction to Computers in Education
CTL1608HThe Design of Online Environments: Theory and Practice
CTL1609HPerspectives on the Development of Computer-Mediated Communication in Education
CTL1617HSocial Media and Education
Knowledge Media and Learning

Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies

Course CodeCourse Title
Topics in Theatre, Drama, and Performance
DRA3908HTopics in Theatre, Drama, and Performance

Information

Course CodeCourse Title
INF1602HFundamentals of User Experience
Digital Preservation and Curation
User-Centred Information Systems Development
Information Architecture
User Interface Design
Representing UX
INF2197HSpecial Topics in Information
(Topics may vary each year and may not be applicable.)
Critical Making: Information Studies, Social Values, and Physical Computing
Studying Information and Knowledge Practice
Critical Histories of Information and Communication Technologies
Special Topics in Information
(Topics may vary each year and may not be applicable.)
INF2303HSpecial Topics in Information
(Topics may vary each year and may not be applicable.)
Special Topics in Information
(Topics may vary each year and may not be applicable.)
INF2320HRemix Culture
Information Ethnography
The Future of the Book

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Course CodeCourse Title
Human Factors Engineering
Experimental Methods in Human Factors Research

Museum Studies

Course CodeCourse Title
Curatorial Practice
Museums and New Media Practice
Interpretation and Meaning Making in Museums