Understanding the Image in the Digital Culture: The Quest for an Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Education

Presentation at the ED-MEDIA conference, Lugano, June 21-26, 2004

SDR Sistemas de Representación, is a pedagogic work which has been developed over the last five years at the Escola Tècnica i Superior d’Arquitectura La Salle. We have created a pedagogic methodology which integrates contents and methods with information technology in an innovative manner. The interdisciplinary nature of the course fits in with the nature of the technology. Visual communication, graphic design, art theory and computation, merge in a new conceptual framework that overcomes disciplinary boundaries. Ad-hoc web-based learning environments have been designed and implemented especially for this course, to support interdisciplinary and participatory thinking. The course is structured into six themes, each one dealing with a System of Representation: TEXT, FIGURE, IMAGE, OBJECT, SPACE and LIGHT. In this paper, we will focus on the content and methods of the theme IMAGE.