Visual Thinking / Visual Computing

Anne Morgen Spalter, Andries van Dam

Computer Graphics Group, Brown University

email: ams[at]cs.brown.edu, avd[at]cs.brown.edu

homepage of authors: http://www.cs.brown.edu/people/ams/, http://www.cs.brown.edu/people/avd/

homepage of course: http://www.cs.brown.edu/courses/cs024/

• Title of course: Visual Thinking / Visual Computing

• Aimed at what category of students: various disciplines

• Educators: Computer Science, Computer Art, Applied Mathematics, Guest lectures from Art technology and animation

• Objectives of the course:

  • "Visual Thinking/ Visual Computing" is an interdisciplinary course designed to provide a systematic grounding in both technical and theoretical areas of visual research and communication, with a focus on the key role of computer graphics. Basic technical issues such as types of data representation, rendering strategies, and the use of 2D vs. 3D will be presented, as well as cognitive science theories of visual thinking, visual culture studies, and ideas, examples, and projects from the worlds of art and literature. Course presentations will include guest lecturers from different areas of academia and industry in which computer-based visual thinking has changed day-to-day work life. Such guest lecturers will include University faculty as well as thought-leaders in computer graphics (such as Jaron Lanier), computer art, and other relevant fields.

• List topics of course:

  • Week 1: Visual History and Theory
  • Week 2: Visual History and Theory, Overview of Research Methods
  • Week 3: Theory: Looking and Reading Visual Materials, Making of Shrek 2
  • Week 4: Perception
  • Week 5: Perception
  • Week 6: 2D Computer Graphics Concepts
  • Week 7: 3D Computer Graphics Concepts
  • Week 8: Technologie and Art in Hollywood
  • Week 9: The Computer in Fine Arts, The RISD Digital Media Program
  • Week 10: Medical Scientific Visualization
  • Week 11: Motion from Optical Flow
  • Week 12: Color, Visual Communication

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