Sample courses

Here are short descriptions of some of my courses:

Visual Research Methods and Methodologies (20 contact hours, Sept. 2023, doctoral-level, University of Jyväskylä). The course introduces selected visual research methods and methodologies, relevant for qualitative studies in humanities, social and educational sciences. The key objective is to promote innovative, experimental, and ambitious research ideas that utilize images and visual imagery of various kinds and nature. The course starts with a discussion on what is ‘visual’ in visual research, what are our ways of seeing and interpreting, and how can we understand the look as a medium of images. Next, the course introduces the key principles of participatory visual methods. These are illustrated by examples from different fields and research contexts, aiming to inspire students to look for new innovative ways of working with images and visuality. Next, selected methods of analysis of found images, i.e., existing visual data are introduced along with hands-on activities in visual interpretation of photographs, drawings, advertisements, and many more. Finally, the course discusses ethics in visual research and issues related to the presentation and dissemination of visually informed research projects.

Visual Cultures and Technologies (25 contact hours, 2022, 2023, hybrid, Master-level, Tampere University) introduces histories of visual cultures and technologies, with the aim of providing students a better understanding of the variety of today’s visual media. It is based on related literature in visual studies and visual cultures, as well as close examinations of selected empirical cases. The course covers: introduction to visual culture studies (politics of representation, gender and visual cultures); photography and photographic seeing; introduction to visual interpretation; advertising, consumer culture and visual rhetorics; visual ethics. Students work on visual case studies in pairs/groups and reflect on the learning process, both in writing and through video reflection.

Visual Communication as a Way to Improve Working Life Skills (24h/5 days, 2021-online, 2022, 2023, co-teaching, University of Jyväskylä Summer School), intensive international online course, Bachelor-level. The course intends to strengthen the visual literacy skills of the participants and to help them navigate in the overwhelmingly visual contemporary life contexts. The skills that the students develop in this course will help them become strong visual communicators and powerful and intelligent visual consumers. Visual learning occurs via experience rather than solely through knowledge acquisition. Thus, this course is designed in a format of ongoing visual activities and collaborative feedback sessions, along with more theoretical introduction to visual culture studies, visual literacy, image interpretation, presentation of visuals and elements of visual ethics.

Successful Online Presentations (3 hours workshop, 2021, Language Campus Doctoral Spring School, University of Jyväskylä), online doctoral-level intensive training on how to succeed in scientific conference presentations, especially in virtual format.

Visual Research Methods (24 contact hours, 2016, 2018, 2019, University of Jyväskylä), MA-level course; developed both as an intensive summer school course (24h/5 days) and as semester-long course. The course covers introduction to visual culture studies, participatory visual methods and methods of interpretation of found images as well as aspects of visual ethics. During the course students conduct a small-scale visual research projects and participate in a number of visual interpretation activities. The course has been taught in collaboration with my colleague, Rasa Zakeviciute, from the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä.

Press Photography: Theory, Practice and Interpretation (24 contact hours, 2016, 2017 and 2018, University of Jyväskylä), one-week intensive course in the Summer School in Human Sciences. The course explores history, theory and practice of photography, especially in regard to photographs in the press and profession of photojournalist. Students work on three creative photographic assignments for their learning portfolio. Photographs are shared and used in the classroom activities. Students improve their photographic skills and critical visual thinking.

Visual Methods in Analysing Imagery (4 hours workshop, 2015 and 2016), overview of selected visual research methods; ethics in visual research; workshop in visual analysis.

Visual Literacy: Press Photography as a Medium (18 contact hours, 2012), developing students’ visual literacy skills; introduction to the history of photography and photojournalism; work of famous photographers and war correspondents; peer-evaluation of photographic assignments; two ‘movie evenings’. The final photographic assignment was exhibited at the Finnish Conference of Communication Research, 30-31 VIII 2012, University of Jyväskylä.

Press Photography as a Medium for Intercultural Communication (12 contact hours, 2011), introduction to press photography as a source for cultural studies research; lectures and group work based on analysis of photographs; students participated in online discussion about press photography at youthcoders.net/photo, a platform created in cooperation with Polish IT teachers.