IST335: Multimedia Systems and Application
Development
Course Syllabus
Fall 2002, TR 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM, Prichard Hall 200
Instructor |
: Brian M. Morgan |
Office |
: Prichard
Hall 212 |
Phone Number |
: (304) 696-6469 |
Fax Number |
: (304) 696-6533 |
Office Hours |
: MWF: T, R:
T: |
E-Mail |
Textbooks:
The following textbook is required for the course:
Foundation Flash MX, by Besley, Bhangal, and Farr; friends of ED; ISBN: 1-903450-10-1, 2002.
Computer
Requirements:
Supplemental materials can be found contained within the WebCT environment (http://webct.marshall.edu/). I will be sending class announcements,
updates, etc. using your WebCT account (will cover during the first lecture for
those who have never used it). Access to
a WWW browser is required (Netscape 4.5 or higher or Internet Explorer 5.5 or
higher) and Adobe Acrobat Reader (available for download through the course’s
WebCT site). You will also be required
to obtain a copy of Macromedia Flash MX for application development
projects. This software can be obtained on
a free trial basis from http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/download/.
Course
Description:
This course provides
students the opportunity to learn about computer-based multimedia, multimedia
literacy, and major concepts of multimedia including the why, development,
uses, elements, issues, and tools used to create multimedia applications.
Credit:
The course is three (3) credit hours. It includes classroom
lectures, presentations, exams, and projects. Students will participate in
projects that illustrate the implementation of concepts in general
applications.
Pre/co-requisites:
NONE
Desired Objectives/Outcomes:
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
-
Discuss
problems and solutions related to the delivery of multimedia, such as
portability and accessibility
-
Discuss
and evaluate different models of multimedia presentations, including graphics,
animations, and digital video;
-
Design
a multimedia system taking into account implications of interactivity
-
Explain
the techniques and difficulties associated with the digital representation of
multimedia information
-
Discuss
hardware and techniques used to capture and edit various forms of media for
insertion within a multimedia system
-
Discuss
the limitations (and solutions) imposed if a distributed multimedia system
operates over a network such as the Internet
Instruction method:
There will be 3 contact hours of classroom lecture per week. Projects covering
the major topics are part of the course.
Students may work on their assignments in Prichard Hall 200 where the
full version of Macromedia Flash MX is installed.
Evaluation method:
Evaluation of student's performance will be based on the quality of your
performance on projects, presentations, and exams.
Grading Policy:
Midterm Exam |
25% |
Final Exam |
20% |
Semester Flash Project |
40% |
Class Presentations |
15% |
Assessment
of Projects:
The
grading of all projects will take into account the following:
1.
Although the most important attribute of a program is
correctness, grading will take into consideration efficiency, documentation,
etc.
2.
Although interactions with other students are
encouraged, you must compose your own answers, unless otherwise noted.
Individuals
who utilize other people’s thoughts or ideas must provide appropriate
references to said resources. Failure to
provide such documentation will result in a failing grade for the assignment,
and may result in a failing grade for the course.
In
determining the overall grade for a project, you can expect the following
grades based on performance:
A –
Excellent work that meets and/or exceeds all of the requirements for the
project, the project is well-documented and completed efficiently.
B – Good
work that meets all of the requirements of the project, but may have errors in
documentation or contains errors in logic.
C –
Average work that meets all of the requirements of the assignment, but is
missing one or more of the items in its entirety that is mentioned in terms of
an A grade.
D – Below
average work which fails to meet one or more of the requirements of the
assignment.
F –
Unacceptable work which fails to meet two or more requirements for the project.
Final letter grades
are determined based on the following grading scale, or on the basis of an acceptable
contract made between the individual student and the instructor on the first
day of class:
90-100% |
A |
80-89% |
B |
70-79% |
C |
60-69% |
D |
Below 60 |
F |
The instructor reserves the right to change these values depending on the overall class performance and/or extenuating circumstances.
Policy Statement:
Assignments and Project: The course includes a number of programming
projects. All assignments are due BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS on their due
date and must be submitted through the WebCT Dropbox. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Exams:
There are two exams: The first will come during Week 7 and cover
material from the discussions on multimedia concepts. The second is your comprehensive Final exam
(as scheduled). Exact dates and times of exams will be announced in class. Anyone with an overall score of 95% or above
heading into the final exam will be exempt from that exam.
Make-up Exams and Late Penalty: Make‑up exams
will not be given except under unusual circumstances and
satisfactory written justification. Any
student who misses an exam due to an unexcused absence will receive a grade of
zero for that exam with no opportunity for make-up or substitution. University excused absences or those
occurring with a good reason (and that reason must be given prior to missing
the exam – call and leave a message if you have to) will be excused. Make up exams must be taken within one week
of the original scheduled date. The decision whether to give a make up exam rests with the
instructor.
Attendance Statement:
As with last semester, I am NOT making class attendance mandatory. However, I will keep a record of who is
attending and who is not, easily done with pencil and paper. If you miss class, it is your responsibility
to catch up on material missed, and will not be the responsibility of the
instructor to catch you up on material missed during my office hours.
Withdrawal Policy:
The University withdrawal policy is followed in this course.
The last day to drop an individual course for the Fall
of 2002 is
University Holidays:
The class is officially dismissed on the following dates:
Thanksgiving
Topics and Methodology:
The following outline delineates the tentative class schedule with topics to be
addressed during the course. Please
note this is a tentative schedule and it may change upon class progress:
August 27 |
Overview of Course and Syllabus |
August 29 |
Intro to Multimedia, Enabling Technologies |
September 3 |
Computer Graphics |
September 5 |
Colors and Fonts |
September 10 |
Layout & Light CSS |
September 12 |
Student Presentation Day |
September 17 |
Computer Video |
September 19 |
Computer Animation |
September 24 |
Computer Sound |
September 26 |
Combining Media, Scripting |
October 1 |
Student Presentation Day |
October 3 |
Review for Midterm Exam |
October 8 |
Midterm Exam |
October 10 |
Flash MX Chapter 1 |
October 15 |
Flash MX Chapter 2 |
October 17 |
Flash MX Chapter 3 |
October 22 |
Flash MX Chapter 4 Semester Project Deliverable #1 Due |
October 24 |
Flash MX Chapter 5 |
October 29 |
Flash MX Chapter 6 |
October 31 |
Flash MX Chapter 7 |
November 5 |
Flash MX Chapter 8 |
November 7 |
Flash MX Chapter 9 |
November 12 |
Flash MX Chapter 10 |
November 14 |
Flash MX Chapter 11 |
November 19 |
Flash MX Chapter 12 |
November 21 |
Flash MX Chapter 13 |
November 26 |
Flash MX Chapter 14 |
December 3 |
Time to work on Semester Project |
December 5 |
Dead Week - Review for the Final Semester Project Deliverable #2 Due |
December 10 |
Final Exam |
For each topic
discussed in the textbook, specific experience of other students and the
instructor will be discussed to enhance the characteristics involved. Hands-on projects involving multimedia
application development with Flash will be based on either real-world or
fictitious needs. Additional material
may also be covered in the class.
Every student is
responsible for all materials presented in class, including lectures, notes,
and handouts. In case you are not
present for a class, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor and
receive information about the material presented in that class. Class attendance is very important.
Effort Required:
As a 300-level course, a considerable amount of work and research effort is
required of the student. For every one
hour in class, the student is expected to put in an effort of at least 3 hours
outside the class for studying and completing assignments and projects. Upon background and preparedness, some
students may have to put in additional effort.
Communication:
The Bulletin Board facility of WebCT and private E-mail will be used to make
any general announcements, last minute changes, etc. It is mandatory that you monitor your WebCT
course messages at least once a day.