GCO1821 Multimedia and Internet Computing , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)

Chief Examiner Dr. Gour C. Karmakar
Lecturers
Gippsland : Dr. Gour Karmakar
Malaysia : Mylini Munusamy
Outline

This unit will first define multimedia and survey multimedia applications, skills, and training as a background to the topics to follow. A taxonomy of multimedia objects will then be discussed both from technological and application points of view:

 

  • Text: printed, scanned, and electronic text.
  • Image bitmaps, vectored, clip arts, digitised pictures, natural light and colours, computerised colour, and colour palettes.
  • Sound human hearing mechanism, waveform audio, MIDI, and digital audio.
  • Video, human vision mechanism, difference between computer and television video, broadcast video standards, and digital video.

    •  

    A significant effort will then be made to acquaints students with and enable them to distinguish:

     

  • Hypermedia;
  • PC multimedia;
  • Virtual reality hardware.

    •  

    Elementary graphics and animation algorithms will be introduced to provide understanding of multimedia objects. The importance of communications in multimedia technology will then be covered. Finally, the students will be introduced to the Internet and some multimedia software tools to get in touch with real world multimedia applications.

    Objectives Knowledge and Understanding

    On completion of the unit, students will have:

    Knowledge of

    • The importance of multimedia technology, its applications, and skills-in-demand in the job market.
    • Comparative advantages and disadvantages of the different types of secondary storage, input, and output devices used in the production, delivery, and presentation of multimedia applications.
    • Different metrics, styles, usage of various fonts and typefaces and their appropriate usage according to the situation.
    • Scalable computer fonts and character sets.
    • Different colour models, technologies and techniques involved in displaying and printing colour images.
    • some virtual reality terminologies, technologies supporting virtual reality, and its applications.
    • Different types of software and tools involved at the various stages of creating computer animation and some basic techniques to make an animation more professional and realistic.
    • Various lossless and lossy image, audio, and video compression techniques.
    • Different analog and digital broadcast video standards, video recording formats, and the principles behind broadcasting and recording composite video signal.
    • General history and background of the Internet and the World Wide Web
    • Measurable quantities that constitute the quality of service requirement of an application running on the Internet.
    Understanding of
    • Interactive multimedia and its classification.
    • The stages involved in successfully completing a multimedia project.
    • Relationship of clock speed, memory hierarchy, bus structures, and data transmission types with the performance of multimedia and virtual reality personal computers.
    • The role of text in navigating interactive multimedia applications, hypertexting, animation, and symbols.
    • The physical properties of light, human perception of colour with the difference in additive and subtractive colours.
    • The strengths and limitations of bitmapped and structured graphics.
    • The difference among the basic methods of creating animation and some animation special effects.
    • The physical properties of sound, human perception of sound, and the process of digitising sound waveforms.
    • The difference between computer and television video and the SMPTE time coding scheme.
    • The Difference between circuit-switched and packet-switched networks, TCP/IP protocol and its limitations in handling streamed and real-time multimedia communications, and UDP and RTP protocols in serving streamed and real-time multimedia communications.
    • The process of internetworking and the purpose of domain names and IP addresses in the Internet and the bottleneck of end-user's connection bandwidth and some options to work within the constraints of this challenging bottleneck.

     

    Attitudes, Values and Beliefs

    On completion of the unit, students will have Attitude of

     

    • Appreciating the hardware, software, and peopleware involved in designing and delivering interactive multimedia applications from the scratch to the end-users.

     

    Practical Skills

    On completion of the unit, students will develop Practical skills in

     

    • Evaluating hardware components suitable for multimedia personal computers.
    • Writing basic HTML codes and publishing HTML files in the Internet.
    • Using a professional image editing software to create and edit images and animations through the application of many state-of-the-art 2D and 3D image processing techniques and filters.
    • Applying some sound editing operations and effects, commonly used in modern sound editing software, to create and edit digital audio.
    • Solving simple numerical problems on concepts and implementations covered.

     
    Prerequisites You should have knowledge of

    No tertiary prerequisites are required. Some basic familiarity with computers and general software may be helpful but is not essential.

    A non-computing student would have a lot to do before the start of the semester to catch up with other computing students. Students will need to master the use of the computer to support his/her study, and to understand how to conduct effective electronic communications. In this unit students will need to access the unit web site, read and post to newsgroups, search the library databases/catalogues and the Internet on-line, use image, sound, and video editing as well as word processing/text editing software to workout and document his/her assignments.

    ]

    Unit relationships GCO1821 is a core unit in the System Development of the major of the Bechalor of IT. There is no prerequisit. You should have knowledge of

    No tertiary prerequisites are required. Some basic familiarity with computers and general software may be helpful but is not essential.

    A non-computing student would have a lot to do before the start of the semester to catch up with other computing students. Students will need to master the use of the computer to support his/her study, and to understand how to conduct effective electronic communications. In this unit students will need to access the unit web site, read and post to newsgroups, search the library databases/catalogues and the Internet on-line, use image, sound, and video editing as well as word processing/text editing software to workout and document his/her assignments.

    ]. You may not study this unit and [enter the unit codes of the prohibited units] in your degree.
    Texts and software

    Required text(s)

    Textbook

  • Voughan, Tay. (2004). Multimedia Making It Work, Osborne McGraw-Hill, (6th edition).

    •  

    Other Recommended Readings

  • Adobe Premiere 5.0. (1998). Classroom in a Book, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Burger J. (1993). The Desktop Multimedia Bible, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
  • Capron H.L. (2000). Computers: Tools for an Information Age (6th edition), Prentice-Hall.
  • Chapman N. & Chapman J. (2000). Digital Multimedia, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Coorough C. (2001). Multimedia and the Web Creating Digital Excitement, Harcourt College Publishers.
  • Fenrich P. (1997). Practical Guideline for Creating Instructional Multimedia Applications, Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
  • Gigante M.A (1993). Virtual Reality Systems, Harcourt Brace & Company.
  • Halsall F. (2001). Multimedia Communications Applications, Networks, Protocols and Standards, Addison-Wesley.
  • Hofstetter F.T. (2001). Multimedia Literacy (3rd edition), McGraw-Hill.
  • Lozano J. (1997). Multimedia Sound & Video, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Miller D. (1996). Designing Web Animation, New Riders Publishing.
  • Parker C.S. (2000). Understanding Computers Today Tomorrow (2000 edition), Harcourt College Publisher.
  • Rosch W.L. (1995). The Winn L. Rosch Multimedia Bible (premier edition), SAMS Publishing.
  • Villamil-Casnova J. & Fernandez-Elias L. (1997). Multimedia Graphics, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Villamil-Casnova J. & Molina L. (1997). Multimedia Production, Planning and Delivery, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Wu C-H. & Irwin J.D. (1998). Emerging Multimedia Computer Communication, Prentice-Hall.

    •  

    Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

    Software requirements:

    GIMP 2.2.6 and Audacity 1.2.0-Pre-3 or their higher versions

    Software may be:

    • downloaded from http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ and http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

    Hardware requirements:

    Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to n hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

    Recommended reading

    Textbook

  • Voughan, Tay. (2004). Multimedia Making It Work, Osborne McGraw-Hill, (6th edition).

    •  

    Other Recommended Readings

  • Adobe Premiere 5.0. (1998). Classroom in a Book, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Burger J. (1993). The Desktop Multimedia Bible, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
  • Capron H.L. (2000). Computers: Tools for an Information Age (6th edition), Prentice-Hall.
  • Chapman N. & Chapman J. (2000). Digital Multimedia, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Coorough C. (2001). Multimedia and the Web Creating Digital Excitement, Harcourt College Publishers.
  • Fenrich P. (1997). Practical Guideline for Creating Instructional Multimedia Applications, Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
  • Gigante M.A (1993). Virtual Reality Systems, Harcourt Brace & Company.
  • Halsall F. (2001). Multimedia Communications Applications, Networks, Protocols and Standards, Addison-Wesley.
  • Hofstetter F.T. (2001). Multimedia Literacy (3rd edition), McGraw-Hill.
  • Lozano J. (1997). Multimedia Sound & Video, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Miller D. (1996). Designing Web Animation, New Riders Publishing.
  • Parker C.S. (2000). Understanding Computers Today Tomorrow (2000 edition), Harcourt College Publisher.
  • Rosch W.L. (1995). The Winn L. Rosch Multimedia Bible (premier edition), SAMS Publishing.
  • Villamil-Casnova J. & Fernandez-Elias L. (1997). Multimedia Graphics, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Villamil-Casnova J. & Molina L. (1997). Multimedia Production, Planning and Delivery, Macmillan Computer Publishing.
  • Wu C-H. & Irwin J.D. (1998). Emerging Multimedia Computer Communication, Prentice-Hall.

    •  
    Library access You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.
    Study resources

    Study resources for GCO1821 are:

    A printed Unit Book containing 9 Study Guides (100 pages) and a printed reader consisting of 242 pages have been sent.

    This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit

    A CD-ROM sent at the start of the year, with software required for all units

    The GCO1821 web site on GSIT online unit pages, where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.
    Structure and organisation

    Week

    Topics

    Study Guide

    Key Dates
    1 Introduction to multimedia 1
    2 Multimedia equipment - I 2
    3 Multimedia equipment - II 2
    4 Text 3 22.03.06
    5 Graphics - I 4
    6 Graphics - II 4
    7 Animation 5
    Non-teaching
    8 Audio 6 26.04.06
    9 Audio and Video 6 & 7
    10 Video 7
    11 Multimedia communications 8
    12 Multimedia and the Internet 9 24.05.06
    13 Revision
    Timetable

    The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
    Assessment

    Assessment for the unit consists of n assignments with a weighting of 40% and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.

    Assessment Policy

    To pass this unit you must:

    have to achieve at least 40% in both assignments and exam.

    Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

    Final mark = minimum (A + 10, E + 10, A * (1 - R) + E * R)

    where A = overall assignment percentage, E = exam percentage, and R = exam weighting (60% = 0.6).

    Assessment Requirements

    Assessment

    Due Date

    Weighting

    Assignment 1 22.03.06 4 %
    Assignment 2 26.04.06 20 %
    Assignment 3 24.05.06 16 %
    Examination 3 hour(s), closed book Exam period starts 5th June. 60 %

    Assignment specifications will be made available GCO1821 unit page at http://www.gscit.monash.edu.au/units/units.html. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.

    Assignment Submission Methods

    Assignments will be submitted by electronic submission through WebFace Assignment System at http://wfsubmit.cc.monash.edu.au/. The due date is the date by which the submission must be received.

    Extensions and late submissions

    Late submission of assignments

    An assignment must be submitted by the cut-off date, which is usually seven days after the due date. Any assignment submitted after the cut-off date will not be accepted by the WebFace system and therefore, it will be marked automatically to zero. Any assignment submitted after the due date will be penalised by 5% of the full marks for each 24 hours of delay.


    This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

    Extensions

    It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

    Requests for extensions must be made by email to the unit lecturer at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

    Grading of assessment

    Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

    HD High Distinction - very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
    In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
    D Distinction - high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
    In the 70-79% range.
    C Credit - sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
    In the 60-69% range.
    P Pass - acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
    In the 50-59% range.
    N Not satisfactory -  failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
    Below 50%.

    We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

    Feedback Feedback to you

    You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

    Feedback from you

    You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

    And if you are having problems

    It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

    Plagiarism and cheating

    Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

    In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

    When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

    Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

    Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

    Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.
    Communication

    Newsgroups of unit home page, email, telephone, on-campus consulations at the selected consulation hour or any selected time and at the end of tutoring.

    Notices

    Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

    Consultation Times

    Tuesday, 12:00-13:00, Room: 4N-228

    If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

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    All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.

    Last updated: Feb 27, 2006