This unit builds on the basic concepts from the second year first semester units by continuing an on-going studio based theme leading to an enhanced understanding of the multimedia development process and the tools and techniques used to manage and control it. This second studio concentrates on the development of multimedia related database applications and CD ROM authoring.
At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge of the multimedia development process, hardware and computer limitations in delivering cross platform products and the team working environment of multimedia developers. Knowledge of important concepts e.g., importance of research, planning, scheduling and team work to produce a product that is technically robust, aesthetically appealing,on time and within budget.
Students will be able to demonstrate advanced programming and graphic design skills applied from the tools and techniques learnt in the core units. The multimedia products will incorporate and exemplify an understanding of human cognition associated with interactive design and learning theory developed through research.
Objectives
Knowledge and Understanding
At the completion of this unit students will have knowledge of the multimedia development process, hardware and computer limitations in delivering cross platform products and the team working environment of multimedia developers. Knowledge of important concepts e.g., importance of research, planning, scheduling and team work. Mastery of the subject by implementation of the methodology and exemplification of professional standards of practice to produce a product that is technically robust, aesthetically appealing, reflects client needs, on time and within budget. Demonstrate advanced programming skills in Director or Flash and graphic design skills applied from the tools and techniques learnt in the core units. The multimedia products will incorporate and exemplify an understanding of human cognition associated with interactive design and learning theory developed through research. Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical information provided regarding project management - grasp meaning of necessary steps to ensure success. Knowledge of project management to ascertain client requirements, organisational ability, scheduling, costing and managing a team. Translate knowledge and apply it to the project undertaken and commence implementation of design concepts. Interpret facts through client meetings, research and understanding the ethical, financial and societal issues involved. Brainstorm concepts, plan, manage technical resources and time. Predict consequences of how the product will ultimately function through experimentation and testing file formats and preliminary product testing. Analysis of restrictions and opportunities such as location, suitability of Knowledge and Understanding
the nature of the multimedia system development process, and the tasks and management processes associated with it
the characteristics of computer hardware and software which are used in the development of multimedia systems espcially related to authoring
the working environment in which multimedia systems are developed and the tools and techniques which are used to manage the development process
the need for management and control of the multimedia development process and the contribution which management tools and techniques can make to this process
Attitudes, Values and Beliefs
a positive approach to teamwork, allowing them to work as part of a project team
Practical Skills
preparing a project plan for carrying out the development and implementation of a database based multimedia system or CD authored system
manipulating and integrating elements of computer hardware and software to develop a multimedia system
creatively combining and applying the tools and techniques learnt in the core units in the development of multimedia products and systems components
Relationships, Communication and TeamWork
through the group nature of this unit develop students communication skills, teamwork skills, leadership and management skills.
Prerequisites
Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed MMS2402 and MMS2801 and MMS1401 or equivalent.
Unit relationships
MMS2401 is a core unit in the Multimedia stream of the Bachelor of Multimedia degree.
It is a prerequisite for MMS3407. You may not study this unit and MMS2407, MMS2408, MMS2409, VSA3020 in your degree.
Texts and software
Required text(s)
There is no required textbook for this subject but it is expected that you utilise the library resources such as books, video, CDs, DVDs and undertake your own research.
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
Software requirements:
Software relating to this subject may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs.
Textbook availability
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
A broad range of text books relating to this subject are also held at Berwick library.
Software requirements
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Adobe Illustrator CS2
Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5
Adobe After Effectcts 6.5 Pro
Final Cut Pro HD
Adobe Audition
Macromedia Flash 8
Macromedia Director MX2004
Garage Band 3
Roxio Toast Titanium 5.2
Software relating to this subject may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs.
Software may be:
purchased at academic price at good software retailers
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 12 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.
Recommended reading
There are no required texts. Individuals may need to purchase texts relating to thier specific project
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 MMS2408 are:
The MMS2401 web site on MUSO where slides, information and assignment specifications will be posted
The computer resources are available from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. each day. After hours access and Saturdays are only available if you apply for it through Technical Services. Approval to gain access takes two weeks to complete
Structure and organisation
Week
Topics
References/Readings
1
Unit overview and expectations
2
Writing project proposals
3
imaging for CD and web
4
copyright and persmission
5
target audience & user affordance
Product proposal due
6
compression issues
7
audio compression & codecs
First process diary due
8
cross platforming issues
9
data management
10
File systems, hybrid CDs
Non teaching week
11
final testing/troublesooting
12
Presentations - aims and expectations
Final product due, 2nd Process diary due
13
Presentations
Presentations
Timetable
The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
Assessment
Assessment weighting
Group assignments will contribute 60% toward your final result. Individual assignments will contribute 40% towards your overall grade.
Broken down as follows:
Group Assessment 1
Group documentation outlining a database or CD ROM Authoring Project for the semester.
20% Due 5PM, week 5, 14/8/06
Group Assessment 2
Development of a major database or CD ROM authoring project.
30% Due 5 PM week 12 9/10/06
Group Assessment 3 A Group presentation to the class demonstrating the major database or CD ROM authoring project and discussing any changes to the initial concept.
10% Due Week 13, Presentation times to be advised
Individual Assessment 1 First process diary
Individual Assessment 1 Individual Process Diary including roles, tasks and hours undertaken by each student and a report detailing research on a specific technical issue or production process or aspect of theory related to the project.
20% Due 5PM week 7 28/8/06
Individual Assessment 2 Individual process diary recording ongoing research into external sources and referencing of relevant material, and roles, tasks and hours undertaken including research, coding, content creation, media manipulation, media optimisation, etc.
20% Due 5PM week 12 9/10/06
Assessment Policy
To pass this unit you must:
satisfy attendance requirements and satisfactorily complete assessment tasks.
To be eligible to pass and maintain your enrolment in MMS2401 you must attend 80% of your studio sessions. If you are absent for more than two studio sessions you must supply a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation otherwise you will be excluded from the unit. If you are finding problems with this requirement please ensure you speak to your unit adviser as early as possible.
Due to the nature of group work in Studio, it is expected that all students will attend 100% of classes.
This unit, like all Monash units, is built on the assumption that you will spend twelve hours a week attending Studio and working on your assignments. PLEASE READ THIS POINT CAREFULLY – TWELVE (12) HOURS PER WEEK IS REQUIRED for success in this unit, attendance at Studio without any work outside of this allocated class time will not be sufficient. You should ensure that you can make this commitment before you embark on this subjetct
There will be one four-hour Studio each week. To get the most out of Studio you should make sure you have with you a copy of the project you are working on with you.
Responsibility for student work
Students should note that they are, at all times, responsible for their work. All relevant material should be backed up on a regular basis to CD, DVD or Flash disks. The university has CD & DVD burners in the computer labs and blank CDs/DVDs may be purchased through the on campus bookstore. Loss of assignment work due to hardware failure, virus or theft will not be accepted as reasons for late or non-submission of work. Students must hold an exact copy of all work which they submit for assessment, this copy should be held until your final result for the unit is released.
Assessment proceedures for a non – performing team member If the unit assessor, or one or more team members, becomes concerned regarding the contribution of one or more members of a group then the unit assessor will determine ,using the project documentation ,examination of Visual Process diaries and discussion with the students concerned whether the student or students are making an equitable contribution to the work of the group.
If it is determined that the student or students are not making an equitable Contribution to the work of the group they may be deemed to be a non-performing team member.
In the event of this determination being made the group component of their assessment will be multiplied by a factor of up to 0.5 to arrive at a raw score
Your score for the unit will be calculated by:
adding all the individual components
General
This subject will be graded using a Norm Referencing system. Normally I would expect approximately 5% to 10% of the class to reach the highest standards and be awarded a High Distinction and approximately 10% to 20% to be awarded a Distinction. Detailed assessment criteria are given to guide your activities and to indicate where your assignment work could be improved. Meeting the criteria to a basic level will be considered a Pass grade. Only assignments that excel in all criteria will be awarded Distinctions or High Distinctions. The average grade for the class will normally be in the Pass to Credit range and will indicate that you have met the basic requirements of the assessment task.
Assessment Feedback – Raw Scores
In assessment feedback you will be allocated a raw score that will indicate your general level of performance against the criteria supplied and will be used to determine the rank order of students. You will also be given a short comment that may assist you in the completion of future assignments by discussing the aspects of the assessment response that were completed to a high standard and areas that may be improved.
Scaling of Raw Scores
When raw scores for all assessment tasks are combined the total raw score may be scaled. The scaling of raw scores will not effect your rank order in relation to other students. Scaling of raw scores is intended to provide consistency of assessment outcomes across units within the degree and across courses within the university
Assessment Requirements
Assessment
Due Date
Weighting
Group project documentation
14/8/06
20%
First process diary
28/8/06
20 %
Second process diary
9/10/06
20 %
Major group project
9/10/06
30 %
Presentation of group project
TBA from 16/10/06
10 %
There is no exam for this subject
Exam period (S2/06) starts on 23/10/06
0 %
Assignment specifications will be made available on the MMS2408 website on MUSO.
Assignment Submission
Individual written Assignments will be submitted by electronic submission to the MMS2401 Muso site
Group assignments will be handed in with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached
Presentations will be made in person at the designated times
Extensions and late submissions
Late submission of assignments
Where assignments are submitted in person (eg. hard copy or disk) an Berwick FIT 'Assignment Cover Sheet' with appropriate identification and signatures must be attached. All work must be presented in an A4 plastic cover. If multiple written pages, must be stapled or bound.
It is your responsibility to keep track of and manage your assignment due dates
Penalties are incurred from the due date at the rate of a 10 % reduction in grade for each day (including weekends) the assignment is late.
If you are having difficulty with assignment submission, please advise your Unit Adviser immediately so that any problems can be addressed.
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 using the standard Berwick FIT 'Extension Request', (available from student services) 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.Students will be provided with a reply slip documenting the extension, a copy of which should be submitted with the assignment.
Grading of assessment
Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:
Grade
Percentage/description
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%.
Assignment return
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
Communication methods
Each week a teacher will your meet with your group or to discuss any individual concerns. Please ensure that you do not leave a Studio session without having seen your allocated Lecturer. This system provides a variety of opinions, contributions and help with your projects and is an important element in ensuring that all students are seen throughout the session. Allocated times cannot be given due to the nature of the discussion requirements varying between individuals and groups. If your group plans to work anywhere other than the Studios please advise via email to save time in trying to find you. If you need to leave the Studio session early, please advise your Lecturer before doing so.
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
Tuesdays, 11AM to 1 PM
Thursdays 11AM to 1 PM
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:
Mr Mark Power Assistant Lecturer Phone +61 3 990 47123
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.
