FIT3040 Studio 2 - Semester 2 , 2007

Unit leader :

Matthew Butler

Lecturer(s) :

Berwick

  • Mark Power
  • Matthew Butler
  • Ruben Hopmans
  • Tom Chandler

Introduction

Welcome to FIT3040 - 3rd Year Studio. This unit is designed for you to put into practice many of the multimedia methodologies and technologies you have covered over the last few years. In small teams you are required to develop an industry standard multimedia product. This may be a continuation of a project from FIT3039 or a new semester long project. This product will ideally be a highly creative and technical achievement, serving a specific industry or artistic purpose.

Unit synopsis

Students will work in teams on the development of an application/exhibition for a client who may be either internal or external to Monash. Using project planning/management skills along with other development procedures, students must then deliver a functional system, along with all requisite documentation. Students will integrate multimedia, programming, business and technical knowledge in the development process. Requirements are fulfilled by the team producing an identified set of deliverables, usually a progress report, full system documentation, and functional project. The team must ensure that each deliverable is completed on schedule. Each member of the team must demonstrate a significant contribution to the team effort, and display a sense of responsibility for the project outcome.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this unit students will have a theoretical and conceptual understanding of:

  • The roles and responsibilities of clients and developers in a software development project;
  • The methodologies, tools and techniques required for delivering a functional system.

students will have developed attitudes that enable them to:

  • Approach the development process ethically and professionally.

students will have the skills to:

  • Develop a significant multimedia/computing application, primarily testing, evaluation, finalisation, documentation, and delivery;
  • Apply project management techniques to a software development project;
  • Integrate multimedia, programming, business and technical skills in the testing and evaluation of a system prototype;
  • Develop effective user and system documentation;
  • Evaluate personal performance and performance of a development team.

students will have further developed the teamwork skills needed to:

  • Communicate effectively with clients and members of the development team.
  • Work effectively in a team.

Workload

Studio has specific workload and attendance requirements. In class requirements include:

  • One-hour lecture (compulsory)
  • Three-hour studio session (compulsory)

You will also be required to put in hours outside the allocated in class studio time. This time is needed for:

  • Team meetings
  • Client meetings
  • Product development
  • Preparation of project deliverables
  • Process diary upkeep

Unit relationships

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed FIT3039 or MMS3407, or equivalent.

Relationships

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed FIT3039 or MMS3407, or equivalent.

You may not study this unit and MMS3408 in your degree.

Continuous improvement

Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education' and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. Two of the formal ways that you are invited to provide feedback are through Unit Evaluations and through Monquest Teaching Evaluations.

One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. It is Monash policy for every unit offered to be evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to "have their say". The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

Student Evaluations

The Faculty of IT administers the Unit Evaluation surveys online through the my.monash portal, although for some smaller classes there may be alternative evaluations conducted in class.

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to http://www.monash.edu.au/unit-evaluation-reports/

Over the past few years the Faculty of Information Technology has made a number of improvements to its courses as a result of unit evaluation feedback. Some of these include systematic analysis and planning of unit improvements, and consistent assignment return guidelines.

Monquest Teaching Evaluation surveys may be used by some of your academic staff this semester. They are administered by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and may be completed in class with a facilitator or on-line through the my.monash portal. The data provided to lecturers is completely anonymous. Monquest surveys provide academic staff with evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching and identify areas for improvement. Individual Monquest reports are confidential, however, you can see the summary results of Monquest evaluations for 2006 at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/evaluations/monquest/profiles/index.html

Unit staff - contact details

Unit leader

Mr Matthew Butler
Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47163

Contact hours : Can be found on the door of each Studio team member

Lecturer(s) :

Mr Mark Power
Assistant Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47123
Mr Matthew Butler
Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47163
Mr Ruben Hopmans
Postgraduate Student
Phone +61 3 990 47127
Mr Tom Chandler
Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47109
Fax +61 3 8622 8999

Teaching and learning method

This unit uses primarily the Studio mode of teaching.

Lectures are provided to guide students through the requirements of the unit as well as the expected deliverables. These lectures are also intended to provide an insight into the multimedia industry, career preparation, multimedia exhibitions, and other practical "real-world" elements.

Studio sessions are designed to provide an environment where your team can collaborate with access to staff and requisite technologies. Studio sessions should not just be about development... they should be a time where your team can discuss the product, team progress, administrative matters, and collaborate with your team staff mentor.

Expected activities outside of class include product development, team meetings, client meetings, preparation of project deliverables, and process diary upkeep.

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are 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.

Unit Schedule

Week Topic Key dates
1 Unit Expectation, Group Formation and Project Selection  
2 Prototype evaluation  
3 Review of the project planning process, Project Plan document Project Concept
4 Review of Project / System design processes Project Plan
5 IT Careers, Folios  
6 Exhibition Overview  
7 Documentation - User and System First Journal and Folio Submission
8 Guest Lecture  
9 Detailed System Testing, Testing Process, Testing Documents  
10 Delivering a project, Hand-over  
Mid semester break
11 Presentation Skills  
12 Student Presentations Project Presentations
13 Project Hand-over Final Project, Second Journal and Folio Submission

Unit Resources

Prescribed text(s) and readings

There is no required textbook for this unit. After choosing your project you may be required to obtain texts relating to the topic or development technologies.

As mentioned above no explicit textbooks are required

Recommended text(s) and readings

A list of recommended readings will be made available on the unit website. Due to the wide variety of projects, a definitive list will not be available, however some general books that may help include:

Nicholas, "Project Management for Business and Technology", Prentice Hall

Satzinger et. al, "Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World", Thomson

Required software and/or hardware

There are no specific software requiements for this unit. After choosing your project you will be required to use the most appropriate development software. Some packages that will be of primary use include:

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Visio

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

** Please note that this unit requires access to other Multimedia software as used in all other Multimedia units at Berwick. It is not required in each lab, however access to the software in at least one lab is required.

Equipment and consumables required or provided

On-campus students 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.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

This unit has a certain key resources that must be reviewed by all students. This includes:

  • The Unit Information, outlining the administrative information for the unit
  • The FIT3040 web site on MUSO where materials for this unit will also be contained. Lecture slides, weekly studio requirements, assignment/deliverable specifications, sample work and supplementary material will be posted here.
  • Newsgroups/discussion groups will be linked from the unit MUSO homepage

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through the MUSO (Monash University Studies Online) site. You can access this site by going to:

  1. a) https://muso.monash.edu.au or
  2. b) via the portal (http://my.monash.edu.au).

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then the MUSO hyperlink.

In order for your MUSO unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example :

  • MUSO supported browser
  • Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site:

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Assessment

Unit assessment policy

In order to pass the unit, students must pass both the group and individual components and attend 80% of studio classes.

Note that in the event of concern over the contribution of a team member, staff will review their contribution using project documentation, examination of Process Diaries and discussions with the students concerned. If it is deemed that contribution is significantly lacking, then that individuals group component may be multiplied by a factor of 0.5. This includes non-attendance in Studio sessions and will be strictly enforced

Assignment tasks

  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Project Concept
    Description :
    This is a compulsory, non-assessed, task. The purpose of the Project Concept is for your group to begin to explicitly define the nature of your project so it can be approved. This document will be discussed with your group mentor.
    Weighting :
    0%
    Criteria for assessment :
    N/A
    Due date :
    1st August
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Project Plan
    Description :
    The project plan lays the foundation for your project during the semester. In this document you must analyse the problem you are solving and prepare a plan for development of the product. The plan should cover such areas as user requirement, task breakdown, scheduling, quality issues, and the like.
    Weighting :
    20%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit MUSO website
    Due date :
    8th August
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Process Diary Submission #1
    Description :

    This is the first submission of your individual project Process Diary. The process diary should show your contributions and reflection on the project. It can contain written reflections, analysis, drawings, screenshots, and any other material that provides insight into your role in the project. This first submission should place focus on the research and design elements of the project.

    This submission also includes the first part of your final folio design. The first component to be submitted is your folio interface design, with placeholders for content. It should show the overall graphical design, navigation structure etc.

    Weighting :
    20%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit MUSO website
    Due date :
    29th August
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Group Presentation
    Description :
    The group presentation provides you the opportunity to present your project to other members of the Studio teaching team as well as your peers. You should provide an insight into your project, the development process and the finished product.
    Weighting :
    10%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit MUSO website
    Due date :
    10th October
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Final Product
    Description :
    This is delivery of the groups final product
    Weighting :
    30%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit MUSO website
    Due date :
    17th October
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Process Diary Submission #2
    Description :

    This is the second submission of your individual project Process Diary. The process diary should show your contributions and reflection on the project. It can contain written reflections, analysis, drawings, screenshots, and any other material that provides insight into your role in the project. This second submission should focus on reflection of the project and your team.

    This submission also includes the second and final part of your final folio design. You should submit your completed folio, including all content.

    Weighting :
    20%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit MUSO website
    Due date :
    17th October

Examinations

Assignment submission

Assignments will be submitted by paper submission to your supervising staff member. On-campus Students Submit the assignment to the staff member with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached.

The due date is the date by which the submission must be received.

Assignment coversheets

Cover sheets must be provided with all group and individual assignments and can be found on the faculty website.

University and Faculty policy on assessment

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. 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. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Requests for extensions must be made to your group staff mentor at least one week before the due date. You may be asked to forward supporting documentation to validate why the extension is required. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Late assignment

Both Individual and Group work received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day. Work received later than one week after the due date may not be accepted.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at:

http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

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

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

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 (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) 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.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Special consideration in the awarding of grades is also possible in some circumstances. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.