MMS1401 Studio 1 - Semester 2 , 2007

Berwick

• Tom Chandler
• Mark Power
• Ruben Hopmans

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

VCM1001 and MMS1402 and MMS1403, or equivalent.

Relationships

MMS1401 is a core unit in the Multimedia stream of the Bachelor of Multimedia Systems.

It is a prerequisite for MMS2401. Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed VCM1001 and MMS1402 and MMS1403, or equivalent.

You may not study this unit and MMS1407, MMS1408, MMS1409, IMS1404 in your degree.

Unit leader

Lecturer(s) :

This unit uses 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 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 overview and expectations
2	Writing project proposals
3	imaging for CD and web
4	copyright and persmission	product proposal due
5	target audience & user affordance
6	compression issues
7	audio compression & codecs	First process diary due
8	cross platforming issues
9	data management
10	final testing/troubleshooting
Mid semester break
11	alternative web based technologies
12	Presentations - aims and expectations	major project due
13	presentation	presentation, 2nd process diary due

Prescribed text(s) and readings

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.

A broad range of text books relating to this subject are also held at Berwick library.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Students will be pointed to specific resources in class and via the MUSO website.

Required software and/or hardware

Adobe Photoshop CS2

Adobe Illustrator CS2

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004

Macromedia Flash 8

Software relating to this subject may be accessed from several of the on-campus student PC labs.

Software may also be purchased at academic price at good software retailers

Equipment and consumables required or provided

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.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

The MMS1401 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.

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

Click on the My Units tab, then the Monash University Studies Online hyperlink

In order for your MUSO unit(s) to function correctly, certain programs may need to be installed such as Java version 1.4.2. This can easily be done by going to http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html to update the relevant software.

You can contact the MUSO helpdesk by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903-1268 or 9903-2764

Operational hours (Monday - Thursday) - local time

Australia: 8 am to 10 pm (8pm Non Teaching period)

Malaysia: 6 am to 8 pm (6 pm Non Teaching period)

South Africa: 11pm to 1pm (11 am Non Teaching period)

Operational hours (Friday) - local time

Australia: 8 am to 8 pm

Malaysia: 6 am to 6 pm

South Africa: 11pm to 11 am

Operational hours (Saturday-Sunday) - local time (Teaching and Exam Period Only)

Australia: 1 pm to 5 pm

Malaysia: 11 am to 3 pm

South Africa: 4 am to 8 am

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Unit assessment policy

To be eligible to pass and maintain your enrolment in MMS1401 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.

Assignment tasks

• Assignment Task

  Title :

  Group project documentation

  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 this assessment will be placed on the MUSO website.

  Due date :

  8th August

• Assignment Task

  Title :

  First process diary

  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.

  Weighting :

  20%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for this assessment will be placed on the MUSO website.

  Due date :

  29th August

• Assignment Task

  Title :

  Second process diary

  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.

  Weighting :

  20%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Due date :

  17th October

• Assignment Task

  Title :

  Major group web based project

  Description :

  This is submission of your final product

  Weighting :

  30%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for this assessment will be placed on the MUSO website.

  Due date :

  10th October

• Assignment Task

  Title :

  Presentation of group project

  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 this assessment will be placed on the MUSO website.

  Due date :

  17th October

Examinations

• Examination

  Weighting :

  0%

  Length :

  Type ( open/closed book ) :

Assignment submission

Individual written Assignments will be submitted to your Staff mentor. 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

Assignment coversheets

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.

Late assignment

Assignments must be submitted by the due date. Details of the assignments submission procedure will be supplied via the unit on-line pages.

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.

 

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.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/academicpolicies/policy/assessment.html

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:

• Faculty of Information Technology Student Service staff, and / or
• your Unit Coordinator, or
• Disabilities Liaison Unit

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.