FIT3039 Studio 1 - Semester 1, 2009

Berwick

• Matthew Butler
• Mark Power

Caulfield

• Matthew Butler
• Derrick Martin

Berwick

• Matthew Butler
• Mark Power

Caulfield

• Matthew Butler
• Derrick Martin

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed (FIT2001 and FIT2002 and FIT2012 and FIT2016) or MMS2401, or equivalent. You should have knowledge of Systems Analysis and Design, Project Management, and the fundamental multimedia development tools.

Relationships

FIT3039 is a core unit in the Multimedia Applications and Games Development majors of the Bachelor of Information Technology and Systems. It is a prerequisite for FIT3040 Studio 2.

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed (FIT2001 and FIT2002 and FIT2012 and FIT2016) or MMS2401, or equivalent. You should have knowledge of Systems Analysis and Design, Project Management, and the fundamental multimedia development tools.

You may not study this unit and MMS3404 or MMS3407 in your degree.

Unit leader

Lecturer(s) :

Tutor(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 and games industries, career preparation, 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.

Tutorial allocation

Only one Studio session is offered each week. All students are expected to attend this session.

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	Assessing Project Feasibility, Project Concept Documents	Project Concept
3	Project Planning Process, Project Plan Document, Work Breakdown
4	Multimedia Development Processes	Project Plan
5	Teamwork and Team Communication
6	Preliminary Project Presentations	Preliminary Project Presentation
Mid semester break
7	Folios, Careers and Exhibition	Blog and Workbook #1
8	Intellectual Property
9	Multimedia and Game Testing
10	Delivering a project, Hand-over, Documentation
11	Presentation Skills
12	Final Handover Expectations
13	Student Presentations	Project Presentations, Final Project, Blog and Workbook #2 and Folio

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.

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
• Microsoft Visual Studio .Net

** Note that software required will be that of all other Multimedia units at Berwick as well as Games Development units at Caulfield. It is not required in all labs, however access to this software in at least one lab will be 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:

There are a number of key resources that must be reviewed by all students. This includes:

• The Unit Information, outlining the administrative information for the unit

• The FIT3039 web site available via My Monash 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. Note that this unit will be delivered using the Moodle system.

• Newsgroups/discussion groups will be linked from the unit 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.

The Educational Library and Media Resources (LMR) is also a very resourceful place to visit at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/library/

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

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

For example:

• Blackboard 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

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 define and initially present your project or game ideas. This document will be used as a discussion piece with your group's staff supervisor. While it is not directly assessed at this stage, the concept document will be included in your Project Plan

  Weighting : 0%

  Criteria for assessment :

  N/A

  Due date : 11th March

• Assignment Task

  Title : Project Plan

  Description :

  The project plan lays the foundation for your entire project. In this document you must present the project you are tackling and prepare a plan for development of the product. The plan should cover such areas as specific requirement, task breakdown, scheduling, quality issues, and the like. This document will also include your concept ideas as an appendix. Explicit detail will be provided on the unit website.

  Weighting : 10%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 25th March

• Assignment Task

  Title : Blog and Workbook Submission #1

  Description :

  This is the first submission of your individual project documentation.This consists of two components, a blog and a workbook, and should show your contributions and reflection on the project. It will contain written reflections, analysis, drawings, screenshots, and any other material that provides insight into your role in the project. This first submission should place inherent focus on the research and design elements of the project.

  Weighting : 15%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 22nd April

• Assignment Task

  Title : Final Group Presentation

  Description :

  The group presentation provides you the opportunity to present yourproject to other members of the Studio teaching team as well as yourpeers. You should provide an insight into your project, the developmentprocess and the final product or prototype.

  Weighting : 10%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 3rd June

• Assignment Task

  Title : Final Product

  Description :

  This is delivery of the groups final product or mid-year prototype.

  Weighting : 35%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 3rd June

• Assignment Task

  Title : Blog and Workbook Submission #2

  Description :

  This is the second submission of your individual project diaries. The diaries consist of a blog and folio and should show your contributions and reflection on the project. It will contain written reflections, analysis, drawings, screenshots, and any other material that provides insight into your role in the project. This second submission should inherently focus on reflection of the project and your team, as well as a folio presenting your work from the year.

  Weighting : 15%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 3rd June

• Assignment Task

  Title : Preliminary Project Presentation

  Description :

  This preliminary presentation will give you the opportunity to present your project and initial work to the Studio group. It is intended that these presentations are brief but will share your work with the rest of the class for input and ideas.

  Weighting : 5%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 8th April

• Assignment Task

  Title : Folio

  Description :

  Your personal folio is an important part of your overall university and career development, as well as being an integral component of your particpation in the final exhibition. This first submission of your folio will present your basic folio design, as well as content from your previous years of study and work outside the university. Explicit expectations will be discussed in class and on the unit website.

  Weighting : 10%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Criteria for assessment will be placed on the unit website

  Due date : 3rd June

Assignment submission

Assignments/Deliverables 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 via the "Student assignment coversheets" section on the faculty website: http://infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments/

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:

• 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. 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.