This course helps students understand the principles and practices of multimedia design and implementation, with emphasis on the function and practice of writing in multimedia contexts. The stress is on managing writing projects targeted for specific audiences and designed to convey information effectively and persuasively using multimedia authoring software.
This semester, our focus will be on web authorship; specifically, we will be working with standards-based web protocols (xHTML & CSS) as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium and exemplified by in the Css Zen Garden. Over the course of this semester, we will use a number of technologies and softwares, possibly including but not limited to: digital cameras, photo-editing software (Fireworks and/or Photoshop), digital video, digital video editing software (Windows MovieMaker and Adobe Premiere), audio editing software (Garage Band, Pro Tools), web-authoring software (Macromedia Dreamweaver), and even, perhaps, powerful animation software (Macromedia Flash). Of course, we'll probably use Word and Powerpoint, too. And chances are many of you will become far more intimate with the features of your web browser (which will not be Internet Explorer).
Despite that list of technologies, I would stress that this course is intended for the novice. I do not expect any student to be familar with all (or any) of the programs on this list. In addition to course tutorials, I will direct you to other resources (both local and electronic) to help you build technology skills. Again, I welcome the novice with the desire to learn--I will do my best to move at a comfortable pace (yell at me when I go too fast!).
While the course goals are detailed below, put simply this course aims to introduce students to multimedia writing technologies and teach them to make self-aware rhetorical choices when composing with those technologies. A more thorough articulation of these goals looks like this:
Available at Borders on the Levee:
These books are available through Amazon.com (links provided below)
More detailed information is available on the course projects page, but here's brief descriptions of this semester's projects:
Grading breakdown for English 419, Spring 2006
| Course Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Project One | 5% |
| Project Two | 10% |
| Project Three | 5% |
| Project Four | 20% |
| Project Five | 15% |
| Final Project | 15% |
| Sketchbooks | 10% |
| Instructor Evaluation | 20% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
My evaluation will be on the basis of attendence, quiz grades, and effort. Portfolios are graded on the basis of professionalism, overall design, the integrity of its information, its use of multimedia components, and the quality of writing demonstrated. Client-based multimedia projects are graded on the basis of professionalism, overall design, quality of your team's collaboration (using a peer evaluation form), use of multimedia components, and client feedback. Individual projects are graded on the basis of professionalism and/or creativity, overall design, quality of the content, use of multimedia components, and how effectively the project addresses the audience invoked.
According to University policy, students with disabilities must be registered with Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of Students before classroom accommodations can be provided. If you are eligible for academic accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please speak with me privately after class or email me as soon as possible to schedule an appointment with me to discuss your needs.
The following statement about academic dishonesty is from the Office of the Dean of Students Web Site ( http://www.purdue.edu/ODOS/osrr/integrity.htm ):
Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty." [University Regulations, Part 5, Section III, B, 2, a] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that "the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest." [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972]
If you are uncertain about the use of certain material (ideas, text, image, design, code, etc.) in your work, please ask me well before the due date of your project; the consequences for plagiarism are severe. Purdue University's policies regarding plagiarism include penalties ranging from failure of an assignment to expulsion from the University. In this class, anyone who plagiarizes automatically fails the course, and I will inform the Office of the Dean of Students of the reason for the failing grade.
Back-up your files. No, seriously. I know you've heard this before, but this time is different. Your grade in this course is dependent on you final portfolio, which is dependent upon everthing you do throughout the semester. No files, no grade. So, make a folder in your H drive or on your home computer, save every file from this course on it, dump every file on your CD-RW into the folder, and back-up that folder every week. Seriously.. Seriously. Marge Simpson's rule: back-up your files, back-up your files, back-up your files. Computer failure is inevitable, and its not my problem--its your problem. Do everything in your power to prevent it.