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Instructor: Dr. Lauren Cifuentes Office: Rm. 621-E, Harrington Telephone: (979) 845-7806 Office Hours: Monday - Thursday: 1-4pm E-mail: Send email to me in First Class. |
Against the Clock. (2002). Macromedia Flash: Animating for the Web. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. To download Flash 5 Trial Version click http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/trial/. Notice:The Flash Trial Version will self-destruct within 30 days. Please download it on Oct.14, so you can use Flash until Nov.14.
Adobe Development Team (2000). Adobe Photoshop 7 Classroom in a Book. Hayden Books. This book comes on the CD when you purchase Photoshop. If you don't intend to purchase Photoshop, then you need to purchase this book.
Lohr, Linda L. (2003). Creating Graphics for Learning and Performance: Lessons in Visual Literacy. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River.
All available at TAMU Bookstore (http://bookstore.tamu.edu/). Phone: 979.845.8681. Address: Texas A&M University Bookstore ~ Memorial Student Center ~ College Station, TX 77844
Other Required Materials:Cross-platform zip discs.
I have included a roster for you to get to know more about your classmates. Located under Roster. Please add your personal information if you would like. It is optional and you can add only the information you feel is appropriate.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the full range of computer graphics production capabilities for the purpose of developing instruction. The course will blend instructional design and development issues with production competencies. All production skills will be based on theoretical and research issues related to the effective use of graphics in instructional materials. Several means of developing computer graphics will be examined. Because the course is taught via the Web to a distant audience, students will have to provide their own hardware and software. We will use Photoshop, Flash, spreadsheet, and word processing software.
At the end of the course, each student will be able to:
To turn in assignments electronically, name any file with your name and the assignment. Example: If Jeff turns in his trigger visual assignment, he would call it jefftriggervisual. In FirstClass, include your name and the project on the subject line. In addition, include your name in the heading of any documents that you turn in.
Develop a cohesive series of still representations of an object on seven different
screens connected by transitions. The series must include the following levels
of abstraction-- 1) photo, 2) drawing, 3) icon or image-related graphic, 4)
index or concept-related graphic, 5) symbol or arbitrary graphic, 6) definition,
and 7) word. Consider Bertin s retinal variables when designing each screen
as well as the series. Bertin's variables are: size, value, orientation, texture,
shape, position in 2D or 3D space, and hue (Mullet & Sano, 1995).
Computer Conference(10 points)
You will work in a group that will be formed during the orientation. Each week
a different group will lead us in a
discussion of the readings. These discussions should be well structured and
cover key issues from the readings. The computer conferences will be under Communication
> Conferences > Reading Discussions > Chapter #. Each class member
must fully participate in order to receive credit for this aspect of the course.
Discussion leaders will assess each
person's contribution and send these assessments Dr. Cifuentes’ FirstClass e-mail.
In addition, I will assess each person's job as conference moderator and participant
for each of the 7 discussions. You should contribute at least twice to each
conference. When you are moderating, your group will enter a topic or question,
lead the discussion, keep the discussion flowing, and weave the discussion.
Dates for conferences can be found on the Calendar. By the end of the semester
all class members must help moderate one discussion of the readings and must
participate in all 7 discussions.
Nonexample and Example Graphical Representation (10
points)
Create a visual non-example and a visual example of a concept or information.
Complex Concept Graphical Representation (10 points)
Create at least one complex concept that involves interrelationships. Visually represent a concept in terms of cause and effect, comparison, category, chronology, sequence, hierarchy, or opposition.
Desktop Publishing (11 points)
Create a 1 page newsletter and a trifold brochure for an educational context:
Rubrics:
· (1 point) State the learning objective(s).
· (1 point) Describe the intended audience and the rationale for the instruction of this audience.
· (2 points) Describe how you would measure the students' success at meeting the objective(s).
· (2 points) Communicate content that lends itself to better understanding through graphical display.
· (2 points) Design and layout show aesthetics. The presentation layout is logical and aesthetically pleasing. The design is consistent and reinforces the content messages.
· (2 points) Graphics and pictures are relevant and attractive. Graphics are placed so as not to interfere with the content.
· (2 points) Text is easy to read. The background is subdued and coordinates with text colors and graphics.
· (2 points) Lists and tables are properly constructed and positioned.
Quantitative Data Graphical Representation (10 points)
Obtain a data set relating to educational research. Print out the data in table form. Produce 2 graphs of the data, which result in differing interpretations or emotional impact due to varied dimensions, format, or visual references. Use a graphing utility like Claris Works or Excel to make graphs of publishable quality. Turn in the related data set and the completed graphs.
In unit10, we hope to establish a Cultural Connection with partners from Poland. Students at both sites will need to create trigger visuals and participate in the discussion about those trigger visuals in FirstClass. Students in Poland are working under the direction of Stanislaw Dylak, director of visualization in the Department of Educational Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland. Due to compatibility issues, our connection could prove difficult within the context of this semester. Still, international connections are so important that we must try to make this work. Please do not be disappointed if we have difficulties. We will do our best at this end.
Choose one of the two options below to create an animated presentation in Director that will take a viewer 2-5 minutes to view:
c)Visually present yourself in terms of your home, thoughts and values, likes and abilities, personal stories, and goals. Use plenty of visual images that mean a lot to you in your presentation; or
d)Visually present a scenario, problem or opportunity that evokes emotional responses from viewers and stimulates an active discussion about one issue. Use plenty of visual images that trigger viewer response in your presentation.
Concept Animation Graphical Representation (14 points)
Locate a concept that can be better understood through animation. Develop a short animated sequence to illustrate a topic (concept, process, function, activity, etc.).The animation should function to clarify meaning, not to entertain.
Time Requirements:
Regular 3-credit graduate courses require approximately 3 hours of class time per week plus 9 hours of study time. Therefore, expect to spend a minimum of 12 hours each week for 15 weeks on this class. Because this is an online course, you may have to spend even more time than 12 hours some weeks.
Late Work:
Assignments are due on the dates indicated in the syllabus and schedule. Due dates are particularly important when someone else is relying on your contributions. Late work will be penalized according to the following schedule:
| Days Late | Deduction |
| 1 | 10% |
| 2 | 15% |
| 3-6 | 25% |
| 7-13 | 35% |
| 14 or more | 50% |
Grades of "INCOMPLETE" will be given only for certifiable medical reasons or in other extraordinary circumstances. Requests for incompletes must be made in writing and must include:
If the coursework is not submitted by that date, the Incomplete will become permanent.
APA Format:
Follow the fifth edition of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) and related electronic resources for all citations and references, including electronic media such as CD-ROM, email, the Web, and electronic journals.
Copyright / Plagiarism:
The handouts used in this course are copyrighted. By "handouts," I mean all materials generated for this class, which include but are not limited to self-assessments, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets. Because these materials are copyrighted, you do not have the right to copy them, unless I expressly grant permission.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of passing off as one's own the ideas, words, writings, etc., which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own, even if you should have the permission of that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated. If you have any questions regarding plagiarism, please consult the latest issue of the Texas A&M University Student Rules, under the section "Scholastic Dishonesty."
Americans with Disabilities Act:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Support Services for Students with Disabilities in Room 126 of the Koldus Building. The phone number is (409) 845-1637.
Code of Integrity:
Experience has long shown that sensitive issues relating to integrity are best handled by clearly defining expectations and guidelines in advance so that all participants understand the issues and do not accidentally or intentionally violate them. The following are offered to ensure open communication on potential issues to maximize understanding between student and instructor.
Students should consult the Texas A & M University Regulations for guidelines for scholastic integrity regarding originality, plagiarism, etc. The publication manual for the American Psychological Association should be consulted regarding appropriate methods for citing the works of others and the style and format for presenting literature references.
Course products and evaluations: the guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be his/her own. Since the course objectives focus on the processes of developing course related materials, as well as the materials themselves, it is expected that all course products will consist of work done specifically for this course. Products completed for previous or concurrent course credit cannot be used for assignments for this course. If you wish to continue a theme or content area used in another course, inform the instructor and supply any requested existing materials at the start of this course. Any intended projects relating to other courses should be approved at the start by all instructors and should reflect unique elements and sufficient development effort for all courses involved.
Group projects are intended to allow several students to work as team members on projects that benefit jeopardize the work of, the other members. Any problems in working with teams should be brought to the attention of the instructor immediately so that solutions may be enacted to ensure that all members benefit from the experience.
Related Issues:
Courses such as this require time and activity considerations, which differ from those of many other classes. You cannot afford to get behind, since many topics and assignments are based on the skills and products of previous assignments; there is no meaningful way to "cram" with computer related exercises and still experience the benefits of the sequence of activities.[.] Plan your computer materials before coming to the lab/class so you are ready to develop or present your materials when you arrive. Contact the instructor if you are having any problems with assignments or concepts.
There is a reliance on technologies in this course. If problems are incurred, it is the student's responsibility to find solutions with sufficient time to complete the required task. Do not wait until a due date is near to discover/report the lack of software, inability to connect to a network, etc. While the instructor will help wherever possible, it is the students' responsibility to maintain individual resources (modems, phone lines, Internet access, network software, TENET accounts, software compatibility, etc.)