Timetable:

Tuesday 24 July	Introduction and Outline
Tuesday 31 July	Discussion: History and Theory of Computing
Tuesday 7 August	No session
Tuesday 14 August	No session, Submission, Assignment 1
Tuesday 21 August	Seminar by students: History and Theory of Computing
Tuesday 28 August	Discussion: History and Theory of Multimedia
Tuesday 4 September	No session
Tuesday 11 September	No session, Submission Assignment 2
Tuesday 18 September	Seminar by students: History and Theory of Multimedia
Tuesday 2 October	Discussion: History and Theory of Animation
Tuesday 9 October	No session, Submission Assignment 3
Tuesday 16 October	No session
Tuesday 23 October	Seminar by students: History and Theory of Animation Submission Portfolio

Objectives:

· To understand the development of computational technologies that support multimedia and animation

· To understand the historical and conceptual development of multimedia

· To understand the historical and conceptual development of animation

Description:

This is a directed self-study unit of study that aims to provide students with the opportunity to locate and synthesise their own material related to the history and theory of multimedia and animation. Students will focus on the historical trends and timeline of computing, multimedia and animation technologies and their inter-relationships as a framework for their seminars and portfolio. They will learn to critically interpret history and develop original ways of analyzing historical information in order to extract patterns and comprehend computing, multimedia and animation from theoretical perspectives.

Outcome:

Students will have an understanding of the concepts and technologies in the development of computers, multimedia and animation.

Reading List:

Brand, S (1988) The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at MIT, Penguin

Hiltzik, M (1999) Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age, Harper

Packer, R and Jordan, K (eds) (2001) Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality, WW Norton

Segaller, S (1999) NERDS 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet, TV Books, also Videocassettes

Waldrop, M (2001) The Dream Machine: JCR Licklider and the Revolution that Made the Personal Computer, Penguin

Young, J and Simon, W (2005) iCon: Steve Jobs, Wiley

+ Google

Lecture Sildes:

All lecture slides are available here:

Lecture 1: Introduction and Course Overview

Lecture 2: History and Theory of Computing

Lecture 3: History and Theory of Multimedia

Lecture 4: History and Theory of Animation

Assessment:

ORAL PRESENTATION: 25%

PRESENTATION GROUPS

PRESENTATION DETAILS SHEET

There will be 3 oral presentations, in the form of group seminars presented by the class. The class will be divided into 3 groups, each group focussing on one topic - computing, multimedia and animation. Each group will have a team responsibility for research, development and presentation of the seminar, and will also be responsible for dividing tasks between group members. Each group member, while presenting, will clearly outline the individual role and responsibility he/she undertook in the group. Marks will be awarded to the presenters on the basis of the quality of research, organization and presentation of content, clarity of oral and visual presentations, and the ability to answer questions, at the team and individual levels. Some marks will be awarded to members of the other two groups (the ones not presenting on the day) for asking good questions at the end of the seminars. Attendance is compulsory for everyone for all the three seminars, active participation and discussion in the seminar is encouraged and will be the basis for marks awarded. The students may view this as a game at a professional level, where presentation, discussion and question-answer sessions will benefit and be a basis of learning for all concerned. Students will be marked individually. The oral presentation accounts for 25% of the total course marks.

WRITTEN PRESENTATION/ REPORTS: 45%

ASSIGNMENT 1 DETAILS SHEET

ASSIGNMENT 2 DETAILS SHEET

ASSIGNMENT 3 DETAILS SHEET

Each student will individually prepare written reports on each of the three topics. They may use the material presented in their own group seminars (although it is not necessary for the material to corroborate), but the report is basically an individual assignment, and will be marked accordingly. The students will present theoretical/ interpretive, framework and analysis based views on the historical information pertaining to each of the three topics. The main basis for awarding marks will be the depth of research and understanding, originality in the organization and presentation of information, and clarity of visual and written presentation. As a rough guide, the report may be of 10-15 A4 size pages; excessively short (5 pages) or excessively long (beyond 16-20 pages) reports are not encouraged. Each written presentation accounts for 15% of the total course marks; as the whole, written presentations for the three topics account for 45% of the total course marks.

PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION: 30%

DIGITAL PORTFOLIO DETAILS SHEET

Each student will individually put together a digital portfolio, combining information from all the three written reports and their group presentation. This digital portfolio can be conceived of as an independent website, where the student uses his/ her individual perspective of presenting the research and information to a wider audience. Students must think of a general target audience (university students, any lay person wishing to know about these topics etc.) for designing this portfolio; a professional approach is encouraged and will be rewarded. The basis for assessment will be the clarity of visual and written presentation, organization of content, ease of navigability and accessing information, and originality in the presentation of content. The portfolio accounts for 30% of the total course marks.

IMPORTANT NOTE: STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMMUNICATE AND HELP EACH OTHER WITH THEIR RESEARCH, INCLUDING SHARING OF INFORMATION SOURCES. HOWEVER, FINAL PRESENTATIONS WILL BE MARKED ON INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS. PLEASE DO NOT COPY, EITHER FROM EACH OTHER OR STRAIGHT FROM WEBSITES (THIS WILL RESULT IN LOSS OF MARKS). WHERE USING MATERIAL DIRECTLY FROM INFORMATION SOURCES (BOOKS, WEBSITES), PLEASE REFERENCE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.

Marks:

Posted by student numbers:

ASSIGNMENT 1

ASSIGNMENT 2

ASSIGNMENT 3

SEMINARS

PORTFOLIO