Course Home Page

Course Description:

This course explores the development of interactive and dynamic media components for multimedia and hypermedia products. The course examines the design, creation and integration of text, 2D animation and sound for use in various forms of media. Students also learn the basics of scripting and how it can be used to create interaction.

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Further understand the emerging capabilities of delivering Web content.
2. Further examine the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of multimedia content on the Web.
3. Extend proficiency in using advanced HTML features such as frames and forms.
4. Develop skill in utilizing JavaScript and VBScript for customized, user-centered Web pages.
5. Learn about extension languages such as JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX, dynamic HTML, XML, style sheets, and Web multimedia technologies.
6. Further the student's understand of the effect of bandwidth and data transfer rate on the development of Web content.
7. Extend the students ability to systematically develop content for the Web, from concept to implementation.
8. Further the students cognitive skills in problem solving, debugging, and programming.
9. Discover the capabilities of emerging Web authoring programs such as Macromedia Dreamweaver.
10. Develop skill and proficiency in creating professional vector animations and interactive components using Macromedia Flash.

Course Textbooks, Reading Assignments, and Tutorial Videos:

Required Textbooks:

There are no required hard-copy textbooks for this course. All reading assignments will be accomplished through course notes, Web articles, and a number of free online texts available to students using the Safari Books Online Database. While hard-copy textbooks are not required, it is important to note that students are responsible for learning the concepts presented in the class. Those students who feel most comfortable with a hard copy text may wish to purchase one or more of their preference (See Recommended Textbooks.)

Recommended Textbooks:

• Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Classroom in a Book - Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Press, ISBN-10: 032157382X, ISBN-13: 978-0321573827

• ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Classroom in a Book - Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Press, ISBN-10: 0321579216, ISBN-13: 978-0321579218

• ActionScript 3 Bible - Roger Braunstein, Mims Wright, Joey Lott, Josh Noble, Wiley, ISBN-10: 0470135603, ISBN-13: 978-0470135600

• ActionScript 3.0 Game Programming University - Gary Rosenzweig, Que, ISBN-10: 0789737027, ISBN-13: 978-0789737021

E-Books:

Assigned and supplementary reading materials are freely available to Purdue students via the Safari Books Online database. Click here for instructions on using and accessing this database.

Video Tutorials:

Each student is required to purchase an Online Training Library (OTL) account ($39 for the semester) with Lynda.com and view the corresponding course materials and tutorials. Click here for instructions on purchasing and utilizing a Lynda.com account.

Course Equipment:

• 1Itoya Presentation/ Display Books - (8.5x11 - for submitting assignments)
• CD-R or DVD-R's for project files
• Plastic diskette holder with adhesive backing (for holding project submission discs)

Course Administration - Lectures and Demonstrations

Lectures will concern the body of knowledge surrounding interactive media production. Demonstrations will cover specific operations and techniques. It is your responsibility to secure all materials and information presented in class. Lectures and demonstrations will not be repeated. Lectures may be recorded with the professor's permission.

Student Conduct and Policies:

No swearing, or derogatory comments about, or towards, any member of the class will be tolerated in any class period. 

No food or drinks of any kind will be allowed in any lab sessions. 

Students are expected to arrive on time for all class and lab sessions. 

Late assignments will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the Instructor and because of extreme circumstances. (Not coming to lab, or forgetting, doesn't rate as an extreme circumstance.) 

No student will be allowed to make up any written exam, lab practical, exam, or quiz unless they have an approved excuse.

Students who have special needs, i.e. hearing or visually challenged, etc., or in need of tutoring, etc., may contact the Dean of Students Office located in Schleman Hall, Room 207, 494-1747 for further assistance.

Standards set by Purdue University as outlined in the Student Handbook and the University Regulations (1996-1997) will be observed in this course.

Any student found participating in cheating, plagiarism, copying material from another person's disk, using illegal cribs or other materials during a written examination, lying to course instructors and lab assistants about his or her own work, stealing tests, quizzes, or answer keys, and any such activities will be considered in conflict with the printed academic honesty guidelines as set out by Purdue University and the School of Technology. In such cases the matter will be reported to the Office of the Dean and the appropriate Purdue University administration officers for consideration and possible disciplinary action. (See Student Conduct Action Report).

Students are expected to be present at each and every meeting of the class. In the event that a student must miss a class period, they must inform the supervising instructor of the course of their absence and NOT a teaching assistant (TA). Should the student not be able to reach the instructor they are to leave a message for him/her at their office with the secretary. Should circumstances not allow this, the student may contact the Dean of Students Office and explain their emergency. The Dean's office will then pass the word along to each of the student's professors for them. Upon your return to Purdue, contact the supervising instructor as soon as possible in order to make arrangements for work, handouts, quizzes, or tests that they may have missed. The supervising instructor has the final word on what work, etc. students may be allowed to make up. Every student has the right to appeal to the university any decision made by their supervising instructor.

Campus Emergencies

In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. The following are methods for getting information about changes in this course:

• Official course web page (current location)
• Blackboard web page
• Instructor email address: rjglotzbach@purdue.edu
• Instructor office phone: 496-1831

Course Assignments, Exercises, Studies, and Projects:

Assignments and Exercises:

Assignments are designed to expose students to a broad range of applied and theoretical concepts. Some exercises will directly apply to class projects while others will serve to introduce various aspects of interactive media development. Some exercises will be completed and submitted in class, while others will be completed outside the classroom setting. Students are expected to apply the same consideration and effort to all exercises.

Reading Assignments:

Students will be given access to a variety of online reading materials including course notes, online texts, and Web articles. Although some of these reading materials will be specifically assigned, many of them will be supplementary and technically not required for the course. Rather, it is at the discretion and judgment of the individual student to determine which materials need to be read in order to supplement the required course content. In short, individual students determine exactly how much they need to read.

Since specific textbooks are not required, reading assignments will be often be based on concepts rather than specific chapters or page numbers. As such, It is up to each student to keep pace with the relevant course material. (For example, during the week in which channels are covered, students should take it upon themselves to read the relevant material concerning channels from the specific textbook/ education resource they have selected.) Week-to-week concepts are listed on the course schedule and in the class notes.

Note: Students who fail to keep pace with the material presented in class run the risk of poor performance. Failure to read the necessary material to adequately supplement the course concepts can dramatically affect performance on assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams.

Projects: Students will be expected to successfully complete 3 projects during the course. A complete description, scenario, and deliverables listing is provided on subsequent pages on this site. Click here to see a sample of a project evaluation form. Each project will conclude with an in-class, peer review/ critique as listed on the weekly layout.

Peer Evaluations:

Each project will conclude with an in-class, peer review/ critique as listed on the weekly layout. The peer-review will require that every project be displayed before the class. The class and instructor will discuss the projects and each student will pick 3 projects that they believe show outstanding work. Afterward, the top three projects will be discussed in-depth (noting the positives and negatives of each). Each student will then vote for the best project in class. The best project (as determined by the students) will receive 5 bonus points to be applied after the project has been graded by the instructor. Each individual student is only eligible to win "best project" once per semester. Students who fail to attend lab on the day of the peer reviews or participate in the review process will have points deducted from their project.

Late Work:

NO late work (exercises, projects, etc...)will be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor and only in the case of extreme circumstances. (Forgetfulness, oversleeping, or any other situation the instructor deems trivial doesn't rate as an extreme circumstance.) 

Assignments Summary:

• Readings - some required, some supplemental
• Videos - required (3-4 hours per week)
• Exercises - required (most completed in lab)
• Projects - required (as many hours as needed)
  • Minimum Total Hours Per Week: (7-10 hours outside of class)

Exams: 

Quizzes:

Quizzes will be given periodically throughout the course at the instructors discretion. Quizzes will count for approximately the same number of points as assignments, exercises, and studies and will be graded in the 'Exercises and Assignments" component of the course.

Examinations:

There are two exams given in CGT 353, a midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. Together, both exams will be worth 30% of the final class grade (15% each). The midterm exam will cover material from the readings, assignments, exercises, lectures, demonstrations, and lab sessions of the course and will be administered at the halfway point of the semester. The final exam will be a comprehensive exam and given at the appropriately scheduled time during finals week. 

Evaluation:

Note: Regardless of the above percentages, any student who completes less than 80% of the course work will receive an F for the course. 

Grading Philosophy: