Course Title	Interactivity: Web Essentials
Course mnemonic	DIVA 205		Day/Time	Monday 3:50pm-6:40pm/Thursday 3:50-6:40pm
Section number	S001/S002		Start Date	January 5, 2009
Credits	3		End Date	April 6, 2009
Hours per week	5		Location	SB330/NB 203A
Prerequisites			** Please see note on Syllabus page re last week of classes.
Instructor	Dr. Carol Gigliotti		Fax	604 844 3801
Office number	241A/243A		Email	gigliotti@eciad.ca
Office telephone	844-3800 Local TBA		Office hours	Tuesday3:30 – 5:00pm and By appointment

 

Website Catalogue Description  |  http://www.ecuad.ca

This introductory studio course addresses the design, composition, and construction of interactivity in web-based environments. Students learn to apply the principles and processes of website design for communicative and artistic purposes. Students learn to compose simple image and sound material, and apply introductory XHTML and CSS concepts.

Course Content [for this specific offering of this course]

This course will provide an introduction to the interactive environment and extend student's knowledge of digital concepts and software for a wide range of on- and off –line applications. This course will emphasize the current concepts and practices of interactivity in digital media but rely on historic uses and concepts of interactivity as well. Current authoring software will provide the platform on which design for interactivity will occur. Students will be introduced to XHTML, CSS, Dreamweaver, and Flash, website design, interactive sound and video, preparing graphics for and typography for on-screen viewing, working with animation, and basic programming actions and functions. Concepts of user interface such as metaphor, motivation, navigation, usability, functionality, performance, narrative and spatiality will be introduced. Interaction will be experienced as a process for communication. Projects in this course will ask the students to answer such questions as what interactivity is, what it could be, how it could work, and what it might mean in the larger areas of communication arts and design.

 

Course Learning Outcomes

• Understand and utilize the various concepts of interactivity and user interface design
• Identify and discuss conceptual models of interactive design especially those dealing with metaphor, narrative, performance and spatiality, sensory and data approaches.
• Understand basic computational form and programming structure
• Create and integrate media elements, such as images, text, sound, video
• Design and develop unique interactive projects

Methods

A combination of content/concept presentations together with technical demos and presentations will offer the student a full array of knowledge components for their introductory investigation of interactive media. Along with that, most class sessions will incorporate 45-60 minutes of in class work time to work directly with the conceptual and technical material offered in that class.

1. Content Presentation: 30 min - 60 min

2. Workshop: 60 - 90 min

3. In-class Work session: 60 min

 

 

 

Resource materials

 

Required:

Castro, Elizabeth. (2007). HTML, XHTML & CSS (Sixth Edition): Visual QuickStart Guide, Peachpit Press.

 

Highly Recommended:

Johnson, Steve. (2008). Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 on Demand. Que Publishing.

 

Chun, Russell and Robertson, H. Paul. (2007). Flash CS3 Professional Advanced for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickPro Guide, Peachpit Press.

 

 

The class website is an important resource: it is located in the Teaching section of my website: http://www.carolgigliotti.net

Evaluation Criteria

 

Attendance	10%
Participation	10%
Projects 1	20%
Projects 2	10%
Project 3	20%
Group Project 4	30%
Total	100%

 

 

Evaluation Criteria definitions

Students are expected to spend from 3-6 hours per week outside of class time to research material and master technical, practical and conceptual principles covered in class.

To achieve the above learning objectives, students are expected to:

• Attend and actively participate in class discussions, workshop exercises and critiques.  Attendance and participation are linked. Quality participation includes being prepared to discuss your own as well as other's work, active listening, supporting your fellow class members by participating in their learning environment by sharing ideas and technical knowledge.  Intellectual disagreement is encouraged. This class is nowhere without you.

• Submit completed assignments and projects within the allotted time. 5 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is over due.  All assignments are due on the due date posed on your personal DIVA 205 website. These deliverables count towards your project and participation grade.

• Research, read information on course subjects and study assigned Web sites - Part of the research grade will be based on demonstration of course topics and concepts reflected in your projects.

 

Four assignments will be given out in class and details will be provided on the web-site. Each of the assignments will integrate technical, conceptual and practical topics in the course. Specific details of the projects will be given out in class and on the web-site.  These individual projects will be worth 20% for the first and all term assignment, 10% for the second, 20% for the third and 30% for the final project.