NSTRUCTOR: Andrew J. Ryan Office hours Mon 5.00 - 6.00 PM or by appointment; 703.993.1436;

Course Description and Goals: This is a 4 credit New Century College course. The goal of this course will be to provide a solid background in multimedia research and concept development from a scientific yet practical point of view. Students will gain a full understanding of the computer-based principles behind multimedia and appreciate the symbiotic relationship between the two. Finally, you will learn about the life cycle of development for a multimedia application including topics such as: "what constitutes a good idea," "usability testing," and "copyright issues."

• Multimedia Paper 30%
• Multimedia Group Project 30%
• Case studies/Response Papers 15%
• Quizzes 15%
• Participation 10%

Late work will be penalized by one FULL grade per week. Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at the beginning of class. Exceptions are permissible, but require prior permission of instructor.

Final grades will be calculated using the University grading system. No curve will be used --this is to your advantage

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any project or paper suspected not be the original work of the author will be forwarded to the George Mason University Honor Council. When in doubt, please consult me before handing your work in

Course Goals:

• Introduce development life cycles for software and multimedia projects
• Provide a platform for students to apply multimedia skills in a structured environment
• Make sure students understand and observe copyright laws
• Gain real world work experience through the experiential /service learning component of the course - using your technology skills to provide some technology service (create or redesign Web site, do Internet research, teach Internet skills, etc.) for a non-profit organization.
• Introduce research aspect of multimedia and facilitate further study in this area
• Enhance technical writing skills via professional research paper to be published
• Articulate how your learning experiences in this course relate to the New Century College Competencies

• Multimedia: Making it Work; Vaughan, Tay
• The Elements of Technical Writing; Blake, Gary

To join IEEE, go to http://www.ieee.org

To access the IEEE Multimedia web page, go to: http://ers2000.gmu.edu/sql/subdb.php3?Engineering_&_Technology

Experiential Learning: This course has a required experiential learning component. You will be able to earn your hours in a variety of ways:

1. Shadowing a multimedia professional
2. Interviewing a multimedia professional
3. Visiting multimedia exhibits
4. Conducting research on multimedia education
5. Providing service for a non-profit organization
6. Attending multimedia classes

See hourly breakdown of these activities. Rememer, you need 45 hours to complete this prerequisite.

Proposal for Technology Service 

Experiential Learning Group Project - non-profit Web site OR technology outreach Service Learning Center/Risk Release Form/

NCC Competencies:

Communication - via presentations, understanding how to effectively create applications which are visually understandable by users.
Critical Thinking - use analytical reasoning skills to develop a fully-functional multimedia application
Problem Solving - creatively handle any issues pertaining to the development of a fully functional multimedia application Group Interaction - students will work in groups to do presentations, lead class discussions, and develop a multimedia application
Aesthetic Response - students will perform usability testing to judge the visual quality of their application
Information Technology - students will employ information technology applications and techniques for research and development of major class projects. Copyright and legal issues will also be examined

Participation: You will be assigned to groups and are expected to work with group members on group projects and help each other as you are learning new technology skills. If a student does not actively participate in the group projects, that student's individual project grade may be downgraded accordingly. You will evaluate each other's group performance at the end of the semester. Participation in in-class and electronic class discussion is included in your participation grade. You are expected to come to class having read the material for the class and have ready any course work due for that class. I feel no obligation to accept or respond to work turned in late. Quality of work, not just completing it, determines the grade you earn.

About Group Work: During the course of the semester, you will be required to work in groups. In the past, this has been a very rewarding experience for students. However, there have been occasions where inequity in workload has been a problem. You are encouraged to write a group contract, to be signed by all members, which outlines the penalties involved for not fulfilling group duties. At the end of the project, I will collect these contracts and incorporate them into the final grade for the project. I will hold the group responsible for resolving any issues that may arise throughout the semester. As a last resort, I will mediate in the matter, if all group members agree to abide by my decision.

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