Grading

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All assignments are "turned in" when they are posted to your web site. Weekly design assignments must be posted by 6pm Sunday night. Other due dates are on the schedule. At the end of the semester, you will turn in all of the work that you did over the course of the semester on a CD that I will archive. I have a NO LATE WORK policy. If your work is not turned in on time, you don't get credit for it. You still need to have all of the assignments done to pass the course though, so just do your work on time!
  • design notebook
    This is an extremely important part of the class. You should bring it to every class. The notebook should include the following:
    1. responses to readings assigned in class (How do the readings change the way you think about the process?)
    2. comments and critiques of the work that is presented in class (what do you think of these projects? how might they be improved? how does this work make you look at your work differently?)
    3. complete storyboards for all of your assignments (definition of message and audience, sketches, project structure and code that makes it work)
    4. in-class usability tests
    5. usability questions and summaries of the tests you conduct on the midterm and final.Each summary should be 700-950 words long. Here is an example of a good usability analysis
    The design notebook will be handed in 1 time during the term and at the end of the term. The notebook is graded on: completeness, neatness and quality of content. I strongly suggest that you dedicate a 3-ring binder as your notebook and divide content up into appropriate sections so I can grade it easily. (total = 10%)
  • quizzes
    on lectures and readings. There are 10 quizzes. Each is worth 2 points. If you get more than half the quiz correct, you receive full credit, less than half, 1 point, no present, 0 points. There are no make-ups on quizzes unless you have a written medical or family excuse. (total = 20%)
  • design assignments
    - see assignment schedule. There are 10 assignments. Each is worth two points. If your assigment is up on the web and it is WORKING on both platforms and in all browsers, you receive full credit. If it is up and NOT working, 1 point. If it is not up on time, 0 points. (20%)
  • audio/visual challenge
    One of the challenges of the software is to successfully coordinate audio with animations. You can record audio, or use a song recorded by someone else and create an interactive transmedia piece with the poem or song. The maintimeline should only be used to control sub movie clips. You should not have more than 20 frames in use on the maintimeline. Make sure you credit any work you use that is not your own. On the due date, the swf file must be posted to your class website and fla must be in your class folder. No credit will be given if fla is missing.(5%)
  • midterm project
    You will develop an idea for a compelling, complex interactive media piece and execute it using the skills you have learned so far. Remember that generally, we are telling stories. We will discuss the difference between pallid and vivid storytelling. Your midterm should be vivid. Your project should include audio and the code/techniques that we have learned in class to date. On the due date, the swf file must be posted to your class website and fla must be in your class folder. No credit will be given if fla is missing.(10%). Multimedia Grading Criteria
  • midterm usability test
    Write a usability test which assesses the effectiveness of your midterm. Look at your storyboards. Did your piece sucessfully communicate the intended message to the intended audience? Administer the test to at least five people. Remember that a good usability test elicits negative feedback which shows you where your work needs to be improved. Write up the results. Focus on what doesn't work and how you could improve this piece and use what you learned for future pieces. This should be posted to your site and be in your design notebook on paper. (5%)
  • final project
    You have a lot of flexibility for your final and should choose to do something that really excites your imagination and utilizes the technical, design and usability skills you have acquired during the class. The final should in clude the code/techniques that you have been taught in the class this semester. Your project MUST have a preloader. Do a fantastic design on PAPER before you go to the computer. On the due date, the swf file must be posted to your class website and fla must be in your class folder. No credit will be given if fla is missing.

    Final Project requirements

    Client:
    You should have a client who is not related to you and does not love you. This person will approve your design document and assess the effectiveness of your work.
    Message:
    You should be clear about what you hope to communicate/accomplish with the project. This should be articulated in the storyboards so that you can measure success in your usability test.
    Interactivity:
    Your project must allow the user to interact with it in some way. You should also have a replay button, a button that links back to your homepage, and credits for all media.
    Sound:
    Appropriate sound should be integrated into the piece. Controls should be present and functioning.
    Publishing:
    The final piece must be turned in as a swf correctly embedded in an html page. Appropriate meta and descriptor tags should be in place so that search engines can find the piece.
    (20%) Multimedia Grading Criteria
  • final usability study
    Design a usability test for your final project. Determine the desired audience, write up a questionnaire and administer it to at least eight people from your target audience. Turn in a paper that discusses the results of your study, what you learned, and how you would need to change your piece to better serve your audience. This should be up on your site and in your design notebook on paper. (5%)
  • nudge
    Given that this is a class which involves a great deal of group work (group critiques, students helping each other, discussion) your grade will be affected by your interaction with the professor and the class as a whole. Participation, civility and generosity are desirable traits. The thoughtfulness of your evaluations of other's work is also considered in this grade. (5%)
No passing grade will be given if all assignments are not completed and handed in.
Constructive classroom involvement will be used to nudge a grade either up or down. Constructive classroom involvement is attendance, constructive discussion, helping other students, and volunteering for demonstrations.
Non-constructive involvement is anything which adversely disrupts the labs and non-attendance.
This specifically includes working on the class computers during times when the instructor is lecturing or students are making presentations. Students who insist on being disrespectful in this manner will have their grades docked.

read this!

It is your responsibility to keep track of your grades over the course of the semester. Your grades are posted on D2L and can be checked at any time. You earn your grades by the degree to which you meet the requirements of the assignments. If you find that you are not doing as well as you would like to be doing in the class you can meet with me to discuss extra credit projects. If you feel that I have made a mistake recording a grade or failed to enter a grade that you earned correctly, I encourage you to email me so that I can correct it. I do not wish to receive emails requesting that I change your grade because you would prefer to have a higher one. I will not reply to emails of this nature.

Students need to have to have a 2.0 or better in MAGD prerequisites in order to move along in the sequence. Please watch your grade carefully and come and speak to me if you have concerns.

grade percentage description
A+ 100 Exceeds outstanding. Truly amazing work.
A 96-99 Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations.
A- 91-95 Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner
B+ 88-90 Very good work, above-average, Student performance demonstrates comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations.
B 84-87 Good work. Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates good understanding of material.
B- 81-83 Better than average. Student performance demonstrates better than average understanding of material.
C+ 78-80 Slightly better than average work.
C 74-77 Average work.
C- 71-73 Slightly below average work.
D+ 68-70 Below average work.
D 64-67 Below average work.
D- 60-63 Below average work.
F Less than 60 Failing.

Last changed, 2011 ©2000-11 Elena Bertozzi