MMS3402 Entertainment and Interactive Technologies , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)

This subject aims to provide students with a more advanced coverage of technologies, hardware and software tools with a special emphasis on those that are being used within the entertainment and interactive environments. As multimedia industry is still at its infancy, many of its supporting methodologies and technologies need to be defined, and tools and techniques are ever-evolving. To survive in such an ever changing industry, the ability to conduct research and the capability of identifying radical innovations, their future directions and their impacts on the industry are essential skills. The secondary objective of the unit is, therefore, to improve the participants ability to conduct research so that they can, in the future, be able to gain access to the latest information about the concepts, issues, trends and technologies in this emerging field.

• knowledge of hardware and software tools as they relate to advanced, leading edge multimedia systems
• an understanding of recent developments in the New Media area and their likely impact on the multimedia industry
• knowledge of the application of 3D in New Digital Media systems
• an understanding of research methodologies and their application within the New Digital Media
• a synthesis of research techniques and developmental skills

• an appreciation of the role of 3D applications in New Digital Media Systems
• an appreciation of the importance of research methods and an awareness of the benefits of research for product creation
• an appreciation of the inter-relationships amongst technologies supporting New Digital Media Systems

• demonstrate research and retrieval skills
• demonstrate presentation skills

• improved communication and presentation skills for the presentation of ideas and peer feedback
• develop group skills in research and develop time management skills that emulate professional time schedule.

Required text(s)

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Software requirements:

Microsoft Office

You may find Endnote Useful. See It Services for copies of the software.

Hardware requirements:

Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 2 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

To be advised

Study resources for MMS3402 are:

The MMS3402 web site on MUSO, where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary material will be posted.

http://muso.monash.edu.au

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

This unit's assessment consists of two major components:

Group Report marking (80%)

Peer assessment (20%)

Finally, the total marks of the above two components will be adjusted by each individual’s contribution to discussions during other group’s presentations.

Each submitted research report will be assessed using the marking schedule available on Muso.

To pass this unit you must:

To be eligible to be considered for assessment of both individual assignments at the end of the semester you must attend all of your lectures that are presented by visiting lecturer outside the School of Multimedia Systems. If you are absent for more than one such lectures you must supply a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation, otherwise you will be excluded from all individual research paper assignment assessments. If you are finding problems with this requirement please ensure you speak to your unit adviser as early as possible.

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

The tutorial assignmentcomponent will have a weighting of 40% and the research paper assignment component a weighting of 60%. Your final grade will be calculated on one of the following conditions:

Assessment Requirements

Assignment specifications will be made available at http://muso.monash.edu.au. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.

On-campus Students Submit the Research Report to the assignment boxes near Multimedia reception by noon, 12 May 2006, with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached.

An Electronic Copy of Group Assignments must be submitted to MUSO by the Friday of the week that the presentation is given.

Late submission of assignments

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day for the reserach report. Late group presentations will not be accepted but for the most exceptional curcumstances.

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

Requests for extensions must be made byemail to the unit lecturer at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Tutors should be the first point of contact for students. The lecturer also has consultation times available.

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

Consultation are 2-3 on Tuesday and 1-3 on Fridays

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Mrs Kirsten Ellis
Lecturer Part-time
Phone +61 3 990 47132
Fax +61 3 990 47125

Mr Philip Xue
Assistant Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 47164

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.