Course Syllabus

ARTC 3310

Section: 1001
Semester: Fall 2016
Lab: 246 Wolfe Center
Time: Mon. & Wed. 2:30PM - 4:50PM

Instructor: Kim Turner Young
Email: ktyoung@bgsu.edu
Office: 108 FAC 
Office Hours: Mondays, 11:00am-2:00pm (please email in advance to arrange an appointment)

Course Description

Basic concepts of digital interactive multimedia art. Emphasis on interactive web art and interface design. Creative idea development which integrates image, text, animation, and audio with programming. Five studio hours. Prerequisites: grade of C or higher in ARTC 2210, and concurrent or prior enrollment in CS 2010, or consent of instructor.

Course Methods

This course will focus on interactive multimedia, specifically Internet art and web design. Throughout the semester, we will be creating interactive multimedia art projects by focusing on the integration of interaction and non-linear narrative structure in an art environment. Class lectures will include demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to interactive online art. Students will actively write code and create working web pages during class exercises, guided by the professor, and will use this technical knowledge to create interactive artworks. Students are encouraged to pursue areas of interest and explore new ideas throughout the course.

Course Expectations

Expectations for classroom behavior

For this class to be effective, you must be an active participant.  You are expected to:

• Work on projects for this class during the in-class work time. Some in-class work time will be provided, but the majority of assignments will be completed outside of class.
• Actively participate during technical exercises and demonstrations, following instructions to complete assigned tasks. Try to keep pace with the rest of the class. If you fall behind, inform the professor immediately so you can receive additional instruction to help you catch up. If you finish early, you may experiment with what you have learned up to that point. Do not go ahead to the next steps or next assignments without permission from the professor.
• Be supportive of others’ learning, by asking for and offering help when needed. Share your successes and discoveries, and celebrate the successes and discoveries of others.
• Actively participate in discussions.  This includes asking questions, answering others’ questions, and adding relevant information.
• Attend class (see Attendance, below). If you miss a class, it is your responsibility meet with a classmate or make an appointment with the professor to get the information. It is also your responsibility to monitor your attendance record, and clear up any discrepancies as soon as possible.

Expectations for behavior during critiques

• Be prepared for critiques to begin promptly at the start of class.
• Turn off monitors and cell phones, and join the critique group at the front of the classroom.
• Bring writing materials to take notes during critiques.
• Show respect for your fellow students’ efforts, by giving their work your full attention.
• Participate in the critique as directed.
• Critique the artwork, not the artist.
• Recognize that criticism of your art is not criticism of you, the artist.
• Sometimes, discussions about art can lead to disclosures that are personally sensitive. Nothing of a personal nature discussed in class should be shared with others outside of class. You are not required to disclose personal information that makes you uncomfortable.

Expectations for learning

• See Course Objectives and Assessment, below.

Expectations for technology

• Digital storage: TWO Flash Drives with a minimum 8GB are required. You will be expected to back up your data after every class at a minimum, and it is recommended that you back projects up to two different drives. Failure to back up work will not be accepted as an excuse for late or missing assignments.
• Software: It is strongly recommended (but not required) that you subscribe to an Adobe Creative Cloud software suite that includes Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Illustrator. The software is on the lab computers in the Wolfe Center and on campus, but access to those may be limited. If you do purchase the software, make sure you get the educational pricing as shown in the link above. This software will be used in other Digital Arts courses as well.
• Internet connection: You must have a reliable internet connection, and a computer capable of running Canvas and the software listed above. Online resources will be used for this class, so a physical textbook is not necessary.
• BGSU technology resources: See Resources section below for information about TSC and STAC.

Course Objectives and Assessment

The student will:	Evidence that objective was met:
Code functional websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery.	Technical exercises.
Produce artworks that explore the interactive capabilities of the medium, apply fine art principles as well as industry standard design and production practices.	Creative projects, site maps.
Produce interactive websites that explore the range from experimental (non-linear, expressive interactive interface) to commercial (adhering to industry design standards and practices).	Creative projects, site maps.
Create graphics for the web, using appropriate file formats and quality standards.	Creative projects, technical exercises.
Appropriately and creatively use fonts and typography in websites.	Creative projects, technical exercises.
Learn about the challenges of creating work to be viewed on multiple platforms and devices.	Creative projects, technical exercises.
Learn about the challenges of meeting deadlines.	Creative projects, technical exercises.
Use Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator and other software as needed.	Creative projects, technical exercises.
Critically write about and discuss readings and artworks.	Written responses, class discussions.

Rubrics and point values for assignments are posted for each assignment in Canvas. In general, work is graded as follows:

A (100-90%) Excellent - Above and beyond ALL requirements

B (89-80%) Very Good - Above and beyond SOME requirements

C (79-70) Average - MET ALL the requirements

D (69-60%) DID NOT MEET ALL the requirements

F (59-0%) DID NOT MEET ANY requirements, plagiarized work, or not turned in

Schedule and Assignments

• The complete course schedule appears at the bottom of the Syllabus page in Canvas.
• Assignments are weighted according to the table on the right of the Syllabus page in Canvas.
• A detailed schedule of each class will be published weekly in Canvas, available on the course Home page.

Late Work

Meeting deadlines is a course objective, and is also a crucial professional standard. For this reason, late assignments will not be graded, and you will receive a 0. Exceptions to this may be made at the professor’s discretion, with timely proof of a significant extenuating circumstance. Note that lost data or technology malfunction is not an acceptable excuse for late work (see Expectations for Technology, above).

Attendance

• This course assumes an interactive approach in its structure and in its presentation, which requires engaged participation from all members of the class. This class is a cumulative experience and necessitates your presence in lab time as well as lecture. Therefore, regular attendance is expected and considered mandatory.
• If you miss a class, it is your responsibility meet with a classmate or make an appointment with me to get the information. It is also your responsibility to monitor your attendance record, and clear up any discrepancies as soon as possible.
• You may miss up to three classes with no penalty to your grade (as long as you turn in all assignments on time).
• Missing more than 10% of regularly scheduled course meeting times (3 classes) results in the reduction of the final grade by one letter grade, and continues for each additional absence up to the 6th absence. (Formula: absence #4 = -1 letter grade, #5 = -2 letter grades, #6 = -3 letter grades).
• Missing more than 20% of regularly scheduled course meetings (6 classes) results in automatic failure for the course. (Formula: #7 = F). 
• There are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences. There is only presence or absence. 
• Arriving for class late or leaving class before dismissal without permission constitutes a tardy. The accumulation of three tardies is equal to an absence. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. If a student comes in late, it is their responsibility to make sure I mark their arrival.
• Do not leave class early. Students must clear it with the professor first, or be marked tardy or absent for that day (depending on how much time is missed).

• Attendance at FINAL CRITIQUE is mandatory. Absence, for any reason, will lower the final grade by one letter. No late final projects will be accepted (zero grade).
• In the event of a mental or physical health emergency or other similar crisis that may cause a student to miss more than two classes, please set up an appointment with the professor to discuss options.

Policies

Digital Arts Department Rules

• No food or drink in the lab.
• No cell phones, or beepers on during class. ALWAYS remember to turn off (or silence) your cellphone before class.
• No sleeping during class.
• No student is permitted to disconnect, reconnect, or reconfigure any workstation without the permission of a digital arts professor.

Student Projects

Projects created in any Digital Arts course may be used by the ART department for the purpose of promoting the student, the department and/or the university in general. These materials may also be used by the ART department for instructional purposes in future courses. Please inform the instructor if you do not want your projects used.

Academic Honesty

The professor and students in this course will adhere to the University’s general Codes of Conduct defined in the BGSU Student Handbook. The Code of Academic Conduct (Academic Honesty Policy) requires that students do not engage in academic dishonesty. For details, refer to the BGSU Codes of Conduct site at https://www.bgsu.edu/student-handbook/code-of-conduct.html.   

The professor and students will adhere to the general Code of Academic Conduct as outlined of the BGSU Student Handbook. Specifically, students will not cheat, fabricate, plagiarize or facilitate academic dishonesty. Students who passively engage in cheating (i.e. allowing others to cheat off of them) may receive the same consequences as the person copying. In group work, if your partner or teammates do all the work on an assignment, you should not be listed as a contributor and should receive no credit for that work. If you allow an assignment to be submitted listing you as a contributor, but you did not contribute, this is equivalent to plagiarism.

Disability Services

I want nothing to interfere with your ability to perform well in this course. If you have a significant problem that might weaken your performance, please talk to me and/or someone from Disability Services for Students (DSS) Office. The goal of the DSS is to help provide equal access and reasonable accommodations to BGSU students with disabilities.  You can contact them by phone at 372-8495, fax 372-8496, TTY 372-0582, or on the web at http://www.bgsu.edu/disability-services.html.

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University to make every reasonable effort to allow students to observe their religious holidays without academic penalty. In such cases, it is the obligation of the student to provide the instructor with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which he or she will be absent. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve the student of responsibility for completing required work missed. Following the necessary notification, the student should consult with the instructor to determine what appropriate alternative opportunity will be provided, allowing the student to fully complete his or her academic responsibilities. (As stated in The Academic Charter, B-II.G-4.b at: http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/file919.pdf.

STUDENT VETERAN-FRIENDLY CAMPUS

BGSU educators recognize student veterans’ rights when entering and exiting the university system. If you are a student veteran, please communicate with your instructor so reasonable accommodations can be made for absence when drilling or being called to active duty. See (http://www.bgsu.edu/veteran/) for more information.

Resources

Technology Support Center (TSC)  

TSC provides a central point of contact for faculty, staff and students for questions, problem reports, service requests and inquiries for University computer systems and communications technologies at BGSU. Email: tsc@bgsu.edu Phone: (419) 372-0999.

Student Technology Assistance Center (STAC)  

Students looking for CANVAS support or more in-depth assistance with computer technology for a class project should contact STAC. Students can get help in person at 122 Jerome Library (1st floor), by phone (419-372-9277) or visiting their web page at https://www.bgsu.edu/library/stac.html.

University Libraries

The University Libraries supports the teaching, learning and research mission of BGSU by advancing scholarship and creativity through collections and user-centered services that connect faculty and students to high quality information resources. For more information, to reserve a study space or to make an appointment: http://www.bgsu.edu/library.html ; http://www.bgsu.edu/library/ask-us.html ; 419-372-6943; libhelp@bgsu.edu .

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