COURSE TITLE: Multimedia I and II

ROOM: B3.1

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Multimedia I and II develop and extend students’ existing skills at manipulating digital images, graphics, sound, video, and other appropriate technologies. Students use a variety of software and hardware to create and modify media for inclusion in paper, video, CD, and web based projects. Multimedia is usually taken by 11^th and 12^th grade students. Each semester of the course meets .5 credits of the computer studies graduation requirement. The first semester can be profitably taken without the second, but the second semester requires the material taught in the first.

COURSE GOALS/OBJECTIVES/STANDARDS: As a result of taking Multimedia I, students should be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the terminology used in the areas of multimedia.

Demonstrate the use of multimedia applications including, but not limited to, image manipulation, presentation, and publishing.

Demonstrate an understanding of how various technological applications can be combined to effectively communicate a message.

Demonstrate appreciation of how multimedia technology affects our daily life.

Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively on a production team.

As a result of taking Multimedia II, students should additionally be able to:

Use the Internet, conferencing, and problem solving software to gather information and present ideas to local and distant audiences.

Demonstrate the ability to organize, analyze, and evaluate collected data and present them in appropriate ways.

Demonstrate the ability to plan and work with teachers, mentors, community members and fellow students, both locally and at a distance to develop projects.

Demonstrate the ability to incorporate various media into a large scale presentation.

SCOPE & SEQUENCE: Multimedia I and II roughly follow the following sequence of topics. Since the course is primarily project based and since projects change from year to year, the exact amount of time spent on each topic and each topic’s sequence in the semester are adjusted accordingly. Earlier topics are also revisited at a more advanced level in the context of new information and increased student knowledge. Multimedia II is essentially a workshop in which students produce large scale projects based on the skills they have learned in Multimedia I:

The Vocabulary of media, photography, and image manipulation

Layout and Design in Space and Time

Critiquing Others’ Work

Project planning individually and in groups

Operation, Care, and Maintenance of Digital Cameras and related equipment

Principles of photographic composition

Wide ranging skills in digital image editing

Selection and Manipulation of Settings and Lighting

Sound Management and Recording for presentations

Special Effects and Titling

Packaging and Presentation of Multimedia Projects

COURSE GRADING/ASSESSMENT: Grading is based on quizzes, projects, tests, and a semester exam. Some or all projects may be evaluated as part of a portfolio of work. Group work with shared grading is common. A point system is used to weight assignments, as follows:

Quizzes – 50 points, each

Tests – 100 points, each

Projects – 50 to 200 points each, depending on the level of difficulty and the time required to complete them.

The first and second quarter grades and the semester exam are weighted 40%, 40%, and 20%, respectively in calculating the semester average. Video recording may be used to help the instructor assess his own and students’ interactions. Students will be informed when video is in use.