EECS4700

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====== Course Outline ======

 
======  Introduction ====== 
 
This course is designed as an inquiry into the field of digital media that culminates in the realization of significant project in the area of digital media.


 
======  Evaluation ====== 
 
Assessment is based on assignments, presentations, participation, the midterm, and the final project, which will be given the following weight in the final grade:

  - 33% Assignment/presentations/Participation
  - 33% Midterm
  - 33% Final Project
 
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** Assignments/Presentations/Participation**
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  * Assignments:
Assignments should be expected every week. Some assignments will be specific, while most
assignments are an assessment of the student or group’s progress. Assignments may be givento the class as a whole or specifically to a student or group as deemed necessary. Regardlesseveryone should have something ready to show from week to week. Whatever the case, themantra for the course should be "make-make-make."
  * In-Class Presentations:
Often during the course specific in-class presentation assignments will be given. However, inaddition, students should be prepared to show their progress every week as part of their weekly progress check.
  * Documentation:
Students should be documenting their work throughout the course. Periodical checks of
documentation should be included in the in-class presentations and week

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**Midterm** 
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Midterm grade will be based on the project proposals and project proposal presentations.
Deliverables will include a written project proposal, a presentation, and a poster and
prototype(s). A review held on the last two weeks of fall term to discuss the project proposals. This review will be open to Digital Media Faculty and students.


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** Projects**
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Projects will be realized in groups and will be a significant work in the context of digital media. The projects are evaluated on a multi-part basis, which consists of the following:

  * Final Projects:

The final product of the research and development conducted during the year. The project
should follow the following guidelines:
  - All projects are interactive
  - Non-trivial software component
  - An expression of your technical ability
  - Well situated in the literature, rationalized, communicated
  - Good design, creative development
  - Projects should be achievable with the technical resources available
  - Groups no bigger than 3

Other constraints may arise based on the progression of the discourse over the duration of the course, and/or as the need arises in the development of particular projects.

  * Final Paper:
A paper (minimum 1500 word) that explains and justifies the technical and aesthetic
considerations will accompany all projects. Although works are developed in teams, individuals will still be responsible for their own papers. Individual papers will focus primarily on your individual contribution to the work as a whole. Papers should follow the formatting of a major journal or conference within the field and should consist of the following components:
  - Abstract
  - Introduction/Overview
  - Related works
  - Description of the Development Process
  - Conclusion
  - References


Paper Formatting

For your papers we would like you to follow the ACM "Small Standard Format," an example can be downloaded here:
[[http://www.acm.org/publications/word_style/word-style-toc/
]]
Use the citation style and formatting as a guide when developing all of your writing for this course.

When working on your papers you should categorize your work using the ACM Classification System as found here:
[[http://dl.acm.org/ccs_flat.cfm#10003120]]


  * Final Presentation Review:

A review held on the last two weeks of class to discuss the projects. This review will be open to DM Faculty and students.

  * Exhibition:
A public exhibition of the projects will take place during the Digital Media Showcase.

  * Auto-Evaluation:
In addition to the overall project outcome, projects will be evaluated in part by considering your own assessment of the overall project grade, your individual contribution to the project, and each of your team member’s contribution.






  * Grading Scheme, Assignment Submissions, and Lateness Penalties
The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in
undergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments will bear a letter grade designation. See Grades and Grading Schemes
from the [[http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/2014-2015/academic/grades/index.htm]].

  *  Grade Problems
If you have a problem with the grade you have been assigned you need to follow these steps:
  - Explain to your course director, in writing by email, why you think you deserve a higher grade.
  - If you cannot come to an agreement with your course director then you should bring your
complaint to the Associate Dean Students.

  * Grading Workstation Requirements
Assignments must be able to run on a typical workstation configuration in the lab. This means projects will be evaluated on a Macintosh computer running standard software.
  
- Lateness Penalties
Assignments received later than the due date will be penalized one-half grade point per day that they are late. Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasons such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc. will be entertained by the Course Director only when supported by written documentation (e.g., a doctor’s letter). Students may take a limited number of courses for degree credit on an ungraded (pass/fail) basis. For full information on this option see Alternative Grading Option in the Faculty of Fine Arts section of [[http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/calendars/2013-2014/faculty_rules/FA/grading.htm 
]]

====== Materials ======

  *  Tools

The focus of this course is the pursuit of the research topic at hand, and not the development ofa specific tool. Therefore the tools used for this course can be derived from any number of sources, based on the student’s experience and what is ideal to carry out the project proposal. Emphasis will likely be placed on tools and techniques that are focused on in Digital Media courses, such as Max/MSP/Jitter, Arduino, OpenFrameWorks and Java.

  * Lab Materials and Access
The Digital Media Program has a wealth of resources for you to work with. For details on lab materials and access, please see: David Han, Digital Media Lab Technician,
Digital Media, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University 416.736.2100 x77465 - dhan@yorku.ca

  * Course Website 
A course website will be maintained for students to use for documentation and presentation of their work. Details on access and location of the site are forthcoming.

====== Course Plan ======
  * Workshops
Workshops will be given throughout the course on an ad hoc basis. Workshops will be
determined based on the common needs of the students, student input, and the availability of workshop leaders.
  * Mentors

Although not always possible, ideally the projects will be realized under the supervision of outside mentors. We will seek mentors based on the project proposals that are provided early in the process. Mentors may be faculty from either the Department of Computer Science and Engineering or the Faculty of Fine Arts or the Communication Studies program of the Division of Social Science, Faculty of LA&PS. Mentors in industry are also possible. All mentors will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

  * Schedule
The following is the schedule for the course. Lectures for this 24-week course are 3 hours. Homework and other deliverables should be completed before the start of class the day they are due. As a project development course, the courses will be divided into two main development periods that consist of Project Development, Conceptualization, and Planning; and Development/Prototyping as outlined below. Because of the unpredictable nature of the project development the Fall 2014
  - Project Development/Conceptualization/Planning
  - Specialization & State of the Research
Students will provide a general overview of the state of the research in their chosen area. State of the research is typically in the form of an annotated bibliography and will be a component ofthe final paper. Individuals will present articles and other materials to the class. Materials (links, articles, etc.) should be provided to the class beforehand. All students are responsible for participating the discussions that follow the presentations.