FIT5900 : Introduction to Multimedia Programming

Lecturers:

Dr. Alan Dorin, Mr Jon McCormack

Lecture location:

Caulfield campus, Theatre B2.18

Lecture time:

Semester 1, 2000, 4pm - 6pm, Mondays
Tutorial times: http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~cema/courses/FIT5900/labTimes.html

Assessment

3hr examination 70%, practical excercises 30%
A pass grade in both the examination and assignment/practical excercises is a hurdle requirement for successful completion of this course.

In the case of unsatisfactory performance in the examination, assignment work or practical exercises, the student's final grade will be the lowest of either (i) the weighted sum of the two formally assessed components or (ii) a total mark of 44%.

Course materials:

URL: http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~cema/courses/FIT5900/index.html

Course overview:

This course is aimed at those students wishing to produce innovative multimedia. The World Wide Web provides an international audience for multimedia developers and has become a vital global resource. Students successfully completing this course will have an understanding of the practical and theoretical issues relevant to web site design and the presentation of information using multiple media.

Practical assignments and excercises provide ample scope for creative expression and utilization of the theory presented in lectures. Students will be assessed on their ability to think and design innovatively, as well as on their understanding of the theoretical issues presented in lectures.

Course topics include:

The course material can be divided into three major areas applicable to multimedia production:

Design

Tools

Media
  • Cognitive models for design
  • Information design
  • User Interfaces
  • Information Architecture
  • User Centred Design issues
  • Layout
  • Typography
  • Colour
  • (Dynamic) HTML
  • Javascript/Java
  • CGI programming
  • Perl
  • VRML/QuicktimeVR
  • Animation
  • 2D & 3D graphics
  • Sound

A full lecture-by-lecture topic listing is available.

A note on texts:

Texts written about Multimedia and the WWW become outdated at an alarming rate. A text book is not necessary for the successful completion of this course. However, it is highly recommended that some texts be consulted during this course to further your own knowledge and clarify points made in lectures. The first text below is good for this purpose. The next two texts make good reference books also.

If you would like to consult specific technical manuals on some of the topics covered in this course, the remaining technical manuals are recommended. Be sure to consult the latest editions. Those listed here will probably be out of date before you read this document! The WWW is frequently the best source of information on itself, if nothing else.

Highly Recommended...

Lynch, P.J. Horton, S., "Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites",
Yale University Press, 1999

Suggested reading....

 

Additional technical reading material....

 

Stein L.D., "How to Set Up and Maintain a Web Site"
Addison Wesley, 1997

Holzschlag, M. E., "Web by Design: The Complete Guide",
SYBEX Press 1998

Goodman, D. "Dynamic HTML : The Definitive Reference"
O'Reilly & Associates; ISBN: 1565924940

Rosenfield, L. & Morville, P. "Information Architecture for the World Wide Web",
O'Reilly & Associates, Sebastopol, 1998

 


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©Copyright Alan Dorin & Jon McCormack 1999,2000