Instructor:

Glenn Blank

Current Catalog Description

Analysis, design and implementation of multimedia software, primarily for e-learning courses or training. Projects emphasize user interface design, content design with storyboards or scripts, creation of graphics, animation, audio and video materials, and software development using high level authoring tools. Prerequisite: CSE 12 or CSE 15 or ENGR 1 or consent of instructor

Textbook

R. Clark, R. Mayer, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, 2003, Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

K. Besley, S. Bhangal, and A. Farr, Foundation Macromedia Flash MX, 2002, Friends of ED.

Course Goals

To learn the principles and practice of designing and developing multimedia e-learning.

To learn how software engineering principles apply to multimedia e-learning.

To learn how cognitive principles apply to the design of multimedia e-learning.

To learn how to use widely used authoring tools (Authorware, Flash and DHTML).

Course requirements and projects (specify number of weeks on each)

Oral presentations on course-related topics(1 week)

Paper analyzing an e-learning title for cognitive principles and usability (1 week)

Small standalone piece implemented in Authorware and graphics tool (2 weeks)

Small web-oriented piece implemented with Dreamweaver and Flash (2 weeks)

Team project (analysis, UI prototype, design (script/storyboard), user observation report and final working project and documentation (8 weeks)

Estimate CSAB Category Content

CORE ADVANCED

Data Structures 0.5

Computer Organization and Architecture 0.0

Algorithms Software Design 1.5

Concepts of Programming Languages 1.0

Oral and Written Communications

Every student is required to submit at least 1 written reports (not including exams, tests, quizzes, or commented programs) of typically 5 pages and to make 2 oral presentations of typically 10 minutes duration each. Include only material that is graded for grammar, spelling, style, and so forth, as well as for technical content, completeness, and accuracy.

Social and Ethical Issues

Topics include project roles and team building, usability and modeling interfaces for human learners, and copyright issues.

Theoretical Content

Roles and assembling a multimedia development team: 2 classes

Multimedia software life cycle: 1 class

Authoring tools: 4 classes

User interface design: 2 classes

Storyboards and scripting: 2 classes

Cognitive principles of e-learning: 4 classes

Animation (Flash): 3 classes

Media: sound, text, image and vide 4 classes

Usability analysis: 1 class

Collaborative e-learning: 1 class

Copyright, testing and delivery: 2 classes

Problem Analysis and Solution Design

The team project must be an e-learning title with a well-described audience and a subject matter expert (preferably a professor or teacher outside of class). The scope of the project requires that students identify team roles and manage the software development process: project proposal, analysis, prototyping, design, implementation, testing and delivery.