Syllabus - entertainmenttechnology/Berkoy-MTEC3501-Fall2024 GitHub Wiki

MTEC 3501: CULMINATION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

Emerging Media Technology (MTEC)
Department of Entertainment Technology
New York City College of Technology
Fall 2024

COURSE INFORMATION

MTEC 3501 Culmination Project Development
Section: HD50
When: Mondays 2:30 - 5:00 PM
Modality: Hybrid synchronous
Location: Voorhees 103B and Zoom (find meeting link via email and Discord)
Professor: Allison Berkoy
Course site: https://github.com/entertainmenttechnology/Berkoy-MTEC3501-Fall2024/wiki
Discord: see email for invitation
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesdays 2-4 PM, and by appointment
Sign up for office hours time slots through Calendly

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students dedicate 3 classroom hours and 6 independent study hours per week to begin the process of producing a capstone project, suitable for use as a portfolio item in applications for graduate school or professional employment. Projects may be undertaken individually or in small groups. Students develop their ideas, research prior art, break down proposed work into a sequence of executable components with estimated times-to-completion, iterate through prototypes, and document their work. This course is a prerequisite for ENT 4501 Culmination Project, in which students finalize and present the work begun in Culmination Project Development. Ideally, students will take the two courses consecutively.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

For the successful completion of this course, a student should be able to:

  • employ industry standard brainstorming techniques, both alone and in groups.
  • utilize best practices in design documentation.
  • give and receive feedback on project ideas.
  • conduct precedent and technical research for projects.
  • develop a complete project proposal.
  • demonstrate a testable prototype or proof of concept for their project.

COURSE MATERIALS

  • External storage device, or cloud-based storage, for backing up your work
  • A sketchbook, or paper to sketch with (does not need to be exclusive to this class)
  • For online portion of class, you will need a computer with internet access, webcam, and microphone (either your own, or from a lab on campus). While you may join from a phone as a secondary device (using it as a flexible webcam), it is not possible to fully participate in our class solely from a phone.
  • Free software and accounts: Zoom, Discord, Google Drive
  • Headphones or earbuds (required for lab computers)

EXPECTATIONS

By signing up for this class, you are making a commitment to fully participate, support your classmates as best you can, and do your part in creating a positive working environment. For our course to run smoothly, everyone must:

  • Show up to class on time, ready to contribute.
  • Spend around 6 additional hours a week (outside of class) on assignments and project development. For your particular project, you may need additional time, depending on your ambition and project scope. Budget more time each week than may be needed.
  • Check Discord regularly for group and private messages.
  • Check our class GitHub repo regularly for posted assignments.
  • Back up work regularly.
  • Reach out to your peer group and your instructor via Discord with questions.
  • Seek advisement outside of class as needed for your particular project. Sign up for professors' office hours with technical questions, proposal review, or any other topic related to your project.
  • Push creatively and technically. Stay open and curious.

COMMUNICATION

  • To contact your instructor with a brief, private question or message, send a DM (Direct Message) through Discord. This is preferred over email.
  • If you have a question that may be relevant to the group, post in the #general channel on Discord for all to see and comment on.
  • Use Discord for easy communications with your classmates as well—you can DM individuals or selected groups.
  • To discuss a longer matter with your instructor, set up an appointment via Calendly.
  • To book an appointment with other full time faculty in our department for project advisement, see booking links here.
  • To contact part-time faculty for project advisement, find their emails here under the "part-time faculty" tab.

PARTICIPATION POLICY (The Rules + Regulations for Keeping the Ship Sailing)

  • We will meet on Zoom at the start of each online class. Check email or Discord for the regular meeting link and password.
  • We will meet in Voorhees V-103B at the start of each in-person class. Buffer extra time for ID checks at the building entrance and getting situated.
  • As our work is interdependent, it is critical for everyone to be fully present, participating, and engaging in the course.
  • If absent from class, this will impact other students and lab activities. If you will be late or absent, DM your instructor via Discord ASAP.
  • Absences may be excused in the following cases: illness, religious observance with advanced notice, and on a case-by-case basis for other critical events and extenuating circumstances.
  • In the case of an absence, check GitHub and contact a classmate to catch up on what you missed. Contact the instructor if you have additional questions.
  • Each student is asked to play their part in supporting our class, by contributing regularly to your peer group with feedback and technical support.
  • Panelist critiques are mandatory and cannot be made up.
  • For Zoom sessions, MTEC students are required to have cameras on for fully engaged participation.

COURSE STRUCTURE

This course combines lecture/presentation, lab/studio, and discussion/critique. In preparation for ENT 4501 Culmination Project, you will move through iterative phases of project proposal development, including brainstorming, ideation, research, rapid prototyping, and presentation.

You will receive robust feedback along the way from your peers, your course instructor, and additional faculty. At midterm, you will present your project proposal to a panel of faculty for feedback. At the end of the semester, you will present a prototype / proof of concept to a second panel of faculty, for additional feedback. Your are encouraged to also take advantage of faculty office hours, meeting with faculty who have expertise in particular areas of your project, for technical questions and further advisement.

Weekly assignments will be posted to our GitHub wiki on Mondays, generally due the following Monday, to further assist your project development. This will consist of short readings and media viewings, reflections, and process documentation milestones.

Note that our course will operate in hybrid modality, in a mix of in-person sessions and synchronous Zoom sessions. See our schedule below for the modality of each session.

GRADING

COURSE GRADING
Participation 20%
Weekly assignments 25%
Midterm proposal presentation and deliverables 25%
Final presentation and deliverables 30%

Participation will be graded out of 3 points:
3 = full participation: fully present for class activity, on task, and supportive of classmates throughout the class session.
2 = partial participation: late arrival or early departure from class activity, on task for some of the time.
1 = minimal participation: absent from class activity for more than 30 minutes, minimally on task.
0 = no participation.

Late policy: Every effort must be made to turn work in on time, as it will otherwise put your project behind, while making it difficult or impossible for receiving adequate feedback. It will also impact your ability to fully engage in class activities and support your peers. On a case by case basis, in consultation with the instructor, late deliverables may be accepted for a 10% drop in the grade for each week it is late. In certain extenuating circumstances (such as a serious emergency), the late deduction may be waved. If there is an emergency preventing your ability to work or present, please contact your professor. Panelist critiques, if missed, cannot be made up.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalogue.

Instructor’s note: all borrowed text, code, or media used for this course must be attributed to the original creator, whether human or AI. Any direct text quotes from another source must be specified with quotes and appropriately cited. Code borrowed from another source at more than four lines in length must be attributed as a //comment within the code itself. If you are unsure of whether or not your work may constitute plagiarism, please check with your instructor before submitting. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the MTEC Program Director, Chair of ENT, and City Tech’s Academic Integrity Officer.

COURSE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Accessibility. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Center (phone: 718–260–5143). If you have already registered with the Center, please provide the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with your professor.

A NOTE ON CITY TECH'S COUNSELING CENTER

The Counseling Services Center supports the educational, emotional and career development of City Tech students by providing opportunities for skill development, counseling and referrals that address obstacles to success. The Center is currently available to students remotely and in person. For questions and appointments, contact the Center at [email protected] or 718-260-5030.

INCLUSIVITY

Part I. Name + Pronoun Usage This course consists of individual work and group discussion. We must therefore strive to create an atmosphere of inclusion and mutual respect: all students will have their chosen gender pronoun(s) and chosen name recognized. If the class roster does not align with your name, gender, and/or pronouns, please inform the instructor.

Part II. Inclusivity Statement It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as an asset, resource, strength, and benefit, rather than a checklist item or worse, a hindrance. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups. Feel free to reach out to me via email or Discord at any time about any issues concerning you or with any such ideas.

COURSE SCHEDULE / CALENDAR

The topics and schedule are subject to change as needed. Assignment details and requirements are announced in class and posted to our GitHub Wiki each week. Classes meeting at Voorhees V-103B are designated below as "IN PERSON". All other classes meet on Zoom.

WEEK 1: M 9/9 (ZOOM)

  • Introductions
  • Getting organized
  • Design improvisation exercises

WEEK 2: M 9/16 (ZOOM)

  • Brainstorming, brainstorming, brainstorming
  • Strategies for getting unstuck

WEEK 3: M 9/23 (IN PERSON)

  • Implementing an iterative design process
  • Precedent research
  • Show and Tell Presentations - Group A- Bruce, Jason, Hugo, Jay, Osak

WEEK 4: M 9/30 (IN PERSON)

  • Feedback Forum - 3 Ideas
  • Show and Tell Presentations - Group B - Sen, Nate, Reggie, Peter, Eddie

WEEK 5: M 10/7 (ZOOM)

  • Idea Incubator - Proposal Draft Development

<<<NO CLASS M 10/14>>>

WEEK 6: TUESDAY 10/15 (ZOOM)
(NOTE THE DAY CHANGE! TUESDAY IS A MONDAY SCHEDULE!)

  • Idea Incubator - Proposal Draft Development (continued)

WEEK 7: M 10/21 (IN PERSON)

  • Panel 1 - Group A - Project Proposal Presentations

WEEK 8: M 10/28 (IN PERSON)

  • Panel 1 - Group B - Project Proposal Presentations

WEEK 9: M 11/4 (ZOOM)

  • Developing a proof of concept / testable prototype

WEEK 10: M 11/11 (ZOOM)

  • Special Topic TBD

WEEK 11: M 11/18 (IN PERSON)

  • Prototype and playtesting workshop

WEEK 12: M 11/25 (IN PERSON)

  • Prototype and playtesting workshop

WEEK 13: M 12/2 (IN PERSON)

  • Panel 2 - Group A - Project Prototype Presentations

WEEK 14: M 12/9 (IN PERSON)

  • Panel 2 - Group B - Project Prototype Presentations

WEEK 15: M 12/16 (IN PERSON)
TOPIC

  • Reflection and next steps for Culmination Projects