New York University - School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Fall 2003 - Y10.3000.02

Fundamentals of Interactive Multimedia

Instructor: Toni Sant, Ph.D.  [ contact ]

Thursdays 6:20pm - 8:50pm
194 Mercer Street - Room 305

This course offers an introduction to historical, cultural, creative, and practical perspectives of interactivity and multimedia. Designed as an overview, addressing ideas rather than techniques, this class examines the concepts that drive interactive multimedia, by focusing on media convergence, hypertext/media, information architecture, and user experience. Through lectures, readings, and guest speakers, this class explores the fundamentals of interactive multimedia and offers enrolled students the opportunity to experiment with their own ideas through hands-on prototype projects developed either for the web or for CD-ROM. Students will learn about the development of interactive multimedia throughout history and how to apply basic concepts inherant in interactive multimedia to their own projects, which will be presented in class and/or online at the end of the semester.

Required technical skills before taking this course:
- Familiarity with the Internet
- Use of email and basic web browsing
- Rudimentary web design and/or digital image manipulation

 

Reading List

Several online articles are assigned according to the class schedule, for details see the Blackboard interface for the class. Each student is also required to read 3 books for this class.

Landlow, George P. Hypertext 2.0: The Convergence of Contemporary Critical Theory and Technology. (Baltimore & London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997)

Garrett, Jesse James. The Elements of User Experience. (Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing, 2002)

Wodtke, Christina. Information Architecture. (Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing, 2002)

 

Course Schedule (subject to change)

UNIT A: Introduction & Overview
09/04 Introduction to Interactive Multimedia

09/11 Hypertext/Hypermedia
Reading: Landlow pp 1 - 48

09/18 From Paper to Pixels
Guest Speaker: Martha Wilson. Founding Director, Franklin Furnace Archive Inc.
Reading: Landlow pp 49 - 89

09/25 Convergence (+ Grouping)
Reading: Landlow pp 90 - 177

UNIT B: Going Virtual
10/02 Inter-active/action/activity/act/acting
Reading: Assigned articles about Interactive Multimedia available through Blackboard

10/09 Mid-term Report and Proposals for Final Projects

10/16 Turning Physical Concepts into Virtual Experiences
Guest Speaker: Adam Silverman - Web Manager, Creative Capital Inc.
Reading: Assigned articles about Interactive Multimedia available through Blackboard

UNIT C: User Experience - Simulation and Reality
10/23 Tools for Creating Web-based Multimedia Environments [Lab session at 194 Mercer Room 304]

10/30 Information Architecture [Lab session at Tisch Hall LC7]
Reading: Wodtke, selected chapters TBA

11/06 User Experience
Reading: Garrett, selected chapters TBA

UNIT D: Project Development
11/13 Lab session at Tisch Hall LC7
Reading: Landlow pp 178 - 218

11/20 Doing Things with Words and Code
Guest Speaker: Ricardo Dominguez, Editor, Thing.net [and/or Lab session at Tisch Hall LC7]

11/27 Thanksgiving Recess

UNIT E: Final Projects and Presentations
12/04 Final Projects I

12/09 TUESDAY - Legislative Day: Reserved for Thursday classes

12/18 Final Projects III

 

Related Online Resources

[more available through the Blackboard interface...]

Attendance Policy

Absence on day of your own presentations and/or quizzes will automatically result in "F" as a grade for that day's assignment. Every student is allowed up to 2 absences during the semester, including absences for religious holidays and medical/personal emergencies. Each absence after the second will result in a lowered grade: an "A" becomes an "A-", a "B-" becomes a "C+", etc. No exceptions.

Grading - Reading responses: 15%  |  Mid-term paper: 35%  |  Final Project: 50%