COURSE SYLLABUS 

Instructor:              Leslie Spivey, Associate Professor of CIT 

E:mail:                     Spivey@edisonohio.edu

I am also available through MSN Messenger during office hours, as well as after hours.  I can be added to your buddy list using my e-mail address: Spivey@edisonohio.edu.  

 

E-Mail Policy:

E-mail sent my 1:00 Monday-Friday will be answered within 48 hours.

 

PREREQUISITES

Students should be very comfortable with the use of e-mail, Blackboard, and the World Wide Web (WWW).  Each participant must have (or at least have access to) a computer with an Internet connection, including a permanent e-mail account.  Student e-mail accounts must have the capability of sending and receiving attachments.  Students must also have successfully completed CIT 111S or higher level programming language.  You must be sure that your e-mail address is correct in the Web Advisor system.

TOPIC OUTLINE

1                    Building the foundation

2                    Player elements

3                    Game elements

4                    Creating storytelling narratives

5                    Creating character identities

6                    Creating the Gameplay experience

7                    Creating world levels

8                    Creating the interface connection

9                    Creating the audio atmosphere

10                Team, process and community strategies

11                Developing the production and management process

12                Developing the marketing community

REQUIRED MATERIALS

* USB key, CD or some other means of external storage device to be

   used  to save files in

progress.
* Writing implement (Pen or Pencil).

Participant Responsibilities: 

This course will require a minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 hours work per week (the actual amount of time is dependent on your background.)  This requirement may influence the time allotted to other activities.  It is the student’s responsibility to make contact with the instructor no later than the beginning of the second week of class.

Academic Support

Learning Center
Edison Community College Learning Center is available to help students by offering a wide range of programs and services to support learning. There are tutors available in a variety of subjects. You may either stop in while on campus or call to find out information on when tutors for specific subjects are available.  There is a schedule posted on the bulletin board in Room 114, as well as on the instructor office door.

The Learning Center is located in Room 443 and is open Monday - Saturday. You can contact the Learning Center by calling 937-778-8600, Ext 7956 or 7959, or visit their website at http://www.edisonohio.edu/LearningCenter/

Library
The Edison Community College Library exists primarily to function as a full partner in the teaching and learning process, as the major information resource on campus.

The library is open Monday - Saturday. You can contact the library at 937-778-8600 or visit their website at http://www.edisonohio.edu/library/

Course Schedule

*  NOTE: This schedule represents a plan and may be revised at the discretion of the course instructor.

The final grade for the class will be composed of all of the following:

Midterm:  100 points
Final: 100 points 
Group Project: 100 points
Projects (3*100 points each): 300 points

Assignments (3 * 100 points each): 300 points

Attendance (15 * 5 points each): 75 points
Individual Paper on Ethics: 100 points
In-Class Exercises: 50 points

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE:  1125 points

A --------- 1012 - 1125
B ---------   900 - 1011
C ---------   787 -   899  
D ---------   607 -   786
F ---------  Below 607 Total Points

Because scores on all assignments are rounded to the nearest whole number, there is NO rounding on the total number of points.

An Incomplete grade will be awarded only if proper documentation has been received by the instructor, and all the required forms have been completed and signed. A grade of Incomplete must be requested, by the student, before the final week of classes and the student MUST HAVE completed at least 75% of the material required for the course with a grade of D or better, prior to the request.

The last day for refund and to drop the course without  “W” grade: 1/25/07.  The last day to withdraw from this class and receive “W” grade is: 3/26/07

Students who are auditing this course are welcome, however not required, to take the quizzes, tests and the final exam. Auditing students may not turn in homework or programming assignments for grades, and any grades received on the quizzes, tests or final exam are purely for the student's information. The grades for these exams, for these students, will not be retained by the instructor.

Homework Submission and Return Policy

This course will utilize the Blackboard Gradebook. All tests will report a grade of “!” indicating that the instructor must complete grading the exam. Once the exam grading has been completed, a numeric grade will appear. Students may view only their own grades 24 hours/7 days a week, by using the ToolsMy > Grades option in the Blackboard.

Assignment Number: (This should be the chapter number - Exercise Number)
Student Name:
Class Information: (This should include course # and Section #)

All homework is due by the beginning of class on the assigned date. If you are unable to attend class or are turning homework after the class in which it was due, this should be turned in at the Faculty Support Office.  It may be turned in either prior to the due date, or prior to the next regularly schedule class date.  Homework received within the seven days following the assigned class will receive a late penalty of 10%.

HOMEWORK MORE THAN 7 DAYS LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  HOMEWORK WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN A STUDENT NAME WILL BE DISCARDED. ALL HOMEWORK SHOULD BE TYPED, NO HANDWRITTEN HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.

The reading assignment listed for each class is to be read prior to class that day. This is the material that will be discussed during our class session and used in the in-class demonstrations. Homework that is mislabeled will be returned ungraded.

The instructor will return assignments within two weeks of submission. If you wish to know what homework has been turned in or is missing, please consult the Blackboard Gradebook.

Assessments

The midterm and the final exam are timed tests. These exams will be taken during the regularly scheduled weekly class meeting. The midterm and the final exam are comprised of mostly short answer, fill-in the blank, and case study questions. All tests and the Final Exam will be completed during the designated week.

If a student must miss an assigned test session, arrangements must be made with the instructor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The final exam will be comprised of approximately 40 questions (of the same type as the tests) covering all the topics discussed in class, as well as handouts.

Communications Policy

This course will employ E-mail, and the Discussion Board as the means of communication.  E-mail will be the primary communication method.  The instructor will post discussion questions to the class Bulletin Board on a weekly basis.  Students are expected to make an initial weekly posting by midnight Monday (EST) with their responses to the questions for comments by the instructor and other class members.  Students will then be required to make an additional weekly follow-up posting by midnight Thursday (EST).  These postings will be used to calculate the class participation points.  The Discussion Boards will be utilized to supplement the class demonstrations, clarify the text material, and facilitate discussions of assignments.  Students will receive 3 points for each week that they make an initial posting and 2 points for the follow-up response.

For individual issues, you may contact the instructor directly by e-mail, or telephone.  Normally, the instructor will respond to e-mail and telephone messages within 48 hours.  Students can also communicate with one another using e-mail, the class Chat Room or the Bulletin Board.

Academic Integrity is submitting one’s own work and properly acknowledging the contributions of others. Any violation of this principle constitutes academic dishonesty.  Forms of academic dishonesty include: Plagiarism submitting all or part of another’s work as one’s own in an academic exercise such as an examination, a computer program, or written assignment. Cheating using or attempting to use unauthorized materials on an examination or assignment, such as using unauthorized texts or notes or improperly obtaining (or attempting to obtain) copies of an examination or answers to an examination. Facilitating Academic Dishonesty helping another commit an act of dishonesty, such as substituting for an examination or completing an assignment for someone else. Fabrication altering or transmitting, without authorization, academic information or records.

The students agree that by taking this course all required papers and programs will be original.

The students are free to share ideas with each other throughout the class. Each incident of academic dishonesty will be result in the following consequences:  First Offense -- the student will receive an "F" for the assignment or test in question and the offense will be reported to the Department Dean. Second Offense -- the student will be required to meet with the instructor and the Department Dean, as well as receive an "F" as a final grade for the course.

The students are free to carry pagers and cell phones to the class session, however they MUST BE set to a "No Sound" setting. The use of cellular phones during class is STRICTLY prohibited. If you need to make a phone call in response to a page, you will need to leave the classroom before doing so.

Attendance Policy

Student attendance is expected at all classes in order that students may benefit from hand-outs, class discussions, and in-class exercises.  Class sessions begin promptly and it is important to be ON TIME!  Any student who has not entered the classroom within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, will be required to remain outside of the classroom until the class break time.  This is done to limit the amount of disruption for the other students already in the classroom.  Attendance will be taken at 15 minutes past the hour.  If you have not arrived in class at that time, you will be counted as absent for the class.  For each class that the student attends, he/she will be awarded 5 points.  If you must miss a class, you are responsible for making up any work completed in class, and completing the homework assignments.  Lecture notes, hand-outs and Powerpoint slides can be obtained from the Blackboard website.

Group Assignment

This assignment will be completed in groups of 2-3 students.  This assignment is an adaptation of a pre-existing property (e.g., novel, comic book, film, television series).  Each team can decide on their own property and go through the process of developing concept documentation, art, and some design specifications.  Deciding how to focus the game is one of the most difficult portions of this assignment.  It’s important for the groups to avoid “translating” the pre-existing property into a game environment.  Groups need to choose one aspect of the property and design a game that takes advantage of the theme.

The final project should include: a Concept Document, Project Plan Document, Character Profiles, and a Game Prototype and Design Document.

This documentation should be entered in a word processor and printed on a separate sheet from the program listings. The final packet should include a title page (which will include participating group member names and class information), documentation, and finally group meeting logs that chart the progress of the project. The peer evaluations are turned in separately, but on the same day as the Group Assignment.

The project evaluation will be based on an evaluation of your involvement in the project (as evaluated by the other members of your group and the responsibilities indicated in the group meeting forms), as well as a grade on the project from the instructor. Your project will also be graded to ensure that all directions have been followed, that it is written in proper format, that it demonstrates critical and creative thinking, that it includes testing procedures, and that it is concise and original.

ALL PARTS OF THE PROJECT SHOULD BE CONTAINED AND ATTACHED TO SOME TYPE OF REPORT COVER, FOLDER, ETC.

STAPLED, PAPERCLIPPED, RUBBER BANDED, OR SEPARATED PROJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The final project appearance will be evaluated, in the grading of the project.

LATE PROJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you cannot attend class that day, and you are the designated member to turn in the project, it is YOUR responsibility to notify your group. All members of a group should have a copy of the completed project, however only 1 copy needs to be turned in per group. All team members will be expected to complete a Peer Group Evaluation, and those not completing the evaluation and turning it in at the time the project is due will be penalized points.

Each student will be required to write an interesting, informative paper of 1200-1500 (approximately 4 pages) words based on research about the topic: COPYRIGHT and FAIR USE.