Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Stephen Collins
Contact via stephen.collins@mq.edu.au
Y3A 191D
By appointment only
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
MAS240 or COMP249
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit teaches the theory and production of web sites in the context of the wider information age and the changing nature of media audiences/users. Students learn the theory underpinning good web design practice, as well as production skills. Students learn to design and create web sites compliant with World Wide Web Consortium standards; identify and cater to target audiences; and critique and evaluate existing web sites through competitive analysis.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Coding Tests | 30% | Weeks 3, 5 and 7 |
Web Site Review | 15% | Week 6 - 12th September 2014 |
Major Project | 40% | Week 13 |
Reflective Essay | 15% | Week 14 - 21st November 2014 |
Due: Weeks 3, 5 and 7
Weighting: 30%
You will be given three take-home coding tests during the semester to assess your understanding of HTML, CSS and jQuery. The first test will be distributed in week 3 (to be submitted in week 4), the second in week 5 (to be submitted in week 6) and the third test will be distributed in week 7 (to be submitted in week 8). Each test is worth 10%.
More specific details will be disseminated during workshops. This means you should attend all workshops in case a) you miss the details of the tests or b) actually miss one.
- Demonstrated application of workshop techniques and materials to the problem posed
- Ability to evaluate a problem and present the most efficient and (code) elegant solution
- Valid HTML5
- Correct CSS rules (including knowing when to use a class and when to use an ID)
- Correct and expedient use of jQuery (when required)
Coding tests will be submitted in class. HTML and CSS documents and any relevant subfolders or other files should be kept in a folder called "codingtest1", "codingtest2" or "codingtest3" (depending on the particular test). These folders should be stored in your Sites folder.
A late penalty of 10% per day will be applied.
Extensions may only be granted by the unit convenor in line with university policy.
Due: Week 6 - 12th September 2014
Weighting: 15%
You are required to write a 1500 word critical review of a Web site of your choice. You should analyse the site’s design, appeal, interface and usability and analyse the positive or negative effects these dimensions have on the target audience.
You will refer to the set readings and your own independent research in executing a critical review set against a background of well-researched and informed assessment criteria. Be sure to check the validity of your sources and do not rely on just one for any given assertion. For example the first results in my Google book search gives me:
“Jones says the placement of search fields on a homepage doesn’t really matter as the viewer’s gaze initially falls to the centre of the screen”.
Whilst Jones is partially correct, “Smith, Brown and Stevens all say that the location and prominence of search fields on homepages is important because about 50% of users will immediately go to a search box rather than browse a site. Brown notes, many users know exactly what they are looking for and Smith adds that it is the Web designer’s role to make the user’s journey to his destination as quick and easy as possible”. In this (semi-fictional) example, reading one source in isolation leads to an incorrect assertion and also demonstrates poor research skills. Remember academia is meticulous, there is a body of literature on every subject you can think of.
The purpose of this assignment is you to show your understanding of "why things work" (or don't work as the case may be) and to demonstrate a pragmatic understanding of the theories set out in the unit reader, lectures and your own independent research. You are expected to employ an appropriate system for referencing sources.
The essay will be submitted electronically via iLearn/Turn It In and must be submitted by 11:59pm, Friday 12th September 2014. Hardcopies will not be accepted or marked.
- Demonstrated research into Web design theories of usability, audiences and reception, and design
- Application of Web design theories to a case study
- Clear written structure and presentation
- Appropriate sources and referencing
Web site reviews will be submitted electronically via iLearn. Hardcopy reviews will not be accepted or marked. Once submitted a review cannot be resubmitted. If you have submitted an incorrect version or file, please contact Steve Collins (stephen.collins@mq.edu.au) and ask to have your submission deleted so you can submit the correct version or file. If this occurs after the submission date, the late penalty (see below) will be applied.
A late penalty of 10% per day will be applied.
Extensions may only be granted by the unit convenor in line with university policy.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
Students will work in small groups (comprised of five to six individuals) along with a group of students from MAS207 Radio Broadcasting or MAS213 Screen Production 2 to research and address a theme set by staff. Students will produce a 360-degree storytelling, large-scale website combining text, image, audio and video.
There will be a face-to-face lecture in Week 3 (Friday, 4pm) for students in MAS213 and MAS241 to discuss the major project. It is vital that you attend.
Student groups will be responsible for generating original content to create a professionally designed and functional website.
Students will plan, develop and produce content in an industry-styled production environment.
This assessment measures achievement in producing an online 360-storytelling project. MAS241 students will receive a group mark (as adjusted by reflective essays) for the overall finished project.
Major projects must comply with the following criteria:
- correct and valid use of HTML5
- an absence of depreacted HTML tags
- correct use of CSS
- demonstrated application of jQuery to achieve interactions
- table-based design is prohibited and will incur significant penalities
- optimised images
Major projects will be assessed under three categories of design, coding and content.
Web sites will embody a design appropriate to theme and audience. The design will enhance the user experience and not detract from the content offered. The design will demonstrate balanced composition, excellent use of fonts, an appropriate and clear balance of colours and an appropriately consistent layout.
Web sites will demonstrate an advanced understanding of HTML5 (including semantic structure) and CSS. The code will not include any deprecated tags. jQuery will be used to provide user interactions and the code will be concise and expedient.
The content presented will be intuitive and easy to access. It will be clear and concise with language appropriate to the topic and audience. Audiovisual media that contributes to the content will be relevant and presented appropriately. Content that embraces the possibilities of the network environment will be rewarded.
Although external content may be embedded and utilised (e.g. audio and video), content should largely be original.
Major projects are to be submitted in week 13.
Due: Week 14 - 21st November 2014
Weighting: 15%
Students are required to submit a reflective essay (1000 words). The reflective essay will detail the following:
- The contributions of the individual student to the overall project. This includes planning, project management, design and production duties.
- A reflection of skills learned by the student during the semester and collaborative process.
- Explanation of challenges experienced and how these challenges were overcome.
- Facilitation of communication in a collaborative production environment.
- Application of knowledge and skills to solving problems.
- Reflection on learning outcomes for the unit.
The above points are not exhaustive; please feel free to address anything else pertinent.
- Written structure and presentation
- Demonstrated reflection of practice in design and coding
- Demonstration of problem-solving skills
- Understanding of group dynamics
Reflective essays will be submitted electronically via iLearn. Hardcopy essays will not be accepted or marked. Once submitted an essay cannot be resubmitted. If you have submitted an incorrect version or file, please contact Steve Collins (stephen.collins@mq.edu.au) and ask to have your submission deleted so you can submit the correct version or file. If this occurs after the submission date, the late penalty (see below) will be applied.
A late penalty of 10% per day will be applied.
Extensions may only be granted by the unit convenor in line with university policy.
Lectures will be delivered via videos uploaded to iLearn.
There is no printed unit reader. Links to online articles are provided on iLearn. All other materials are held in eReserve.
Additional resources will be available from http://www.media.mq.du.au
There is no production manual for this unit. Students are required to attend workshops and take notes.
Students are expected to watch all lectures, attend all workshops and complete set readings. MAS241 is a 3 credit point unit and as such students are required to undertake 9 hours of private study per week.
In 2014 the major project assignment has been adjusted following experiences from its introduction last year. A project proposal assignment has been reintroduced and the reflective essay assignment has been retired.
Please note that all lectures are delivered via videos embedded into the weekly iLearn topics and all readings are available online either via links to external sources or as scanned readings (see iLearn for details).
Jeffrey Zeldman. (2005). 'Understanding Web Design'. A List Apart. http://www.alistapart.com/articles/understandingwebdesign
Australian Interactive Media Association. (2013). 'Judging Criteria'.
AIMIA. http://www.aimia.com.au/home/awards/aimia-awards/judging-criteria. Webby Awards. (2012). 'Webby Entries: Judging Criteria'. The Webby Awards. http://www.webbyawards.com/entries/criteria.php#websites.
Steve Krug. (2005). Don't Make Me Think. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.94-121.
David Vogler. (2001). 'Thinking About the Audience' in Steve Heller (ed.)The Education of an E-Designer. Allworth Press: Canada.
Manuel Castells. (2010). The Rise of the Network Society. Wiley-Blackwell: West Sussex, UK. pp.355-371.
Steve Krug. (2005). Don't Make Me Think. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.50-95.
Jeffrey Veen. (2001). The Art and Science of Web Design. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.72-101.
John Shiple. (2010). 'Information Architecture Tutorial (Parts 1-4)'. Webmonkey. http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/information_architecture_tutorial/
Jeffrey Veen. (2001). The Art and Science of Web Design. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.1-29.
Brandon Jones. (2011). 'Understanding Visual Hierarchy in Web Design'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/understanding-visual-hierarchy-in-web-design/.
Connor Turnbull. (2011). 'Unity in Web Design'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/unity-in-web-design/.
Curt Ziegler. (2011). 'Less is More: Fundamentals of Minimalist Web Design'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/less-is-more-fundamentals-of-minimalist-web-design/.
Thomas Cannon. (2010). 'An Introduction to Color Theory for Web Designers'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/an-introduction-to-color-theory-for-web-designers/.
Donald Johansson. (2010). 'Colors on the Web'. http://www.colorsontheweb.com/.
Diogo Terror. (2009). 'Lessons From Swiss Style Graphic Design'. Smashing Magazine. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/17/lessons-from-swiss-style-graphic-design/. This is a fairly lengthy piece, but it's mainly images. Do check it out and get inspired.
Vitaly Friedman. (2007). 'Desiging with Grid-Based Approach'. Smashing Magazine. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/04/14/designing-with-grid-based-approach/.
John Morkes & Jakob Nielsen. (1997). 'Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to write for the Web'. Nielsen Norman Group. http://www.nngroup.com/articles/concise-scannable-and-objective-how-to-write-for-the-web/.
Amber Simmonds. (2007). 'Reviving Anorexic Web Writing'. A List Apart. http://www.alistapart.com/articles/revivinganorexicwebwriting/.
Steve Krug. (2005). Don't Make Me Think. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.11-29.
Jeffrey Veen. (2001). The Art and Science of Web Design. New Riders Publishing: Berkley, California. pp.30-71.
Ahmed Hussan. (2012). 'Visual Direction in Web Design'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/visual-direction-in-web-design/.
Ahmed Hussan. (2011). 'The Gestalt Principle: Design Theory for Web Designers'. Webdesign Tuts+. http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/design-theory/visual-direction-in-web-design/.
There are no readings for these weeks, but workshop time will be invaluable.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914
Information is correct at the time of publication
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Late penalties of 10% per day apply for each assignment. The late penalty reflects the project management aspect of this unit. Students are expected to adhere to submission committments as though they were submitting commercial projects where deadlines are of utmost importance.
Date | Description |
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16/01/2014 | The Prerequisites was updated. |