Revised: January 19, 2022
Northern Virginia Community College
The schedule page contains the week-by-week material; the schedule page will be continually updated during the semester.
ITE 170 - 002W, Multimedia Software, Spring 2022 - MW 9:35-10:55am via Zoom - no meetings in a classroom
Web Site for Class: www.billpegram.com
Course Content
My course includes the process of developing a web site, web design principles, page layout, image formats, accessibility, and copyright issues, but HTML and CSS, the basic coding used in web pages, receives greater emphasis and time. In the second half of the course, we will do animation, photo editing, and video editing. The first six weeks of my ITE 170 course has substantial overlap with ITD 110. ITD 110 does not cover the animation, photo editing and video editing programs, and thus can cover topics to a greater depth than is possible in ITE 170.
Grading
20% midterm, 25% final, 25% project, 30% exercises. These are the weights specified in the ITE 170 common syllabus. That common syllabus provides that the 30% be equally divided between those done in class and homework done outside of class. However, due to the fact that all instruction will be remote this semester, there will probably not be any exercises done "in class".
Zoom
The Zoom link at the left in Canvas provides access to participate in the live Zoom session for each class and also to the recording of previous class sessions. Recordings will be available in the afternoon following the class (under the "Cloud Recordings" tab at the right).
Transfer to GMU
The current situation regarding transfer of ITE 170 to GMU is described at https://ist.gmu.edu/students/transfer-students/transferring-from-another-institution/.For further information about transfer of IT courses, visit www.transfervirginia.org or email iet@nvcc.edu
Software
All software for this course will be free to students enrolled in the course. Text editors such as Notepad or Notepad++ (both Windows only), Atom, Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code are free downloads and will be used in the first part of the course (approximately 6 weeks). Students in this class will soon receive an email indicating how they can install the entire Adobe Creative Suite on their home computers for no charge; this was not the case before the pandemic. In the Adobe Suite, we will learn Animate, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro in the second half of the course. Although I used to teach the first part of the course using Adobe Dreamweaver, I've switched to using text editors for this part of the course since I think it helps you learn HTML and CSS better.
NVCC Canvas support advises students to use Chrome to be able to access Canvas, Zoom, Respondus Lockdown Browser, and many other external tools, such as publisher textbooks inside of Canvas. If they use another browser, they will likely have difficulties accessing any of these tools.
Hardware/OS Requirements
NVCC established minimum computer requirements for students in May 2020 - https://www.nvcc.edu/admissions/_files/Student-Computer-Specifications.pdf. The two key requirements for this course are 1) a webcam - so that I may proctor you during exams and 2) Windows 10 if you are using a Windows computer. The operating system requirement is important for this course because the current Adobe software requires Windows 10; Creative Cloud can run on Windows 7; the difficulty would be getting the version of Creative Cloud that runs on Windows 7. If you will be using a MacIntosh computer, see instead the Creative Cloud requirements at https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html
Textbooks
The Photoshop CC 2020 release Classroom in a Book is shown as required on the bookstore website. However, I do not believe you need to purchase this book. This 2019 version of this book can be accessed online through the NVCC library. Purchasing the book will be useful if you wish to go deeper into this tool than we will go in class. If you do purchase the book, you may want to purchase the 2022 version of the book since this is the Photoshop version you will get when you install Photoshop on your home computer.
HTML and CSS are an important part of this course. The schedule page has links to some good online material on HTML and CSS. You might consider purchasing - HTML & CSS design and build websites by Jon Duckett. It is very good, only $14.99 on Amazon, and we will spend more time on the subject matter covered in this book than we will on any single one of the three software programs listed above. You can also view it online through the NVCC library.
Homework
Homework assigned will generally be due 8 days after the homework is assigned. This will permit you to work on the homework during the week, get any questions resolved in the next class, and submit the homework on time. Late homework will not be accepted but your two lowest homework grades will be dropped; this policy of dropping the two lowest two grades is designed to cover illness, computer problems, work or family responsibilities, etc. so exceptions to this policy will not be granted.
You must submit your homework so that the files can be read on a Windows machine. Thus if you are using a Mac, you must do any necessary conversion of the files. If you are required to submit a zipped folder, make sure that whatever you submit can be opened by WinZip. If you are using software that is not properly licensed, make sure the resulting files can be opened on another Windows machine.
Office Hours
Office hours will be held on Zoom on Fridays. Email me in advance if you wish to meet. The Zoom link for office hours is posted in Canvas.
Communication with Students
For general class announcements and messages to individual students, I will use Canvas so make sure Canvas is set up so you see these promptly. Similarly, I suggest using Canvas to send me a message. If you email me at wpegram@nvcc.edu, please remember to include your name and class; this is not necessary when using Canvas since Canvas supplies this information.
Academic Integrity
On homework assignments and projects, students may ask for and receive some assistance from others, unless otherwise directed by the instructor. Yet those helping a student should avoid "doing the work" for the student.
Unless specifically stated in the assignment, students may work together to complete an assignment. However my experience is that students who turn in essentially identical work on an assignment tend not to do well on subsequent tests either because they have not learned the material or are too reliant on another person.
No assistance is permitted on exams and quizzes and you must have your webcam on during these times so that I may monitor you. The college policy on student conduct is found at www.nvcc.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html. You will be asked to submit your student ID or equivalent ID in Canvas to take exams.
Cheating on a test will result in a grade of 0 on the test. Cheating on a subsequent test will result in a grade of F for the course. Cheating may be reported to the Division Dean and the Annandale Judicial Affairs Officer.
Dropping and Withdrawal from the Class:
Thursday, February 3 is the last day to drop a 15 week class and get a tuition refund (use NovaConnect) or to switch to audit (which requires my signature). Saturday, March 26 is the last day to withdraw without grade penalty in a 15 week course. The award of W after the last day to withdraw REQUIRES official documentation and the Dean's signature which is very difficult to get..
Covid-19
Although all sessions of this class will be via Zoom, you should be aware of the following.
See https://www.nvcc.edu/safe-campus/index.html
- As stated there, face coverings are required for all for fall inside NVCC buildings, regardless of your vaccination status. If you forget yours, they are available at NVCC Parking offices.
- NVCC Students can receive $250 upon proof of vaccination. Beginning January 18, 2022, they can receive $75 upon proof of a booster. Students who show their vaccination card at a NOVA Parking Office will receive the funds on their NOVA Card.
Student Success Tips
- Watch the Zoom session - although I do not grade on whether you watch the Zoom session live or at a later time, it may be easier for you to understand something if you hear me explain it, instead of just relying on other sources.
- Although I may do an occasional short PowerPoint presentation, class instruction at least 90% of the time will involve me writing HTML or CSS code or doing things in Animate, Photoshop, or Premiere Pro. I will go slow enough so that you can do what I am doing on your computer and am always happy to repeat steps. Students being active in this way is better for most students than simply watching and taking notes. Watching me over Zoom and doing things on your computer at the same time is challenging. There are several possible solutions:
Although #4 may be best for some people, I think attending the Attend the Zoom session at the regularly scheduled time is probably best. Although all sessions will be recorded and available on Canvas, my personal experience with webinars since March 2020, is that I am much more likely to watch something if I watch it live.
- two monitors - I tried this last summer when I was sitting in on a course, but never could get used to a second monitor
- one monitor with two windows (one for watching me in Zoom, the other for working in the application(s)
- watching me on a phone or tablet and working in the application(s).
- watching the recording, pausing it to work in the application, and repeat this throughout
- Don't procrastinate - If you are having a problem logging in or transfering files to your website, fix it or email me. Do the homework on time and definitely before the tests. If you need help, ask.
- Keep your files organized in folders - perhaps one folder for each class session or homework assignment. The file and folder structure on your website should be the same as on your computer or flash drive, and uploading files is a good way to back them up.
- Pay attention to the dates to drop and withdraw from the class.
- As long as you attend class once (at the scheduled time, not through watching a Zoom recording later), I will not drop you from the class. If you do poorly on the midterm, you need to decide whether to withdraw from the class before the deadline or to continue in the class. If you continue in the class, you need to continue to "come to class", to do homework and to take the final, otherwise you will likely fail the course.
- Take advantage of office hours.