Syllabus

Course Description

This course offers an introduction to the Macromedia Flash multimedia authoring environment. It incorporates hands-on experience developing streaming web-based multimedia presentations including animation, sound, and graphics with Macromedia's Flash MX application.

In each lesson, students build a module that contributes to the shaping of a final project - a basic educational, personal, or business website in Flash. Flash offers scripting capabilities and server-side connectivity for creating engaging applications, web interfaces, and training demonstrations.

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Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate their ability to work with Flash and the primary elements of multimedia such as time, space, sound, motion, navigation, and user interface design. Students will gain a basic understanding of project definition and project management. This is accomplished in a series of small projects, site reviews, peer critiques, readings, and a final project.

Upon successful completion of this course the student will:

• review the Flash interface, features, and techniques required to use each element.
• produce a live functioning (on the web) Flash project with text, images, sound, and interactive internal and external links.
• demonstrate understanding of the elements involved in planning, designing, and publishing a Flash movie as both a projector and a .swf file embedded in an .html document for the final project.
• develop critical thinking skills necessary to work with a production team from concept to completion through active dialogue, reviews, and collaborative projects with classmates.

Prerequisites and Advisories

There are no prerequisites for this course.

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Recommended Texts and Materials

Software and Players

• Macromedia Flash MX - download a free thirty-day trial version from Macromedia's site: http://www.macromedia.com/. After your thirty-day trial expires, you cannot download another trial, you have to purchase the product.

• You need the Flash Player in order to see the Flash demos and movies. It will take a few short minutes to install. Macromedia Flash Player - If you can see this, your browser player is fine.
  

Textbook and Resources

• Foundation Flash MX - by Sham Bhangal, Amanda Farr, Kristian Besley, published by Friends of Ed. Read the Lessons before completing the associated textbook reading/project. The textbook is recommended. You may take this course without the book by using Flash Online sites listed in the Resources, and doing any tutorial based on the material from the current lesson.

• In addition to the links provided under Resources, many lessons offer links to external websites to extend your learning.  Although the course is primarily linear in structure, you can refer to the links provided under each module to delve deeper on concepts based on your areas of interest.

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Suggested Grading

Assignments and projects are graded on how well they meet the criteria and requirements. Students are expected to illustrate understanding of techniques and tools used to create the desired effect.

The following design items are used in evaluating projects:

• definition of target audience met by design concept, storyboard and development
• composition and layout
• color scheme
• unity of form, style, elements
• repetition of form, rhythm
• element of surprise
• movement - path for the eye to follow
• focal point - place for the eye to rest
• use of white space
• integration of text as a design element
• optimized properly for distribution on the web
• demonstration of competencies of required commands and techniques

Click here for suggested grading rubrics for the Final Project.

Points

Grading Scale

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