COURSE SYLLABUS
Studio Art 100 (Hypermedia)
Instructor: Antoinette LaFarge
Spring 2000
Mon-Wed 3:30-5:50 in ECT 120
DESCRIPTION
This class investigates the nature and history of hypermedia, combining lectures, presentations of artwork, and discussion with in-class work on student projects. Various approaches to hypermedia will be explored, including work with hypertext and virtual worlds. Areas that the class will focus on include conceptualizing nonlinear works, problems of constructing nonlinear narrative, and issues of closure in nonlinear media. The class will require some basic work with programming and scripting languages.
Class requirements include all of the following:
- Establish an email account
- Do all assigned projects and readings.
- Participate in class discussions of readings and related issues..
- Participate in class experiments and critiques.
- Attend all classes.
READINGS
Readings for the course will be available in two forms:
- online through a site created and maintained by the instructor
- through a reader available at Replica Notes in the UCI Marketplace.
ASSIGNMENTS
WEEKLY: Students are expected to complete any assigned readings each week.
PROJECTS: Students will complete 5 assigned digital art projects during the course of the quarter.
GRADING: Grading will be based on projects and other assignments (45%), class participation, experiments, and discussion of readings (40%), and attendance (15%).
Attendance is mandatory at all classes; 3 "late to class" = 1 absence, and 3 absences = a grade of F for the semester. Web surfing, emailing, and online chatting are not acceptable during class time and will equal 1 absence. Only one assignment may be turned in late without penalty; otherwise late assignments will be automatically dropped 1 grade.
SCHEDULE
It is expected that students will spend considerable time working OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Click here for information on open hours of most UCI computer labs. Don't forget that students enrolled in this class also have access to the Data Lab in the Video Studio (Video Studio hours are posted on its front door).
***SUBJECT TO SUDDEN CHANGES***
Week 1: Introduction
Sept. 25: Course introduction. The nature of hypermedia.
Email Project Assignment: due Oct. 2
Sept. 27: History of hypertext and hypermedia
Week 2: Investigating Nonlinearity
Oct. 2: Experiments with nonlinear narrative (chance)
Reading due Oct. 2: Chapters 1 & 2, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Nonlinear Narrative Assignment: due Oct. 9
Oct. 4: Discussion of email project assignments.
In-class work on nonlinear narrative projects
Week 3: Virtual Worlds 1: MOOs and MUDs
Oct. 9: Presentation of Nonlinear Narrative projects
Reading due Oct. 9: Chapter 3, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Oct. 11: Introduction to MOOs and MUDs
MOO Project Assignment: due Oct. 23
Week 4: MOOs and MUDs
Oct. 16: Working in MOO (building and navigation)
Reading due Oct. 16: Chapter 4, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Oct.18: Working in MOO (improv)
Week 5: Virtual Worlds 2: the Palace
Oct. 23: MOO project presentations
Reading due Oct. 23: Chapter 5, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Oct. 25: Introduction to the Palace
Week 6: the Palace
Oct. 30: Palace workshop with guest artists Adriene Jenik and Lisa Brenneis
Nov. 1: Palace workshop with Jenik, Brenneis, and CSSM
Week 7: the Palace
Nov.6: Palace performance and discussion
Nov. 8: Survey of other hypermedia software
Reading due Nov. 8: Chapters 6 & 7, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Week 8: Working with the Web
Nov. 13: Working with HTML
Reading due Nov. 13: Chapter 8, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Nov. 15: Prototyping for the web
Web Project Assignment: due Nov. 27
Week 9: Working with the Web
Nov. 20: Working with Javascript (choice, randomization)
Reading due Nov. 20: Chapter 9, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Nov. 22: Working with user contributions
Week 10: Working with the Web
Nov. 27: Web Project Presentations 1
Reading due Nov. 27: Chapter 10, Hamlet on the Holodeck
Nov. 29: Web Project Presentations 2
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