NMED 3700 Section B – Project Management
Session:
Instructor:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Phone:
Fall 2008
Dana Inkster
dana.inkster@uleth.ca
W862
Wednesdays 11:00am – 12:30pm
382-7145
University Hall Room A580
Mondays
16:00-17:50
Wednesdays
16:00-17:50
A) New Media 3700
Course Description:
Group project experience emphasizing production with
instruction in the following areas: budgeting, team
building, software and hardware evaluation, and project
marketing and management.
B) Introduction/Program Related Information:
In this semester’s production management course, we will
put on a large event in which class members have creative
control over the content and execution of the project.
Further, and throughout the semester, every student will
work as an active member of a team/committee as well as
documentation and organization related to all projects.
Students will keep each other informed through in-class
presentations that both relay key information to the class
and provide professional presentation practice for the
students. Team will be expected to make progress reports on
a bi-weekly basis.
Production Management this semester will be fastpaced, fun, and demanding. Students should expect to spend
at least 8 hours outside of class meeting times per week
working on projects, and should budget for even more time
the closer we get to the events.
C) Objectives and Standards:
The purpose of this course is to explore and practice as
many aspects of production management as possible. Because
we are working towards several final, public finished
outcomes, professional practices such as effective
communication, timeliness, and a team-oriented approach are
critical for success and will be explored and practiced
from day one in the class. This is a rigorous and fastpaced course that provides practical experience in many
aspects of new media production. What you do with that
experience, and the level to which you apply your
knowledge, expertise, and imagination, is the key to a
successful class experience and a strong mark in the class.
Upon completion of the course, students will have
demonstrated:
- a working knowledge of professional practices as it
applies to production management
- a sincere attempt to participate in the class
- an expansion of existing skills into new zones of
experience and expertise
- improved communication skills
- successful design, assessment and execution for a project
idea
- self-motivated problem solving skills using research and
technical solutions
- a thoughtful understand of the entire process of
production management
- a semester's worth of project documentation
D) Course Content
The course content promotes the artistic and critical
application of skills in service to three media projects.
E) Required Texts
Students are expected to discover and make use of
reference materials appropriate to their projects. The
instructor will be available to guide and make suggestions
on supporting material. For those in need of support for
critical reading and writing at the university level,
please consult
http://www.uleth.ca/ics/writingcentre/writingresources.htm
Required texts will be distributed by the instructor.
As the semester unfolds, there may be readings and
links that correspond with current projects. Students will
always be provided with support materials and opportunities
for further reading. However, there are no required texts
in the course.
F) Departmental Attendance Policy
Attendance in class, lab and fieldwork is mandatory.
It is the policy of this department that more than 4
absences constitutes grounds for failure.
The classroom door will be locked 10 minutes after
class begins. Arriving more than 10 minutes late for class
constitutes an absence.
G) Late Assignment Policy
Projects submitted late will receive a deduction of 5%
per day, unless arrangements prior to the due date have
been negotiated. Late work will not be accepted after one
week
H)
Ability Issues
If you have a chronic health or require accommodation
due to a disability please identify yourself to me
privately and early on.
The University has a Disability
Coordinator to assist with any accommodations needed.
I) Course-Related Purchases
Part of the coursework is to use fundraising to cover
budgetary expenses for the course. However, students should
expect to pay for day-to-day expenses related to Production
Management such as transportation costs, personal event
costs, and for personal new media related items such as
back-up storage, CDs, presentation materials, etc, as
applicable to their individual projects. We will try to be
as thrifty and inventive as possible, but students should
expect to have some course-related expenses.
J) Plagiarism or academic dishonesty is considered a very
serious offence (see the U of L Calendar). The University
of Lethbridge subscribes to a plagiarism detection service
called Turnitin.com. Your paper may be submitted to this
service
to
verify
its
originality.
Information
on
plagiarism
may
be
found
at
<http:www.plagiarism.org/research_site/e_home.html>
Plagiarism occurs when a writer takes the words,
ideas, expressions or media content of another author and
claims them explicitly or implicitly (though failure to use
proper credits) as his or her own. Plagiarism is not only
cheating, it is stealing and as such is a violation of
copyright laws. Copyright laws insure that an author's work
remains the author's and prevents
without receiving permission.
others
from
copying
Students can make use of published material if they
credit the author properly. To avoid plagiarism you must
give proper credit to the authors from whom you borrow
material.
You
provide
credit
with
footnotes
and
a
bibliography. You should credit direct quotes, specific
ideas used by another writer, an opinion of another and any
displays such as tables, charts or diagrams that have been
used in other works.
Plagiarism can be from many sources including books,
magazines, electronic media or another student's paper or
work. To credit information you must identify the source.
Quoted material must be footnoted or endnoted. Proof of
clearance for audio-visual material must be secured from
the copyright owner.
K) Classroom Decorum
The classroom should be a place where the free
exchange of ideas can occur in an atmosphere of mutual
trust and respect. Students are expected to conduct
themselves with courtesy, civility, purposefulness, and
integrity.
Use the following examples as guides to behaviors that
support learning. Avoid those which disrupt the learning
process.
Supportive Actions include:
 Coming to class prepared including reading all
assignments.
 Being attentive and responsive in class.
 Respecting fellow students' opinions and ideas.
 Offering critiques and alternative ideas in a noncondescending manner.
 Supporting the rights of classmates to contribute, even
when disagreeing with content.
Examples of disruptive behaviors to avoid include:
 Sleeping in class.
 Eating and drinking in class.
 Talking in class or lab while the instructor is teaching
or while guest lecturers or other students are
presenting.



Using cell phone; beepers or any other PDA while in
class.
Walking out of class during instruction.
Emailing, texting and passing notes to classmates while
class is in session.
L) Backup Data
Students are required to backup their course material on
some sort of external media such as a jump drive, CD-RW,
etc. No concessions will be made for lost files.
Technical difficulties, lost files, etc are not a
legitimate holdup for turning in an assignment. Correct
file formatting is expected of new media students, and is
always part of your projects.
M) EVALUATION:
Evaluation
a) articulate their understanding of the competencies
embodied in the media projects.
b) explain and justify the techniques of production of the
project.
c) present a rationale for the organization and supporting
illustrative materials used in the project.
d) ability to understand and integrate the theory and
critical analysis presented in required texts into project
proposals
e) attend conferences with their instructor to pose
specific questions about assignment; obtain feedback and
evaluate course progress.
Attendance
Peer Evaluation
Team Performance and Class Project
10%
15%
75%
1. One criterion for grading the proposal will be the degree
to which the media projects address the objectives of the
program.
2. Marks for participation will be based on:
a) attending classes and other meetings prepared and on
time. Attendance is mandatory.
b) positive involvement in course activities
c) consistent and critical engagement with instructor on
topic related to film and video composition
d) presentation of assignments on time.
GRADING SYSTEM
Letter
(%)
*A+
(94-100)
*A
(90-93.9)
*A(86-89.9)
B+
(82-85.9
B
(78-81.9)
B(74-77.9)
C+
(70-73.9)
C
(66-69.9)
C(62-65.9)
D+
(58-61.9)
D
(50-57.9)
F
(0-49.9)
GPA
4.3
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0
* The letter grade of “A” is reserved for students who
demonstrate an exceptional performance and ability to meet
Objective & Standards outlined in Section C) at an advanced
level appropriate for post-secondary contexts.
Students will be evaluated for the course based on the
following criteria and percentage breakdowns.
Attendance 10%
Production Management will simply not work unless everyone
is there for class meetings. Class time is the only time of
the week that we are guaranteed no scheduling conflicts,
and when working on a multi-pronged project under a
deadline, it is absolutely essential that the group meet to
touch base and cross-pollinate. Being there, and being on
time, is an important aspect of professional practice and
is one of the fundamentals of the class. Therefore
attendance is weighted accordingly.
3 missed classes results in a zero in attendance, which is
an automatic full letter grade reduction of your final
class mark.
Students are strongly advised to communicate in writing not
by telephone should an emergency arise.
Peer Evaluation 15%
Diverse tasks and responsibilities of production management
are an important factor to take into consideration in any
new media project. Every student will be required to take
on some of the duties for the course. Because there will be
many different projects conducted at once under this
heading, both student and instructor will keep notes on the
projects and their progress throughout the semester, and
will be evaluated accordingly.
Team Performance and Class Project 75%
Marks for work in the course will be based on two methods
of evaluation that allow for differences in team
responsibilities.
1. Team Mission Statement: Each Team and all its
members must compose and sign-off on a mission
statement outlining goals and commitment to
contribute to a successful class project. (5%)
2. Personal Project Documentation: In production
management, we will explore two formats for project
documentation that will assist in the evaluation of
your final mark. These two documentation projects
will form the lion’s share of your mark for the
class. (35%)
a. Day to Day Log: Beginning on the first day of
class and continuing throughout the semester,
students are required to keep a detailed log of
their activities. Included in this log will be
notes, sketches, scheduling, finances, and any
other specifics related to your projects. This
working file will document the day-to-day
aspects of creating a project. (25%)
b. Portfolio Quality Documentation of the Event
and Support Material: Students will also
document their final events and create a
polished package detailing the specifics of
their projects. This final document is a
portfolio-quality piece of your own design. It
is analogous to a yearbook of the development
of the event. (10%)
3. Outside Observation. Two methods of outside
evaluation of the student's work will be
incorporated into the final assessment of the
student's projects. (35%)
a. The teacher's assessment, based on notes taken
throughout the course. (25%)
b. Jury Evaluation of the Project’s Success from
the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge
communities. (10%)