MDIA 7013 - Immersive Media Development

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

In this course, students will author and develop cutting-edge standalone immersive media experiences. Students will not only have the opportunity to explore managerial methods and techniques commonly used in the immersive media industry, but will also cover technical topics relevant to next-generation creative professionals. These topics include game-engine use and initial setup methods, SDK (Software Development Kit) integration, asset management, lighting techniques, rendering methods, coding and scripting differences, and platform-oriented final build optimisation.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MDIA 7013
    Course Immersive Media Development
    Coordinating Unit Media
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites MDIA 7010
    Assessment Online Activities 20%, Applied Assignment 1 20%, Applied Assignment 2 60%
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr Steven Cook

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
    1 Construct and manage an immersive media development project in line with industry practices.
    2 Demonstrate development pipeline understanding in regard to digital asset infusion within game-engine frameworks.
    3 Integrate and adapt immersive media design paradigms within a fully-functioning immersive media experience.
    4 Demonstrate technical knowledge across a variety of hardware and software platforms used for immersive media content development.
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Due to the individual skill acquisition required, and the technical nature of the project material in this course, resources will be provided weekly for students. These resources will be in the form of current immersive design research, video screencasts, applied techniques, and websites. Students are not only encouraged to access all resources provided, but also to foster an investigative research approach to obtaining their own resources as needs arise.
    Recommended Resources
    Due to the quickly evolving nature of immersive technologies, students will be provided with resources and readings over the duration of the course. Students are also encouraged to foster an investigative research approach towards resource acquisition depending on assignment focus.
    Online Learning
    This course makes extensive use of MyUni and external websites. All assignments are submitted via online methods. Due to the size of data required for immersive media development, it is also strongly encouraged that students have access to large personal storage devices.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures for this course are recorded and then uploaded into the university’s Echo 360 system. Tutorials and/or workshops are held in either a dedicated space or within the Napier building VR lab. Readings and other materials are provided using the Barr Smith Library Digital Resources Management Service or through externally hosted websites. Assignments and course participation may involve a mixture of individual and collaborative work.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    1 x 1-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week 12 hours per semester
    1 x 2-hour tutorial (or equivalent) per week 24 hours per semester
    4 hours reading per week 48 hours per semester
    8 hours practical immersive technology usage 96 hours per semester
    4 hours workshop preparation per week 48 hours per semester
    3 hours independent research per week 36 hours per semester
    4 hours assignment preparation per week 48 hours per semester
    TOTAL WORKLOAD 312 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task (relevant learning outcomes) Task Type Weighting

    Online Activities

    1, 2

    Formative; Individual; Written 20%

    Practical Assignment 1

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5

    Summative; Individual; Graphical, Audible 20%
    Practical Assignment 2 - Final Project
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    Summative; Individual; Graphical, Audible 60%
    *Please note: this is only an estimate of the minimum expected workload for each assessment piece. As much of the assessment structure requires technical understanding, individual students may need to spend more time on unfamiliar tasks.

    Assessment Detail
    Online Quizzes and Group Activities: 20%  The quizzes will represent summative understanding of the core concepts and terminology presented in lectures and tutorial sessions. Online group activities will consist of pipeline replication and pipeline comprehension. (2000 words equiv.)

    Applied Assignment 1: 20%  Applied Assignment 1 demonstrates deep knowledge of game engine integration for immersive projects through submission of project and build material. (2000 words equiv.)

    Applied Assignment 2: 60%  Applied Assignment 2 represents the culmination of asset integration, game engine literacy and pipeline integration for immersive development work. Students will submit their combined project material as per the techniques and design principles outlined. Grades will be awarded based on how well the build of the project runs, whether design methodologies were implemented, and if understanding of high-level game engine use has been demonstrated. (5000 words equiv.) 
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

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