Unit description
Code: INT3046
Title: Professional Practice
Dept:

Design
Level: 3
Semester: 6
Credits: 24
Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Co-ordinator: Richard Vickers

Unit Description
The unit initiates a greater understanding of professional practice, including production management, finance, marketing awareness and career opportunities.

The unit develops interpersonal and presentation skills, facilitating the student to promote her or himself in a professional and competitive way in preparation for employment, both individually and as a group.

It explores the notion of exhibition, encompassing issues such as audience, space, duration, atmosphere, and tactile engagement.

Syllabus
 The student will be required to produce a comprehensive personal portfolio of their interactive productions.

In addition, the unit cohort will produce a website representative of the group, within which each individual may display their work in an online exhibition.

Production will be a group activity. The precise nature of individual involvement will be negotiated in an equitable way between team members and staff. The responsibility for communication and project management falls to the group, although project progress is monitored and assisted by academic staff.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit the student will be able to:

-Demonstrate organisational, collaborative, interpersonal and presentation skills.

-Demonstrate some understanding of project finance.

-Demonstrate some understanding of marketing issues.

-Demonstrate an understanding of project management issues, with the ability to work to deadlines.

-Demonstrate the capability to present and exhibit interactive productions to good effect.

-Demonstrate sound knowledge of a range of software essential for interactive multimedia.




Teaching and Learning Methods

This unit is studio based, with an emphasis on responsive, student-centred experiential learning (including peer group learning). Group work will be managed by learning contract.

A series of talks from visiting practitioners will help to inform the student about current professional practice, writing for curriculum vitae, and career opportunities.

Technical help suitable to the students’ particular requirements will support production activities.



Assessment
 The unit will be assessed through
-individual contribution to a group website and exhibition which will be
assessed through viva, and the completion and submission/making "live"
of the personal portfolio (weighting 100%)

Assessment criteria include: selectivity; critical perspective; project management; the appropriateness, visual quality, navigation, structure and "usability" of the work; presentation skills; and quality of exhibition.

Indicative Reading
Students will be expected to engage fully in on-line research activities, facilitated through the digital environment that supports Interactive Multimedia (at www.newmediahull.net).

Suitable use of research texts will be determined in the first instance by the students, though with the assistance of tutors conducting this unit.

Technical Reading (latest versions), Software Manuals, On-Line Documentation

Magazines: Create Online, Computer Arts, Digit, Creative Review etc.