GD 126 Syllabus

Patrick Giovengo M.S.
Fall 2008

Topics/Themes

In this 3-unit course, students will use Photoshop to create computer graphics and manipulate photographic images. The course will cover 3 main topics:

concepts - underlying principles of graphics (resolution, bit depth, formats, compression, colors, etc.)
graphics production - how to use Photoshop to create graphics
Enhance digital images by using Photoshop's array of tools.

Prerequisites

The prerequisite skills for this class are:

experience using the Web
experience with Windows XP/Vista or Macintosh OS
ability to do simple word processing (copy & paste)

These skills can be learned in CIS 110.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to produce graphics using fundamental Photoshop tools and techniques including:

selection tools
layers
painting tools
masks and channels
photo retouching
image compositing
pen tool
special effects
optimizing for the Web

Grading and Assignments

You will be graded on the quality of your assignments, participation in class discussion, and performance on tests. You'll be provided with a scoring rubric for each Web page assignment later in the semester. Your total grade will include the following:

70%	Textbook Lessons	Lessons are step-by-step sessions to help you practice skills demonstrated in lecture. Lessons are due each week throughout the course.
20%	Projects	Projects require you to apply skills from multiple lessons and are due 1 week after they are assigned. Turn these in to WebCT (Assignments section).
5%	Discussion Participation	You are expected to post a message to the WebCT discussion each week. These can be questions, comments, answers, jokes, interesting Web sites, etc. Your message will be given 1-5 points based on complexity, appropriateness, and helpfulness.
5%	Final Project	Your final project should be of the finest quality and show all that you have learned over the semester.

Scale

A 90-100%, awarded for work that exceeds expectations and shows effort, skill, and creativity

B 80-89%, awarded for work that exceeds expectations

C 70-79%, awarded for work that meets expectations

D 60-69%, awarded for work that is below expectation

Due Dates, Make-ups, and Incompletes

Textbook exercises are due each week throughout the semester, so be sure to SAVE and BACK UP everything you do. Projects are due to WebCT a week after they are assigned with a penalty of 25% for each week late. Assignments will NOT be accepted after the WebCT cutoff date (1 week after the due date)!

Quizzes and exams are available on WebCT for one week only, and no make-ups are allowed. An incomplete grade is given only when there is an emergency near the end of the semester.

Textbooks - not available at the campus bookstore. They can be purchased online or from just about any book seller. I will be teaching CS3 and CS2 simultaneously this semester. Depending on which version you have on your computer will determine which textbooks you buy.

Required Textbooks
	Photoshop CS2 Quickstart for Windows and Macintosh Elaine Weinmann adn Peter Lourekas ISBN: 0321336550 $18.62 at Amazon
	Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book ISBN: 0321321847 $30.99 at Amazon.com
	Adobe Photoshop CS3 Classroom in a Book ISBN-10: 0321492021 $34.64 at Amazon.com
	Photoshop CS3 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide ISBN-10: 0321473795 $19.79 at Amazon.com

Recommended: any Photoshop reference book

Materials

You need adequate storage to SAVE and BACK UP your work. Many students use their personal hard drives, but other options are an external hard drive or aUSB Flash Hard Drive.

It is essential to own your own copy of Photoshop CS2 or CS3. A demo version will NOT cut it! See Gradware or Adobe.com for academic prices. Make sure that you go to the education area of the store as the price is verry different! Photoshop is available in the labs or in the new tech building in case of technical problems. To use the labs, you must enroll in CIS 198, a free, zero unit class. See the lab use policy for details.

Attendance

Students may be dropped for excessive absences or lack of progress in accordance with Cuyamaca College policy. Students who disappear, or do not log into WebCT to submit their weekly assignments are deemed to be absent for the entire week. It is always your responsibility to drop any course not attended. Failure to drop an unattended course will result in a grade of "F" on your transcript.

Course Communication

Post general questions to the WebCT online discussion. You should also email or call me at 619-417-4737 if there is any situation that cannot be solved through the web site. I will also be experimenting with Dimdim which is a free screen sharing application. If you would like to download it and configure it with the possiblility of using it

Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class should notify me and contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) early in the semester so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. See www.cuyamaca.net/eops/dsps.asp for contact information.

Academic Integrity

When creating Graphics or Web sites, treat Web content as you would treat content from a published article or book. Stealing content is unethical, and students guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a zero for the assignment and may be suspended or expelled.

ACCEPTABLE	CHEATING
including a brief quote from a Web page with the source cited	copying entire pages or paragraphs and republishing it as your own
using graphics from a clip art site	using someone else's graphics without permission
discussing an assignment with another student	copying another student's work
studying for a quiz with other students	completing a quiz with help from another student

Important Dates

Please mark your calendar!

August 25	Classes begin
September 5	Last Day to add classes
September 26	Last Day to Apply for CR/NC for semester length classes
November 27-29	Thanksgiving
November 14	Last day to drop Semester Length Classes
December 16	Final Examination Due

Campus Computer Lab Access

It is also highly recommended that you enroll in the GD 198 class. It is a free, zero-unit Supervised Tutoring class that allows students to use computer labs outside of class time. This may be especially helpful if you do not have the correct version of the software or are experiencing some technical difficulties that are not in your control.

This course adheres to the policies outlined in the Cuyamaca College catalogue. For further information, see Academic Policies stated in the catalog.