Q: How will the class be conducted?
A: This a hybrid class with both online and in-person instruction and/or lab time. The class will largely use the 'flipped' classroom approach in which the instruction is provided online with short lectures and lab support provided by the instructor in person on Thursdays. This class traditionally meets for 4 hours each week. But, we will meet in person for only two of those hours and the rest of our instruction and lab activiteis will be conducted online.

This class website, located at http://karlcleveland.com/mat150, is the primary source of content and resources for the class. It will have links to everything else. MiraCosta's learning management system, Canvas, will be used for used for online discussions, announcements, and the grade book. Instructor-created instructional videos and other class material will be available on the class website. Class assignments, videos, support materials, links and resources, sites of inspiration, and recommended reading will be posted to the class website each week.

Q: How do I find out what I should be doing in the class?
A: Review the tasks listed in the schedule section of the class website. The tasks include instructions about what to do and links to resources and content. New tasks will be added each week. You are responsible for completing each of the tasks listed (unless it is a "recommended" task). In addition to the primary tasks listed, there will often be a listing of alternative and/or supplemental tasks that are optional, but recommended if you wish o supplement your learning or explore class topics in greater depth.

Q: How often do I need to check the class websites? When will new material be posted and when are projects and exercises due?
A: I will run this online class from Thursday to Thursday (given that we meet on Thursdays). New tasks and course material will be added to the class website on a weekly basis (ie. weekly modules will be added). Updates to the course website will typically occur by or before class each Thursday and will often include work that will be due the following week. Most projects and exercises will be due on Thursdays or Fridays (there may be some exceptions, so pay attention to the listed due dates). All work is due before class (if due on a Thursday) or before midnight (by 11:59 p.m.) on the date that it is due. To keep up with the class schedule, you will need to check the class website frequently.

Q: Is the class a lot of work?
A: Yes, there is a fair amount of work. You’ll need to be dedicated to the class, check in frequently with the class material, and try not to procrastinate.

Q: I am new to online learning? What do I need to know?
A: I will try to answer all of your questions and make the class easy to engage with regardless of wheter we are meeting in the classroom or asynchronously onliine. The tasks listed in the schedule section of the class website should link to everything you need to 'do' in the class.

If you are brand new to hybrid or online learning, you may be interested in MiraCosta's Student Online Academic Readiness (SOAR) workshops and online learning orientation programs. The current schedule is available here.

Q: Are there any tests or quizzes in the class?
A: No. There are no quizzes (except for a syllabus quiz and survey which counts for a tiny bit of extra credit). This class is project-based and you will demonstrate your knowledge through the completion of class exercises and projects.

Q: What software is needed for the course and what version of the software will we need?
A: Adobe Animate CC (formerly Flash Professional CC) will be the primary software that we use in this class. The latest version of Animate CC (version 24) is preferred and recommended, but it is possible to satisfy course requirements with older versions of the software if you are not able to upgrade.

Q: Do I need to buy the software or is it available for me to use on campus?
A: Copies of Animate CC and other Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver are available in the Library (HUB) on both the Oceanside and San Elijo campuses. So, you do have the option of working in the library. However, many of you will prefer to have your own copy at home.

Q: How much is the software? Where should I buy it if I want to?
A: The Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with Adobe offers the best deal through http://store.collegebuys.org. This includes a 6-month subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud for $49.99 or a year subscription for $99.98. It is available only to participating Community Colleges, and as a MiraCosta student, you are eligible. Traditionally, Adobe offers student (education) subscriptions to their Creative Cloud for $19.99/month (with an annual commitment) so this is a much better deal (around $8 per month). Creative Cloud subscriptions include access to every application that Adobe makes, including Animate, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and many others. Once you have a membership, you can download any application you wish to use and install it on your computers (you do not need to be online to use the software). If you intend to take several classes in the Media Arts & Technologies (MAT) department, having access to the full creative cloud software suite on your own computer is useful.

Even though the College Buys page says it will take 24 hours to get a confirmation email, be aware that it might take longer (some students had to wait a long time last semester). There should be an initial confirmation email and then later another activation email.

If you have an existing CollegeBuys Adobe purchase that is about to expire, you must first let it expire before repurchasing (yes, it's counter intuitve, but true).

Q: College Buys requires a .edu email address for easy academic verification. Can I get one of those from MiraCosta? Can I buy it without that email account?
A: Yes. Students can now get .edu email addresses from MiraCosta College (as well as free access to Microsoft Office 365). To get your email, simply 1) Sign into SURF, 2) Click "Message Center", 3) Click "Office 365 Welcome Email" which is where you will find your student.miracosta.edu email address. For more information on Email and Office 365 see the Student Office 365 FAQ on the MiraCosta website. Remember, because you will use this ".edu" address to buy your Adobe software, this is where you will need to look later for the CollegeBuys/ThinkEDU confirmation and activation emails (not in your other personal email).

You also have the option to show other proof of being a MiraCosta student and to buy without an .edu address, but this option sometimes takes longer to verify.

Q: Is there any other software (besides Animate) that I will need for the course?
A: Yes. You will need a web browser (of course). I recommend Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/). You will also need an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program to upload files to the MAT web server. You can use Dreamweaver for this (if you have it) or an FTP client such as FileZilla, WinSCP, or Fugu. You can download the free FileZilla FTP client here: http://filezilla-project.org/. Lastly, Animate CC does have tools for creating graphics and very simple audio and video editing capabilities. However, it is designed as an authoring tool for creating animation and time-based, interactive multimedia content. Most designers will create and edit their graphic and a/v content elsewhere and then import these assets into Animate. Thus, software such as Photoshop and Illustrator can be very useful (and integrate nicely with Animate), but will not be required (as you can create your graphics in Animate too).

Q: What is Canvas and how will we use it?
A: Class conversations will be conducted within the Canvas learning management system. You can use the Canvas to connect with your fellow students (and the instructor), ask questions, provide critiques, get feedback, see your grades, and more. I will not host lecture/tutorial content within Canvas, however. That material will be on the class website.

Q: Does participation on Canvas count towards our grade? How do you grade for class participation?
A: Yes. Your participation in the Forum Discussions on Canvas count towards your class "participation" grade in the class as does your participiation in either our in-person class meetings. Class participation is 16% of your grade. In general, to earn a 'C' in class participation, students must at least participate in all project critiques and blog postings as well as be present and participatory in most synchronous class sessions. To earn a 'B' a student will additionally participate in class conversations within the Canvas site (including Q &A), leave comments for other student posts, ask questions or share insights, and leave impressions (or other feedback) about exercises or work in progress. To earn an 'A', a student will do all of the above robustly and thoughtfully. And, I sometimes (depending on the quality of the answer or contribution) give extra credit to students to who beat me to the answer of questions on Canvas and/or contribute particularly useful or meaningful thoughts and answers.

Q: What if I have a technical problem or question about Animate?
A: Ask it. There is a Question and Answer (Q & A) category in the Forum discussions on Canvas. I will be frequently checking for these questions (as will your classmates). Of course, you can e-mail me too, but there are several reasons that Canvas is a better forum for most of your questions. One, the answer to your question could benefit other students. Secondly, I might not be available right away to answer your question, and it may be answered sooner by a classmate who had the same problem (and solved it).

Q: Is there a book for the class?
A: There is a recommended (not required) book. It is Adobe Animate Classroom in a Book 2024 by Russell Chun. ). A digital version can be accessed for free through the College Library via O'Reilly Books Online. There are also several optional books available (see the syllabus). Many students find a reference book very useful. Others are more visual learners, already have a book they wish to use, or would prefer a different book, and that is okay.

Q: How can I find out my grades in the class?
A: Login to Canvas and click on the Grades link.

Q: What are project grades based on?
A: Project grades are based on the quality of your work in the following areas: content/concept, form, function, and technique. For information on the specific grading considerations related to each of these areas, see Making the Grade.

Q: How do I turn in my work?
A: You will turn in your work by uploading it to the MAT web server using SFTP (for details on how to use an FTP client and login to the server see Publishing Instructions and FTP Info for the MAT Server ). Create a folder using the general naming conventions specificied by the project or exercise. Generally, these naming conventions are all in lowercase, contain no spaces, and consist of your last name, followed by a hyphen, followed by the project(p) or exercise(e) number (such as "cleveland-e1"). Put all of your published files, including the source .fla file in this folder and upload it to the appropriate exercise or project folder on the MAT serer.

Q: Can I redo my projects to improve my grade and/or for extra credit?
A: Students turning in projects on time can request to redo the project for some extra credit. The extra credit they earn is up to 1/2 of the missed points on the project/exercise. For example, a student getting 30 out of 40 on an exercise can earn up to 5 extra credit points for a redo... (10 missed points x 1/2). Essentially, I regrade the project, divide the difference of the two grades by 2, and then add that many points as extra credit. You'll notice that with this formula, it behooves you to do quality work from the get go.

Q: Do you accept late work?
A: Yes, but late projects may be graded down by one full letter grade for each week late. However, I offer one ‘freebie’ and will not penalize students for missing a deadline provided it does not become habitual. Once you get behind, it's difficult to catch up, however. Moreover, if you don't complete project's on time, you may not get feedback on the work you did from your classmates. The final project will not be accepted late. If you find yourself getting behind in the class, please reach out to me.