C.W. Post Campus Brookville, New York 11548
Interactive Multimedia Arts Masters Program
IMA 504-1 – Social, Legal and Ethical Issues in Multimedia
Course Description
This course will focus on the Social, Legal and Ethical Issues in Multimedia and all forms of new media. This course will provide the student with a foundation of the issues resulting from the explosion of and the standardization of new media. We will work on improving writing skills, finding one’s voice and critical evaluating the progress and delineation that new media delivery, content and availability now provides.
Instructional Procedures
Lectures, demonstrations and instruction.
Group and individual discussion and critiques.
Student Requirements and Assignments
A project will be assigned each week for submission the following week. Late projects will either not be accepted or will result in a lowered grade. Students will be expected to spend at least three hours a week outside of class writing and preparing their assignments. Work will be handed in on hard copy for class discussion and students must maintain digital copies of all their work, as well as backup copies for themselves. Final projects will be turned in as HTML documents or PDF’s with links to research and a table of contents with internal links.
There will be in-class assignments, as well.
There will be some reading and Web research assignments, as well.
Evaluation
Final grade will be based on class participation, student progress, evaluation of weekly assignments and final project. More than three absences will result in a failing grade. Final project: 20%. Weekly assignments 40%. Class participation 40%.
Textbook and Materials
Students will be responsible for ensuring their Internet access, either on their own or in the Lab. Students will be expected to have a notebook and pen or pencil, as well as floppy or Zip disks for digital copy.
Periodicals to be selected
Grading
Grading and critiques, as well as out-of-class reading and Web research assignments
Final project: = 40%. Papers 30% Class participation = 30%
Assignments
1. Social Assignment
Students will select an issue currently in question whether dealing with CD-ROM, DVD, or web based deliver technology. Example – Internet Access in Schools.
Given these restraints students will write a five page paper arguing the following points;
Benefit or Detriment to General Populace
Seclusion or Inclusion of General Populace
Conclusion
2. Legal Assignment
Students will select a product/project. Example – Napster.
Students will then review the project on the basis of the following criteria.
Copyright Laws
Examples of copyright infringement
Image usage and contracts
Conclusion
3. Ethical Assignment
Students will select an issue currently in question dealing with any form of new technology.
Example – Nanotechnology.
Given these restraints students will write a five page paper arguing the following points:
Availability for General Populace
Advancement of General Populace
Conclusion
4. Final paper
Students will select a product/project. Example – Microsoft – Internet Explorer
This paper will start with an Abstract. Students will create a 150 word Abstract for their argument. The abstract combines all aspects of their argument into one simple statement. The content of the Abstract is to aggregated from the Social, Legal and Ethical areas of their final paper.
The paper will end with a final conclusion inclusive of recommendations.
Students will then review the project on the basis of the following criteria:
Social
Benefit or Detriment to General Populace
Seclusion or Inclusion of General Populace
Summary
Legal
Copyright Laws
Example: Sampling (seven note issue)
Image usage and contracts
Summary
Ethical
Availability for General Populace
Advancement of General Populace
Summary