IMS5034

Multimedia publishing

Offered subject to approval

D Schauder

6 points - 2 hours per week in class participation (normally listserver conferencing), 6 hours per week in reading/preparation, 2 hours per week in assessment work, 2 hours per week in locating and downloading internet - First semester - Distance education - Prerequisites: IMS9023 or equivalent, and IMS9049 or equivalent - Prohibition: LAR5007

Objectives At the completion of this subject, students should be able to (i) assess the suitability of material for publishing using multimedia digital technologies; (ii) develop strategies for the publishing of material electronically with regard to type of media, type of software and level of interactivity;.(iii) develop a basic World Wide Web site in terms of its content and software requirements; (iv) understand current indexes and indexing techniques so as to most efficiently publicise and locate multimedia and other electronic publications.

Synopsis The course provides a broad overview of the current state of the art in multimedia publishing (ranging from digitally-supported print to online multimedia). It deals with technical, legal and commercial issues in multimedia publishing in addition to the implications of the changing nature of publishing. The course will have a practical focus, and will examine a range of products published on CD ROM and the Internet, with a view to evaluating their effectiveness. Students will also jointly develop and publish a World Wide Web site, allowing hands-on access to the software and a more immediate examination of the issues. Multimedia publishing will cover the nature of the market sectors, products and media used for multimedia publishing; the market for multimedia publishing including user access to the technology; hypertext; use of multimedia; the nature of CD ROM and its uses; the nature of the World Wide Web and its uses; the technology: tools and techniques; interactivity, instant communications and the implications for publishing; project management and other roles in the multimedia publishing process; evaluation of digital publishing products; standards and their evolution; legal issues: copyright, licensing; archiving of digital publishing products; 'bibliographic' control of digital publications: the role of metadata and indexes.

Assessment Project report: 60% - Practical assignment: 40%

Prescribed texts

Commerce in content: Building Australia's international future in interactive multimedia markets Cutler, September 1994, http://www.nla.gov.au/lis/govnii.html

Recommended texts

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). World Wide Web Consortium 1997 http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/MarkUp/
Networking Australia's Future: Final Report of the Broadband Services Expert Group. December 1994. http://www.nla.gov.au/lis/govnii.html

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