BOLD - Visualizing Engineering (July 2010)

Page Contents

Course Projects (July 12 – July 23)

Strategies, Policies, Grades

As much as anything else, this class is about learning how to learn and learning how to respect yourself as someone involved in learning. This is, after all, one of the most honored and dignified activities it is possible to engage in as a human being, and without it, we are lost. Practice feeling positive and maintaining a positive perspective. Practice bringing your own energy and making the best of each moment of the class. Know that you are important to this effort. Know that you have a place in this classroom and that you are important to others who are involved in projects with you. Know that you have a right to ask questions and search for answers and that the questions you ask and the answers you discover enrich the lives of everyone working with you.

To complete this class successfully, daily attendance is required, along with completion of each of the labs and the final project. Grades will be assigned for the work performed.

Try to work along with the instructor and keep in tune with others. During the first week, the activity concentrates on individualized efforts. During the second week, teams are formed. Each context exercises different skills. Complete the projects as instructed. Stay within the context of the labs rather than trying to do anything from scratch. One of the objectives of the class is to allow you to explore what "morphing" is about.

The University of Colorado provides a solid set of policies regarding the conduct of classes. If you have any concerns at all that fall into this area, please talk with the instructor. Keep in mind that courtesy is important, and any type of substance abuse within the classroom is not acceptable. Your experiences in the class should be pleasant and relaxed, so if anything is bothering you about anything, let the instructor know. Generally, come to the class to participate, be productive, have fun, and learn.

This is a graded course, and grades will be assessed on the basis of participation (30%), labs completed (40%), and the team effort and final project (30%).

Keep in mind that this course is about gaining skills that will be useful to you as you pursue your college career. In this respect, lessons about how to approach problems and how to get the most out of projects are important topics that will be repeatedly addressed. In this respect, the lessons about engineering will emphasize planning projects and executing them with the objective of both finishing them and getting the most from them.

Resource Documents and Links

Final Projects

Daily Labs

There are a total of four starter projects for the class.

The components for the class are as follows:

• Flash Programming Projects. Each project is developed initially from a lab, but after completing the basic specifications of the project through the lab, you are then free to do what you want--with the context of the course--to add art, math, or other elements that make the project something uniquely your own.
• Worksheets. These are Word documents containing questions about the labs. The worksheets must be completed as homework, but you are free to open them during class and work on them. They can be answered from the labs, but it is suggested that you concentrate on the labs during class hours.
• Team Effort.. After you complete the starter labs, you will them group together with two other people in the role of a programmer, a design expert, or a content developer to morph one of the applications into a team production. This will be published to the web.

House Energy Conservation - Save It

	House Energy Conservation Lab Conservation Worksheet Resources           View the Home Energy application.

Bridge Stress

	Bridge Stress Lab Bridge Stress Worksheet Resources           Bridge Stress

CO₂ Sources and Energy Production

	CO2 Sources and Energy Production Lab CO2 Sources and Energy Production Worksheet Resources           CO2 Sources and Energy Production Application

Orbits

	Orbits Lab Orbits Worksheet Resources           Orbits Application

Change Ideas

	To successfully change your project, select components and modify them within the framework provided by the existing architecture. Change Ideas Lab Resources

Specifying a Morph

The specification is a document you produce that formally presents both a preliminary version of your presentation and a plan for your final days of development activity. It is a plan for how to take one of the starter applications and turn it into an individualized artifact, one that gives expression to your artistic visions, mathematical understanding, and programming skills. As a preliminary version of the presentation, the specification allows you to develop ideas concerning a manifesto, applied mathematics, art, and programming. You must complete this document before you proceed with the final phase of activity. Your specification must be approved before you can proceed with your final effort. Final Project Specification - PDF Version Final Project Specification - Word Version

Publishing a Flash Project to the Web

	This lab allows you to create an HTML page for your application. The instructor will provide detailed instructions about how to name the files and folders in which you save your project. You must provide your *.fla file along with the other files needed for web display. HTML Publication Resources           Sample for the lab.