This document is subject to change. Check it for updates at least weekly during the semester.

Instructor: Terry Harvey
Office: 408 Smith Hall
Office hours: Mon 10:00 - 12:00, Thurs 2:00 - 4:00 (subject to change) or by appt
Email: tharvey at udel.edu
Phone: don't phone, email!

TA Section 10: Kevin Corder
Email: kcorder at udel
Office: 201 Smith Hall
Office hours: Tues-Wed 2:30-3:30 (subject to change) or by appt

Useful Links

Text: We'll be using multiple online resources; links will be provided throughout the semester.

This class web page is where you find the syllabus and general overview. Assignments will be on Canvas, as will changes to the schedule, etc. Check here and on Canvas and Piazza every week, or more frequently. Depending on which browser you use, you may need to hit "reload" or "refresh" to see new material.

Important Project dates, subject to change:

3/?
3/21 Midterm
? Storyboard presentations to customer
? Storyboard review
4/18 Alpha game review/demo
5/2 Beta game review/demo
play testing
testing
Project final review, all functionality
Inter-team testing
Rehearsal Presentations
Tues 4/16 4-7pm Presentations to Client and Faculty
5/? Final Exam

Course Objectives

This course is designed to introduce students to a variety of serious games, gamification, and production. Software will be produced for desktop, laptop, or mobile devices using the Unreal engine.

Lecture

We will cover a wide variety of material in this course, most of which is not in a textbook. Attending lecture is essential to learn the material and to interact with class members, teammates, and the professor.

Assignments may be done alone, in pairs, or in groups. We will specify which for each assignment. If you work in a team, 1) put all the names on the assignment and in every code file to avoid losing points; 2) if the assignment is not on Github, then every team member must submit the assignment electronically unless otherwise specified; 3) only submit one paper copy (if any - ask your TA).

Participation

There will be many opportunities to participate in class. Participation includes asking questions, answering instructor questions, and being an active and constructive party when asked to work with other students in class. Speak up! It's five percent of your grade. If you have remarkable difficulty speaking in class, see me during the first week of class to discuss alternative assignments.

Your project grades will be scaled by a factor determined by one or more team peer evaluations. The professor reserves the right to make adjustments to this factor if he deems it necessary, but be aware that no previous student has benefited from such adjustment.

Up to 20 percent of your project grades will be based on your presentations of material in class. When you are part of a team, be sure that you present material every time the team does. Know the material well enough that you are not reading. We'll go over lots of other presentation points.

Grading

10% Assignments

10% Midterm

60% Projects (includes all phases)

15% Cumulative Final

5% Participation

At the end of the semester, all grades will be taken into account by the instructor in determining whether or not to apply a curve of some kind. Historically, there is little or no curve. Under no circumstance will grades be curved "down", but there is no guarantee that grades will be curved up.

This course emphasizes both team projects and testable knowledge of educational theory and game design. To ensure minimal competency, the course grade may not be higher than one full letter grade above the exam average. For example, if a student has an exam average of F after the final, their course grade may not exceed a D. Interestingly, this limit has not affected grades for several years.

Grade Scale

Number

100-93

93-90

90-87

87-83

83-80

80-77

77-73

73-70

70-67

67-63

63-60

<60

Letter

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

F

Projects

This semester's projects will involve working in teams composed of students from 374, and also possibly students from other departments. Teams will design and implement software for a client of the professor's choosing. The project grade will be composed of a number of parts, including multiple presentations, all parts of the software engineering cycle, quality of teamwork and team evaluations, and final presentation. Projects which pass the final presentation may present their work to faculty, administration, and adoring fans. Client may select any or all software to use in presentations and distribute from their website.

Assignments

Typically, assignments and projects will be graded by the TA, exams by the instructor. Once an assignment is returned, you have one week to request that your grade on the assignment be re-examined. Submit the assignment to the person who graded it along with a cover sheet explaining where you think you should be credited with additional points and why. If you submit for re-grading to the TA and are not satisfied with the result, you may re-submit to the instructor, but be forewarned that historically this option has not met with much success.

After you submit a lab, I may give detailed answers to questions about the lab. For this reason, it is important that you submit on time. Also, staggered submissions make fair and timely grading more difficult for the TA. Late assignments will receive a 25 percent penalty immediately, an additional ten percent each 24 hours, no credit after five days, Saturday and Sunday are days. No exceptions will be made for traffic, dead disks, fried monitors, political protests, etc. Please work on your assignments early and often.

See the separate document on Assignment Standards.

Academic Honesty

I expect my students to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty, as described in the University Code of Conduct at Http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/16-17/code.html

Any violations will be referred to the Office of Academic Conduct.

NOTES:

Quizzes and exams are not team activities, and must be written solely by you without assistance of any kind.

Teams must work independently of other teams. Do not share work or code between teams; this is a violation of the Academic Honesty policy.

If you are ever in doubt about whether some activity is permitted, do not do it until you have asked the professor and received clarification.