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Unit of study_

CAEL2104: Mixed Reality Production

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Mixed Reality (MR) refers to the emerging suite of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. MR is a developing medium that commentators believe will have a significant impact across a broad range of fields. This studio-based unit introduces students to the theory and design of mixed reality production for application in creative and industry contexts, including the creative arts, digital storytelling, documentaries and journalism. Students will examine best practice examples of MR experiences and will learn a range of tools and techniques in order to develop two MR projects.

Unit details and rules

Unit code CAEL2104
Academic unit Sydney College of the Arts
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in the Visual Arts major or 12 credit points at 1000 level Studio Foundation unit in the Bachelor of Visual Arts or 12 credit points at 1000 level in the Digital Cultures major
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator John Tonkin, john.tonkin@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) John Tonkin, john.tonkin@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment group assignment Mixed Reality Project 2
Mixed Reality Project 2 (can be individual or group)
50% Formal exam period
Due date: 12 Jun 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 24 Jun 2022
1-5 minutes experience
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Assignment Blog review and short presentation
In-class short presentation and blog post review of a MR work
10% Ongoing 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4
Assignment Project 1
Mixed Reality Project 1
30% Week 07
Due date: 10 Apr 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 24 Apr 2022
1-3 minute experience
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Research blog
minimum 6 x 100 word blog posts about MR works
10% Week 13
Due date: 29 May 2022 at 23:59

Closing date: 12 Jun 2022
400 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO2
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Please Note: All assessment tasks must be attempted in order to pass this unit!

Assessment criteria

Assessment grading  

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard. For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

This unit uses standards-based assessment for award of assessment marks. Your assessments will be evaluated solely on the basis of your individual performance You need to satisfy requirements as determined by academic staff, including attendance, communicated to you through the Sydney College of the Arts Handbook, unit of study outlines, other written notifications and/or verbally through tutorials or seminars. All requirements must be met in order to be eligible for an assessment.

Your work will be assessed according to the following criteria, based on: attendance; participation and responsiveness to the unit of study and academic direction; written work; studio work and other unit of study work; tutorial and seminar team discussion. These criteria apply to studio-based learning and to theory units of study.

1. Competence
Demonstration of the development and application of practical and intellectual competency and skills appropriate to the unit of study.

2. Development
Demonstration of the ability to initiate and realise your own objectives for studio practice and theory work within the requirements of the unit of study and of your developing knowledge of the historical and theoretical context of your practice. You are expected to improve your abilities, competency and understanding over the course of a semester, and over successive semesters.

3. Critical Awareness
Demonstration of developing a critical awareness and knowledge of the unit of study and the ability to objectively evaluate your own work, select appropriate methods and materials and to formulate and evaluate ideas/methods.

4. Commitment
Demonstration of commitment and self-motivation in respect of the unit of study. The level of commitment to study in the academic program is reflected in; the development of self-motivation applied to individual, group or assignment-based work; the degree of participation in all units of study including group work, project submissions, essays and discussions; the development of a consistent work pattern; and the regularity and punctuality of attendance and submissions.

5. Innovation
Demonstration of innovative and imaginative thinking, appropriate to the unit of study, evidencing the quality of ideas underlying your work and development in your studies.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 week 1. Unit introduction and overview. A short history of Mixed Reality. Using Mozilla Hubs. Viewing MR works - where to find works Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5
Week 02 week 2. 360 still photos & video - theory and practice. 360 cameras, Introduction to 360 video editing - Premiere and phone Apps Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 03 week 3. More 360 video editing. Working with 360 audio. Outputting to the web Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 04 week 4. 3d modelling - theory and practice. 3d scanning apps. 3d file formats. 3d model editing & clean-up. Outputting to the web (Sketchfab and Mozilla Hubs) Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 week 5. Photogrammetry and videogrammetry. More 3d model editing & clean-up Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 week 6. Guest lecture. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 week 7. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO6
Week 08 week 8. Modelling in VR - tilt brush, gravity sketch.Phone based augmented reality using Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 week 9. Authoring MR - web based authoring with A-frame, three.js, Mozilla Spoke. Authoring MR - mocking up prototypes with ShapesXR, Microsoft Marquette Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 week 10. Presentations of ideas for Project 2. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 week 11. Authoring MR - overview of Unity and Unreal. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 week 12. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 13 week 13. Project development and feedback Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance and class requirements   

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Additional requirements from Sydney College of the Arts

  • Students must attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for this unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Unit Coordinator or delegated authority.
  • All assignments are compulsory and must be attempted. 
  • You must attend scheduled assessments to be eligible to pass. Non-attendance at assessment on any grounds insufficient to claim special consideration will result in the forfeiture of marks associated with the assessment. 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

readings will be supplied on Canvas

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand the contemporary development and historical contexts of Mixed Reality production
  • LO2. understand the possibilities and limitations of contemporary Mixed Reality technologies
  • LO3. use contemporary Mixed Reality technologies and practices to develop MR projects
  • LO4. develop critical thinking skills and the ability to analyse and contextualise emerging Mixed Reality practices and technologies
  • LO5. engage critically with social, cultural and ethical issues and apply local and international perspectives to extend their creative practice
  • LO6. demonstrate the development of independent learning and research skills

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

this unit is being offered for the first time.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.