Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Evalaute Stage: Digital Entertainment Unit

The product/solution should be evaluated against the design specification in an objective manner based on testing, and also evaluate its impact on life, society and/or the environment. Ensure you explain how the product/solution could be improved as a result of these evaluations.

Your own performance at each stage of the design cycle must be evaluated and suggest ways in which your performance could be improved.

Moderation feedback on Evaluate stage:


This criterion was covered well by most students, particularly self-evaluation at the different stages of the design cycle.  However, more detailed testing against specifications was required in a number of cases. Also, some students failed to suggest modifications to their product/solution in response to feedback from clients. Students should be encouraged to analyse the feedback they receive. 
What affected most student's achievement was a lack of appropriate product testing. Students generally limit this to obtaining feedback, yet this is not always directly linked to the design specifications. Appropriate testing methods should be described in the investigation stage, while evidence of success should be included in the evaluation. Students should the base an objective evaluation of the product on the results of testing. Feedback could be used more effectively when evaluating a product's impact.


Ensure that students respond to feedback from clients by suggesting modifications and improvements to their product/solution.


Assessment Criteria
Levels
Task Specific Descriptor
0
The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1-2
The student evaluates the product/solution or his or her own performance. The student makes some attempt to test the product/solution.
3-4
The student evaluates the product/solution and his or her own performance and suggests ways in which these could be improved. The student tests the product/solution to evaluate it against the design specification.
5-6

The student evaluates the success of the product/solution in an objective manner based on the results of testing, and the views of the intended users. The student provides an evaluation of his or her own performance at each stage of the design cycle and suggests improvements. The student provides an appropriate evaluation of the impact of the product/solution on life, society and/or the environment

 

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Create Stage:Digital Entertainment Unit

You will start creating the product/ IT solution by following your Plan and taking into consideration the chosen design. The Created product should show
- Thorough competence in the use of IT tools
- Fully justified any modifications to the original design in Journal
- Original and outstanding solution with many IT techniques applied.

The process journal should be used frequently to document progress in this stage.This should be done at the end of each class and any time you have done some work at home or at school. Ideas in the journal could include:

Appropriate quality: Ensure that the best possible product / solution is produced, taking into account the resources available, the skills and techniques used. Also, show how the product/solution addresses the identified need.



Moderation report comments extract;

  • The monitoring team felt that despite a lack of creativity in some of the products/solutions, students had worked conscientiously on this stage. 
  • The comparatively strong students included detailed journals, mentioning problems they faced and how they overcame these problems. However, there was a lack of evidence to show what they had achieved during each of their ‘create’ sessions. Screen shots or photographs illustrating the progress being made could have achieved this.


  • Ensure students document the create process with clips and photographs that illustrate their progress at significant stages. 

Levels
Task Specific Descriptor

0


The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.



1-2


The student considers the plan and creates at least part of a product/solution.


3-4


The student uses appropriate techniques and equipment. The student follows the plan and mentions any modifications made, resulting in a product/solution of good quality.




5-6


The student competently uses appropriate techniques and equipment. The student follows the plan and justifies any modifications made, resulting in a product/solution of appropriate quality using the resources available.


 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Plan Stage: Digital Entertainment



In this stage you will develop a detailed Plan that shows:

  • A logical sequence of work that describes how each of the skills and techniques will be applied; describes the duration of time for each sequence and resources to be used
  • logical steps to take that leads you to creating your chosen product 
  • Justification of any modifications to the design
  • An evaluation of the plan in terms of how realistic, logical, achievable the plan is.

A Gantt chart and the creation plan are recommended to be used.
The Gantt chart should be realistic, simple and very neat and in one page.

Creation Plan should give details of what skills/techniques will be used, what resources will be used and for what purpose, when they will be used and some evaluation of their use.


Note: Feedback on Plan stage from Moderation report

The plans were essentially well documented and provided a link between the final proposed design and the realization of the final product/solution. Most plans included logical sequential steps and timings. Students should be encouraged not only to list resources but also say how they may be used.

The evaluation of the plan is necessary for students to reach the higher-level descriptors. It is required to determine whether the plan is feasible or realistic, could be followed by others and has undergone any modifications since the design stage. 

Assessment Criteria

Levels
Task Specific Descriptor

0

The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.

1-2

The student produces a plan that contains some details of the steps and/or the resources required.

3-4

The student produces a plan that contains a number of logical steps that include resources and time. The student makes some attempt to evaluate the plan.

5-6

The student produces a plan that contains a number of detailed, logical steps that describe the use of resources and time. The student critically evaluates the plan and justifies any modifications to the design.
 

Design Stage: Digital Entertainment

In this stage you will generate several feasible designs for your product that meet the design specification and then evaluate each design against the design specification. After all the good quality designs have been generated, one design should selected, justify your choice and evaluate this in detail against the design specification.
The designs can be drawn on paper or designed using an appropriate software but submitted in hardcopy and softtcopy where possible.

Note below the feedback extract from the moderation report on Design Stage
The comparatively good students produced very clear and well-annotated design proposals. However, overall students did not show a wide range of ideas, which is necessary to reach the higher band levels. Again, ideas were mostly pencil drawings and may have been improved by including samples from various sources that could be used as part of their product/solution. 
At the design stage, students are encouraged to develop their initial drawings with clips or screen shots from sources that may visually enhance their ideas/solutions.
Levels
Task Specific Descriptor
 
0
 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.

 
1-2

 The student generates one design, and makes some attempt to justify this against the design specification.


3-4


The student generates a few designs, justifying the choice of one design and fully evaluating this against the design specification.
 


5-6


The student generates a range of feasible designs, each evaluated against the design specification. The student justifies the chosen design and evaluates it fully and critically against the design specification.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Digital Entertainment: Investigate stage Summative



Challenge:
There are many different forms and ways of entertainment. The use of information technology has contributed to perfecting or hindering the way we are entertained.  The entertainment industry has witnessed enormous growth either directly or indirectly linked to information technology.

Your task will be to identify any form of an entertainment related problem that can be solved using information technology. The problem should be clearly described and the clients’ current way of entertainment described. The problem description should include the current limitations, with detailed explanation of why you think an IT solution will be the best.

Examples:
-          The residential manager requires an IT product to celebrate the talents of the residential students, the talents my include tricks, magic, poems etc. What IT solution will be required for this case?

-          A parent is organizing a birthday party for his son. The parent requires a game that the son and his friends will play during the birthday party. What software and what kind of a game can be designed for this kind of problem?

-          A dance group has been requested to produce an IT product that be used for entertainment reference in future or teach some dancing lessons. What kind of solution will best fit this kind of problem?

Levels
Task Specific Descriptor

0

The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below. descriptors given below

1-2

The student states the problem. The student investigates the problem, collecting information from sources. The student lists some specifications.


3-4

The student describes the problem, mentioning its relevance. The student investigates the problem, selecting and analyzing information from some acknowledged sources. The student describes a test to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification.


5-6

The student explains the problem, discussing its relevance. The student critically investigates the problem, evaluating information from a broad range of appropriate, acknowledged sources. The student describes detailed methods for appropriate testing to evaluate the product/solution against the design specification.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Basics of Digital Entertainment

Discuss in pairs and make short notes.

Read the article in the link below;

http://mashable.com/2011/12/14/entertainment-trends-2011/

Do you agree that these are the major trends? What else has transformed digital entertainment?

Read the article in the link below;

http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2011/05/more-people-are-turning-to-the-internet-for-entertainment.html

Do you agree that people are turning to the internet for entertainment? Why is that so? 


You tube Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB1Ssc-x0EI

 
Entertainment

What would be your definition of entertainment?

 Traditional Entertainment
  • List at least  five ways that people used to be entertained before the digitizing entertainment.
  • What were the benefits of the traditional entertainment?
  • What were the challenges of traditional entertainment?
  • How were the challenges overcome?
Digital Entertainment
  • List at least 10 digital or online entertainment solutions/products you know
  • What makes digital entertainment the most preferred means of entertainment.
Computer Basics
All computer process and stores data in binary form. The two bits used by a computers  are      0 & 1
Obtain notes on
  • Bits, Bytes, KB, and GB, TB
Why are the following so important while using entertainment programs.
  • Dpi and pixels
  • Resolution
  • Memory size
  • Processor Speed
Hardware
Define the following hardware gadgets and explain how they have impacted digital entertainment.
  • Joysticks
  • Smartphones/ Mobile phones
  • DVD's and DVD drives
  • Wireless network- Bluetooth and infra red
  • VR Goggles
  • Webcam ,digital cameras and video cameras
  • Ipods
  • Kindles / Tablets
  • PSP / Nintendo



Digital Entertainment Unit

Introduction

The most popular tools are freely used online are programs that entertain us. The gadgets we own or carry around with us are in most times used for entertainment. The packaging and presentation of the entertainment is critical in reaching and pleasing the targeted audience. Entertainment comes in different forms and ways. What was to entertain in the past is not the same today.

Question to ponder: How has technology changed entertainment? How different is the digital entertainment different from the traditional entertainment?

This unit is aimed at investigating and understanding the digital technologies in use, their impacts and solutions to any problems arising from their use. There are many digital entertainment solutions but their effectiveness vary from tool to another. Different software tools are used to develop the different entertainment solution.

Unit Title: Digital Entertainment


AOI Human Ingenuity: Student will develop digital products that can be used to entertain.


Significant Concept: The choice of a technology for entertainment determines the success or failure of its productiveness.
 

AK Focus
Pluralism: How has IT in entertainment influenced our perception?
 

Unit Question: To what extend has information technology influenced entertainment?