Digital Workflow Fundamentals
2009-2010 - IMT4891 - 5 ECTS

Expected learning outcomes

After completing this course, the student should know the main stages in - and activities around digital media projects.

The students will be able to tie together workflow chains that can be part of a digital media project and includes automation and the selection of appropriate file formats and tools for transformation, distribution and preservation of common data and metadata types.

The students will also be able to apply text editors, the document preparation system LaTex and software to transform bibliographic data into the BibTex format in order to produce properly formatted academic texts.

The students will also be familiar with, and be able to reflect upon intellectual property rights and with the current norwegian legislature relevant to main elements of controlling intellectual property.

Topic(s)

UNIX as an environment for workflow automation
Tools for transforming and encoding common data types
Devices for collecting data, including sound, image, video and geographic.
File formats, stream protocols, encoding- and compression methods for the most common media types
Writing tools and formats for academic writing including LaTex and BibTex
Metadata standards, tools and usage
Legislature and practices related to the control of intellectual property, including Creative Commons

Teaching Methods

Lectures
Laboratory work
Net Support Learning
Mandatory assignments
Exercises
Meeting(s)/Seminar(s)

Teaching Methods (additional text)

The course will be offered both as an ordinary campus course and as a course that is offered in a flexible way to off-campus students. Lecture notes, e-lectures and other types of e-learning material will be offered through an LMS. Communication between the teachers and the students, and among the students, will be facilitated by the LMS. Participation in the seminar on intellectual property will be facilitated using our online learning environment for our distance students.

Form(s) of Assessment

Written exam, 4 hours

Grading Scale

Alphabetical Scale, A(best) – F (fail)

External/internal examiner

Internal and external examiners evaluate the exams.

Re-sit examination

Ordinary re-sit examination.

Examination support

English dictionary.

Coursework Requirements

Twelve practical exercises will be presented throughout the course (two per week). The answers to at least six of these exercises must be approved to be given access to the final exam.

Teaching Materials

Books:

Tools for Thought: The History and Future of Mind-Expanding Technology, Howard Rheingold, 2 Rev Sub edition, 2000, The MIT Press, ISBN-13: 978-0262681155
Learning the UNIX Operating System, Fifth Edition, 2002, O’Reilley Media Inc., ISBN-13978-0596002619
Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity, Lawrence Lessig, 2006, Penguin, ISBN-13: 978-014303465

Lecture notes and misc. online documentation, including:

Library of Congress on sustainable file formats, http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/
Lovdata, http://lovdata.no/info/lawdata.html
Creative Commons, http://creativecommons.org/
Metadata tools, http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
Geodata tools, http://www.gpsbabel.org/
LaTex, http://www.latex-project.org/
BibTex, http://www.bibtex.org/
Web standards and formats, http://www.w3.org/