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Course Handbook 2020-21

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Course Handbook 2020-21 BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology Course Handbook 2020-21 Introduction Welcome to another great year in the Computer Games Technology community! Exciting developments, as always, both within the course and in the games industry promise a fun filled year of game development! We will email announcements of opportunities and events as they occur, with Covid-19 it’s certain to be a challenging year but we hope to arrange visits from industry professionals where possible. The course aims to deliver: • The skills required to work in both the games industry and other industries which employ game technologies and gameplay mechanisms. • Give students a solid grounding in graphics, programming, design and management while allowing them to develop expert skills in a focussed area of their choosing. • Give students a range of widely transferable skills in areas such as communication, project management, team working, making presentations and self-directed study. • Support those students establishing their own game development business. Contents BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology Course Handbook 2020-21 .................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Where to find information .................................................................................................................. 2 How to succeed ................................................................................................................................... 3 Solving problems ................................................................................................................................. 3 Contacts .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Course structure overview .................................................................................................................. 7 List of resources ................................................................................................................................ 10 1 Social Media - Facebook ................................................................................................................... 11 Social Media - Discord ....................................................................................................................... 11 Wellbeing .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Where to find information • The first place to visit for information and useful links is the Student Portal at https://myport.ac.uk/ • For academic information on the modules you are doing go to our virtual learning environment, Moodle, where you will find full details of all the modules you are taking. http://moodle.port.ac.uk/ • See page 5 of this handbook for a complete course structure. • There is general information on the course and facilities here: www.port.ac.uk/games Look under ‘About Game Courses’ for links to useful information and ‘Internet Links’ for some handy links to game related sites outside the university. • There is a complete list of Creative Technologies staff, with email addresses, here: https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/our- staff?department=School+of+Creative+Technologies • To investigate modules in more detail you can find the ‘Module Specifications’ here: www.port.ac.uk/unitwebsearch Search for the module (or course) to see the official description of the module, including reading lists. 2 How to succeed 1. Attend all your workshops and lectures, even if they are online. 2. Complete all the self-directed study suggested by your lecturers (i.e. things you do in the time between the workshops and lectures). Do not only simply work on things that are part of your assessments, but develop a full and thorough understanding of all the things you come across while on the course. 3. Manage your time, working on coursework and preparing for exams over the whole year. Your lecturers will suggest the things you need to be doing week to week. Leaving everything until the last couple of weeks before assessments are due is likely to result in failure. Use a calendar to help you manage and keep track of the things you need to do. 4. Take part in extra-curricular activities, both ones organised by the course team (like the Game Jam) and ones that you organise yourselves (like setting up your own game development teams or attending industry events – there are lots of free online events this year). 5. Be Interesting! Solving problems Talk to any of the following who will either be able to help you or point you in the direction of more help: • Your Personal Tutor (their name is on your Student Portal) • Any of your lecturers • Anyone in the MyPort Information Hub on the ground floor of Eldon North building • Your course leader (Mr Gavin Wade) [email protected] There are many other people you can approach, take note of the Wellbeing section later, but the above are the best people to talk to first with regards to the course. Note that anything you discuss will be treated as confidential and since you are adults (over 18) we will not talk to anyone outside the university without your permission, this includes members of your family. If you have a problem with a specific module the first person you should contact to address such is the person who runs the module, usually the Module Coordinator. Their name should appear with the module on Moodle. If they are unable to help, you should you bring issues to your Course Leader for consideration, but do please contact the Module Coordinator in the first instance. 3 Contacts Course Leader Gavin Wade [email protected] Deputy Course Leader Peter Howell [email protected] Course Team Adam Jerrett [email protected] Alex Counsell [email protected] Anna Limpens (CGE CL) [email protected] Hui Yu [email protected] Jackie West [email protected] Jahangir Uddin [email protected] Leila DeLara [email protected] Mat Garey [email protected] Matthew Higgins [email protected] Mel Krokos [email protected] Neil Dansey [email protected] Paul Charisse [email protected] Rod Jeffcote [email protected] Si Qiao [email protected] Ted Turnbull [email protected] Deputy Head of School Rod Jeffcote [email protected] Head of School Adrian Hull [email protected] Course Administrator Rachel Green [email protected] 4 BSc (Hons) Computer Games Course Leader: Gavin Wade Technology ([email protected]) Group work and project Career planning and individual project management Programming pathway Graphics pathway Design pathway Year 1 CT4EPORT - 20 credits CT4TDEMO - 20 credits CT4TOGA - 20 credits CT4IMAGE CT4DEFIG - 20 credits ePortfolio Technical Game Demo Development Tools for Games and Animation Introduction to Image Creation Define Games Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Coordinator: LEILA DeLARA Coordinator: TED TURNBULL Coordinator: JAHANGIR UDDIN Coordinator: JACKIE WEST Coordinator: ADAM JERRETT CT4FOMOD 20 credits In the first year all modules are Core, so all students gain experience of key industry Foundation in 3D Modelling skills. Core (all students do this) Coordinator: MATTHEW HIGGINS Year 2 CT5PICAR - 20 credits CT5STENG - 20 credits CT5PAPI - 20 credits CT5DAVRC - 20 credits CT5GAMES - 20 credits Programming Application Design and Visual Research for Project Initiation and Career Management Student Enterprise CT Programming Interfaces Cinema and Game Design Games Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Option Option (Co-req CT5CASPR) Option Coordinator: ROD JEFFCOTE Coordinator: LEILA DeLARA Coordinator: MATTHEW HIGGINS Coordinator: TED TURNBULL Coordinator: PETER HOWELL CT5PROGC - 20 credits CT5CASPR - 40 credits CT5PIGDE - 20 credits In the second year, optional modules let students pursue skills around programming, art production and design for games and related industries. Commercial Asset Production for Real Prototyping and Iterating Game Program Consoles Time Designs Option Option Option Coordinator: NEIL DANSEY Coordinator: GAVIN WADE Coordinator: MATTHEW HIGGINS CT5MEGA - 20 credits CT5DESAN - 20 credits Mathematical Elements for Games Designers also take 40 credits of and Animation Designing for Animation modules from either art (CT5CASPR) or programming Option Option (CT5PROG/CT5MEGA) pathway Coordinator: JAHANGIR UDDIN Coordinator: MATTHEW GAREY CT5PROG - 20 credits Gameplay Programming Option Coordinator: NEIL DANSEY Optional Year Option Optional sandwich (placement) year between year 2 and the final year - some students set up their own business in the sandwich year 5 Final year Coordinator: JAHANGIR UDDIN CT6CTPRO - 40 credits CT6RIGPR1 - 20 credits CT6COPRE - 20 credits CT6AGRAT - 20 credits CT6GRES 20 credits Final Year Project Real-time Interactive Group Project 1 Console Programming Resolution Advanced Graphics Techniques Games Research Core (all students do this) Core (all students do this) Option Elective option Option Option Pre-req CT5PROGC Pre-req CT5CASPR
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