Photoshop 2 Wednesday 4198
Fall 2011 Syllabus

Welcome

Welcome to CS 70.11B Adobe Photoshop 2. Once you have read this syllabus, check in through SRJC's CATE (Center for Advanced Technology in Education) system. Click on this link: check-in, scroll down to the Class Check-In section, and follow the instructions. You will need to remember your user name and password to take exams, upload homework to a inbox, or check your grades. Check in only once. After checking in, click the Schedule button at the top of this page to access a weekly schedule of topics covered, reading assignments, and homework assignments. Let me know if you have any questions.

Description of the course

This course assumes that you have successfully completed CS 70.11A or its equivalent. It covers the intermediate features of Photoshop CS5, the premier software for creating and manipulating bitmapped graphics. Topics include mask and channel manipulation, draining and changing color, image repair and adjustment, Camera Raw, sharpening and noise, vector shapes and masks, type, actions, some filters, and more. For a complete list of topics, see our class schedule. It completes the topics needed to pass the Adobe exam to become a Certified Associate in Adobe Photoshop.

If you are a new student at SRJC, I recommend that you visit the SRJC Orientation page. Here is the official SRJC course outline for CS 70.11B.

Be aware of some important SRJC deadlines relevant to this section: the last day to opt for Pass/No Pass, to withdraw from the course, to get a refund, to have no record of attempting the course, or to receive a "W" for the course. View these dates by visiting our CATE section page and then clicking on Deadlines.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Outline the differences between masks, channels, and layers.
• Apply basic image correction techniques to improve images.
• Compare vector-based and pixel-based images, tools, and techniques.

Contact information

Instructor: Bruce Purcell

Office hours: M 3:30-5:00pm and W 4:30-6:00pm or by appointment. My office is located in room 2938, which is located on the third floor of Maggini Hall.

I also have an online office hour M 8:15-9:15pm. Although you can visit my office, call my office phone, or email me during this time, I will be giving priority to my online students since this is the only time that they can get interactive, real-time help from me.

Office phone number: 527-4216. Unanswered and busy calls are forwarded to the campus voice mail system so that you can leave me a message, but I will only check them on Mondays and Wednesdays. I generally respond more promptly to email.

Email address: bpurcell@santarosa.edu (checked daily unless I am out of town). It is important that you include your section number in the subject line of the email.

Course materials: www.santarosa.edu/~bpurcell

Computer Studies Department website: :www.santarosa.edu/cs

Computer Studies Department phone: 527-4778

Texts and supplies

Required textbook

Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual by Lesa Snider. 2010. O'Reilly Media/Pogue Press. Print ISBN: 978-1-4493-8168-4
It is also available in ebook file formats: PDF, ePub, Kindle-compatible .mobi, DAISY, and Android .apk - ISBN: 978-1-4493-8170-7

The textbook can be ordered online from the SRJC bookstore and many other sources. The textbook has a website for description and ordering and one for images and errata.

You need Adobe Reader (version 7 or higher) to open the many PDF files used in this course. If you don't already have this program, download it for free: Adobe Reader.

Other supplies

• A letter-sized folder with a pocket or a large envelope for turning in your homework assignments.
• A flash drive for storing your work during our third hour in the computer lab.

Hardware / Software

The course textbook, lectures, homework, and exams use either Photoshop CS5 or Photoshop Extended CS5, released April 2010. Photoshop Extended CS5 contains some additional features such as 3D image manipulation and enhanced video editing that we are not covering in this course. Every Creative Suite 5.5 package includes Photoshop Extended CS5 except for Design Standard which includes Photoshop CS5. If you have CS4, you can do almost all of the homework, but there are a several required features that will not be available, such as Puppet Warp, Refine Edge enhancements, and Content-Aware Fill. You may use our computer labs at either the Santa Rosa or Petaluma campuses or choose to take a deduction on the homework. I do not recommend that you try to use a version earlier than CS4.

You may purchase software at academic prices from the SRJC bookstore on either the Santa Rosa or Petaluma campus. Click on this link for further details or to purchase the software online: SRJC bookstore software. For example, you may purchase CS5.5 Design Premium for Windows or Macintosh at a relatively excellent price of $370. It contains Photoshop Extended, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, and more. Photoshop Extended CS5 alone is $190. They also have CS5.5 Design Standard, which includes Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator for $199. The software may get backordered, but it is quickly restocked. College Buys is another source for lower-cost, academic versions of Adobe software. Adobe academic software is the same as the commercial version except that it is not licensed to be used for commercial purposes.

To get started, you may also choose to download a free 30 day trial version of Photoshop Extended CS5 from the Adobe website.

Check the hardware and software requirements before buying software. Photoshop does not run well or at all on older computers.

In order to view the movies that are part of the course, you will need a Quicktime Player. For Mac users, it is part of the Mac OS. For Windows users who don't already have it, you will need to get a free download: Quicktime Player for Windows.

You need to use the Internet to access our syllabus and schedule, download images, watch videos, upload homework files, and take exams. I use the email address that you provided when you registered at SRJC to send you homework and textbook updates, exam reminders, and class cancellation notifications (very rare). The sender is identified as GU.Weblink@santarosa.edu. Please check your email regularly and update any change to your email address using the SRJC Student Portal. When you email me, please include your section number in the subject line.

Understanding the navigation bar

Almost every page uses the same nav bar with these items:

Home takes you to my instructor home page with links to other sections that I teach.

Syllabus takes you to the page that you are currently reading. It describes the course requirements.

Schedule gives a weekly schedule for the class with links to the homework assignments and exams. Use this page as the starting point for accessing the course materials; I recommend bookmarking this page.

FAQs answers frequently asked questions.

Forum takes you to our class discussion forum where we can discuss Photoshop and other related topics. Please note the following:

• Use the forum for Section 4198 for topics specific to our class and the General Photoshop Discussion for topics that would be of interest to all the Photoshop students.
• Before you can upload posts to the forum, you will need click the Register link at the top of the forum page. Please choose a user name that allows me to easily identify who is posting. The forum user name and password are distinct from those that you used for the class CATE check-in, but you may wish to use the same ones for both.
• The forum is a good place to ask questions, share information, or seek help with a problem.
• The forum is not password protected and is open to anyone on the Internet.
• Please be courteous to your classmates and use appropriate etiquette in your posts.
• Keep your comments positive - if you want to complain about something, send a private email to your instructor.

Grades asks for your class user name and password and then lets you see your scores on homework assignments and exams.

Resources provides links to other web pages that may be useful to you in this course along with any additional documents that you may need for homework assignments.

Reading

The weekly reading assignments are listed in the Schedule (see link above). The reading should be done prior to the first class that covers that topic. By doing so, you will better understand each lecture and more fully participate in class discussions. You are responsible to know the reading material even if we don't have time to cover it in class. Don't fall behind!

Grading

8 Homework assignments.. 210 points (20 to 30 points each)
3 exams ........................... 120 points (40 points each)
Final exam ......................... 60 points
MTM evaluation ...................10 points
Total ................................ 400 points

Your course grade will be calculated by dividing the total points earned by the total points possible. Grades will be assigned according to the following percentages:

90-100% .... A
80-89.9% ... B
70-79.9% ... C
60-69.9% ... D
0-59.9% ..... F

Exams

The dates and chapters covered by the exams are listed in the Schedule (see link above). The first three exams will be taken online and are open book and untimed. The Photoshop program may also be referenced, but you may not get help from another person. The questions will be based on the lectures, reading, and homework assignments. Exams will consist of multiple-choice and true/false questions.

The online exam questions are randomly drawn from a testbank. Once you open a exam, you must take it. I will know if you open the exam more than once and will assess a 10% penalty for each extra time the exam is opened. If you feel that you have a good reason for having to open the exam more than once, email me your explanation and I may waive the penalty. After completing the exam, you will be able to review all of the questions, your answers, and the correct answers for any questions that you missed.

Each exam is open for a week. Unless you make prior arrangements with me, a exam that is not taken by the specified date will be recorded as a zero. However, the first time that you miss taking one of the first three exams, you can request to take it late with a 5 question (25%) penalty. The late exam must be taken within a week of the original deadline. Since I process and submit the course grades right after the final exam, it cannot be taken late. Technical problems with taking an exam do not constitute a valid excuse for missing the exam deadline. I strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last few hours to take an exam.

The final exam will be given in the classroom or a Maggini lab during finals week. If the exam is given in the classroom, the Photoshop program will not available for your use.

Homework assignments

The eight homework assignments are listed in the Schedule (see link above). Most students will need to spend a total of 3 to 5 hours per week to complete each homework assignment (not including other reading and studying time). As you work on the step-by-step exercises, make sure you understand why each tool or command is used. If you print your assignments at home, please be sure that your printer is working well; otherwise you may print in our computer lab on the second floor of Maggini Hall. There is a fee for color printing - see the lab assistant.

Turn in your assignments at the beginning of lecture using a pocketed folder or large envelope that has your name and my name on the front. Please don't include previously graded work. . Folders will be graded and returned to you the next class.

Try to complete each homework assignment early so that if you run into any problems you will still have time to get help. Each assignment may only be submitted once; missing parts of an assignment may not be turned in at a later time. Unless you get my approval for extraordinary circumstances, a late assignment will be docked 20%; after one week late, it is docked 40%; after two weeks, it is docked 60%. Assignments will not be accepted more than three weeks late or after the final exam. Late homeworks may also be submitted to the CS office staff, but make sure my name is on it.

I encourage you to try to resolve problems with your assignments on your own since you will learn more and become more self-reliant. I recommend this problem-solving strategy:

• Use the textbook, your lecture notes, Photoshop Help, and experimentation.
• Contact me. Email works well for simple questions. Remember to put your section number in the subject line. Otherwise, it is generally better to ask me in person when we can look at Photoshop together: during my office hours (see above) or class breaks, if there is time.

Miscellaneous

Student conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. Department policy prohibits cell phones and beepers from being used in the classrooms or the lab. However, see me if you may have a potentially urgent situation. Laptops are welcome, but should only be used for taking notes or following along in Photoshop.

Students are expected to know and abide by the SRJC policy of academic integrity. Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work.

Emergency evacuation plan

In the event of an emergency during class that requires evacuation of the building, please leave the class immediately, but calmly. Our class will meet in the northwestern corner of the tennis courts to make sure everyone has gotten out of the building safely and to receive further instructions. Make sure that you know the location of the closest stairs. If you are a student with a disability who may need assistance in an evacuation, please see me during my office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss an evacuation plan.

Accommodations for students with disabilities

If you need disability related accommodations for this class, such as a note taker, test taking services, special furniture, use of service animal, etc., please provide the Authorization for Academic Accommodations (AAA) letter from the Disability Resources Department (DRD) to me as soon as possible. You may also speak with me privately during office hours about your accommodations. If you have not received authorization from DRD, it is recommended that you contact them directly. DRD is located in Analy Village-C on the Santa Rosa campus (527-4278) and Jacobs Hall, Room 101, on the Petaluma Campus (778-2491). For more infromation visit the DRD webpage.

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