Syllabus

Intro / Syllabus

Welcome to MC 4336G – Virtual Reality & 360 Video for Storytelling. This course will examine new storytelling opportunities brought on by virtual and augmented reality. It will use articles, professional examples and hands-on learning to provide a framework for students to explore new ways for the media to communicate with audiences and consumers.

This is a lecture / lab course consisting of face-to-face meetings on the campus of Texas State University – San Marcos. Some online content will also be administered throughout the semester on TRACS.

Students will learn content through readings, assignments, exercises, quizzes and one final project.

Contact Info:

Instructor: Jon Zmikly
Office Hours: M/W 1-2pm, T/Th 11am-12pm, or by appointment
Office Location: Old Main 230-B (near water fountain on 2nd floor)
Email: jz18@txstate.edu

Email

You must use an active Texas State email account. Communication via TRACS uses your Texas State email, and the university is required to send grade information out only through the Texas State email system. Contact the instructor, if you have questions. Make sure you check your email on a regular basis, as schedule changes will be communicated there as well as on our course site.

Course Objectives:

This course aims to teach students skills and concepts related to virtual and augmented reality, including:

  • The hands-on development, application and implementation of 360 video
  • How to critically examine this new medium through professional examples in the media industry
  • The use of virtual and augmented reality as an immersive storytelling platform
  • The study of tech companies like Facebook and Google as they invest in this new platform
  • Ethical and technical challenges as they relate to virtual and augmented reality

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completing this course, students can expect to become familiar with augmented and virtual reality as a storytelling tool, as demonstrated by:

  • Applying concepts learned in class to examine specific professional examples
  • Posting thoughtful responses on social media
  • Completing assessments on articles and videos relating to virtual and augmented reality
  • Filming, producing, editing and publishing immersive projects and exercises, all leading up to one final project demonstrating the skills and concepts covered in this course

Course Grade Breakdown

  • 10% Attendance and Participation
  • 5% Facebook Group posts
  • 15% Exercises
    • VR Demo (5%)
    • 360 Photo Story Exercise (5%)
    • Augmented Reality Exercise (5%)
  • 30% Projects
    • Project 1 – Time Lapse Project (10%)
    • Project 2 – 360 Tour Project (10%)
    • Project 3 – VR Environment Exercise (10%)
  • 10% Quizzes
  • 30% Final Project

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this class, but we will be using articles and videos delivered through TRACS for most of our course resources.

Supplies and Equipment

Most of the projects in this course will require the use of computers with specialized software and 360 video cameras provided by the department.  Students are encouraged to purchase or bring in an external hard drive to backup any projects they may want to use outside of the classroom. A USB / thumb drive over 32GB will work as well.

Cameras used in this course:

  • Kodak PixPro
  • Ricoh Theta S (2)
  • 6-Camera GoPro Rig
  • Insta 360 (1)
  • Samsung Gear VR (12)
  • GoPro Fusion Max (2)

Software used in this course:

  • Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019
  • Unity
  • X Code 11

Attendance and Late Assignments

Assignments for this course are challenging and fun, but the class moves very quickly, so you will not want to fall behind. Missed assignments will receive a grade of F. A student may turn in one (1) assignment late during the semester, if there is an excused reason with prior arrangement with professor.

Attendance is required for lectures / lab times. You may have three absences without penalty throughout the semester. After your fourth and fifth absence, your final course grade will be reduced by 5% each. After the fifth absence, you will be encouraged to drop the course, or you will receive an F.

There are no excused absences; sickness and work-related absences must be covered within the three. Because we cover so much ground in this class, imperative to attend class. However, if you know you are going to miss a day, let the instructor know as soon as possible to determine what you will be missing. You will be expected to catch up either during office hours or from another student in class. There is no makeup work for missed days.

We will start class at the designated time. It is important that you show up on time, as announcements tend to be made early, and you could miss valuable information. If you arrive later than 5 minutes after the designated time, you will be marked as late. This can affect your participation grade, as well as your ultimate course grade.

Late Work:

We do not accept late work or incorrect submissions in this class for a variety of reasons. Our deadline-driven field demands the utmost effort at submitting work on time and in full. Late, missed or incorrectly submitted assignments will receive a zero (F). Absolutely no exceptions.

Online Content / TRACS:

Each weekend, students will be required to complete digital readings or videos. Students will be required to complete an Assessment / quiz on TRACS before 5 p.m. on the following Monday session, which can be take two times. TRACS will record the highest score.

Email:

Students should also have a Texas State University email account that they check frequently. This will be the main method of course communication.

Student Conduct:

This course may touch on sensitive or deeply important issues, and students should feel comfortable to participate and express their opinions and ideas openly. Please respect the opinions of others and be considerate of their need to contribute and learn. Academics and professionals grappling with difficult moral and ethical questions must agree to disagree. Students will never be penalized for holding a different opinion than the professor or other students on a controversial issue. Any student who does not adhere to these conduct policies will be asked to drop the course. In general, please be respectful of others desire to learn and help to create a fun and beneficial classroom environment.

Academic Honesty:

Simply put, any material that is not your own and claiming it as your own is plagiarism. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication commits itself to the preparation of mass media professionals and scholars. Such a mission demands the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Violations of academic honesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, collusion, deception, conflict of interest and theft, are not tolerated and can lead to severe penalties. Disciplinary actions for violations of the standards for academic honesty are outlined in the Texas State Academic Honesty Statement, printed each year in the Student Handbook (linked below).

Our University Mission
Texas State University is a public, student-centered, Emerging Research University dedicated to excellence in serving the educational needs of the diverse population of Texas and the world beyond.

Our Shared Values
In pursuing our mission, we, the faculty, staff, and students of Texas State University, are guided by a shared collection of values. Specifically, we value:

  • An exceptional undergraduate experience as the heart of what we do.
  • Graduate education as a means of intellectual growth and professional development.
  • A diversity of people and ideas, a spirit of inclusiveness, a global perspective, and a sense of community as essential conditions for campus life.
  • The cultivation of character and the modeling of honesty, integrity, compassion, fairness, respect, and ethical behavior, both in the classroom and beyond.
  • Engaged teaching and learning based on dialogue, student involvement, and the free exchange of ideas.
  • Research, scholarship, and creative activity as fundamental sources of new knowledge and as expressions of the human spirit.
  • A commitment to public service as a resource for personal, educational, cultural, and economic development.
  • Thoughtful reflection, collaboration, planning, and evaluation as essential for meeting the changing needs of those we serve.

University Code of Conduct & Honor Code

Note to Students with Disabilities:

Texas State University seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. This university will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (512) 245-3451, and register with that office. ODS is located in Suite 5-5.1 at the LBJ Student Center. If you are a student with a disability certified by ODS and you require accommodations in this class, it is your responsibility to notify the professor no later than the fifth class day of this semester so that accommodations can be discussed and promptly provided. Instructor may notify you of changes or updates to policies in this syllabus throughout the semester.