Learning Objectives
Students should leave the course with an ability to design and fabricate computationally generated 2D and 3D forms. Students should have a basic understanding of computational fabrication as an emerging research topic in computer science as well as a powerful set of approaches that can be applied in art and design contexts. Students should also learn foundational design skills and be able to participate in constructive design critiques.
Grading
Assignments: 60%
Class participation: 20%
Final project: 20%
Small assignments are worth 25 points and Large Assignments are worth 100 points. The class participation component of your grade will include attendance and class participation along with online discussions and engagement in critiques. Most assignments will take the form of physical objects that are presented in class and documented with posts on this website. Each of these assignments, including the final project, will be assessed along four equally weighted dimensions:
- Overall design: the conceptual and aesthetic design of your project. This dimension is about your fundamental design or design idea–how compelling and original it is. It is less focused on how well your design is ultimately executed. Note: aesthetic design is not about whether I like the way your design looks. It is a measure of how thoughtful and consistent your aesthetic approach is. You should be intentional about the choices you make that impact the look of your design.
- Craftsmanship, artifact: the care and attention paid to the physical construction of your project. A beautifully crafted artifact is intrinsically compelling. A poorly crafted one leaves you few opportunities to convey anything meaningful.
- Craftsmanship, code: the care and attention paid to the code that generates your design. Good code is organized, efficient, well commented, and easy for others to read and understand.
- Documentation, images and writing: the care and attention paid to the documentation of your project. Your images should be beautiful. You should use appropriate lighting and take pictures of artifacts against a simple background or in a thoughtful and appropriate context. Excellent documentation is essential to communicating and sharing your work.
Working Together
Working together and helping one another on programming projects is highly encouraged. Computer science is a collaborative discipline and your classmates can be an excellent source of help and support. You are encouraged to use the internet to solve programming challenges and find inspiring examples. This is what professional programmers do! You also need to write your own code for each assignment. You should understand and be able to clearly describe what each line of code in your programs is doing.
Academic Integrity
Academic Dishonesty (also known as cheating or plagiarism) occurs when someone – knowingly or unknowingly – presents the words, ideas, or code of another person as his or her own. Any work turned in for this class must meet UNM’s standards for academic integrity or academic honesty (https://policy.unm.edu/regents-policies/section-4/4-8.html). Students often copy code when they are particularly stressed about an assignment, or are running out of time; sometimes they just don’t understand an assignment or are stuck on a particular concept or line of code. If you find yourself in any of these situations, please email me as soon as you can to request help. Cheating includes:
- Copying code from another person or having someone else write your code.
- Allowing another person to copy your code or writing code for someone else.
- Copying code from the Internet or another source.
(If there’s some code that you would like to use, please check with me before you do this. Any code that you do use must be clearly cited.)
Late Assignments
Ideally, all assignments will be completed and submitted before the deadline. However, I am well aware that sometimes this will not be possible due to COVID-19 craziness, other illness, technical problems, other classes, etc. For that reason, you’re given a pool of 3 extension days you can use during the semester. After you have used up your late days, 10 points off will be taken off for each day you submit an assignment late. 15 additional points will be taken off on the 3rd late day
Accessibility
Please contact the Accessibility Resource Center if you expect to need academic accommodations for this class. The ARC is there to help you. If you have a condition where, for example, you need extra time or a quiet place for exams, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of their services. In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Resource Center at 277-3506 or arc.unm.edu for additional information.
If you need an accommodation based on how course requirements interact with the impact of a disability, you should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, we can discuss the course format and requirements, anticipate the need for adjustments and explore potential accommodations. I rely on the Disability Services Office for assistance in developing strategies and verifying accommodation needs. If you have not previously contacted them I encourage you to do so.
Title IX
Title IX prohibitions on sex discrimination include various forms of sexual misconduct, such as sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, domestic and dating violence, and stalking. Current UNM policy designates instructors as required reporters, which means that if instructors are notified (outside of classroom activities) about any Title IX violations, they must report this information to the Title IX coordinator. However, the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) “Statement on Professional Ethics” requires that Professors protect students’ academic freedom and “respect[s] the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student.” Therefore, as a Professor I have pledged to honor student confidentiality and will strive to respect your wishes regarding reporting. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted and would like to receive support and academic advocacy, there are numerous confidential routes available to you. For example, you can contact the Women’s Resource Center, the LGBTQ Resource Center, Student Health and Counseling (SHAC), or LoboRESPECT. LoboRESPECT can be contacted on their 24-hour crisis line, (505) 277-2911 and online at loborespect@unm.edu. You can receive non-confidential support and learn more about Title IX through the Title IX Coordinator at (505) 277-5251 and http://oeo.unm.edu/title-ix/. Reports to law enforcement can be made to UNM Police Department at (505) 277-2241.
Credit Hour Statement
Federal Credit Hour Definition: A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than: (1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward to the award of credit hours.