Design and Digital Media HandbookHandbook for 2013­14

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MSc/Diploma in Designand Digital Media

Programme Handbook2014­15

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About this HandbookThis handbook is intended to provide students with basicinformation on the programme content, aims and objectives,teaching and assessment, support and other issues. It indicateswhat is expected of you, and will help you to make the most ofyour time on the Programme. It should be read carefully andfrequently, and used in conjunction with other material provided by

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MSc DDMHandbook

CoverAbout thisHandbookProgrammeDirectorDegree Aims andOutcomesUniversity ContextContent of theProgrammePrizesTimetablesTeaching locationsComputingFacilitiesOrganisation ofTeachingAssessmentReport and EssayGuidelinesMSc and DiplomaAwardRequirementsGraduationMarking SchemeLeave of AbsenceStudents on a Tier4 VisaLate submission

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the University and the School (Edinburgh College of Art),especially the Code of Practice for Taught PostgraduateProgrammes (also available on the Web athttp://www.acaffairs.ed.ac.uk/Regulations/CoP/PGT/), theStudents Association Postgrad Handbook (also known as the"Postgrad Survival Guide" available via http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/)and the Architecture General Handbook. Questions or problemsshould be addressed in the first instance to the ProgrammeDirector. Note: This handbook is published by the EdinburghCollege of Art to give information to candidates about theMSc/Diploma programme. This programme handbook does notsupersede the University regulations, and the formal requirementsfor the programme are as set out in the University's PostgraduateStudy Regulations (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/14­15/regulations/postgrad.php); a copy of the Degree ProgrammeTable entry for this programme appears in the Appendix of thisdocument. Every effort has been made to ensure that theinformation in this handbook is correct at the start of the session.However, details are subject to change during the course of theyear, and will then be notified to students as appropriate. Theonline version of this handbook will also be updated.

Programme Director

Prof. John LeeEdinburgh College of Art Alison House, room G.15 12 NicolsonSquare Edinburgh EH8 9DF, UK Phone: +44(0)131 6502335/4420 Direct line: 50 2335/4420 Email: J[dot]Lee @ed.ac.ukWeb: http://www.hcrc.ed.ac.uk/~john/ The Programme Director isresponsible for the smooth running of the Programme, includingcoordination of teaching and assessment, and programmeevaluation. The Programme Director aims to facilitate yourorientation and smooth progression through the programme, frominitial induction through to transition to the project/dissertationstage, and final completion; and is also available as the first line ofpastoral support (see the section on support services below).

Degree Aims and OutcomesThe degree aims to provide a rich cross­disciplinary programme ofstudy for its students to develop skills in the area of computer­aided design, multimedia, networking and other digitaltechnologies applied to design. Its graduates will be conversantwith appropriate technologies and with the practices and socialcontexts in which such technologies are developed and used. Theprogramme will impart practical skills within the framework of a

Feedback andReturn of MarkedSubmissionsOfficialcommunicationsStaffSupport ServicesStudentRepresentationand ParticipationTeaching Qualityand AssuranceComplaintsProceduresOther CostsOther RelatedDocumentsAppendix 1:Health and SafetyAppendix 2:DegreeProgramme TableAppendix 3:ProgrammeCalendarAppendix 4:PrintingSubmissions

CourseDescriptions

Design and DigitalMedia: FinalProjectARCH11007Digital MediaStudio ProjectARCH11006Dynamic WebDesignARCH11004Introduction toDigital DesignARCH11192Introduction to

critical and reflective appreciation of the impact and influence ofdigital technology. The programme of study assumes all studentsare at the beginner level in design computing, but are prepared toadvance quickly. The programme is designed to allow you todevelop according to your skills and interests. Specifically, theaims of the programme are to:

develop specific knowledge and provide a broadly­basedfoundation in design technologiesencourage the development of good design in its broadestsensefoster the ability to work co­operatively in groups in thecontext of designdevelop understanding of the potential for newtechnologiesenable the use of existing computer­aided designtechniques in a creative wayprovide an analytical and critical framework to enablestudents to develop fresh thinking in design by building ontheir undergraduate or industrial experienceassist students in discovering new creative uses ofadvanced technologiesgive students an understanding of the scope andlimitations of computer applications in designencourage the development of business andentrepreneurial skills in working with digital media

The outcomes of the programme fall into several categories, asfollows. Knowledge and understanding On completing theprogramme students should be able to a advise on theapplicability of digital technologies in a professional design contextb critically evaluate digital technologies and their applicability todesign c analyse requirements and derive design solutions forpresentation and information applications d demonstrateunderstanding of the cultural and business context in which digitaltechnologies are developed and promoted Subject­specific skillsOn completing the programme, students should be able to: aapply techniques of CAD, multimedia, video editing, sound and 3dmodelling b design effective multimedia presentations c develop adynamic web site d program interactive behaviours using ascripting language e draft a business plan in a design context frelate technological options to considerations of practice gdevelop and respond to critical argument on cultural issuesrelating to the use of digital technologies Key skills On completingthe programme students should be able to: a use informationtechnology creatively in solving problems b put togetherpresentations and installations using digital media c assess thevalue and applicability of developments in digital technology asthey emerge d critically assess the popular and academicliterature that accompanies the promotion of digital technologies e

Digital Modellingand Animation inDesignARCH11173Introduction toInteractive DesignARCH11193Media and CultureARCH11002Uncategorized

manage time and prioritise work tasks f follow an independentprogramme of study through to completion g present themselvesfor interview and demonstrate the ability to work in a professionalcontext h demonstrate that they have a learning and professionaldevelopment strategy

NoteOur overall objective is not to produce highly skilled technicians orprogrammers, but to encourage the development of roundedprofessionals with a wide appreciation of the issues of digitaldesign in the contemporary world. This is a one­year programme,and as such has certain limitations. It may be taken, for example,by designers, computer specialists, social theorists and managers.It aims to inform any of these about the others, to allow them tounderstand each others' points of concern, and to work together inteams. It cannot, in most cases, directly convert students from anyone of these specialisms into another, e.g. designers intocomputer specialists, or vice versa. It should, however, equipthose who wish to pursue conversion with a solid foundation fromwhich to move forward in the desired direction. Students whobegin at an advanced level in any area are encouraged to exploitand share their skills, but cannot expect dedicated tuition to caterto their further development. In assessment, credit is given foradvanced performance, but perhaps even more for grappling with,using and benefiting from material outside an area of originalspecialisation. In assessment, we seek especially to acknowledgesensitive and effective teamworking with fellow students from adiversity of backgrounds, both academic and cultural. Weendeavour to offer and support recent and highly­specifiedversions of the software we use; however, these are never crucial,and we aim to promote a flexibility that includes addressingprojects by making appropriate use of whatever tools areavailable.

University ContextThe MSc in Design and Digital Media is organised and run withinthe Edinburgh School of Architecture & LandscapeArchitecture (ESALA) (http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/edinburgh­college­art/architecture­landscape­architecture). The Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) became partof the University of Edinburgh in August 2011(http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/edinburgh­college­art/),and ESALA is now part of ECA. ECA includes also the subjectareas of Music, Art, Design and History of Art. In the Universitystructure, ECA is formally a School within the College ofHumanities and Social Sciences (http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/).

Content of the ProgrammeThe full time programme runs through two semesters and thesummer "vacation" period. Work on the supervised dissertationproject occupies the whole of the summer "vacation" period. Eachsemester typically includes 11 weeks of teaching, plus an"examination" period. Official session dates are given athttp://www.ed.ac.uk/news/semester­dates/. Note that in thisprogramme we are not committed to avoiding all teaching duringthose weeks that are nominated as "examination" weeks, sinceour own courses have no examinations. However, we will do ourbest to avoid any clashes with external option courses thatstudents may take. The period following the spring vacation willotherwise be dedicated to beginning work on the Final Project.Courses Semester 1: Introduction and OrientationARCH11002 Media and Culture ARCH11192 Introduction to DigitalDesign ONE of the following two options:

ARCH11193 Introduction to Interactive Design

ARCH11173 Introduction to Digital Modelling and Animationin Design

Semester 2: Practice, Reflection and Action ARCH11004Dynamic Web Design CMSE11201 Innovation­DrivenEntrepreneurship (20 credits) [or other option*] ARCH11006Digital Media Studio Project Summer period (Vacation):Integration ARCH11007 Final Project In each semester, the threecourses run concurrently through the whole semester. Eachcourse carries 20 credit points, and the Final Project carries 60. The programme may be taken part­time, in which case fourcourses (ARCH11192, ARCH11193/73, ARCH11003, ARCH11004and CMSE11201 [or option]) are normally taken in the first year,and the two other courses (ARCH11002 and ARCH11006), as wellas the Final Project, in the second.

* This course is optional and may be replaced by any 20 creditpoints offered by the University of Edinburgh that meet with theapproval of the Programme Director. Note that a substitute couldpotentially be composed of CMSE11202 Innovation­DrivenEntrepreneurship (10 credits), which is a 10­credit version of thecourse, and one other 10­credit course. An approved option in thiscase would be the course Copyright and Related Rights for theCreative Industries (LAWS11206), offered by the School of Law. Astudent wishing to consider any option in place of this courseshould discuss it with the Programme Director, as early aspossible in the year. Other suggestions for course options include:

Interactive Sound Enviroments NB This course will be agame studio run with Sound Designers, and thedescription of lectures and submissions on the DRPS willchange. Places for DDM students are limited, and youmust register your interest with Jules Rawlinson so thatwe can fairly allocate places. DO NOT directly sign up forthis course with Emma Binks.Designing with DataInternet, Society and EconomyICT for DevelopmentMediating Film

PrizesTwo prizes will be awarded at the end of the session.

The Aart Bijl Student Prize

For outstanding leadership in the learning and welfare of thestudent body (£200). Aart Bijl was a pioneer in the development ofCAD and AI applications. He led the EdCAAD research group inArchitecture from 1968 to 1994.

The John Lansdown Project Prize

For outstanding contribution to the final project (£200). JohnLansdown was a pioneer in multimedia in art and design. Heproposed the creation of the MSc in Design and Digital Media incollaboration with Middlesex University in 1997.

TimetablesThe following are times for scheduled workshops and seminars.Tutorial assistance will also be available at various times outwiththese hours. Studio facilities are accessible once students haveattended a Health and Safety awareness training session. ForSemester 1:

9­10

10­11

11­12 12­1 1­2

2­3

3­4

4­5

Monday

Tuesday Intro toInteractiveDesign(fortnightlyclinic)

Intro to InteractiveDesign(lecture/activity)Introto Digital Modellingand Animation inDesign(fortnightly

Intro to DigitalModelling andAnimation inDesign(lecture/activity)

clinic)

Wednesday Tutorial groups (as advised)

Thursday Intro toDigitalDesign(fortnightlyclinic)

Media and Culture(lecture)

Intro to DigitalDesign(lecture/activity)

Friday

Courses in both semesters will usually use these same time slots,but are subject to variation, and the whole length of a time slotmay not be used. The final summer vacation period is necessarilyorganised very flexibly. See the Programme Calendar for furtherdetails, but be aware that changes may be notified at any time asthe year progresses, possibly at short notice. Tutorial groupmeetings will be organised periodically throughout the programme(not necessarily on Wednesdays) and students will be advised asnecessary. Full attendance is expected at all sessions, includingtutorial groups. Other events include the regular ESALAPostgraduate Seminar Series, in which participation is stronglyencouraged. Students are expected to spend a large proportion ofthe working week in the studio or libraries; it should be assumedthat several hours of preparatory reading and/or writing may beneeded for lectures or tutorials associated with the essay­basedcourses. A general guideline in the University is that full­timestudents will be putting in at least 40 hours of effort per weekacross all their courses and during the Final Project period. (1credit point broadly equates to 10 hours of expected overallstudent effort.) Attendance monitoringPlease note that legislation passed recently by the UKGovernment, relating to Points­Based Immigration, requires alluniversities to monitor the attendance of their internationalstudents. In the College of Humanities and Social Science (whichECA is part of), we intend to meet this duty by monitoring theattendance of all our students, as this will give us a positiveopportunity to identify and help all students who might be havingproblems of one kind or another, or who might need moresupport. ESALA will be monitoring students’ attendance bymonitoring actual attendance in lectures/tutorials/crits and/ormonitoring the submission of coursework and examinations.Please contact your Programme Director or the ECA PostgraduateOffice (3rd Floor, Evolution House) if you have any queriesregarding monitoring of attendance. Please contact theUniversity’s International Office if you have any queries regardingimmigration or your sponsorships status. Note that any non­

attendance by international students may affect yoursponsorship status.

Teaching locationsThe studio for this programme is in the "Atrium" area of AlisonHouse, Nicolson Square (internal telephone extension 508133).View Map MSc lecture/seminars will also take place in otherlecture rooms, which will be advised. The studio is normallyavailable for MSc use, but may on occasion be booked for otherpurposes, e.g. teaching evening courses, visiting lectures,concerts or screenings. ECA Opening Hours, including eveningand weekend access From 15 September 2014, Opening Hoursfor all ECA buildings will be 7.00am – 11.00pm Monday to Friday10.00am – 11.00pm Saturday, Sunday throughout the calendaryear, excepting the University’s annual building closure periodover Christmas and New Year during which all ECA buildings willclose completely. For 2014/15, Postgraduate students, Taught andResearch, whose programmes are based at Alison House willhave 24­hour access to specialist facilities in Alison House. Pleaseconsult your MyEd timetables for details of individual teachinglocations and times. This can be accessed here:http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/student­administration/timetabling/students (Please note that some of ourclass times, especially tutorials, may not appear in MyEd: see theProgramme Calendar for details.) The ECA Postgraduate Office islocated at the 3rd Floor, Evolution House, on the corner of WestPort and Lady Lawson St. (about 10 minutes' walk from AlisonHouse), and is where all forms of administrative support for theprogramme can be accessed. Please note that the office is opento students only during the hours 1000­1230 and 1430­1630,Monday to Friday. The Senior Secretary for MSc Design andDigital Media is Emma Binks ­ Tel: 0131 651 5740 ­ Email:emma.binks@ed.ac.uk View Map

Computing FacilitiesThe studio is well provided with a number of computers and otherequipment, including advanced software, and is normally reservedfor MSc use. Further machines, all on the same network, areavailable in the Multimedia Studio (room 2.08) in the Architecturebuilding (Minto House) at 20 Chambers Street, which is sharedwith undergraduates. However, at peak times (especially when asubmission is due) demand may well exceed availability. It is verymuch in students' interests to even out the load by workingflexibly. Note also that some software will be available on only oneor a small number of machines, so cooperation and negotiation

are essential. While strenuous efforts are made to maintain all theequipment in excellent order, students also need to appreciatethat advanced computing machinery and complex leading­edgesoftware are often by their nature unreliable, and our computingsupport staff are a finite resource. Systems will sometimes crash,usually at the most unfortunate moment. Any problems that ariseshould be notified to the computing staff immediately. Details ofhow to contact computing support, and other useful information,can be found at http://info.ace.ed.ac.uk/computing/. Please ingeneral use the contact form link provided on that page, anddo not directly phone the computing staff. It is important to followgood practice in saving and backing­up all work. Personal harddisc drives and USB memory sticks are a useful resource.Responsibility for any lost material rests ultimately with thestudent. Where possible, we seek also to accommodate andencourage students' use of their own laptops etc., includingwireless connection to the studio network. Note that all such use,along with use of any University equipment, carries responsibilitiesin terms of sensible and legal use of software and networks.Infringement of the University Computing Regulations, which aresigned up to by all students at matriculation and which cover anymachine attached to the University network, even if only bywireless for a short time, is a potentially very serious disciplinaryand legal matter. These regulations may also be supplementedfrom time to time by the Edinburgh College of Art. In addition toECA computing provision, a wide range of University facilities areavailable to students, including open­access computing labs inAlison House and the Main Library; these offer mainly standardoffice applications, but there are also a number of morespecialised facilities. The University Computing Service also offersa number of training courses in the use of various applications.For the University Computing Regulations, seehttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/information­services/about/policies­and­regulations/computing­regulations

Organisation of TeachingThe programme is taught by a combination of lecture/seminars,tutorials, practical sessions and studios. However, much of theresponsibility for study will be the student's own and you will beencouraged to form study groups, work together and shareexpertise. Teaching will be available at various times outwith thetimetabled hours of specific sessions. Students will also beexpected to meet individually with their Personal Tutor at timesthat will be advised. Each taught course provides advanced tuitionin a specialised aspect of the subject. Certain courses are basedmainly on lecture/seminars, while others emphasise short creativeproduction projects which develop, exemplify and integrate

practical skills in the use of digital media. Each course has aCourse Organiser, who is the first recourse for questions about thecontent, assessment and other specifically course­related issues.Commonly, project work will be team­based. Projects are requiredto display evidence of original thinking, independent achievementwithin a framework of team­working, and creative ability.Collaborative team­based projects will be structured so that theindividual contribution of each student in the group can beidentified and assessed. The Final Project in particular will, ofcourse, be mostly self­directed work (again perhaps as a team),with periodic supervision meetings. Although this is a "taughtprogramme", our emphasis in these courses is more on facilitatinglearning than on teaching. We aim to provide an environment inwhich learning can be maximised, and the teaching staff are justone resource among many that students can exploit. Even whennot explicitly team­based, learning is to us a highly collaborativeactivity, and the students themselves are the key resource foreach other. We prescribe little; we expect to be challenged andquestioned. We are often not expert users of particular softwareapplications; we expect students to explore, exploit the internetand the wider University, seek other sources of expertise, engagewith practices of research. We will usually reward experimentation,innovation, creativity and boldness of conception in all courses.Note that in this research­led university, staff are engaged inresearch projects as well as teaching, which brings benefits tostudents involved in taught programmes. Research informsteaching, and there may be opportunities directly to engage inresearch projects during the year and beyond. In the spirit ofsharing, discussing and developing a creative profile, studentsare encouraged to maintain a blog, on which they can recordideas and discussions, as well as posting work in progress andcopies of submissions. This should be something suitable forviewing by the wider public; it will not be in itself assessed, but ifused well can form a strong complement to the assessed work ofthe programme and assist the development of a professionalportfolio.

AssessmentIn common with general design education practice, the mainassessment of design progress is by means of project­work (someof it group project­work), usually complemented by a relativelyshort written report. Assessment will take into account:

the extent to which a student has contributed originalideas to the projectsthe creative ability displayedthe depth and breadth of coursework understandingrevealed

the extent to which the intention of the project has beenrevealedskills in visual, written and verbal communication of theproject ideas

Criteria for the assessment of group work vary, and will sometimesbe based on the overall product of a group, sometimes more onindividual contribution. Assessment of project work, in particular,may require students to engage with techniques of selfassessment and peer assessment. Criteria for assessment arefurther elaborated in each course description and in the markingscheme. In all cases the limitations and potential of the availableresources will be taken into account. The importance of writtenreports is not to be minimised. There will also be longer assessedessays in certain courses. In our own courses, there are notraditional written examination sessions, but these may arise incourses provided by others. Note that, in accordance withAppendix 1 of the Code of Practice for Taught PostgraduateProgrammes, any form of plagiarism will be treated as a veryserious disciplinary issue. See also the University regulations athttp://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/academic­services/policies­regulations/regulations/assessment, and onplagiarism the useful student guidance offered via the links on thepage at http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/academic­services/students/postgraduate­taught/discipline/plagiarism (seeespecially the link to the document athttp://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Discipline/StudentGuidanceUGPGT.pdf).Submission of written work will normally require at least two hardcopies, plus a digital version. All other work must be submitteddigitally, either on SD card or similar media, via our own or theUniversity's online submission systems, or by transfer to anappropriate hard disc, according to instructions from the courseorganiser. Written copies and memory cards or media are to besubmitted to the ECA Postgraduate Office. All submissions will begiven a mark which remains provisional until ratified by the Boardof Examiners, which meets in May/June to decide on coursemarks and progression to the project stage, and again for FinalProject assessment in September/October. The Board ofExaminers includes an External Examiner, whose role is to assurestandards of assessment and to provide a further source of adviceon the Programme. Students are usually invited to an informalmeeting with the External Examiner in May/June (see theProgramme Calendar). The University has a procedure foracademic appeals, which can be found in section 10.3 of the Codeof Practice for Taught Postgraduate Programmes(http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPTaughtPGProgrammes.pdf).Project work may only contain visual, sonic and interactiveresources that are developed within the class, by you or yourcolleagues this year. This is in order to (1) help you develop

skills in using resources creatively, responsibly and withappropriate acknowledgement, (2) enable you to publish materialon the Internet without the risk of violating copyright. So you maynot use or adapt external copyrighted, even creative commons orshareware resources, such as photographs, smileys, icons, videoor sound or music clips, animated gifs, CD tracks, mp3 clips, etc.

Report and Essay GuidelinesThese guidelines are very important. Failure to adhere to themmay result in the disciplinary offence of Plagiarism, which is veryserious and can lead to your immediately failing the degree, oreven summary expulsion from the University. Pay special heed tothe warning about plagiarism in the University's policy statementsand guidelines (see URL in the section on Assessment): readthese very carefully and make sure that nothing in your work canpossibly be construed as plagiarism. Remember that plagiarismcan arise if you present the distinctive thoughts or ideas ofanother person as your own, even if you have changed all ofthe original words. Remember also that plagiarism applies toimages, sounds, scripts, code or any other authored material.You must always properly acknowledge the source ofanything in your work that is not entirely original. If you areunsure and require clarification and assistance, please speak toyour tutor. You must make yourself fully aware of what mightconstitute plagiarism in the context of your programme of study.For further information see: www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/academic­services/staff/discipline/plagiarism Followthe reference and footnote conventions outlined in Russell (1992),or the APA style guide (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ ). ReferenceALL material used from other sources, especially direct quotes.Include the page number of the source of the quote in yourreference wherever possible. Give clear URLs for all materialsaccessed from the Web. Do not include material copied directlyfrom any source (e.g. a web page or a book) unless it is essentialfor you to comment on it; and then always make sure you encloseit in quotation marks, or in some other conventional way (e.g. asan indented block) clearly identify it as a quotation, and give thesource accurately and as precisely as possible. If you arefollowing the structure of someone else's argument and not yourown then you need to reference this fact (e.g. Following Vidler's(1992) argument on the uncanny we see first that...). Also indicatewhere you are following someone else's use of a reference to atext you have not read. For example if Vidler makes an interestingreference to Freud, and you have not read the Freud text, thenreference Vidler as the source, not Freud (e.g. According to Vidler(1992), Freud uses the uncanny to...). Provide references for

illustrations if you have any. You may also find the classicElements of Style (Strunk, 1916) useful, if not quaint. Use the UKEnglish spelling checker on your wordprocessor. The grammarchecker can also be useful. Diagrams and images must also beattributed, even when digitally manipulated. Use of the WWW forresearch is encouraged, but it is inappropriate to copy and pasteANY text (or image etc.) from the web without indicating its statusas a quotation and without full attribution to author and URL, sincethis would count as plagiarism. Do not cite or quote fromWikipedia (or any similar resource) as a source: Wikipedia isa good place to find references to sources that you canfollow up and then cite or quote from. Note that inappropriateuse of web material can often be detected by the examinersundertaking spot checks on key words and phrases using websearch engines and other tools, including specialised plagiarismdetection software (especially Turnitin). Note that makingsuperficial changes to copied material to disguise its origins alsoconstitutes plagiarism and is not allowed. Do not ever take evenpart of a sentence from somewhere, change a few words, andthen include it in your text without attribution as if it were your own:this is plagiarism and will be treated as such if detected. As workby MSc students is often published on the Internet, issues ofcopyright are also a major concern. This applies as much, ormore, to project work as to essays. It is imperative that all sourcematerial external to the course is referenced, and wherenecessary permission to reproduce is obtained. Students arerequested generally not to use visual or sound resources (e.g.images, music, movie clips) from other sources (including theWWW, CDs, DVDs, MP3 sources, etc.), even where these arepublic­domain libraries, except for critical commentary aspermitted under copyright law. There are important educationalreasons why we encourage the use of resources generated fromwithin the courses, and copyright is also a crucial consideration inany kind of professional design practice. For information oncopyright law in the UK, see http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/copy/c­about.htm

ReferencesRussell, Terence M. 1992. Essays, Reports and Dissertations:Guidance Notes on the Preparation and Presentation of WrittenWork, Architecture, University of Edinburgh. [Available in theArchitecture Library.] Strunk, William (1918). Elements of Style,Geneva, N.Y.: Press of W.P. Humphrey. [Available on line athttp://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html .]

MSc and Diploma AwardRequirements

1. All courses and projects will be marked on the Universityof Edinburgh's common postgraduate marking scheme, aslaid out in the Code of Practice, interpreted as in thesection Marking Scheme in this handbook.

2. Students must achieve an average of at least 50% overtheir six final course marks for the first two semesters'work before being eligible to proceed to the Final Project.At most one course may have a mark below 50%. At least50% must also be achieved in the Final Project to qualifyfor the award of MSc.

3. Students who pass courses at diploma level only (40%),or pass at MSc level but do not wish to proceed to theFinal Project, are eligible for the award of the Diploma inDesign and Digital Media. The Diploma is awarded oncoursework alone.

4. Taught postgraduate degrees may be awarded withdistinction. To achieve a distinction, a student must beawarded at least 70% on the University’s PostgraduateCommon Marking Scheme for the dissertation, if theprogramme has a dissertation element, and must pass allother courses with an average of at least 70%. Borderlinesmay be considered. The award of Distinction is always atthe discretion of the Board of Examiners. See alsoRegulation 55 athttp://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Regulations/Temp/TaughtAssessmentRegulations.pdf

GraduationStudents enrolled on the MSc in Design and Digital Media who areeligible to graduate will do so at the Winter GraduationCeremonies ­ this includes students who exit with a PostgraduateDiploma or Certificate. The winter ceremonies usually take placein the last week in November and are administered by theAcademic Registry. http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/student­administration/graduations/overview

Marking SchemeThe marking scale is in accordance with the University's ExtendedCommon Marking Scheme, see http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/student­administration/exams/regulations/common­marking­scheme (and note that we use CMS4) for full details.Extended Common Marking Scheme

A1 90­100 An excellent performance, satisfactory for adistinction.A2 80­89 An excellent performance, satisfactory for adistinction.

A3 70­79 An excellent performance, satisfactory for adistinction.B 60­69 A very good performanceC 50­59 A good performance, satisfactory for a mastersdegree.D 40­49 A satisfactory performance for the diploma, butinadequate for a masters degree.E 30­39 Marginal fail *F 20­29 Clear fail *G 10­19 Bad fail *H 0­9 Bad fail *

*Assessment of the dissertation component: In those programmeswhere a diploma may be awarded for the taught component only,a failed dissertation may be put aside and the diploma awarded.(MSc Design and Digital Media is such a programme.) Thestandard of work required to achieve these grades is as laid outbelow. Note that you may be used to a different marking system inyour previous institution, especially if this was overseas. Here weexpect to use the full range of marks, and marks in the 70% to100% range are not as common here as in some systems.Standards are checked by the external examination process, andstaff are involved in external examining in programmes in otheruniversities, which ensures parity with other UK institutions.

A1 (90+) ExcellentRequirements are as for A2, but with all or almost all aspects ofthe work being of exemplary standard. Normal expectations willhave been substantially exceeded and there will be clear evidenceof originality. Work at this level may be considered to bepublishable in a scholarly or academic conference, or similarcontext.

A2 (80­89) ExcellentRequirements are as for A3, with the addition that most aspects ofthe work will be of exemplary quality, normal expectations of thebrief or task having been clearly exceeded. There may beevidence of originality in thought, conception or execution.

A3 (70­79) Excellent

Design workRequirements are as for a B, with the addition that the design is ofexcellent quality, in terms of concept, resolution and level ofintegration. It is well justified and there are no obvious gaps in the

presentation, whatever means are used. The approach taken mayentail some risk but the work has been successful in terms madeclear in its presentation. In the case of team work there may beevidence of team leadership. The work may be excellent in itstotality, or there may be some aspect of the work that isexemplary. This aspect should be well communicated and beimportant in terms of the project brief. Where there is evidencethat the student has exceeded the time and effort normallyrequired for the project then this time and effort is evident in thequality of the work.

Written workThe Structure will demonstrate a close, critical engagement withthe question and demonstrate a strong grasp of its widerimplications. The piece of work will have a clear argument andfactual material will be used in an analytical, rather thandescriptive way, to further that argument. The Language andExpression will be appropriate to the task and demonstrate a clearunderstanding of the appropriate scholarly apparatus. It will aidthe development of the argument through its fluency and clearevidence of independent thought. A piece of work at this level willhave a strong base in a Range of Knowledge that is both broadand deep. It will demonstrate a clear understanding of thecomplexity of the subject, an ability to argue at both the generaland particular level and to evaluate information and makediscriminating use of it. In general, the work will meet therequirements of the assignment brief in a way that is exemplarythrough its thoroughness and/or it may exceed the expectations ofthe brief in certain respects. The work may be excellent in itstotality, or there may be some aspect of the work that isexemplary. The approach taken and the argument followed mayentail some risk but this has been successful in terms made clearin the work. Where the work entails the collection and collation ofdata, this will be handled with appropriate rigour and be very wellintegrated into the argumentation. In the case of team work, theremay be evidence of team leadership. Where there is evidence thatthe student has exceeded the time and effort normally required forthe task, this will be evident in the quality of the work.

B (60­69) Very Good

Design workThe project meets the requirements of the project brief orchallenges them in a way that is creative and well argued. Thedesign is of high quality with good justification for the decisionsmade. Where a student is given scope for defining the problem

tackled, then the problem presents a high degree of challengeappropriate to the level of the course. The presentation iscomplete, though there may be gaps that could be resolved withminor modification. There is evidence of consistency of applicationin developing the design from the early stages of the design.Where group work is involved then there is evidence of fullengagement in the work of the team. Where the projectemphasises the production of a complete design then the workshows an ability to resolve the design at an appropriate level.

Written workThe Structure will demonstrate a serious attempt at criticalengagement with the question and demonstrate an appreciation ofits wider implications. The piece of work will have a clearargument and will employ relevant factual material. This may beused mainly analytically, although with less critical engagementthan A­grade work. The Language and Expression will be accurateand show an understanding of the appropriate scholarlyapparatus. It will aid the development of the argument through itsclarity and make a serious attempt to develop independentthought. A piece of work at this level will be based on a Range ofKnowledge that is extensive, even though it may be uneven. It willdemonstrate an understanding of the complexity of the subject,and will show evidence of an ability to argue at both the generaland particular level. In general, the work will meet therequirements of the assignment task and will approach them in away that is creative and well argued. The level of ambition will behigh, both in the student's approach to work set by a tutor andwhere a student is given scope for defining the topic. Where thework entails the collection and collation of data, the work will behandled with appropriate rigour and be well integrated into theargumentation. Where group work is involved, there will beevidence of full engagement in the work of the team.

C (50­59) Good; satisfactory forMasters

Design workThe design is good. Where a student is given scope for definingthe task then the work falls short of achieving those ambitions inthe execution of the design, or, conversely the ambitions of thetask are met, but they are relatively modest. The work may becompetent but not be completely resolved in its design orpresentation. There is evidence that the work could reach the Bgrade given more time and effort.

Written workThe Structure will demonstrate some understanding of thequestion set but may show only moderate awareness of its widerimplications. The piece of work will have a point of view but thearguments may be stated rather than developed and factualmaterial, although relevant, may be used more descriptively thananalytically. The Language and Expression will be sufficientlyaccurate and relevant to demonstrate a reasonable grasp of thetopic but may lack fluency. The scholarly apparatus will besufficient but may be incomplete or idiosyncratic. Theargumentation may be derivative with little evidence ofindependent thought. The Range of Knowledge will be sound,although there may be some inaccuracies. It will have beenassimilated uncritically and there may be a reliance on informationand argumentation already presented in the lectures. In general,the work will meet most of the requirements of the assignmenttask. Where a student is given scope for defining the topic, it willpresent an appropriate degree of challenge for the level of thecourse. Where the work entails the collection and collation of data,this will be handled with appropriate rigour but may not be verywell integrated with the argumentation. Where group work isinvolved, there will be evidence of involvement in the work of theteam.

D (40­49) Satisfactory forDiploma but inadequate forMasters

Design work(i) The work is competent but not good, suggesting that it couldnot reach the B level without major re­working; or (ii) the work isnot sufficiently complete in its design or presentation. In the caseof (ii) there is evidence that the work could attain the C level withmajor re­development.

Written workThe Structure may demonstrate little understanding of thequestion set and may tend to stray from the topic The argumentmay be undeveloped and haphazard and the factual material maybe used descriptively rather than analytically. The Language andExpression will generally be grammatical but may lack fluency andsophistication. The scholarly apparatus may be deficient. Theremay be little evidence of an understanding of the complex natureof the inquiry and the answer may show no intentional originality

of approach. The Range of Knowledge may be adequate but maycontain errors. It will be broadly relevant to the question but maybe used in a descriptive and uncritical way. In general, work will becompetent but not good. Where a student is given scope fordefining the topic, it will present a degree of challenge appropriateto the level of the course. Where the work entails the collectionand collation of data, this will be handled with appropriate rigour,but may be poorly integrated with the argumentation. Where groupwork is involved, there may be some evidence of involvement inthe work of the team.

E (35­39) Marginal Fail

Design work(i) The work may be insufficiently complete to assess its qualityadequately or (ii) the work may be judged to be of poor qualitywhatever the level of completeness. In the case of (i) it would beexpected that the work could be brought up to the D level withmore time and effort.

Written workThe Structure may be weak, showing little understanding of thequestion and no understanding of its wider implications. It maytend towards random presentation of facts and opinions. TheLanguage and Expression may present a significant number ofbasic errors in spelling and grammar and may have deficiencies inthe scholarly apparatus. It may fail to present any evidence ofcoherent, independent thought. The Range of Knowledge may beinadequate, with major errors, and of doubtful relevance to thequestion. In general, the work may be poor in most, if not allareas. It may also, or alternatively, be incomplete.

F (25­34) Clear Fail

Design WorkThe work is not of sufficient quality or at a level of completenessthat it could be redeemed to a D without re­starting the project.

Written workThe work may be seriously deficient in most, if not all areas. Itmay also, or alternatively, be incomplete.

G/H (below 25) Bad Fail

The work, of whatever kind, is extremely poor, incomplete orabsent. It is deficient in most or all significant respects.

Leave of AbsenceFor students not on distance learning programmes, leave fromattendance and participation is permitted to undertake study,research or other activities outside their programme of study, thatenhance the student’s career or study. It requires College approvalafter consideration of an application by the student’s personaltutor, supervisor or programme director. A “Leave of AbsenceRequest Form” must be completed by your Programme Director.This form can be found here: Leave of Absence Request Form The University regulations about this can be found here:http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/14­15/regulations/postgrad.php (Item31)

Students on a Tier 4 VisaAs a Tier 4 student, the University of Edinburgh is the sponsor ofyour UK visa. The University has a number of legalresponsibilities, including monitoring your attendance on yourprogramme and reporting to the Home Office where:

you interrupt your studies, transfer or withdraw from aprogramme, or complete your studies significantly early;you fail to register/enrol at the start of your programme orat the additional census points each year and there is noexplanation;you are repeatedly absent or are absent for an extendedperiod and are excluded from the programme due to non­attendance. This includes missing Tier 4 census pointswithout due reason. The University must maintain a recordof your attendance and the Home Office can ask to seethis or request information about it at any time;

As a student with a Tier 4 visa sponsored by the University ofEdinburgh, the terms of your visa require you to, (amongstothers):

Ensure you have a correct and valid visa for studying atthe University of Edinburgh, which, if a Tier 4 visa,requires that it is a visa sponsored by the University ofEdinburgh;Attend all of your University classes, lectures, tutorials, etcwhere required. This includes participating in therequirements of your programme including submittingassignments, attending meetings with tutors and attendingexaminations . If you cannot attend due to illness, forexample, you must inform your School. This includes

attending Tier 4 Census sessions when requiredthroughout the academic session.Make sure that your contact details, including youraddress and contact numbers are up to date in yourstudent record.Make satisfactory progress on your chosen programme ofstudies.Observe the general conditions of a Tier 4 Generalstudent visa in the UK, including studying on theprogramme for which your visa was issued, notoverstaying the validity of your visa and complying withthe work restrictions of the visa.

Please note that any email relating to your Tier 4 sponsorship,including census dates and times will be sent to your Universityemail address – you should therefore check this regularly. Furtherdetails on the terms and conditions of your Tier 4 visa can befound in the “Downloads” section at www.ed.ac.uk/immigrationInformation or advice about your Tier 4 immigration status can beobtained by contacting the International Student Advisory Service,located at the International Office, 33 Buccleuch Place, EdinburghEH8 9JS Email: immigration@ed.ac.uk Attendance andEngagement Monitoring of All Students UK GovernmentLegislation relating to Points­Based Immigration requires alluniversities to monitor the attendance of their internationalstudents. In ECA we intend to meet this duty by monitoring theattendance and engagement of all our students, as this will giveus a positive opportunity to identify and help all students whomight be having problems of one kind or another, or who mightneed more support. Any non­attendance of international studentsmay affect your sponsorship status.

Late submissionIt is your responsibility to ensure that your work is submitted ontime. If there is a legitimate reason for not being able to meet thespecified deadline, approach your course organiser for anextension. Do this as soon as you become aware that you mighthave a problem. University policy is that work submitted afterthe specified (or re­negotiated) date will be deemed to be a latesubmission and will be subject to a deduction of FIVEMARKS PER DAY overdue. After five working days a mark of0% will be recorded. (This policy applies throughout theUniversity.) Note that late submission of the final MSc dissertation(final project) is particularly serious and could result in failure ofthe dissertation component, implying failure of the MSc degree.Application of penalties for lateness is at the discretion of theBoard of Examiners. Legitimate reasons for lateness must

generally be supported by medical certification or otherappropriate documentary evidence. All such evidence should besubmitted for Special Circumstances consideration before therelevant meeting of the Board of Examiners. Your scheduling ofall your work must take into account the vagaries of softwareand hardware: no kind of equipment failure, lost material,theft of laptops, etc. will normally be taken as a legitimatereason for lateness or non­submission. The SpecialCircumstances Committee meets before the examination boardsto consider the cases of students whose performance has beenaffected by illness or personal problems and it recommendsactions that might be taken in mitigation to the exam board. TheCommittee deals with issues in the strictest confidence but it canonly deal with problems it knows about so it is very important that,if the need arises, you make sure that your Personal Tutor isaware of any problems so that s/he can formally bring it to theattention of the Exam Board. Examples of special circumstancesmight be: ­ physical illness or injury ­ depression orsimilar mental or emotional illness ­ specific learningdifficulty ­ bereavement or serious illness of a person withwhom the student has a close relationship ­ seriousfinancial or accommodation difficulties For further information see:www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPTaughtPGProgrammes.pdfand http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/humanities­soc­sci/undergraduate­academic­admin/curriculum­assessment/assessment­examination/special­circumstances

Feedback and Return of MarkedSubmissionsFinal course submissions will be marked and returned within twomonths of the submission date. Interim submissions will bemarked within 15 working days, with feedback and discussionduring tutorial meetings. The University has adopted a policy onfeedback ­

For information on student feedback deadlines, pleasevisit: http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Regulations/TaughtAssessmentRegulations.pdf (Regulaon 15). Alsosee http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/academic­services/staff/assessment/feedback and alsohttp://www.enhancingfeedback.ed.ac.uk. Key elements of thispolicy state that:

All students will be given at least one formative feedbackor feedforward event for every course they undertake,provided during the semester in which the course is takenand in time to be useful in the completion of summative

work on the course. ...Feedback on formative assessed work will be providedwithin 15 working days of submission, or in time to be ofuse in subsequent assessments within the course,whichever is sooner. Summative marks will be returned ona published timetable, which has been made clear tostudents at the start of the academic year.

For our programme this is realised, in practice, by design project­oriented courses having a series of interim submissions, oftenknown as "crit submissions", that exist primarily for the generationof feedback which arises from a later discussion of thesubmissions in class sessions. Note that feedback in these casesmay not include a mark or grade, but will include commentary onthe quality of work and advice on improvement. However, therewill generally be at least one marked interim submission withwritten feedback. In essay­oriented courses there will be at leastone interim submission (e.g. of an essay abstract) for whichwritten feedback may be given and which will be discussed forfeedback in tutorials. The timetable for these submissions andevents will be part of the Programme Calendar, which forms partof this Handbook and is regularly updated online. (Notes given asfeedback at any stage are not necessarily complete and do notgenerally reference all of the assessment criteria. Compliance withany suggestions in interim feedback is no guarantee of a goodmark in a later assessment.)

Official communicationsWhen you join the University you will be given a University ofEdinburgh (UoE) email account and address which will be usedfor a variety of essential communications. You must access andmanage this account regularly as the University will send you vitalinformation from time to time, for example on assessmentarrangements or changed class times or locations, and willassume that you have opened and acted on thesecommunications. Failure to do so will not be an acceptable excuseor ground for appeal. If you already have a web­based e­mailaccount and think that you are unlikely to check your UoE e­mailaccount, it is your responsibility to set up a forward on the UoEaccount to ensure that all official University communications arereceived. (The service is actually provided by "Office 365": pleasesee http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/information­services/services/computing/comms­and­collab/email/office365/overview. You can forward email if you clickthe "Forward your Emails" link on the right hand side of your Office365 home screen. Type the email address that you wish youremails to be forwarded to and click "Start Forwarding".) You can

locate your email by logging into EASE. http://www.ease.ed.ac.uk

Other Forms of CommunicationMobile phones are used in emergency situations and students areencouraged to update their contact details via the MyEd portal. Attimes we will write to you; it is important to keep both yoursemester and permanent home address up to date. This is alsodone via the MyEd portal. Updating Personal Details Via“Student Self Service”, students can view and edit personal andstudy details within their MyEd Portal. The Student PersonalDetails channel allows students to review their contact details,address information & emergency contacts. It also provides theability to edit certain personal details directly:www.euclid.ed.ac.uk/student/Student_Self_Service.htm

Use of Social Media

While there are many cauonary tales about the use of socialmedia and the ‘digital footprint’, there are also many posives toengaging with it. There have been many examples recently ofstudents and graduates using social media to network and, insome cases, find employment. Social media allows easy exchangeof informaon and ideas and can provide a powerful plaorm fordiscussion – all of which is within the control of the accountowner. Do not be afraid to engage with debate but do rememberthat what goes on the internet stays on the internet – you need toremember that a future employer may discover things about youthat you would prefer to keep private. We expect you to becourteous in your posngs and to not make personal or hurulcomments about other students or staff. You should ensure yourcomments are lawful, ie are consistent with legislavely protectedareas of equality and diversity, and do not constute a disciplinaryoffence under the University’s code, which include offensivebehaviour (in wring as well as actual) and bringing the Universityinto disrepute.

StaffThe following staff contribute to the programme:

John Lee Programme Director;Professor of DigitalMedia and DeputyDirector of the Human

Alison House,Nicolson SquareExtension 502335HCRC: Informatics

CommunicationResearch Centre(School of Informatics)

Forum, rm 4.28Extension 504420

RichardCoyne

Academic Director;Professor ofArchitecturalComputing

Minto House,Chambers StreetExtension 502332

MartinParker

MSc specialistlecturer; ProgrammeDirector, MSc inSound Design

Alison HouseExtension 502333

JulesRawlinson

MSc specialistteaching fellow

Alison HouseExtension 504122

ThaleiaDeniozou

MSc specialist tutor Alison House

Geoff Lee Chief ComputingOfficer, ECA (contactvia computing issuesweb form)

Evolution HouseExtension 502341

Ian Gunn Computing Officer,ECA

Maltings 4.12Extension 508020

Emma Binks Senior Secretary forMSc Design andDigital Media, ECAPostgraduate Office

ECA PostgraduateOffice, 3rd Floor,Evolution HouseExtension 515740

RowenaGodfrey

Art and ArchitectureLibrarian

Art & ArchitectureLibrary Extension502310

Other staff may participate in specialised teaching andsupervising as appropriate; it is impractical to list them here.

Support Services

Academic SupportStudents on this programme are also supported by Architectureservices, including technical support and the Architecture Library,which holds stock for this programme. There are also other

excellent library facilities within the University, including the ECAlibrary in Evolution House. In addition, the University is wellprovided with specialist support services through the Main Library,Information Services, etc. These may be approached directly orthrough the Programme Director. Study skills, English languagetuition, and many other general forms of support for students'academic development are also available. See especially therange of support offered by the Institute for AcademicDevelopment (http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/institute­academic­development/postgraduate).

Pastoral SupportStudents should feel free to bring problems of any kind (academic,medical, personal, religious, etc.) to the attention of theProgramme Director. It is the student's responsibility to do soimmediately where the problem may affect their academicperformance. The Programme Director will discuss and, whererelevant, suggest solutions for any problems, and assist in findingsupport from other members of staff where appropriate. Forproblems that are essentially non­academic the student can ifnecessary be referred to counselling or other specialist support.These and other services, such as The Advice Place (run byEUSA, Bristo Square, extension 516060,http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/adviceplace/), may also be approacheddirectly if preferred. See also sources of specialist support listed inAppendix IV of the Code of Practice for Taught PostgraduateProgrammes(http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Codes/CoPTaughtPGProgrammes.pdf).

Personal TutorsIn the context of the Design and Digital Media programme, thestatement below is interpreted as follows. Each student isassigned a Personal Tutor, who will be one of John Lee, RichardCoyne or Jules Rawlinson. However, although you are welcome tocontact your assigned PT whenever you wish, we operate a teamapproach. After the introductory meeting of the programme (whichmay be considered the first Group Meeting), all students will havean individual meeting with the Programme Director (John Lee),though this may not be within the first 2 weeks. Further group andindividual meetings will be organised and advised during theteaching year. The points made in this Handbook about the role ofthe Programme Director remain valid. ECA Personal TutoringStatement 2014/15: At ECA all postgraduate taught students(tutees) will be assigned a Personal Tutor who will be anacademic member of staff. The primary aim of this PersonalTutoring system is to provide academic guidance on progress and

reflect on the learning process. ECA also has a specialist StudentSupport Officer for postgraduate taught students, who is amember of the Postgraduate Office Team: Lucy Hawkins – PGStudent Support Officer lucy.hawkins@ed.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 131651 5734 The Benefits of the Personal Tutor system Byworking in partnership with your Personal Tutor you will:

Become a confident learner in your discipline and play anactive part in your academic community.Reflect on your academic progress and your effective useof academic feedback.Develop the range of skills and attributes required forsuccess at university and beyond.

More extensive details on all aspects of the Personal Tutoringsystem, as well as other sources of support at the University, canbe found at the following link: www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/academic­services/students/undergraduate/personal­tutors/benefits­for­students How your School will deliver theseBenefits – Postgraduate Taught Students One­to­oneMeetings: As a postgraduate taught student you will have at leastone individual meeting with your Personal Tutor in the eachsemester of the taught component of your degree programme.

Your first meeting with your Personal Tutor will occurwithin the first two weeks of Semester 1.Your second individual meeting with your Personal Tutorwill take place within the first three weeks of Semester 2.In most cases, your Personal Tutor will reflect with you onyour academic performance from Semester 1. Meetingswill be arranged according to your local Programme’sfeedback release dates in Semester 2.If you are a Postgraduate Student enrolled on an MAcourse that sits during Semester 3, you can also expectan Individual Meeting in Semester 3, also reflecting onfeedback from your previous semester.Individual Meetings with your Personal Tutor arescheduled to last up to 20 minutes.Your Personal Tutor will contact you just prior the start ofeach Semester in order to arrange these Individualmeetings; you will receive a notification through yourUniversity email account.If you require a meeting with your Personal Tutor at pointsduring the academic year outside these arrangedindividual meetings, you are welcome to use the PersonalTutor IT tools to request additional meeting times. In somesituations, you may be able to get a quicker resolution toyour concerns by visiting the ECA Student Support Office.There may be a variety of reasons for wanting to meetwith your Personal Tutor; yet some of your concerns mightbe easily addressed by the Student Support Officers

(SSOs). The Personal Tutor section on the ECA webpageprovides some guidance on the most common studentqueries, and who is best positioned to help answer thosequestions.If you are not on campus (e.g. studying abroad for aperiod, or on placement, or studying an online degree)then your meetings may take place by telephone, liveinternet call, or a web conferencing application. Emailexchanges are not considered to be meetings unless theytake place within a pre­agreed timeframe to enable you tohave a “conversation” (e.g. if you are overseas andemailing within a 24­36 hour period to take account of timedifferences).

Group Meetings: You will also be involved in structured groupmeetings, and additional activities designed to support yourdevelopment as a member of an academic community.

At the Postgraduate Level, your Group Meetings takeplace during Innovative Learning Week, which istimetabled between teaching block 1 and teaching block 2during Semester 2.Group Meetings across ECA Postgraduate studies varyfrom programme to programme, in order to align to thevarious academic programme requirements andpedagogical methods students encounter across the 5Schools.Meetings generally last for approximately one hour, andare planned to complement other Innovative LearningWeek activities, allowing yourself and colleagues toparticipate in a variety of events across the University.Meetings are arranged within and across the 5 Schools ofECA independently, and you will receive a specific emailfrom your Programme Director in due course, outlining thetime and location of the meeting you are invited to attend.Meetings are designed with you in mind: sessions areintended to address particular queries and concerns thatgroups of students may have, and facilitate groupdiscussions and activities allowing all students tocontribute.

Student Support Organisational Structure – Who to Contact?All taught students have a Personal Tutor, a Senior Tutor, and aStudent Support Team in the School. You can find out who yourPersonal Tutor is through MyEd.

Your first point of contact are the Student Support OfficerLucy Hawkins, who deals with the majority of queries fromstudents about regulations, procedures, course changes,transfers, study abroad, and special circumstances relatedto your curriculum.

The Postgraduate Student Support Officer can be reachedvia email at Lucy.Hawkins@ed.ac.uk (0131 651 5734).

Her office is located on 3rd floor of Evolution House(Lauriston Campus)If you are facing challenges that the Student SupportOfficers, or your Personal Tutor are finding difficult toresolve, you may be referred to the Senior Tutor forPostgraduate Students. Dr.Jonny Murray is the Sr. Tutorfor Postgraduate students. His office is in the DesignOffice, Level 2, Evolution House (Lauriston Campus) andhe can be reached for appointment by email(jonny.murray@ed.ac.uk) or phone (0131 651 5722).At any time, you can request a change to your PersonalTutor if you feel that your relationship with that Tutor is notto your satisfaction. This can be arranged by requestthrough your Student Support Officers at ECA.

Language SupportThe University’s Institute for Applied Language Studies runEnglish Language courses for international students and coursesin European and other languages for the local community andcom panies all year round. Contact details for the Institute forApplied Language Studies are ­ Tel: 0131 650 6200 / Web:http://www.ials.ed.ac.uk/ / Email: ials.enquiries@ed.ac.uk /

Student Representation andParticipationStudents should elect one of the class, for each degreeprogramme, as Class Representative, who will be invited to jointhe Architecture (ESALA) Staff­Student Liaison meetings.Additionally, all students are invited to give full and free commentsand opinions on all aspects of the programme, both to theProgramme Director and to other members of staff, at any time.Note, however, that course organisers may not in all cases beable to provide immediate or written responses to comments.Questionnaires will periodically be used to elicit student opinion onthe programmes.

Teaching Quality and AssuranceThe quality of teaching on all University programmes is regularlymonitored both externally and internally. Student feedback is animportant part of this process. Even more importantly, studentfeedback and evaluation is a very highly valued input to curriculumand programme review. For Design and Digital Media, we provide

online assessment forms for each course, which students areasked to complete and submit. These augment, but do notreplace, the less formal processes of raising issues or makingcomments directly to teaching staff. We strongly encourage allcomments, it being assumed that students will be at all timesconstructive, even if sometimes critical, in their feedback.Students are also encouraged to complete the annual Universityquestionnaire for taught postgraduate students, details of whichwill be made available in May/June.

Complaints ProceduresComplaints should be brought up in the first instance with theProgramme Director or the Head of the ECA Graduate School.Where necessary, other University procedures will apply, such astaking the matter to the College Postgraduate Dean andSecretary. The complaint procedure is designed to ensure thatcomplaints are properly investigated and are given careful and fairconsideration. The procedure involves up to two stages andadheres, as far as possible, to a specified timescale. Anyonewishing to raise a complaint about a matter which is theresponsibility of the University must do so via this procedure.Information and advice on the procedure can be accessed via thelink below: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools­departments/student­academic­services/student­complaint­procedure/student­complaint­procedure

Other CostsStudents should be aware that additional costs may arise inconnection with any activities that involve travel, e.g. site visits,media purchase (such as memory cards and sticks, additional discdrives, blank CDs, DVDs, DV tapes etc.) and possibly in relationto summer projects.

Other Related DocumentsUniversity regulations and other important information for allstudents: http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/14­15/regulations/postgrad.php

Appendix 1: Health and SafetyThe University of Edinburgh operates a no smoking policy. It isvery important that all students give full consideration to healthand safety in the studios, the crit rooms, and in all parts of thebuilding. All students should familiarise themselves with the

location of fire exits and the routes to them. Nothing moredangerous than a modelling knife should be used in the studio:activities involving e.g. woodworking tools or power tools shouldalways be carried out in the workshop. The same applies to glues,paints, solvents and other volatile or flammable materials. Anysuch tools or materials found lying about in the studios orelsewhere will be confiscated, and their unauthorised use maygive rise to disciplinary action. Any hazardous waste items(especially broken glass etc.) must be disposed of carefully in theworkshop. It is particularly important to keep stairways andcorridors open and free from clutter, debris and flammablematerials of any kind. Activities such as gluing or spray­painting inthese areas will be treated particularly seriously. In the studios, itis critical to maintain clear escape routes from any point to thenearest fire exit. These may be marked on the floor, or may beotherwise designated by the studio tutor. Nothing should beallowed to restrict these routes, or access to them, even for alimited period. This will sometimes be inconvenient, but itsimportance must be appreciated by everyone involved in studiowork. Accumulations of clutter are common in studios, but must beavoided where there is any possibility of resulting fire risk. Piles ofpaper or components of models, for example, should be tidied andkept out of harm’s way. Nothing should ever be allowed to restrictaccess to fire extinguishers; and these must never be moved orinterfered with except in the event of a fire. Crit rooms and otherspaces are equally subject to these points. Similarly, they areoften through­routes for cleaners and other staff, and studentsmust have full consideration for possible dangers represented byitems on the floor, suspended from wires, involving spikes orsharp edges, etc. In all cases of installations, a risk assessmentshould be carried out, using the risk assessment checklist (withadaptations for specific projects if necessary). Note that crit roomsand other exhibition spaces should be used only for displayingwork — the construction of all pieces should be carried out in thestudio or workshop. Before the construction of anything large orheavy is undertaken, careful thought, including an assessment ofrisks, should be given to how it will be moved, displayed, storedand ultimately disposed of. Please recognise that these points aremade in the interests of all users of our buildings. Good health andsafety practices need be neither onerous nor obstructive if theyare carried out continuously and routinely. Failure to comply withthe ever­growing array of regulations in this area may easily havevery serious consequences, e.g. the withdrawal of facilities suchas 24­hour access to studios. An appreciation of health and safetyis also an important general aspect of the design and use of allbuildings, and increasingly of any professional or managerial rolein any walk of life.

Appendix 2: Degree ProgrammeTableThis is the official Degree Programme Table for Design and DigitalMedia. Design and Digital Media (MSc/Dip)

Degree Type: Postgraduate Taught Masters/Diploma [alsoavailable by part­time study]

NYT Course S L CT

Introduction to Digital Design A 11 20

Introduction to InteractiveDesign *

A 11 20

Introduction to DigitalModelling and Animation inDesign *

A 11 20

Media and Culture A 11 20

Dynamic Web Design A 11 20

Innovation­DrivenEntrepreneurship #

A 11 20

Digital Media Studio Project A 11 20

Design and Digital Media Final Project

A 11 60

* One of these two courses must be chosen. # Replacement canbe any 20­credits offered by the University of Edinburgh or theEdinburgh College of Art that meets with the approval of theProgramme Director and the Head of ESALA.

Appendix 3: ProgrammeCalendarPlease note that while every effort is made to ensure accuratedetails, this calendar should be treated only as a guide to thestructure of the year. The University Calendar is here:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/semester­dates On the calendar below,many events are subject to alteration but whenever possible,advance notice will be given, especially if the date and time of alecture or seminar is going to change. The titles of many eventsand lectures are meant as placeholders and may changedepending on the weekly needs of the class. You can subscribe tothe course calendars by searching Google Calendar if you have agoogle account: http://www.google.com/calendar. However, youcan also subscribe to these calendars with Apple's iCAL and othercalendar readers using the links below. (Right click or control+clickto copy and paste the link.) We strongly recommend yousubscribe to these calendars in order to keep up with updates andchanges to the schedule.

Subscribe to the MSc calendarswith these links:Design and Digital Media: XML iCAL HTML ARCH11002 Mediaand Culture: XML iCAL HTML ARCH 11192 Intro to Digital Design:XML iCAL HTML ARCH11193 Intro to Interactive Design: XMLiCAL HTML ARCH11173 Intro to Digital Modelling: XML iCALHTML ARCH11004 Dynamic Web Design: XML iCAL HTMLARCH11006 Digital Media Studio Project: XML iCAL HTMLSpecial Events: XML iCAL HTML

Appendix 4: PrintingTaught postgraduates start with a printing allocation of £10. Oncethis quota is reached, you can top up your printing account viamachines at the main library. This quota is intended to help youconsider whether you need to print a certain document or whetherit can be read on screen. A lot of paper and ink is wasted eachyear, so we have found this quota system necessary. The quotashould be enough to print our your submissions and other piecesof information like project briefs. A good way to save paper is,when printing, to print two pages per side. This can be done byselecting LAYOUT from the print menu and choosing to print twopages per side. With most of our printers, you can also print onboth sides of the paper.

Notice also on the bottom left of this image that you can export aPDF file from any print command. This is a good way ofpreserving web pages without printing them out on paper. Forfurther details, seehttps://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/ECAIT/Printing

John McGovern Media CentreThe John McGovern Media Centre is open to all students and staffof the Edinburgh College of Art and provides a professionallysupported facility for large­scale printing and scanning. It is basedin the Department of Architecture on Chambers Street. Otherreprographics facilities may be accessible in Lauriston Place.http://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/eca­home/resources/other/reprographics

Submissions

Guidelines for submissions(a) The fully “official” version of any submission is bycopying the file(s) or a digital version of the written text (foressays etc.) to the online SubSys submissions system. Thismust always be submitted by the due date, and will be treated asthe real submission for any formal purposes. Login tohttps://subsys.ace.ed.ac.uk/subsys/. You will see a link for eachsubmission appropriate to the courses you are registered on.Please drop in here exactly the material required for thesubmission. These folders will lock after the deadline. Name yourfiles so that it is clear which part of the submission each fileconstitutes. (b) Accompanying each official submission, we requirea completed online Declaration of Own Work form. (c) Whereasked, you should also upload your submissions to infrar.ed. It isa requirement that you tag each file uploaded with the appropriatemetadata. Note that the infrar.ed submission is NOT the officialsubmission, so do make sure you have also submitted to thedrop­box. Websites1. Place the site in your 'playground' directory (location to

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follow). There is a subfolder for each website submission. Ensure that your site works in this location. The best wayto use these is actually to build your site in this locationfrom the start. So that we always know exactly how toview it, your website for the submission should appearonline using exactly the URL derived from the name of thefolder, e.g.: .../your_folder/submissions/idm1/. This willonly work if you have an index.html file directly in thatfolder (not in another folder inside that one), so pleaseconstruct your site this way.

2. You must still also copy the content of this folder into theSubSys. This ensures that nothing has changed on thesite between the submission deadline and marking, whilstalso ensuring that a working version remains online.

Submission DatesFor all submission dates, please see the ProgrammeCalendar.

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