Privacy, piracy, cyberbullying, trolls, censorship, cybersecurity, surveillance, online petitions and propaganda are just some of the issues we navigate in our daily lives online. This unit of study frames these issues historically, culturally and philosophically. The forums of internet governance are a microcosm of global governance that allow expression of national identity, and positioning in international relations. Students taking this unit will gain a critical understanding of one of the most important global policy issues of our time.

Media audiences are experiencing knowledge, art and entertainment in novel ways as cultural industries increasingly take up emerging technologies. New Media Audiences investigates the range of contemporary practices of production, distribution and consumption associated with digital tools. We examine the sites where audiences experience digital media: art galleries, cinemas, theatres, homes, mobile devices, public spaces, workplaces and online. We analyse how these spaces and interfaces structure audience experience, afford interaction and encourage participation.

Networked mobile devices and computer games are increasingly prominent in today's mediascapes, supporting practices of individualised mobility and play. This unit of study critically examines the aesthetics, politics and everyday uses of these emerging cultural technologies. It draws on new media studies, game studies and platform studies to explore themes such as the complication of leisure and work spaces, new media industries, gamification, playbour and mobile social media.

This is an advanced course in HCI, Human Computer Interaction, with a focus on Pervasive Computing. It introduces the key aspects of HCI and explores these in terms of the new research towards creating user interfaces that disappear into the environment and are available pervasively, for example in homes, workplaces, cars and carried or work.

Digital media has become indispensable our heterogeneous computing and communication environment. This unit provides an overview of creating, processing, manipulating, and compressing digital media which mainly include image, audio and video. It introduces principles and current techniques such as multimedia data acquisition, analysis, processing and compression and management. It also elaborates different multimedia coding standards, various multimedia systems and cutting-edge multimedia applications such as web media.

The study of algorithms is a fundamental aspect of computing. This unit of study covers data structures, algorithms, and gives an overview of the main ways of computational thinking from simple list manipulation and data format conversion, up to shortest paths and cycle detection in graphs. Students will gain essential knowledge in computer science, including basic concepts in data structures, algorithms, and intractability, using paradigms such as dynamic programming, divide and conquer, greed, local search, and randomisation, as well NP-hardness.

Programming in a legible, maintainable, reusable way is essential to solve complex problems in the pervasive computing environments. This unit will equip students with foundation of programming concepts that are common to widely used programming languages. Students will be progressively guided in this introductory unit from necessary and important building blocks of programming to the object-oriented approach. Java, one of the most popular programming languages, is used in this unit. It provides interdisciplinary approaches, applications and examples to support students from broad backgrounds such as science, engineering, and mathematics.

This unit provides principles and practicalities of creating interactive and effective multimedia products. It gives an overview of the complete spectrum of different media platforms and current authoring techniques used in multimedia production. Coverage includes the following key topics: enabling multimedia technologies; multimedia design issues; interactive 2D and 3D computer animation; multimedia object modelling and rendering; multimedia scripting programming; post-production and delivery of multimedia applications.

This unit provides a practical introduction to recording projects. Aspects of creative production are examined alongside project planning, management and the professional delivery of master recordings to appropriate standards. The student, in consultation with their supervisor, will devise a program of practical recording projects. This program will integrate into the existing musical activities that occur at the Conservatorium and as such the hours will be flexible and may include, evening and weekend projects. In addition students will be required to attend and participate in a number of seminars/workshops.

The objectives of this unit are to introduce essential sound design concepts including editing, synchronisation, rhythm and audiovisual counterpoint; to provide an overview of the sound design for visual media process including development an understanding of the historical impact of film 'factory', radio and television broadcasting production antecedents on the design language; to learn skills in track-laying, mixing and mastering audio for different media and genres; to learn essential sound recording skills; to learn the creation of various psychoacoustic effects and atmospheres; and to learn essential file management and archiving skills; to learn essential post-production skills in computer-based sound design in a studio environment. This unit is intended to give an understanding of the theory and practice of digital audio production for various visual media including digital video, web-based and interactive media. Using the industry standard ProTools software the unit will look at current computer-based tools and techniques available to the sound designer, as well as examine the various underlying strategies, processes, and sound design philosophies. The unit will offer a grounding in the history, theory and criticism of sound design and its applicability to current digital visual media. It will introduce conventional and non-conventional production models across a range of media production modes in broadcasting and multimedia.
The sound designer's role in the process of creation of meaning will be examined in cultural as well as technical contexts of compositional practices. It is anticipated that the unit will encourage debate about and a demystification of current production practices. It will aim at developing and extending production techniques towards an individual aesthetic.
At the completion of this unit students will be expected to: understand the aural medium, essential concepts and terms; have an overview of film 'factory', radio and television broadcasting production antecedents on the design language; be acquainted with the history, theory and criticism of audiovisual technology and design; develop an audiovisual language; understand spatial aspects of sound design; and develop technical and conceptual skills in preproduction, general miking techniques, post-synchronisation dialogue, editing dialogue, producing sound effects, multi-track laying, selecting music, creating atmospheres and various psychoacoustic effects, synchronisation and related issues, and mixing sound for vision.

The aims of the internship are to provide a direct link between the academic core of the course and the disciplines and methods of practice; to enable candidates to experience aspects of practice and provide the opportunity for them to work in areas of the field outside their specific expertise; to enable candidates to observe, analyse and comment on the interaction between theoretical and practical issues of their Program as it is practiced, and to establish connections between practice and the development of relevant research programs. The internship is intended to provide the opportunity for students to work in various situations in their Program's area. A secondary intention is that students use the opportunities of placement to broaden their own experience beyond the limitations of their chosen discipline. Candidates must find a suitable professional placement. Permission to enrol is given after the proposed placement has been approved by the Program Director. The host organisation will nominate a supervisor for the student for the internship. The student must complete at least 120 hours of full or part-time experience, supervised by a practicing designer (or other professional depending upon the field). A log-book of each day's work, signed by the supervisor must be submitted on completion. A 2,000-word report on the benefits of the internship must also be produced. At the end of the internship the student will: demonstrate that they have completed a program of work (through a log-book); present a report; analyse their experiences and compare these to the theoretical content of the units they have completed, and suggest appropriate research directions so as to improve the complementarity of theory to practice.

This unit covers the technologies employed in generating, distributing, and controlling light in illuminated environments. Students learn the advantages and disadvantages of different hardware options for various lighting applications. A brief history of lighting technologies and the physical processes involved with electrically generating light are included in this unit. Practical characteristics of currently popular lamp types, as well as emerging lighting technologies, are presented. The effects of integral luminaires and other light fittings on the resulting illumination are covered, as are the electrical requirements of different lighting technologies. This unit also includes calculation techniques for predicting the illumination in spaces from lighting products. The selection, operation, and implications of lighting control options are discussed. The underlying principles and practical consequences of the different characteristics of various lighting technologies are emphasized to enable students to independently evaluate future innovations in lighting technologies.

In this unit students develop and inter-relate manufacturing and artisan skills with research, analysis and design development. It aims to develop a critical awareness of the nature of all objects, which surround us, exploring cultural, contextual and symbolic aspects of object design as well as functional and aesthetic qualities. The unit aims to increase appreciation of the materiality of objects focusing on timber as an example and introduces students to the wonderful diversity of timber species, environmental and ethical issues associated with their selection, and also emerging alternative materials. Through a series of exercises and production of their major project, students develop knowledge of construction techniques and skills in using wood/plastics tools and machinery and in so doing, build an awareness of industrial and craft practices and how they impact on the design process and outcome. Students will be expected to produce a research process journal and report on how a particular artist/s or art movement has informed or influenced their final project/s.

This practical unit will provide students with the opportunity to explore changing notions and legislative framework for public art. The course addresses the shift of focus from the making of objects in space to more self-reflexive modes of art making that use public space itself as a medium. Students will be introduced to early experimental works from the 1960s to more recent movements of DIY urbanism, public interventions and relational aesthetics. During the course students will study public artworks, through field trips and/or guest lectures and workshops with local and international artists, and work in public spaces to create their own works.

The aim of this unit of study is the learning of key technical skills for prototyping and building interactive digital media within a creative design framework. The unit provides an introduction to the fundamentals of various software and hardware construction tools, and the technological platforms available for building sensor-based interfaces. The lab sessions will be conducted as a series of intensive workshops during the first half of the semester. Students will gain practical experience through a series of exercises and assignments. For those students enrolled in IDEA9102 IDEA Studio 1, it will provide the foundation for the technical implementation of the studio project.

The aim of the studio is to explore new interaction possibilities offered by emerging digital technologies through a design-led approach. Each studio is based around one or more design projects, which address a specialised area of study, supported by lectures and seminars to introduce the relevant theory, knowledge and design precedents. The specialized areas of study will vary from semester to semester, ranging for example from small-scale wearable devices to large-scale environments, and will reflect contemporary issues in interaction, art, design, culture and technology. The studio aims to develop the student's conceptual design abilities together with their technical skills, within the framework of a highly creative, research-based and human-centred design process. Students will be expected to apply interaction design methodologies to their project work and follow a design-oriented approach to the development of hardware and software, through experimentation and iterative prototyping.

This unit aims to teach students an understanding of the stages involved in the development of software for design; skills in the design and implementation of software for design tasks and in the development of software as design tools. On the successful completion of this unit of study, students will have demonstrated through individual and group programming assignments: skills in using software tools to build interactive, visual design applications; knowledge of object-oriented programming concepts; implementation techniques such as editing, using libraries, and compilation and runtime environments; knowledge of programming language concepts including: classes, methods, object creation, instance and local variables, primitive and object types, simple I/O, and control flow; knowledge of software design and development processes including analysis of requirements, design of data-structures, functions and classes, software development lifecycles, and managing software projects. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.

This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of user interface design. Interface design is an important element of a human-centred design approach to the development of interactive computational systems. Students will learn about industry standard user interface design and usability principles and guidelines, based in visual design theory and visual perception. They will acquire practical knowledge through the application of tools and techniques for designing and evaluating user interfaces for web and mobile products. The unit increases awareness of good and bad design through observation and evaluation of existing technology, and develops appreciation of visual design principles and their impact on the user experience of interactive products. The knowledge and skills developed in this unit will equip students with the essential capabilities for working in the interaction design and user experience profession. This unit is a foundational core unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts program.

This unit of study provides an overview of a human-centred approach to the design of products and systems. It introduces students to design thinking and how it can be productively applied to different design situations. The theoretical concepts, methods and tools for the key stages of interaction design are covered including user research, ideation, prototyping and user evaluation. It provides students with the principles, processes and tools for working collaboratively on design projects in studio. The cognitive processes of individual designers are also explored. Students learn to build empathy with users, identify and reframe the problem space, develop value-driven design concepts and persuasively communicate design proposals with an emphasis on the user experience through visual storytelling.

The aim of this unit of study is the learning of key technical skills for prototyping and building interactive digital media within a creative design framework. The unit provides an introduction to the fundamentals of various software and hardware construction tools, and the technological platforms available for building sensor-based interfaces. The lab sessions will be conducted as a series of intensive workshops during the first half of the semester. Students will gain practical experience through a series of exercises and assignments. For those students enrolled in IDEA9202 IDEA Studio 2, it will provide the foundation for the technical implementation of the studio project.

The aim of the studio is to explore new interaction possibilities offered by emerging digital technologies through a design-led approach. Each studio is based around one or more design projects, which address a specialised area of study, supported by lectures and seminars to introduce the relevant theory, knowledge and design precedents. The specialized areas of study will vary from semester to semester, ranging for example from small-scale wearable devices to large-scale environments, and will reflect contemporary issues in interaction, art, design, culture and technology. The studio aims to develop the student's conceptual design abilities together with their technical skills, within the framework of a highly creative, research-based and human-centred design process. Students will be expected to apply interaction design methodologies to their project work and follow a design-oriented approach to the development of hardware and software, through experimentation and iterative prototyping.

The research project offers students the opportunity to work on an individual research project exploring current problems and issues in a wide range of application areas that would benefit from an inter-disciplinary design research approach to design, technology and human-computer interaction. Students can choose to follow one of the primary types of design research: design (a fundamental component of the research is the design and implementation of an artefact/system); empirical (empirical data gathering is required to understand a phenomenon); model (a computational model is generated to understand a phenomenon); and studio-based (creative/experimental design or artform is produced for exhibition). Students must prepare a research proposal outlining the research objectives and questions, a brief literature review, the research methodology and a timeline.
This unit of study can be taken alone (Option 1) for students wishing to focus on the practice of design research, or in conjunction with IDEA9303 Research Dissertation (Option 2) for students wishing to develop their academic research capacity and with an interest in further postgraduate research study.
For Option 1, students must submit documentation of their design work and built artefacts produced during the research. The designed/built artefacts will be assessed on the merits of their underlying design rationale or original conceptual thinking, and their implementation in the form of software, hardware, theoretical discourse or other physical manifestation. A research report should be 8,000 to 10,000 words in length.
For Option 2, a single result is given for the combined project and dissertation - see IDEA9303 for the assessment criteria.

The combined research project and dissertation offers students the opportunity to work on an individual research project exploring current problems and issues in a wide range of application areas that would benefit from an inter-disciplinary design research approach to design, technology and human-computer interaction. Students can choose to follow one of the primary types of design research: design (a fundamental component of the research is the design and implementation of an artefact/system); empirical (empirical data gathering is required to understand a phenomenon); model (a computational model is generated to understand a phenomenon); and studio-based (creative/experimental design or artform is produced for exhibition).

This unit allows students to collaborate with a private partner on a project with a strong design research character. Such project would typically not be connected to the direct commercial goals, require a certain degree of risk, and necessitates a level of technical and design expertise that is not available by the private partner. The program coordinator can choose to offer pre-approved client briefs from known external partners to interested students. Students need to submit a written project proposal, detailing the project objectives, the approach, the intended outcomes and timeline of the internship, and the agreement from the private partner. The proposal must describe how the outcomes of the internship will include the design and production of a design work that has a clear relationship to the skills and knowledge taught in the IDEA program. The total workload should reflect a 12 credit point unit of study in this degree. At completion, the student must submit: a log book (physical or digital) of their internship activities, together with a critical reflection on their design process (of at least 1000 words); a written report describing the design concept, rationale, design methodology, the development structure, and an evaluation of the design work undertaken at the internship (of at least 5000 words); and mixed media documentation of the work. The student is expected to present their work to peers and assessors. The academic supervisor, the program coordinator and the private partner will jointly assess the work. Students must seek permission to enrol from the program coordinator before the start of the teaching semester. It is at the sole discretion of the Program Director to approve the private partner and project. Approval must be sought before enrolling. Internship must end before end of semester. Credit will not be granted for this unit of study.

This is the culminating studio of the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts that provides students with a capstone experience. The aim of this studio is to draw together and synthesise the learning that has taken place during the whole degree. The student will develop a graduation design project based on an industry-focused brief. Students will work in small teams or individually to produce a design proposal and solution that addresses industry relevant issues and challenges and incorporates innovate interactions and applications of emergent technologies. The submitted design work should be of high quality suitable for professional presentation and portfolio.

This unit of study consolidates students' knowledge of advanced concepts in digital modelling and visualization media available for architectural design. The unit develops conceptual understanding and practical application of these techniques, using commercial modelling and rendering packages. It will help students: generate sophisticated 3D modelling through pre-packaged techniques and scripting processes, assign colour and texture information, generate complex photorealistic images and develop transferable conceptual skills that apply across different 3D packages and for different contexts such as modeling, animation, games assets, and photorealistic rendering. At the conclusion of this unit students should be conversant with 3D modeling and photo-rendering terminology and have the ability to produce sophisticated digital models and photorealistic images. Class preparation: 3 hours/week, assessment preparation 8 hours/semester.

The aim of this unit of study is to equip you with a conceptual understanding and technical expertise in the use of digital editing for film and video projects. You will be introduced to the use of software programs such as Final Cut Pro HD to explain how edit moving images in to a project and how moving images can be transformed over time in combination with text, masks, filters, effects and sound. You will learn how to edit and master in Final Cut Pro HD through an intensive series of tutorials film/video screenings and practical studio workshops. This will culminate in the production of a studio project. The project is to be developed in consultation with an academic adviser.

The aim of this unit of study is to provide you with a theoretical understanding of New Media forms. The concept of New Media is explored in relation to interactivity, narrative, networked space and, more specifically, the Internet. The unit provides both an historical overview and critical perspective to a range of approaches and forms that have emerged in direct relationship to the possibilities of digital technology and networked space. A range of digital, interactive and internet-based art and design projects will be examined and discussed in relation to key concepts surrounding new media. This unit will allow you to conceptualise and situate your practice both in terms of media-specific debates and the broader context of contemporary art and media discourses.

The aim of this unit of study is to give you a comprehensive understanding of techniques and approaches to enable you to create animated sequences for use in interactive media and video. Through a combination of film/video screenings, tutorials, practical studio seminars and class critiques you will be provided with an understanding of the creative potential of animation. A range of digital techniques will be explored, including the use of software programs such as Adobe Flash. You will learn techniques such as rotoscoping, and frame-by-frame animation while being introduced to fundamental approaches for producing 2D animated sequences in the digital environment. In addition, a range of other techniques such as stop-motion animation will be examined in the context of contemporary production. During the semester you will complete a short animation project that will be developed, along with supporting paper-based designs, in consultation with an academic advisor.