List of Blogs for MRE3014 Design Aesthetics (2017)

1. Dinesh: http://d20161075154.blogspot.my/
2. Dayrell Laxman http://zdayrell2124.blogspot.my/?m=1
3. Shafie Abdul Wahab http://shafigeny.blogspot.my/?m=1
4. Saufi Fearmyname http://xplosionaesthetic.blogspot.my
5. Ashraf Hamdan http://mralpha29.blogspot.my/?m=1
6. Muslie Lia Http:/MusD073006.Blogspot.my
7.

Plan for class replacement

I have been invited by Singapore University of Technology and Design to be a visiting fellow from 2 May to 31 July 2017. This means I have to end all my classes in MRE3014 Design Aesthetics by the end of April 2017 or Week 10.

To end the classes by Week 10, I need to replace four weeks of classes. Also, since I am going off for a holiday in Perth during the mid-term break, I will miss the first lecture after the break on 10 April. In other words, I have to replace two hours of classes. Herewith the date and time that I have to replace:

Week 8: 10 April: 2 hours. Will be replaced by a night time mid-term test in Tuanku Bainun Library.
Week 11: 3 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by a concert or performance in Panggung Buday UPSI.
Week 12: 8 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by a workshop to build aesthetics assessment form.
Week 13: 15 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by a workshop to build aesthetics assessment rubrics.
Week 13: 17 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by the Assignment 2 Trip to Tanjong Malim Town.
Week 14: 22 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by the Assignment 2 Trip to Tanjong Malim Town.
Week 14: 24 May: 2 hours. Will be replaced by the Assignment 2 Trip to Tanjong Malim Town.

Learning Journal

I am having a discussion with the students on the nature of assignment 1. We decided to have a digital blog instead hand-written learning journal. I also showed the students how to write a blog post using Blogger which can be downloaded from Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.blogger) 

Herewith the specifications of this assignment: 

Assignment 1: Learning Journal (30%)

Descriptions:

This individual assignment requires students to keep a learning journal that records their learning events while playing the role as apprentice designers throughout this course, i.e. 160 hours of learning time.

Objective:

Upon the completion of this assignment, students will be able to relate the issues to do with the varieties form of traditional art and modern art which includes the visual arts, music and performing arts from various culture. (ILO2)

Instructions:

1. Register and open a Blogger account for MRE3014.         

2.  Record your learning in every formal lecture, practical activity, self-study events.

3.  State the time you spent on each learning event.  

4.  You may use any language (preferably English) to write the journal.

5.  Refer to any formal guideline for writing effective learning journal.

Submission channels:

Post your blog link in the Facebook group.

Deadlines

1^st submission for comment: by 9:00 pm, 31 March 2017 (Week 7)

Final submission: 30 April 2017 (Week 10)

[Late submission = 0%]

Evaluation Criteria (1-10; 1 = unacceptable; 10 = excellent)

        I.            Appropriateness of the learning records for the course (1-10)

      II.            Adequacy of description (1-10)

    III.            Adequacy of analysis (1-10)

    IV.            Legitimacy of learning reflection (1-10)

      V.            Clarity of presentation (1-10)

Unfold the Beauty of Tanjong Malim

I am planning a group assignment for the second cohort of 2016/2017 students. This assignment would involve a day of field work in Tanjong Malim town on a Saturday (8am - 4pm).

The assignment aims to afford learners to assess and appreciate the beauty of man-made products in Tanjong Malim town.

Prior to the field work, there will be a day workshop, to be conducted on a Saturday or Sunday to design and develop aesthetic assessment rubrics.

Herewith the tasks of this assignment:
Part 1
1. Form a group of four to attend a workshop.
2. Design an aesthetic assessment form to assess a piece of applied art in Tanjong Malim town based on objectivism, subjectivism, relativism or emotivism.
3. Develop a set of comprehensive rubrics for the following:
3.1 Four dimensions of design
3.2 Two types of creativity
3.3 Four criteria of creativity

Part 2
1. Gather at the Main Entrance of UPSI at 8am for a briefing.
2. Walk to Tanjong Malim town.
3. Identify an applied art in Tanjong Malim town as the subject matter of aesthetic assessment.
4. Collect data and evidence of the subject matter.
5. Assess the subject matter based on the data and evidence using the form and rubrics developed in Part 1.
6. Write a report based on the assessment.
7. Present the report in video form (4 person x 2 minutes)
8. Upload the video to YouTube and post the video to Facebook group.

The importance of interactive lecture note

A good lecture is a good combination of lecture material and the method of presentation of the lecturer.

Storytelling is indeed an interesting teaching approach.

Yes, you are the chosen one!

Quite a lot of my past Design Aesthetics students complained to me that the programme they are taking now is not actually what they aim for. Some of them were upset and kept trying to change programme during their study.

As a matter of fact, they were chosen by UPSI from a huge pool of students who applied for studying in public universities through the UPU system. The choice of UPSI is grounded on the developmental need of the nation, and the need has been justified and verified by various governmental agencies, including MQA, EPU, KPT, etc.

Since each of the students is sponsored by Malaysian Government--the students pay only 10% of the actual fee while the rest is covered by tax payers' money, the Government will choose students to pursue in a specific programme based on the need of nation development.

In a word, it is not the students failed to choose what they want to study; in contrary, it is the country managed to choose students to study what will be good for the development of our country. 

Yes, YOU are the chosen one!

Gamifying Design Aesthetics Course

I appointed Ms Apple Looi to be the demonstrator of MRE3014 Design Aesthetics. Her first task is to support the gamification of the course.

The intended learning outcomes (ILOs) are:
1. To explain the principles and the appreciation of beauty in the form of arts. 2. To relate the issues to do with the varieties form of traditional art and modern art which includes the visual arts, music and performing arts from various culture.
3. To demonstrate and formulate the concept of beauty based on certain principles, system and techniques, concept and criteria.
4. To analyze and criticize the aspects contained in art forms which would be learned according to robust verbal and written arguments and evidence.

First thing first, we need to conduct a constructive alignment, aligning intended learning outcomes with learning activities. So far, I have proposed three assignments as the major learning activities:

1. Assignment 1: Personal Website for Learning Reflection
2. Assignment 2: Team-based Participation in Corporate Video Animatics Competition
3. Assignment 3: Group-based Involvement in PECIPTA 2015

Prior to the briefing of assignments, we have to explain the difference between team work and group work. Also,  we need to justify how the outcome of each assignment contributes to the attainment of the course learning outcomes.

In Assignment 1, the specifications used in last semester will be reused, in which sample assignments (excellent and bad quality of works) will be shown.

In Assignment 2, the learning events can be divided into three parts:

Part 1: instilling fundamental knowledge and skills in animatics design.
a. learning how to generate ideas for a short story
b. learning how to develop story idea according to three-act structure
c. learning how to write script
d. learning how to visualize a storyline using thumbnail board and storyboard
e. learning how to design audio and pace for an animatic.
f. learning how to add title sequence and credits for a corporate video.

Part 2: Transferring knowledge and skills into actual practice via competition
a. Forming teams for animatics competition
b. Role playing in design teams (producer, director, script writter, storyboard artist, audio designer, editor)
c. Design project management (Scrum)
d. Design project presentation

Part 3: Winning in design competition
a. Enrolling in the 48 Hour Corporate Video Animatics Design Competition
b. Preparing personal reference library for winning a competition
c. PPPPP in competition
d. Post mortem of lessons learned from participating design competition

In Assignment 3, all students will be appointed as secret design agents in which they will examine an invention exhibit presented in PECIPTA 2015. They will learn:
a. how to develop assessment rubric using four dimensions of design,  three levels of emotional design, and four principles of pleasure in design aesthetics.
b. how to assess the design quality of an invention