Course description
What is the course about?
-The course includes the following topics together with many others
-Provision of knowledge and theories in advanced multimedia and networking technology
-Development of practical skills in modelling and designing multimedia and/or networked systems
-Application of advanced interactive multimedia technology to development of e-commerce systems
-Use of advanced multimedia facilities and professional software tools for multimedia systems development
What are career prospects of the course?
-The course offers a variety of career opportunities, e.g.
-Multimedia systems development
-Multimedia title production
-Games and entertainment development
-Multimedia systems management
-Interactive electronic publishing
-Virtual reality development and application
-Further research by PhD
-Companies employing students from the course include BT, Marconi
-Communications, Seagate, Unilever, Littlewoods, Tubedale
-Communications, Chance and Hunt, Eli Lilly, and FraserWilliams.
What are the course details?
A multimedia computing system is one which combines a range of
technologies to increase the range and depth of presentation, interaction
and processing, with that system and with other users. These
technologies include: video, graphics, animation and sound for greater
presentation; graphical user interfaces and speech recognition for greater
user input; and network and communication technologies for greater
group and social communication.
The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Panel of
the Foresight programme, which brought together business, academia
and government in the UK to identify emerging opportunities in markets
and technologies, indicates that interactive multimedia systems are
becoming available to domestic consumers and mass markets, and
creating many new business opportunities that constitute the next major
generation of IT evolution.
The course aims to exploit the above business and technology
opportunities by providing students with a fuller understanding of current
and developing multimedia technologies, facilitating them in the
development of expertise and skills in the topic areas, and further
developing students' analytical, creative, problem-solving and research
skills.
The programme learning outcomes define that at the end of the course,
students should:
Be aware of current and developing principles and practices within
interactive multimedia systems
Have widened and deepened their knowledge and skills in the areas of
multimedia systems and their applications
Have been exposed to and applied a range of tools and techniques
currently being used in the development of interactive multimedia
systems
Have critically analysed and developed a major piece of work in the area
Be able to understand current research issues in the relevant aspects of
interactive multimedia systems
Be able to study independently and have developed research
methodology skills
Be able to work more effectively as part of a team or as a team leader
The course consists of the following core and option modules
delivered in the semesters of each academic year:
SEMESTER 1 CORE MODULES
-Multimedia Technology
-Multimedia Systems Development
-Research Methods
SEMESTER 1 OPTION MODULES
-Database Design and Technology
-Computer Networks
-Computer Security
-Software Agents
-Forensic Computing
SEMESTER 2 CORE MODULES
-Human Computer Interaction
-Advanced Multimedia Technology
SEMESTER 2 OPTION MODULES
-Internetworking
-Computer Supported CooperativeWork
-Multimedia DevelopmentWorkshop
-Multimedia Database Systems
-Knowledge-Based Systems
-Virtual Reality
-Mobile Computing
-Network Security
-Location Based Systems
-Project Dissertation
The five core modules have been designed to offer a study of current
techniques in development of interactive multimedia systems and
research methodologies. In addition to the core modules, a minimum of
three options must be selected from the above lists of option modules.
As a particular example, the core modules, together with the options on
Database Design and Technology, Multimedia Database Systems, and
Knowledge-Based Systems, will provide a 'Multimedia Information
Systems' based specialism.
In Semester 1, full-time students normally study all the three core
modules listed above and one option module selected. Part-time
students normally study two core modules in the first year, and the third
core module and one option module selected in the second year.
In Semester 2, full-time students normally study the two core modules
listed above and two option modules selected. Part-time students
normally study the two core modules in the first year, and two option
modules in the second year.
For Project Dissertation, students normally complete their projects by the
end of August, after the completion of all the five core and three selected
option modules.
Some details of the core modules and the brief summaries of the option
modules for the course are given below:
MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY
This module offers an understanding of the current hardware for sound
and video, and relevant software development tools for supporting the
development of general integrated multimedia applications. It also covers
the critical evaluation of multimedia technologies and associated
standards. In particular, recent technologies such as virtual reality and the
integrated use of various authoring tools are examined. Case studies are
used for practical hands on experience of building and evaluating
multimedia systems.
Topics studied include media types and their attributes such as speech and
moving images, analogue/digital conversion, hardware components such as
sound cards, software components, virtual reality, tools and case studies.
MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
This module provides student with an understanding of multimedia
programming and design as well as multimedia object oriented
programming. It offers students practical skills in multimedia systems
development, and introduces them to recent developments in
multimedia applications (e.g. e-commerce) and research.
Topics studied include distributedmultimedia development, the role of objectorientation
in modelling and designing multimedia systems, development of
multimedia classes and applications using the Java Media Framework (JMF)
and Internet-based authoring tools, research topics and recent developments
in multimedia systems development and programming.
RESEARCH METHODS
This module provides a grounding in research methods as they apply to
research in computing and information systems. It outlines essential
considerations when conducting experimental research, survey research,
field research, etc., and allows an opportunity to analyse research papers
and develop familiarity with research areas and approaches. It also
provides students with an opportunity to plan and develop an individual
research strategy suitable for a Master's dissertation.
Topics studied include a variety of research methods and processes,
general components of surveys and field studies, issues in problem
analysis, topical research sources, and the requirements of a dissertation.
HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION
This module offers an understanding of human computer interaction
(HCI) as a multi-disciplinary subject, with a special focus on interactivity
and usability in computer systems and software development. It provides
students with an informed appreciation of the importance of HCI to a
successful understanding of the problem domain and the consequent
effective use of resources. It also covers the latest development in HCI
studies and research, and its application to new technologies such as
multimedia, electronic authoring and publishing, and virtual reality.
Topics studied include HCI definition and context, current application,
measurement techniques and theories, cognitive and educational
psychology, communications theory, graphic arts, technical writing,
industry standards and guidelines, prototyping tools and relevant
research issues.
ADVANCED MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY
This module offers a further understanding of multimedia systems,
development of their relevant components, the need for synchronisation
between various media types and the techniques for achieving it. It
provides students with an in-depth understanding of: compression
techniques, storage technology and global multimedia information
systems applicable to e-commerce, and relates advanced architectural
developments to multimedia trends.
Topics studied include compression techniques and related standards,
multimedia storage techniques, distributed filing systems, globalmultimedia
information systems, case studies and relevant research issues.
FORENSIC COMPUTING
This module is intended for post-graduate students interested in the field
of forensic computing. The purpose of the module is to provide the
fundamental technical concepts and research issues essential for
computer forensic investigations within the organisation, law
enforcement or national security.
DATABASE DESIGN ANDTECHNOLOGY allows students to gain skills in
the development of database applications and to acquire an
understanding of advanced databases.
COMPUTER NETWORKS enables students to develop effective network
architectures at hardware and software levels and to gain practical
experience in communication protocols.
COMPUTER SECURITY develops an understanding of security threats
and vulnerabilities, and assesses the applicability of various techniques
for system protection.
SOFTWARE AGENTS offers an understanding of the mobile agent
paradigm and investigates the application of mobile agent systems to real
world problems.
INTERNETWORKING develops an understanding of global distributed
multimedia systems and skills in the development of such systems and
supporting networks.
VIRTUAL REALITY offers students opportunities to develop skills in
desktop virtual reality worlds construction and applications evaluation.
COMPUTER SUPPORTED COOPERATIVE WORK demonstrates to
students the applications of groupware systems and develops their skills
in the evaluation of groupware applications.
MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP provides students with
opportunities to apply analysis and modelling techniques and associated
tools to develop interactive multimedia applications.
MULTIMEDIA DATABASE SYSTEMS examines the characteristics of
multimedia data, the current trends in multimedia database systems, and
the corresponding research issues.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS provides an understanding of
knowledge-based information systems and the corresponding problem
solving technologies.
MOBILE COMPUTING offers an advanced understanding of the theory and
practice ofmobile computing and an in-depth study of devices, applications and
middleware services for support of mobile systems design.
NETWORK SECURITY offers an understanding of various securities
vulnerabilities and threats in computer networks and the importance of
network security. It develops the ability to carry out critical assessment
of a variety of security technologies for protection of computer networks.
LOCATION BASED SYSTEMS examines the design and implementation
of a navigation server in location based systems in a mobile computing
environment.
