Grading

• Bona Kim's final project is explained well

• [[http://creativespirited.com/2011/12/12/lilypad-accelerometer-dancing-skirt/

| Bona Kim's final project]] is explained well

• Matt Richardson's blog documents the weekly labs well and he wrote up his final project nicely as well.
• Nicely detailed blog throughout the semester from Roopa Vasudevan
• Another detailed narrative from Justin Lange
• Good narrative blog from Owen Roberts
• Useful questions at the end of each blog post, for next class:
• Nice example of the first Arduino lab turned into a game by Mimi Onouoha
• Moustache switch by Tak Cheung, nicely documented in video.

• Morgen Fleisig's intro to physical computing blog

Some good project summary sites:

Good documentation should include a description and illustration of your project. You should include what it looks like, what it does, what the user or participant does in response. It should give enough information that someone from outside ITP, who's never seen the project, can get an understanding of what your project is.

You should also include a section describing the workings of the project, aimed at a more informed reader (me, or next year's classmates), so that the details of production are clear. It doesn't have to include every scrap of code and circuit diagram, but it should make clear what the major components of the system are, and how they communicate, and what the code, if any, does.

Pictures and video help a lot.

 Some good project summary sites:

• http://www.tweenbots.com/ by Kacie Kinzer
• http://tomgerhardt.com/fireLight/ By Tom Gerhardt. Simple project, doesn't need a lot to introduce it.
• http://thomas-gerhardt.com/itp/FeltResistor/ Nice explanation of why, and summary of how it works, in a sentence or two.
• http://amandabernsohn.com/pinholepaintercamera/about.html Great summary and detail of the process. Complemented well by her partner Chris' blog, journaling the day to day progress: http://itp.nyu.edu/blogs/cdc214/category/physical-computing/

• Morgen Fleisig's intro to physical computing blog

Grading

Participation & Attendance: 40%
Production Assignments: 40%\\

• John Schimmel John's journal offers good explanations of all of his projects. His post titles are descriptive, so you can skip around and know a bit about what you're getting.

Good documentation habits for this class:

Pictures help a lot.

There is a lab activity for nearly every class in the first half of the semester. They are very short, simple activities. These are the basic steps you need to go through to understand the principle discussed in class each week. They're designed to help you not only to understand the technical details, but also to get a feel for what the technologies we're discussing can do, so that you can incorporate them into actual applications. You should at least complete the steps outlined in the lab activity each week, so that you understand practically what it is we're talking about. Document on your blog any discoveries you make, pitfalls you hit, and details not covered in the class or the lab that you think will be useful for your fellow students and future students in this class.

Production Assignments

For production assignments, you'll be expected to present your project in class on the day that it's due. If you're working in a group, all group members should be present, and should participate equally in the presentation.

You are expected to keep an online journal of your progress. The purpose of the journal is twofold. First, it is a valuable way for you to communicate to your instructor that you are keeping up with the work in the class. We read the journals to see how students are doing, so you should update your journal regularly throughout the semester. At a minimum, reference to each week's work is expected, as well as reference to the readings, and thorough documentation of the production projects and technical research. Second, the journal is a way to document your work for your own use and that of others. Many ITP students have found themselves using their journals as a place to store notes, code samples, and more.

Good Blog habits for this class:

Laptops

Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones

Please put them on vibrate or turn them off before you come to class unless they are part of your project. If you have an emergency that requires you to answer your phone during class, please tell your instructor ahead of time.

Lab Assignments

• Chris Cerrito's blog - his notes on his final project, Pinhole Painter, are very detailed.

• Alexander Reeder's intro to physical computing blog - concise, clear notes on what he did, code where it's useful, helpful pictures.

• Petra Farinha's intro to physical computing blog

• Jason Babcock's journal These are notes Jason kept throughout his time at ITP. Each section covers the technical details of a specific project. Sometimes the task is part of a larger project, and sometimes it's a project in itself. This is an excellent example of how to document the tech details of your projects.

Laptop use is fine if you are using your laptop to present in class, or if we're in the middle of an exercise that makes use of it. Whenever classmates are presenting or we're in the midst of a class discussion, however, please keep your laptop closed. The quality of the class depends in large part on the quality of your attention and active participation, so please respect that and close your lid.

You are expected to participate in the class' online journal, which takes the form of a collaboratively-edited wiki or blog. The purpose of the journal is twofold. First, it is a valuable way for you to communicate to your instructor that you are keeping up with the work in the class. We read the journals to see how students are doing, so you should update your journal regularly throughout the semester. At a minimum, reference to each week's work is expected, as well as reference to the readings, and thorough documentation of the three main projects and technical research. Second, the journal is a way to document your work for your own use and that of others. Many ITP students have found themselves using their journals as a place to store notes, code samples, and more.

You may choose to document your major projects in a separate individual or group site if you choose, but you will be expected to link your site to the main site, and contribute to the class site as well nonetheless. Please avoid flash, shockwave, or other sites that are not text-searchable, as they won't show up on search engines for others to use.

• John Schimmel John's journal offers good explanations of all of his projects. You can see that, like Geraldine's, his journal is in reverse chronological order, perhaps because of the way his blog software defaults. But his post titles are descriptive, so you can skip around and know a bit about what you're getting.

Lab Assignments

Midterm: 15%\\

• Saranont Limpananont Though his journal is not for the physical computing class, Nont's journal is an excellent example. He combines thoughtful critical reading notes, details on his technical process, and clear descriptions of his projects. His documentation of Physical SimVillage is a good example of a summary of the project that's independent from his working notes.
• (see the Constructions link). Sasha details how she's made her project very nicely. Her explanations and parts lists make it clear how to make your own.

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• Geraldine Sarmiento Geraldine's is a good example of a recent physical computing journal. Her notes on her process are clear even if you don't know the project, and she includes photos and code samples where necessary.

• Jason Babcock's journal These are notes Jason kept throughout his time at ITP. Each section covers the technical details of a specific project. Sometimes the task is part of a larger prohect, and sometimes it's a project in itself. This is an excellent example of how to document the tech details of your projects.

Observation

Midterm and Final

Showing up on time, engaging in the class discussion, and offering advice and critique on other projects in the class is a major part of your grade. Please be present and prompt. Lateness will hurt your grade. If you're going to be late or absent, please email your instructor in advance. If you have an emergency, please let your instructor know as soon as you can. Please turn in assignments on time as well.

Lab Assignments

Observation?

The key to good design of interactive systems is good observation. Your first major assignment in this class is about observation and description of what you observed. The techniques you develop in this assignment should also be used in the planning of your midterm and final.

Midterm? and Final

There are two production projects during the semester. In these projects, you will observe and document a situation in which you can use physical computing techniques, and develop a prototype to fit the situation. You will also test it and report on it.

For the midterm project, you will be assigned to work in a group. For the final project, and for the final, you may work alone or in groups, as you choose. There will be four to seven assigned groups, depending on class size.

More details on the projects can be found at the links above.

Journal & Documentation

You are expected to participate in the class' online journal, which takes the form of a collaboratively-edited wiki or blog. The purpose of the journal is twofold. First, it is a valuable way for you to communicate to me that you are keeping up with the work in the class. I will read the journal to see how students are doing, and the journal should be updated regularly throughout the semester. At a minimum, reference to each week's work is expected, as well as reference to the readings, and thorough documentation of the three main projects and technical research. You may choose to document your major projects in a separate individual or group site if you choose, but you will be expected to link your site to the main site, and contribute to the class site as well nonetheless. Please avoid flash, shockwave, or other sites that are not text-searchable, as they won't show up on search engines for others to use.

(:include Intro.Nav:)

Participation & Attendance: 20%
Lab Assignments: 15%
Observation Project: 10%
Project 2: 15%
Final: 20%
Journal: 20%

• Many others

Participation & Attendance: 20% Lab Assignments: 15% Observation Project: 10% Project 2: 15% Final: 20% Journal: 20%

Participation & Attendance

Showing up on time, engaging in the class discussion, and offering advice and critique on other projects in the class is a major part of your grade. Please be present and prompt. Lateness will hurt your grade. If you're going to be late or absent, please email me in advance. If you have an emergency, please let me know as soon as you can. Please turn in assignments on time as well.

Laptops

Laptop use is fine if you are using your laptop to present in class, or if we're in the middle of an exercise that makes use of it. Whenever classmates are presenting or we're in the midst of a class discussion, however, please keep your laptop closed. The quality of the class depends in large part on the quality of your attention and active participation, so chat live with your classmates in an old-school, oral way.

Lab Assignments:

There is a lab activity for nearly every class in the first half of the semester. They are very short, simple activities. These are the basic steps you need to go through to understand the principle discussed in class each week. They're designed to help you not only to understand the technical details, but also to get a feel for what the technologies we're discussing can do, so that you can incorporate them into actual applications. There are application suggestions in many of them as well. I expect that each student will at least complete the steps outlined in the lab activity each week, so that you understand practically what it is we're talking about. Document any discoveries you make, pitfalls you hit, and details not covered in the class or the lab that you think will be useful for your fellow students and future students in this class.

Projects:

There are two production projects and one observation project during the semester. In these projects, you will observe and document a possible situation in which you might use physical computing techniques and develop a prototype to fit the situation. In the production projects you will also test it and report on it.

For the first two projects, you will be assigned to work in a group. For the other project, and for the final, you may work alone or in groups, as you choose. There will be four to seven assigned groups, depending on class size.

More details on the projects can be found in the project brief.

Journal & Documentation:

You are expected to participate in the class' online journal, which takes the form of a collaboratively-edited wiki. The purpose of the journal is two-fold. First, it is a valuable way for you to communicate to me that you are keeping up with the work in the class. I will read the journal to see how students are doing, and the journal should be updated regularly throughout the semester. At a minimum, reference to each week's work is expected, as well as reference to the readings, and thorough documentation of the three main projects and technical research. You may choose to document your major projects in a separate individual or group site if you choose, but you will be expected to link your site to the main site, and contribute to the class site as well nonetheless. Please avoid flash, shockwave, or other sites that are not text-searchable, as they won't show up on search engines for others to use.

Blogs are great for documenting your process, as they're usually defaulted to organizing the information chronologically. However, projects summarized in a blog can be confusing. It's often worthwhile to set up a separate page or pages to summarize your projects when they're done.

You should document your projects thoroughly. Plan in advance, and perhaps as a group, to have what you need to document at least your midterms and finals. Photos, video, drawings, schematics, and notes are all valuable forms of documentation. Explain the project at the beginning of your documentation, so that people who come to the site from outside this class will understand the overview before they get the explanation.

Don't overload your notes with code. If you've made a big improvement on an existing piece of code, post your new code, and link to the code you based it on (just as you would in citing a pervious author in a paper). If you only changed one part of an existing program, post only the part you changed, and link to the original. Make sure any code you post is well-commented, so you and others can understand what it does.

Always cite the sources of your code, the places you learned techniques from, and the inspirations of your ideas. This is the equivalent to citing your sources in a written paper, and copying code or techniques without attribution is plagiarism. few ideas come out of the blue, and your readers can learn a lot from the sources you learned from or were inspired by.

Work on this as you go, don't put it off until the end. Your fellow classmates will find your notes as useful too.

See the template with areas you should consider for each project.

A few good recent sample journals:

• Jason Babcock's journal These are notes Jason kept throughout his time at ITP. Each section covers the technical details of a specific project. Sometimes the task is part of a larger prohect, and sometimes it's a project in itself. This is an excellent example of how to document the tech details of your projects.
• Geraldine Sarmiento Geraldine's is a good example of a recent physical computing journal. Her notes on her process are clear even if you don't know the project, and she includes photos and code samples where necessary.
• John Schimmel John's journal offers good explanations of all of his projects. You can see that, like Geraldine's, his journal is in reverse chronological order, perhaps because of the way his blog software defaults. But his post titles are descriptive, so you can skip around and know a bit about what you're getting.
• Saranont Limpananont Though his journal is not for the physical computing class, Nont's journal is an excellent example. He combines thoughtful critical reading notes, details on his technical process, and clear descriptions of his projects. His documentation of Physical SimVillage is a good example of a summary of the project that's independent from his working notes.
• Sasha Harris-Cronin (see the Constructions link). Sasha details how she's made her project very nicely. Her explanations and parts lists make it clear how to make your own.
• Jen Lewin's Blueink site (see the physical computing link). Jen taught this class a few years ago, and her syllabus is still helpful. Her documentation of her own projects is good too.

Many others