IT 398/599 Topics in Global IT
CDM Japan 2011 -- Computer Gaming and Animation in Japan

Quarter: Fall 2010/2011 Noriko Tomuro PhD Associate Professor tomuro@cs.depaul.edu Office: CDM 648 Tel: (312) 362-5218

Course home page: http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/japan/

Summary of the course

This course is one of the two course sequence which the students participating in the CDM Japan Study Abroad program should take.  Undergraduate students register for this course (IT 398) in the Fall and another course (ANI 390) in the Winter, for a total of 8 credits. IT 398 satisfies the Junior Year Experiential Learning domain requirement. Graduate students register for only this course (IT 599) in the Fall for 4 credit hours.

The CDM Japan Study Abroad offers students a unique opportunity to learn/observe first-hand the practices of Japanese game and animation development. A 2-week trip to Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka takes students to visit several gaming and animation companies in Japan. Through touring the studios and meeting with the developers and managers, students will learn the characteristics and practices of Japanese gaming and animation industries. Throughout the trip, students learn about the culture of Japan and how it is reflected in Japanese computer/video games and animation films.

The program is led by Noriko Tomuro (the instructor for IT 398/599) and Shiro Akiyoshi (the instructor for ANI 390).

Textbooks and reading list

There are no required textbooks for this course.  Suggested reading materials will be announced later.

Prerequisites

At least one course on gaming or animation. Recommended courses are GAM 224 or 226 (Intro to Game Design), ANI 105 (Intro to Visual Design) and GAM/IT 228 (Ethics in Computer Games and Cinema).

Course Structure

The study trip consists of three parts: pre-trip session, the trip, and post-trip session. IT398/599 is the pre-trip session (4 meetings). It will include lectures and presentations by guest speakers which provide the overview of the Gaming and Animation industries in Japan. Based on the personal interest and preliminary research, each student writes two research papers (one individual paper and one group paper).  Students also prepare questions to ask at the companies/organizations while in Japan.

ANI 390 is the post-trip session (4 meetings).  In addition to a trip journal, every student creates a final project.  The post-trip meetings will be discussions of experiences in the trip and presentations of the final projects.

Students who are in IT 599 will have to meet once after the trip to present his/her final project.

Grading:

Late assignments will not be accepted.

Tentative Schedule of the Trip Activities

School Policies

Academic Integrity Policy
This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/

Plagiarism
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.