Course Syllabus
CS 70.12 Advanced Photoshop
Instructor: Donald Laird
Phone: (707) 524-1809
Email: dlaird@santarosa.edu (usually answered within two business days). All email to me MUST have your section number somewhere in the subject line, or I will not read it. I will check my class email at least three times a week, usually on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Office Hours:
- TBA
Course Description
This course for the Photoshop-experienced student explores Photoshop's advanced features in depth. You must have successfully completed CS 70.11B in order to take this class.
Photoshop Advanced Concepts is a fast-paced, high level course designed to familiarize you with the majority of commands and features of Adobe Photoshop. Nearly every topic on the Adobe Certified Expert exam in Photoshop will be discussed.
Photoshop is such a complex application that you have probably forgotten or "missed" some skills and concepts from your beginning classes. Don't panic. The class materials review the basic information, and then add to it. The key to Photoshop is using the program. To give you both practice and creative expression, you will have a project to do nearly every week to practice that week's topic. You will submit your work online, and your work will be displayed to your classmates in project galleries. You will find that one of the most significant learning opportunities of the class is to see and evaluate your classmates' projects.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. Differentiate between Photoshop image modes.
2. Create documents using Photoshop's vector elements.
3. Manipulate an image using Photoshop's painting tools and controls.
Expectations
This syllabus lays out the guidelines and rules for the class. You are held responsible for reading and following it.
Be realistic about how much time this FOUR UNIT class takes. Budget yourself 6-8 hours a week to experiment with the skills presented each week, and complete the projects, worksheets, and exams.
Due to the complexity of this course, regular attendance is essential. If you must be absent, talk to me in advance.
If you are enrolled in the online section, you are required to watch the class lecture videos each week. I highly recommend not watching the videos in the browser. Instead, download them to your computer first, then watch them from there.
Any email you send to me must be sent to the email address listed on the top of this page, and MUST have your section number in the subject line of each email you send. Any email sent incorrectly will be ignored!
Students are expected to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards.
Books and Materials
Textbook
None. All the necessary material will be provided via class lecture and handouts.
You may not print class materials, web pages or PDF documents in the CS labs. If you want printouts and do not have your own printer, there are pay to print stations in the SRJC library in Petaluma and the CyBear Center in Santa Rosa.
Hardware Requirements
- You may either use your own computer equipment and ISP or come into the CS lab in either Petaluma or Santa Rosa during open lab hours to access course materials and complete coursework.
Software Requirements
-
Access to Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 or CC 2017 for the Macintosh or Windows. Older versions will not be sufficient to complete all of the course assignments. If you have an older version of Photoshop, you can either upgrade it or do those assignments that rely on the new features found in CC 2017 in an SRJC computer lab, or somewhere else that has the latest software.
Grading Criteria and Procedures
Your final grade will be based on your scores on weekly assignments, quizzes, a midterm exam, a final exam, and a final project.
| Percentage | Grade |
|---|---|
| 90 - 100% | A |
| 80 - 89% | B |
| 70 - 79% | Pass or C |
| 60 - 69% | No Pass or D |
| Below 60% | No Pass or F |
In addition to receiving at least 70%, you must complete the midterm exam, final exam, and final project to pass the class.
As I grade, I record my comments in the online grade book. If I have a problem with one of your assignments, I may ask you to re-submit it. If you see a zero score for any assignment, but do not have any comments in the feedback section of the gradebook page, it means that I have not finished grading the assignment yet.
Nearly every time you upload a project file, you will also fill out an online documentation form. This form goes into my electronic gradebook. IF YOU DON'T FILL OUT THE DOCUMENTATION FORM, I WILL NOT GRADE YOUR ASSIGNMENT. You will receive NO CREDIT without the form.
If you submit both the assignment, and the form, and your gradebook shows a zero, that means I have not graded your assignmentou yet. If I purposely give you a zero on an assignment, I will also put a comment in the gradebook explaining why you didn't get any points. If you get a positive comment from me, and your grade still shows zero, that means I forgot to enter your assignment points into the gradebook. If that happens, please email me so I can give you the points you earned.
Pass/No Pass
You may take this class pass/no pass. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online. With a grade of C or better, you will pass. Once you decide to go for pass/no pass, you cannot change back to a grade.
Assignment Submission
You will turn in assignments online either by uploading the file to a specific Web location (drop box) or by completing an online form or quiz, depending on the assignment. If you cannot submit an assignment because of technical difficulties, please phone or email me immediately.
Each week you will have at least one assignment to turn in. Typically, you will have one week to complete assignments.
Assignments are due on the following Monday at 11:59 pm. After that, work will be considered late.
Late Assignments
Advanced Photoshop Concepts is a very time-consuming class with assignments due every week. Getting behind can seriously hamper your ability to catch up. I will not accept any assignments more than 1 week late, unless you have made prior arrangements with me. All late assignments will be penalized 50%.
Quizzes and Exams
To save class time for Photoshop, and get immediate feedback, you will take all your quizzes and tests online. Each exam is on a Web page. When you take an exam, you get a message letting you know the test has been submitted and the quiz results. You will take a quiz at the end of the Week 1 notes, so that you can get used to the process. Beginning with quiz 3, I will be expecting quizzes and exams to be completed within a certain time limit. You will be allowed one minute per question on the quiz (for example, a 7-question quiz will have a 7-minute time limit).
If for some reason, you are unable to complete a scheduled test, you must make PRIOR arrangements to reschedule. No make-ups will be given without instructor approval prior to the exam date. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score.
Do not load a quiz or exam more than once (the testing system reports to me if you load a quiz or exam more than once). I will subtract points from your final score on the quiz or exam if you load it more than once. This includes before, during, or after you have completed the quiz or exam. The only exception to this rule is if you have a technical problem during a quiz or exam (for example, if your computer crashes or your Internet connection goes down), then you may re-load the quiz or exam. If this happens, send me email immediately, letting me know what happened. In some cases, you will get immediate feedback on how you did, but in other cases you will not. In any case, you will see a screen letting you know the assignment was submitted.
How to Study for This Class
-
Have realistic expectations.
You can’t do it all - use the notes as a guide. -
Watch the lecture videos.
The course content comes primarily from the class lectures. Be sure to watch the lecture videos before doing the class projects or taking quizzes. -
Study general concepts.
Quizzes focus on material from the current week’s lecture and notes. - There is a lot of material to cover, but I want you to feel successful, not unduly pressured. Photoshop should be fun!!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can the class be taken Pass/No Pass?
A. Yes, it can.
Q. Does it matter if I use a Mac or Windows computer for this class?
A. Photoshop is one of the best cross-platform software applications. You may use either platform.
Q. Can I complete the class if I have an older version of Photoshop?
A. No. You will need to be using Photoshop CC 2015 or CC 2017 for many of the assignments.
Q. How do I prepare an image to submit?
A. Use File > Save for Web to save a low-resolution, web-optimized version of your (layered) PSD document.
File Preparation and Submission
- Save a copy of your original image in Photoshop format. This gives it a PSD extension.
- Use the Save for Web (Legacy) or Export As dialog box to name it as instructed in that week's lecture, and change it to JPEG format for fast transmission. Here's how to set the correct settings in the Save for Web dialog box:
- Determine whether the height or width is larger (in pixels)
- Enter 800 for the larger dimension in the Image Size section
- Click anywhere in the dialog box, outside of the size entry field - this sets the dimensions to 800x800 or smaller
- Adjust the JPG quality slider to get the file size as close to 300k as possible (check the file size in the dialog box)
Submitted homework files must be 800 pixels on the longest side and as close to 300 kb as possible, unless I tell you otherwise.
- Upload the JPEG--not the PSD--to the drop box for that assignment. Assignments submitted to the wrong drop box will not be graded.
Online Components
This class contains some online components. In the traditional college classroom, assignments are turned in on paper, and returned to students with corrections and grades. Periodically, instructors give quizzes and tests, again on paper. In this class, you will be submitting these all online.
Assignments are Submitted by Web Page Forms and Email, and Grades are Viewed Electronically
You will turn in your work by dropping it into an inbox. Each assignment will include specific submission instructions. Some assignments are web pages where you view an online form, answer questions, and press the submit button.
Quizzes and Tests are Submitted on Web Pages
Each exam is on a Web page. When you take an exam, you get a message letting you know the test has been submitted, as well as your test results. You'll take a quiz at the end of these notes, so that you can get used to the process.
Here's to a terrific semester!
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|