CS 70.11A - Adobe Photoshop 1 Course Syllabus
Section 9068, Summer 2020

 

Course Description

Catalog description: This course covers the beginning skills of image production and manipulation, using the industry-standard Adobe Photoshop to work with digital images for both Web and print use.

Enhanced description: This course covers the introductory features of Photoshop CC, the premier software for creating and manipulating bit-mapped graphics. Topics include the toolbox, basic layer techniques, Bridge, selecting, painting, image sources and copyright issues, resolution, printing, strokes & fills, color and tonal correction, image repair, some filters, some automation, and more. This course is applicable to SRJC's  Computer Studies: Adobe Photoshop Entry Level Skills Certificate, and the Computer Studies: Adobe Applications Specialist Certificate. This course and CS 70.11B Photoshop 2 explore all the topics needed to pass the Adobe Certified Associate in Photoshop exam. Photoshop is essentially the same program whether running under Windows or Mac OS.

Student Learning Outcomes

These SLOs are only a partial list of what you will learn. For a complete list of course objectives, see the official SRJC course outline at CS 70.11A.

Students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competency in identifying Photoshop interface elements.
2. Construct simple documents utilizing selections, layers, and blending modes.
3. Differentiate between simple graphic file formats and choose the appropriate usage for each.

Class Communication

There are no  face-to-face or synchronous online meetings required  for this class. The required course materials (more below) are the textbook and a subscription to the Photoshop CC and Bridge CC programs. All other course materials and activities will be accessible online.

Most of my communication to the class will be through Canvas Conversations that sends email to the address that you specified when you registered for the class. It is important that you develop the habit of checking your email frequently in order to be current with the class. Online classes require more regular attention from students than face-to-face classes. Feel free to email me at bpurcell@santarosa.edu if you have any questions or comments. I respond to emails within 24 hours.

Except for the Getting Started module (June 15 - 17), each module of the course will run on a Thursday to Wednesday schedule with graded assignments due by the end of each Wednesday. Each Tuesday I will send everyone a Conversations message outlining the next module's activities. Later in the week I will send a second message with comments about the assignments that I have graded. Other class messages will be sent as needed.

Students and the instructor will also be communicating with each other through Discussions (in the menu on the left side of each Canvas page).  Discussions also has the Q&A about this course (optional) forum where you can ask for assistance from your classmates or of the instructor. There will be no recorded lectures that you need to watch but there will be many instructional videos by Photoshop professionals available to you throughout the course. 

You may optionally attend my online office hours that will be conducted using Canvas Conferences on Tuesdays, 4:00-6:00 pm. You may participate using a webcam or microphone or just text chat. I will be able share my screen to demonstrate Photoshop as needed.

Textbook

For our textbook, we are using Practical Photoshop CC 2018, Level 1 by  Donald Laird, 2018. We are fortunate that our textbook was written specifically for this course by several current and former SRJC Photoshop instructors. For more information about the textbook content, visit Practical Photoshop CC 2018, Level 1 – Tutorial Overview. To purchase the book, visit the Practical Photoshop Store page.  Be sure to get the book for CC 2018 and Level 1. The book is available in two formats: as a printable PDF file from the textbook store ($40, credit card, debit card, or PayPal) or a printed book ($59.99 typically) from Amazon.  New and/or used books may also be available in the SRJC bookstore. The PDF can be downloaded on short notice, but a printed book bought online needs time to be shipped. Some students have found the printed version more convenient for following the textbook exercises while using Photoshop on their monitor. 

Once you have purchased the book, click on PP1-CC2018-student_images.zip link on this textbook page to download the image files needed to complete the exercises in each tutorial. If you are delayed in getting your textbook, this page also has a link for a free download of the first three chapters of the textbook and a link for the pumpkin image used in Tutorials 1 and 2..

You will need Adobe Reader (version 7 or higher) to open the PDF files used in this course. If you don't already have this program, download it for free at Adobe Reader .

Software

The course materials, assignments, and quizzes use Adobe Photoshop CC. As of May 5, the current version is Photoshop CC version 21.1, released in February 2020.  I do not recommend or support the use of Photoshop CS6 or earlier versions since it may result in you having painful hair loss. If you have a Photoshop CC subscription, but it is not version 21.1, use the Update command in the Help menu of Photoshop or your Creative Cloud app to download the current version. 

The Adobe CC (Creative Cloud) software is only available as a subscription. It downloads to your computer and only works while your subscription is active. Check the hardware and software requirements before buying the subscription. Photoshop does not run well or at all on older computers. You can install and activate the software on up to two computers or devices, but you can use it on only one at a time. Some of the assignments may be completed using Photoshop installed on an iPad but we will not be covering the differences between the iPad app and the desktop apps. 

Although you can buy a one-year subscription to Adobe CC software directly from Adobe by visiting Creative Cloud Plans & Pricing, the best deal for most students is to get it through College Buys for $39.99 for 6 months or $79.98 for a year. You are required to have an .EDU email address, which you can get through SRJC student email account. Adobe Bridge is always included with Photoshop.

To download a free seven-day trial of Adobe's Photography plan, which includes Photoshop, visit Free 7-day trial. 

Normally you would be able to access Photoshop in our computer labs or library, but our campuses are currently closed through the end of the year. 

Important Dates

Day Class Begins: Monday, June 15, 2020

Day Class Ends: Sunday, August 9, 2020

Last Day to Drop and be eligible for enrollment/course fee refund: Saturday, June 20

Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: Thursday, June 25

Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol: Sunday, July 26 

Last Day to Opt for Pass/No Pass: Wednesday, June 30

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid missing the deadline for a refund, a 'W' (withdrew), or a grade. Students who do not complete one of the graded assignments by June 27 will be dropped from the class. Also, please contact me if you need to miss the deadlines for more than one module in a row.

You may take this class P/NP (Pass/No Pass) by choosing the P/NP option on your Student Portal by June 30. With a grade of 'C' or better, you will get 'P'; otherwise, you will get 'NP'. Once you file for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP, but check with a counselor first.

Graded Assignments

Each module contains a list of activities that you should complete. The graded activities consist of the Guided Exercises from the textbook, projects, discussions, and quizzes. Since this course is delivered in half the time of a normal semester, most students will need to spend 6 to 12 hours per week to complete these assignments (not including time for other reading, watching videos, and studying). As you work on the Guided Exercises, be sure to understand why each tool or command is used.

Most assignment submissions are image files. Be sure that each one has the specified pixel dimensions and file size, usually under 150 or 200 KB. By doing so, the image will have enough detail that I can evaluate it properly and yet not take up too much room on the school server. Before the due date, it's okay to re-submit an improved version of a file that was already submitted. I will only grade the last file submitted. After the due date, a file cannot be re-submitted, although it can be submitted for the first time with a late penalty (see next paragraph).

An online course has the benefit of giving you a lot of flexibility as to when and where you spend time on the class. However, since there is no structured class time, it is easy to fall behind unless you are disciplined in budgeting your time. Try to complete each assignment early so that if you run into any problems you will still have time to get help. Each file is due by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on a Wednesday. Unless you get my approval for extraordinary circumstances, each file submitted late will be docked 30% for each week and each portion of a week. For example, if a file is 8 days late,  60% of the total points possible will be subtracted from the assignment score. Files will not be accepted after two weeks late or August 9, whichever comes first. A technical problem with submitting assignments does not constitute a valid excuse.

Participation in the discussions is an important part of an online class since we do not meet face-to-face. You are part of a learning community even though you can't physically see your fellow students. Since it is important that we discuss the topics of the current module at the same time, discussion postings will only receive credit if they are made during the module time frame and therefore will not be accepted late. However, the Introduction Discussion will be accepted up to two weeks late with the same penalty as late files. Please proofread your comments carefully for grammar and spelling.

Quizzes

The dates and chapters covered by the quizzes and final exam will be listed on the Modules page. The quizzes and final exam are open book and the Photoshop and Bridge programs may be referenced, but you may not get help from another person. The questions are multiple-choice and true/false based upon the textbook, lessons, and review questions. The Getting Started Quiz has a time limit of 60 minutes, Quizzes 1-3 have a time limit of 120 minutes; the final exam has a time limit of 180 minutes. Once the time limit or the quiz/exam deadline at 11:59 pm is reached, Canvas records the number of questions answered correctly up to that point. A quiz or exam may not be taken more than once.

The Getting Started Quiz may be taken up to two weeks late with the same penalty as late files. 

For Quizzes 1-3 and the final exam, the questions are randomly drawn from a test bank. After submitting the quiz/exam, you will be immediately notified of your score. After the quiz/exam deadline, you will be able to review the questions, your answers, and the correct answers. Unless you get prior approval from me, each quiz/exam must be taken within the four days specified. For Quizzes 1-3, if you miss the deadline, you will have another week in which to take it with a penalty, 30% of the total points possible. If you miss this second opportunity, the quiz will be recorded as a zero. The final exam may not be taken late, after August 9, since I process and submit the course grades shortly afterwards. 

Technical problems with taking a quiz/exam do not constitute a valid excuse for missing a deadline. I strongly recommend that you take them well in advance of their deadlines.

If you happen to share a computer with another student in the class, you need to login as yourself before taking a quiz/exam or submitting an assignment. A quiz or exam submitted under another person's login will receive no credit.

Grading Policy

Visit Grades in Canvas to monitor your grades. I typically grade each assignment within four days of its deadline and post grades and comments in the online Canvas grade book. The following points will be assigned:

12 Textbook Guided Exercises ... 135 points (7 to 16 points each)
12 Projects ......................................104 points (6 to 20 points each)
8 Discussion posts ...........................33 points (4 to 5 points each)
4 Quizzes ........................................ 128 points (8 to 40 points each)
Final exam ........................................ 60 points
Course evaluation ...........................10 points
Total ................................................ 470 points

Your point percentage will be calculated by dividing the total points earned by the total points possible. Your course grade will be assigned according to the following percentages:

A :     90% or higher    423 points or more

B:      80% or higher    376 to 422 points

C:      70% or higher    329 to 375 points

D:      60% or higher    282 to 328 points

F:       less than 60%    below 282 points

Getting Help

• I encourage you to try to resolve problems with your assignments on your own since you will learn more and become more self-reliant. First try to solve a problem by using the Photoshop User Guide, the textbook, Lessons, Review Questions, videos, and experimentation.
• If your question or problem isn’t dire, post it in Q&A about this course forum in Discussions. Classmates can often help.
• For simpler questions, email me. For more complex problems, take advantage of my office hours so we can work with Photoshop together.

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. For more information, see the Student Code of Conduct.

Collaborating on or copying of quizzes or assignments in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that quiz or assignment. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but not their work. SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity.

Special Needs

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278). For more information, visit the DRD webpage.

Petitions to Admissions & Records

• Petition for Course Repetition Use this form if you try to register and the system tells you can't because you have already taken the class.
• Petition for a Waiver of College Regulations This form covers such things as adding late, dropping late, petitioning for Pass/No Pass late, registering in a conflicting class, and requesting a refund.

Listed below is an overview of the deadlines for the graded assignments and quizzes. However, to see all of the course activities, not just the graded ones, and see them in the order that they should be completed, visit Modules (upper left). If any change is made to the course schedule during the semester, I will update Modules and notify you by email through Canvas Conversations.