Amethyst is pleased to announce that Jonathan Kaye 
              will teach the first ever 10-week developer course at Drexel 
              University's Goodwin College of Professional Studies in Philadelphia. 
              This project-oriented class will be open for registration to developers 
              in the community who wish to increase their skills in building online 
              simulation-based training and product prototypes. 
            Description 
              Computerized, interactive device simulations, such as flight 
              simulators, enable learning when it is impractical or inconvenient 
              to use the real device. The array of multimedia tools available 
              today makes the production of interactive simulations accessible 
              to a wider audience of designers and programmers. These tools facilitate 
              the process of creating simulations such that the challenge of producing 
              them is less about how to program the specific elements involved, 
              and more about how to manage the complexities of developing a simulation. 
              In other words, you need good methodologies for planning, organizing, 
              designing, and implementing an interactive device simulation. That 
              is where this class comes in. 
             Over the ten weeks of this course, students learn to create web-based 
              interactive simulations such as a digital multimeter and a switch, 
              as well as to develop their own simulation projects. It teaches 
              programmers practical applications of state machines (finite state 
              automata and statecharts) in the design and use of product simulations, 
              with an emphasis on their use in training and rapid prototyping. 
              Students learn the principles and processes, as well as their implementation 
              in Macromedia 
              Flash MX and Flash 
              MX 2004 Professional. 
            Course Outline 
              The class is organized by weekly topics as follows: 
            
              - Fundamentals, Processes, and Project Management
 
              - Simulation-Based Instructional Design
 
              - State Machines and Simulator Design and Organization
 
              - Simple Interface and Non-Visual Components
 
              - Advanced Interface Components
 
              - Designing Simulator API and Simulator/Presentation Integration
 
              - Designing “Model Layer” Processes
 
              - Usability Testing, Data Capture, and Transmission
 
              - Project Reports / Discussion
 
             
            Prerequisites 
              Students should have experience with object-oriented programming 
              in ActionScript or a related language (Java, C++, etc.). Experience 
              with Flash MX is not required, but strongly suggested. 
            Target Audience 
              The class material is aimed at an advanced sophomore or junior Computer 
              & Information Science or equivalent Engineering level, or professional 
              developers at device manufacturers or marketing and training service 
              firms. The class is limited to 20 participants. 
            Course Texts 
            
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