UEL BSc (Hons) degree calculator

UEL BSc (Hons) degree calculator {source code & compiled:Mac OS pre-X} is, as should be ever-so-slightly obvious, a quick-and-dirty program for determining whether a set of module results meet the minimum requirements for being awarded a BSc (Hons) degree from the University of East London, and, if so, the grade of the degree and which module results were taken into consideration when determining the grade of the degree; UEL themselves express the calculation of such a degree grade as:

Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree, and has gained a minimum of 240 UEL credits at level 2 or 3 on the programme, including a minimum of 120 UEL credits at level 3, the award classification is determined by calculating:

The arithmetic mean of the best 100 credits at level 3
x 2/3 +
The arithmetic mean of the next best 100 credits at levels 2 and/or 3
x 1/3

and applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimal points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the following classification

70%-100% First Class Honours
60%-69% Second Class Honours, First Division
50%-59% Second Class Honours, Second Division
40%-49% Third Class Honours
0%-39% Not passed

(pages 100-101 of the School of Computing and Technology : UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTING BSc (HONS) COMPUTER GAMES : Student Handbook 2004-2005.)

I hadn’t passed enough modules to be awarded any degree on withdrawing from the course, but if I had continued on the course I could have still achieved a 1^st. UEL wasn’t my first choice of uni – it wasn’t even on my list of choices of uni, and I only applied as I was very bored late in the year and UEL offered courses beginning early the following year – and I withdrew from the course as I grew weary of jumping through what I saw as arbitrary hoops, such as being unable to take SD2071 [games programming in Java] because I hadn’t passed SD1071 [introduction to design methods in Flash] … even though I had walked out of SD1042 [introduction to programming in Java] with, I was told, the highest mark in the year.

Anyway, to use UEL BSc (Hons) degree calculator, just propagate the file degree_calculator.hll – the file format should be pretty much self-explanatory – with your module details, and run UEL degree calculator.app; whether you have passed enough modules to be awarded a BSc (Hons) degree will be displayed, and if you have, the modules that count towards the degree will also be displayed. My degree_calculator.hll file looks like…

.mark="80"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Introduction to computer systems"
.code="CN1044"

.mark="67"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Introduction to computer games theory and design"
.code="MS1303"

.mark="40"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Project management 1"
.code="IM1072"

.mark="59"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Digital graphics & visual culture"
.code="MS1301"

.mark="95"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Introduction to software development"
.code="SD1042"

.mark="40"
.level="1"
.credits="20"
.title="Introduction to design methods"
.code="SD1071"

.mark="62"
.level="2"
.credits="20"
.title="Multimedia hardware"
.code="IM2075"

…for the module results…

CN1044	Introduction to computer systems	Coursework 1 – 62% (2:1)	80% (1st)
		Coursework 2 – 100% (1st)
		Exam – 79% (1st)
SD1042	Introduction to software development	Coursework – 90% (1st)	95% (1st)
		TCA – 100% (1st)
		Exam – 95% (1st)
IM2075	Multimedia hardware	Coursework 1 – 72% (1st)	62% (2:1)
		Coursework 2 – 51% (2:2)
SD1071	Introduction to design methods	Coursework – 45% (3rd)	40% (3rd)
IM1072	Project management 1	Coursework 1 – 51% (2:2)	40% (3rd)
		Coursework 2 – 63% (2:1)
MS1303	Introduction to computer games theory and design	Essay – 55% (2:2)	67% (2:1)
		Project – 73% (1st)
MS1301	Digital graphics & visual culture	Coursework 1 – 71% (1st)	59% (2:2)
		Coursework 2 – 52% (2:2)

…and running UEL degree calculator.app displays…

***UEL BSc (Hons) degree calculator 0.1, © Mark Bishop 2007.
You do not meet the minimum requirements to be awarded a BSc (Hons) degree.

UEL BSc (Hons) degree calculator was developed on an Apple Power Macintosh 8100 in C++ using sealfin* compiled with Metrowerks CodeWarrior IDE 2.1 (Discover Programming Edition.)

Fairness, and other fantastic creatures

A feature of UEL that I think might just be unique is their innovative approach to the concept of prerequisites; whereas more mundane universities might try to make the prerequisites to a module match the topic of that module, probably by making the prerequisite module an introduction to that topic, UEL throws off the shackles of such outmoded schools of thought: “Why should SD1042 [introduction to programming in Java] be the prerequisite to SD2071 [games programming in Java]?!”, they cry, “That’s too relevant! Let’s make the prerequisite SD1071 [introduction to design methods in (insert-string-of-profanities) Flash] instead!”

Thus this innovative approach to the concept of prerequisites is why, although I achieved 95% overall in SD1042, I can’t currently take SD2071, as I failed the oh-so-relevant SD1071 the first time through…

rising (or, Mark, Stewart, and Andrew’s 1st graded University of East London IM2075 coursework)

{video|source code & compiled:Mac OS X}

Rise Robot Rise (or, Mark’s ?* graded University of East London MS2302-A coursework)

*It looks like I never kept a record of the grade I received for this assignment…

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This essay seeks to present a overview of the current applications of virtual reality and augmented reality, the latter defined as a “real-world environment with [...] superimposed and engaged simulated elements”¹ (or, vice versa, a virtual environment with superimposed and engaged real-world elements), in the context of aiding the disabled to perceive the full gamut of normal Human sensory experience, and in the context of aiding the disabled and injured to overcome psychological conditions and to recover more quickly from injuries which are in part psychological.

Press start to shut down, redux (or, Mark’s 2:2 graded University of East London MS1301-B coursework)

Contents

Overview of the organisation, and of the web-site

Overview of the page and web-site design considerations

Explanation of the design of the logo of the organisation and web-site

Style guide for the pages of the web-site

Bibliography of references

Bibliography

Overview of the organisation, and of the web-site

This report seeks to present several designs for pages of the web-site of the press-start.com¹ organisation; an organisation the primary presence of which will be online, press-start.com is a new non-profit organisation which seeks to further the recognition of videogame culture by: presenting a time-line of landmarks in videogame design, a ‘genealogy’ of videogame design; presenting post-mortem deconstructions of these landmark videogame designs, as an aide to designers of contemporary videogames; and by presenting ‘artefacts’ of these landmark videogames, in the form of screenshots of the games, videos of the games, photographs of box-art, photographs and transcriptions of manuals, and where possible (where either the developer or publisher of the game has granted permission, or where the copyright has lapsed) downloads of the games (and where necessary, the emulators necessary to play the games.) The press-start.com organisation will also fund relevant, non-development related, research, such as into the psychological effects of videogames.

Through presenting this history of videogames, the press-start.com organisation seeks to further the recognition of videogame culture, which some would otherwise see as a subculture wholly dependant on the influences of longer established subcultures for survival and growth, such as movie and book licenses, a subculture with no history of it’s own; the press-start.com organisation also seeks to grow videogame culture by, in presenting this history of videogames, and this ‘genealogy’ of videogame designs, enabling designers of contemporary videogames to conceive of new designs drawn from the whole gamut of videogame history.

A non-profit organisation, press-start.com is dependant upon donations, but also sustains itself through holding fund-raising videogame tournaments.

Although the objectives of the press-start.com organisation overlap in part with several other web-sites (such as the Video Game Museum² for videogame ‘artefacts’, the Home of the Underdogs³ for videogames which have been made freely available by the developer or publisher, or on which copyright has lapsed, and Gamasutra⁴ or iDevGames⁵ for post-mortem deconstructions of videogame designs), none of these web-sites shares the objective of the press-start.com organisation to affect change outside the subculture of videogames; and although these web-sites are presenting the past of videogame design, they present no easy way in which to trace the genealogy of videogame design, as will the time-line of press-start.com; and although these web-sites are preserving the past of videogame design, they are making no efforts to influence or inform the future outside the subculture of videogames itself.

Extraordinary rendition (or, Mark’s 1st graded University of East London SD1042 coursework)

{source code & compiled}

Yes, I believe the phrase is “w00t!”, sir…

Happy day, I’ve just found I’ve passed – with a mark of 100% – my first SD1042 [introduction to programming in Java] exam at UEL, although I’m pretty surprised that I’m the only person to make the 100% mark this semester.

There’s still at least one other exam, and a coursework, for that module though, although I’m still hoping that I might be exempted from the module; none of these first year modules go towards the grade of my degree, so I’d prefer to spend the time I’d be sleepwalking through lectures on a topic I already know inside out on my own projects instead…

Press start to shut down (or, Mark’s 1st graded University of East London MS1301 coursework)

Overview of the organisation, and of the web-site

This report seeks to present several prototypical designs for the front-page of the web-site of the press-start.com¹ organisation; an organisation the primary presence of which will be online, press-start.com is a new non-profit organisation which seeks to further the recognition of videogame culture by: presenting a time-line of landmarks in videogame design, a ‘genealogy’ of videogame design; presenting post-mortem deconstructions of these landmark videogame designs, as an aide to designers of contemporary videogames; and by presenting ‘artefacts’ of these landmark videogames, in the form of screenshots of the games, videos of the games, photographs of box-art, photographs and transcriptions of manuals, and where possible (where either the developer or publisher of the game has granted permission, or where the copyright has lapsed) downloads of the games (and where necessary, the emulators necessary to play the games.) The press-start.com organisation will also fund relevant, non-development related, research, such as into the psychological effects of videogames.

Through presenting this history of videogames, the press-start.com organisation seeks to further the recognition of videogame culture, which some would otherwise see as a subculture wholly dependant on the influences of longer established subcultures for survival and growth, such as movie and book licenses, a subculture with no history of it’s own; the press-start.com organisation also seeks to grow videogame culture by, in presenting this history of videogames, and this ‘genealogy’ of videogame designs, enabling designers of contemporary videogames to conceive of new designs drawn from the whole gamut of videogame history.

A non-profit organisation, press-start.com is dependant upon donations, but also sustains itself through holding fund-raising videogame tournaments.

Although the objectives of the press-start.com organisation will overlap in part with several other web-sites (such as the Video Game Museum² for videogame ‘artefacts’, the Home of the Underdogs³ for videogames which have been made freely available by the developer or publisher, or on which copyright has lapsed, and Gamasutra⁴ or iDevGames⁵ for post-mortem deconstructions of videogame designs), none of these web-sites shares the objective of the press-start.com organisation to affect change outside the subculture of videogames; and although these web-sites are presenting the past of videogame design, they present no easy way in which to trace the genealogy of videogame design, as will the time-line of press-start.com; and although these web-sites are preserving the past of videogame design, they are making no efforts to influence or inform the future outside the subculture of videogames itself.

By rote revisited… (or, the ‘The Lieutenant’ design document, Mark’s 1st graded University of East London MS1303-B coursework)

Foreword

This report seeks to present a design treatment for the proposed game, entitled The Lieutenant, the gameplay mechanics of which tie it to belonging to the genre of turn-by-turn strategy games (examples of which are Intelligent Systems’¹ Advance Wars² or Quest’s Tactics Ogre duology), but with a greater emphasis on narrative-driven levels and features than that which is often found in the genre.

In The Lieutenant, the player will assume the role of the character of the title, The Lieutenant, a general bound to the service of the remnants of a fallen Empire, as in a dream-like state in her dying moments she is forced to relieve her memories of war, and to question the futility of the war which has brought her to her death.

Whilst elements of this design treatment have been drawn the articles and examples of such design treatments by Tim Ryan³, Chris Taylor⁴, and Francois Laramee⁵, none of these definitions of the structure of, and content required within, a design treatment has been treated as canon, a perspective echoed by the authors of the above articles (Laramee: “There is no such thing as a standard design document”); the resulting design treatment for The Lieutenant is a fusion of the criteria set forth by those three authors, and considers the following elements: a discussion of gameplay theory as it pertains the to the proposed game; the key features of the game, namely the gameplay mechanics, and the types of soldiers and war-engines featured in the game; the battlefield environment; the game-player interface; the plot of the game; a discussion of narrative theory as it pertains to the proposed game; and the visual style of the proposed game, especially the impact of this element on the mood of the game.

The curious incident of the fully dressed man in the night-time

I’ll be very glad when this semester at UEL is over; I’ve been out of education for a couple of years, and I’ve forgotten just how tiring it can be – I woke up very confused at 3:00a.m. this morning, still fully dressed from Friday, with all the lights in the room still on; I’d fallen asleep whilst I’d taken a seat waiting for the kettle to boil for a cup of tea…