English 398/529 Final Project Assignment
Due dates:
Project Brainstorming: October 10, 2000
Project Proposal: October 17, 2000
Progress Report: November 7, 2000
Class critique and project work sessions: November 14 and 21, 2000
Class Presentations: November 28 and December 5, 2000
Final webbed version with 3 page (398) or 5 page (529) final report: December 5, 2000
Overview
As we have discussed in class already, the final outcome of this course will be a web site of your own design and execution. By now you should have identified a client or topic for which you will create the site, and have done some brainstorming about the number and types of pages you will need, along with some of the external links you might include. As we read through the next three books in our required reading, I ask that you make notes of organizational features and guiding principles that you can use to design your site. Later in the semester, we will take time to look at your pages and make suggestions for improvement, based on our reading and experiences.
Requirements for final web site project (20% of final grade)
Each site should contain:
A minimum of 5 discrete pages (but the content and users' needs should dictate exactly how many)
At least three paragraphs of explanatory text
A navigation bar, borders, e-mail link, and address (signature) on every page
A minimum of 10 links to outside resources (but may contain many many more)
At least one table, one list, and two graphics (but many contain many more)
Additional requirements for English 529 students
Each site should demonstrate knowledge of at least two of the following:
Designing pages using Cascading Style Sheets
Incorporating Java or Perl scripts (you need not know HOW to script, though)
Incorporating Flash or DHTML animations, and/or other multimedia extensions
Incorporating feedback forms to collect information
Incorporating synchronous or asynchronous discussion tools, such as chat rooms or web boards to encourage interaction
Project Proposal, due October 17 (10% of final grade)
On the WebBoard Project Proposal conference, write me a one page memo and include the following:
A header with your name, the subject, and the date
A short introduction describing the client, purpose, audience, and subject of the web site
Identify in as much detail as you can what the focus and objectives of your web site will be
Identify a plan of action for completing this project
Rough out a time line for accomplishing the tasks you have identified at this point
Progress Report, due November 7 (10%of final grade)
On the WebBoard Progress Report conference, write me a one page memo, and include the following:
A header with your name, the subject, and the date
A short introduction describing the client, purpose, audience, and subject of the web site, including
A brief (a few sentences) overview of your project
The sources which you checked in the library or on the Internet, and/
or information from interviews and
questionnaires.
The first section of the body of your progress report,
"Work Completed," will indicate the actual amount of work done
through November 7. Be very specific here; include:
Names of databases checked people interviewed or surveyed
Number of articles looked up
Amount of webbing completed.
The next section, "Work Remaining," will indicate all tasks still left to be done--both big and small.
List the tasks in the order you intend to complete them
Indicate the deadlines that the you will use to keep the remainder of the project on schedule
The final section, "Assessment of Progress" should be your candid evaluation of the progress to date:
Are you expecting to find more sources, or have you already decided on a definitive set of sources?
What difficulties have you experienced during the research and webbing?
What remedies have you taken to overcome those difficulties?
Oral Report, November 28 or December 5 (10% of final grade)
Make a 15 (398) or 20 (529) minute presentation of your final project to the class. Include:
An overview of the resources, including people, texts, web pages, etc. that you consulted to create the project
A rationale for the design and organizational decisions you made in creating the project
A demonstration or "tour" of the special features of the site, tied to discussion of the users' needs
An overview of the skills, design principles, and theories you learned in order to create this project
At least a few minutes of class discussion (ask questions of the class, solicit feedback, etc.)
Final Report, due December 5 (10% of final grade)
On paper, write a 3 (398) or 5 (529) page report on your final project for the class. Include:
A brief introduction describing the project, the client, the potential users, and the scope of the project
A rationale for the design and organizational decisions you made in creating the project
An explanation of the special features of the site, tied to discussion of the users' needs
An overview of the skills, design principles, and theories you learned in order to create this project
Cites to relevant passages in class readings or from your own research
A "Works Cited" page listing your sources (minimum 5 for 398, 10 for 529)
Feel free to come talk with me about your project. I will consider all reasonable requests for changes to these guidelines for your individual projects.