Online Documentation Project

Guidelines for the Online Documentation Project | pdf

DUE: Wednesday, December 21 (by the beginning of class!)

The online documentation project is worth 15% of your total course grade. Projects will be graded using the chart included below.

This is a group project – you will be working with your classmates on both the documentation project and the class presentation. All students in your group will receive the same grade on the project and presentation.

For your project your group will:

1. Choose a topic
2. Establish a site on the OpenLab to host your project
3. Research the topic
4. Write a proposal
5. Document your research and proposal
6. Publish your proposal and documentation on the OpenLab
7. Evaluate your work on this project and the work of the other students in your group

1. Choose a topic from the three topic areas below:
   • Create a research tool:
   • Create a research game:
   • Create an information resource:

We have spent this semester learning about many different tools to use when doing research. If you could create any tool for anyone to use for research, what would it be? What would the tool do? How would it be different from the research tools we’ve worked with this semester? How would it make doing research easier, faster, or more enjoyable? How would it help solve commonly-encountered difficulties with research?

There are many ways in which doing research is similar to a game: we hunt for sources, filter and select only the best information for our needs, complete required tasks along the way to our goal, and eventually reach the finish line when we complete an assignment. Write a proposal for creating an enjoyable game to teach research skills. What will players learn? How will they progress through the game? What are the rules? What is the goal of the game? Under what circumstances will the game be played?

Similar to a research tool, an information resource that you prototype can be based on information resources that we discussed in class and which you are already familiar with, such as newspapers, TV or radio stations, or even zines. If you could create an information resource of value for students and others in the college community, what would it be? How would it be different from resources we already have?

2. Use the OpenLab to host your project
   We are among the first classes at City Tech to use the OpenLab. To host your project on the OpenLab, you will need to create a project space first. One group member will create a new project, set up a site, pick an avatar (optional) and invite the other group members to join the project. The group can decide if it will be a public, private, or hidden project while the project is in development, but the project must be made public before the group’s presentation. The group member who creates the account can grant Admin privileges to the other group members.
3. Research the topic.
   • Each person in your group must find at least 1 source on your topic.
   • Each source must be different and distinct, to insure a range of information on the topic (for example, do not have more than 1 article from any single publication).
4. Write a proposal on your topic.
   • a description of your topic
   • a summary of your sources
   • discussion of how your research has informed your proposal
   • a description of the tool, resource or game you are proposing to create

Your proposal must be no less than 700 words (approximately 2 double-spaced pages of text), and should include:

Include at least 2 illustrations and a Works Cited page with citations for all sources (including images) in MLA style.

5. Document your research and proposal.
   • a description of how you researched online technologies for presenting your project
   • a description of the process of implementing your presentation
   • suggestions/cautionary tales/recommendations

Your documentation must be no less than 700 words (approximately 2 double-spaced pages of text), and should include:

Include at least 2 illustrations and a Works Cited page with citations for all sources (including images) in MLA style.

6. Publish your proposal and documentation using the OpenLab and be sure the final version of the project is Public (change settings in Admin mode if necessary).

Your proposal and documentation must be presented online. Please do not print out or email your proposal and documentation. Publish it on the OpenLab, then post the URL on our course website.

7. Evaluate your work on this project and the work of the other students in your group.
   • Self evaluation (minimum 200 words):
   • Group evaluation (minimum 200 words):

Each student in your group is responsible for writing an evaluation of her/his own work on this project and the work of others in her/his group. Please answer all of the following questions in your evaluations:

What project tasks did you complete on your own? How would you describe the amount of effort you put into your work on this project? What do you think your strengths were in your work on this project? How could you improve your work on this project?

What project tasks did you complete as a group? Was the work shared evenly between group members? How effectively did your group work together? What do you think the strengths were of the group’s work on this project? How could the group improve its work on this project?

Please type your evaluations and email them to me in a word processing document (not in the body of an email).

In addition to time outside of class, you will have 4 class sessions to work on your project and presentation with your group.

Monday 12/5
Wednesday 12/7
Monday 12/12
Wednesday 12/14

As always, please ask me if you have any questions! Remember that my office hours are 11:15am-12:15pm Mondays and Wednesdays (right after class), and am happy to make an appointment to meet with you at other times.

Grading chart for your online documentation project:

Proposal:

Insufficient (0-3 points)	Developing (4-7 points)	Competent (8-11 points)	Excellent (12-15 points)
Proposal text does not include any of the required elements:  –       a description of your topic   –       a summary of your sources   –       discussion of how your research has informed your proposal   –       a description of the tool or game you are proposing to create	Proposal text includes some of the required elements.	Proposal text includes most of the required elements	Proposal text includes all of the required elements.
Proposal does not include at least 2 illustrations.	Proposal includes 1 illustration.	–	Proposal includes at least 2 of illustrations.
The proposal text is less than 700 words in length.	–	–	The proposal text is at least 700 words in length (not including references or illustrations).
Proposal is not published on the OpenLab	–	–	Proposal is published on the OpenLab

Process Documentation:

Insufficient (0-3 points)	Developing (4-7 points)	Competent (8-11 points)	Excellent (12-15 points)
Process documentation text does not include any of the required elements:  – a description of how you researched presentation options   – rationale for selecting your presentation method   – description of the process of implementing your presentation   – suggestions/cautionary tales/recommendations	Process documentation text includes some of the required elements.	Process documentation text includes most of the required elements	Process documentation text includes all of the required elements.
Process documentation does not include at least 2 illustrations.	Process documentation includes 1 illustration.	–	Process documentation includes at least 2 of illustrations.
The process documentation text is less than 700 words in length.	–	–	The process documentation text is at least 700 words in length (not including references or illustrations).
Process documentation is not published on the OpenLab	–	–	Process documentation is published on the OpenLab

Sources/References:

Insufficient (0-3 points)	Developing (4-7 points)	Competent (8-11 points)	Excellent (12-15 points)
None of the sources are relevant to the proposal topic.	Some sources are not relevant to the proposal topic.	Most sources are relevant to the proposal topic.	All sources are relevant to the proposal topic.
All or almost all sources used are not appropriate for the assignment, and contain inaccurate, biased, or outdated information from inexpert authors.	Most sources used are not appropriate for the assignment, and contain inaccurate, biased, or outdated information from inexpert authors.	Some sources used are not appropriate for the assignment, and contain inaccurate, biased, or outdated information from inexpert authors.	All sources used are appropriate for the assignment. They are credible sources, and are accurate, expert, objective, and current.
Does not use in-text or bibliographic citations in an assignment that incorporates the ideas or work of others.	Most in-text and bibliographic citations contain errors of omission and are formatted inconsistently.	Most in-text and bibliographic citations are accurate, though some contain errors of omission or formatting.	Creates correct, consistent in-text and bibliographic citations using a style manual for guidance.
Plagiarizes the work of others and/or uses quoted material excessively.	Cites some (but not all) sources correctly when quoting and paraphrasing; employs excessive use of quoted material.	Cites most sources correctly when quoting and paraphrasing; uses quoted material sparingly and appropriately.	Applies principles of academic integrity in the use of information – all sources are quoted, paraphrased and cited correctly and appropriately.

 

Writing Mechanics:

 

Insufficient (0-3 points)	Developing (4-7 points)	Competent (8-11 points)	Excellent (12-15 points)
Most sentences are grammatically incorrect.	Many sentences are grammatically incorrect.	Some sentences are grammatically incorrect.	All or almost all sentences are grammatically correct.
Most sentences have mechanical errors (punctuation, spelling, capitalization).	Many sentences have mechanical errors (punctuation, spelling, capitalization).	Some sentences have mechanical errors (punctuation, spelling, capitalization).	All or almost all sentences are mechanically correct (punctuation, spelling, capitalization).