Complimentary project
Summary: design a computers and writing project which compliments the work done in your service learning project in both form and content.
As with the service learning project, I encourage you to design a complimentary project which is useful for you on the long term and/or which fits a practical or personal need for you—something you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to. You can go into the project knowing what role computing will play in it, or work that out as you go along (with help from me and your classmates).
While we are spending a lot of time on web pages this semester, you are encouraged to consider any form of computers and writing: digital photography, print design, managing files, database development, etc. Your project can focus on a technology you’ve never used before; that’s a great way to learn.
Your project should be complimentary in form and content. For example, if your service learning project focused on digital photography, using Flickr and a wiki, your complimentary project should rely on different methods for creating and managing web content.
Some ideas:
- Designing a database-driven web site to support one of your hobbies (for example, collecting vintage jazz records);
- creating a multimedia presentation based on your scholarship or work;
- building a glossary for computers and writing which builds on similar efforts and adds value in some way (e.g. localization, ease of updates, etc);
- developing documentation which will enable others to engage a writing practice you learned this semester.
Please be creative when imagining your project, and plan to be flexible as you build it. Also, use the weblog liberally to discuss what you are doing, why, your successes, stop points, etc.
Milestones
Plan to meet or exceed these deadlines. The earlier you get started, the better! Also, late work is not acceptable; if you can’t make class on one of the days listed below, make arrangements to submit your work early.
- Oct 19: Prospectus submitted.
- Nov 30: Full draft submitted.
- Dec 14: Project complete.
Prospectus
The prospectus should describe, in detail, your complimentary project—form, content, and your reasons for both. Because the prospectus is prospective, it can include speculation and requests for assistance. In fact, you can imagine the prospectus as a complete statement of a problem you wish to solve with computers and writing; the solution will be found in the project itself (with help from your classmates, your research, and me).
Your prospectus must address the following:
- Form
- The scope of the project, whether it’s primarily networked or offline, the computer technologies and applications you intend to use, the online services you’ll be using (if any).
- Content
- The graphics and text you’ll use, where you plan to find this material, the style which you think is appropriate, how you plan to address IP issues (if any).
- Reasoning
- Why you are engaging this project, especially this form and content.
- Questions
- What’s up in the air for you; what you need help developing, planning, or implementing.
Save your prospectus on your WIU web site with the name "cp-prospectus.html". Include a link to your prospectus from the front page of your WIU web site.
As your project moves forward, update your prospectus if it changes radically, but do not erase your original work. Just add an update at the top of the page, or set the old page aside (e.g. cp-prospectus-old.html) and make a link to it.
Full draft
Turn in a full draft of the project by posting the address to our weblog under the appropriate categories ("complimentary" and "draft").
Drafts should be as complete as possible. The more you’ve got done at this point, the better; I will be able to comment extensively on complete drafts. I cannot help as much with incomplete work.
As was the case with the prospectus, it’s OK to include questions for me and to "frame out" parts of the project to show areas where you need help. I will address this material as well as I can.