cuin 7330: project-based digital media for...

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CUIN 7330: Project-Based Digital Media for Education Summer Semester 2007 Section #: 07866 4:00-8:00PM Tuesdays, Room 315A, Farish Hall Department of Curriculum and Instruction University of Houston - College of Education Instructor: Bernard R. Robin, Ph.D. Office Location: Room 343, Farish Hall Office Hours: Tuesdays - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Also available for telephone calls, video conferencing and in- person meetings at other times by appointment. Email: [email protected] Telephone: 713-743-4952 Course Description and Instructional Strategies CUIN 7330 is a graduate level course in the Instructional Technology Program at the University of Houston. The major focus of the course is on the use of advanced principles of information design to create large-scale, instructional digital media projects. The course is designed as a theoretical and applications-based experience for students who have completed the introductory instructional technology courses; understand basic Internet concepts such as web protocols and HTML; and have some experience with digital media tools and resources; and want to learn more about designing, developing and evaluating educational projects, including how to successfully deliver multimedia- rich educational content to a variety of audiences. The course will build upon existing foundations of web design and HTMLthe HyperText Markup Language, publishing a website, multimedia and the web, cross-browser/platform coding issues with attention to user interface design and web usability and accessibility. The course is based upon a constructivist learning approach in which students work collaboratively to develop creative solutions to real-world design problems. During the course, a range of topics will be explored that are related to the design and development of a large-scale, educational web project and supplemental instructional materials developed to support the site. A mixture of demonstration, discussion, and hands-on experiences related to the weekly topics will take place in which: Students use prior knowledge they bring to class; Knowledge is constructed uniquely and individually, in multiple ways through a variety of authentic tools, resources, experiences, and contexts;

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CUIN 7330 Project-Based Digital Media for Education

Summer Semester 2007

Section 07866

400-800PM Tuesdays

Room 315A Farish Hall

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

University of Houston - College of Education

Instructor Bernard R Robin PhD

Office Location Room 343 Farish Hall

Office Hours Tuesdays - 100 pm to 400 pm

Also available for telephone calls video conferencing and in-

person meetings at other times by appointment

Email brobinuhedu

Telephone 713-743-4952

Course Description and Instructional Strategies

CUIN 7330 is a graduate level course in the Instructional Technology Program at the

University of Houston The major focus of the course is on the use of advanced principles

of information design to create large-scale instructional digital media projects The

course is designed as a theoretical and applications-based experience for students who

have completed the introductory instructional technology courses understand basic

Internet concepts such as web protocols and HTML and have some experience with

digital media tools and resources and want to learn more about designing developing

and evaluating educational projects including how to successfully deliver multimedia-

rich educational content to a variety of audiences The course will build upon existing

foundations of web design and HTMLmdashthe HyperText Markup Language publishing a

website multimedia and the web cross-browserplatform coding issues with attention to

user interface design and web usability and accessibility

The course is based upon a constructivist learning approach in which students work

collaboratively to develop creative solutions to real-world design problems During the

course a range of topics will be explored that are related to the design and development

of a large-scale educational web project and supplemental instructional materials

developed to support the site A mixture of demonstration discussion and hands-on

experiences related to the weekly topics will take place in which

Students use prior knowledge they bring to class

Knowledge is constructed uniquely and individually in multiple ways through a

variety of authentic tools resources experiences and contexts

Learning is both an active and reflective process

Social interaction introduces multiple perspectives through reflection

collaboration negotiation and shared meaning and

Learning is mediated by the learner

Course Format

Course activities will take place both in class where students will participate in face-to-

face discussions and conduct topic-related activities as well as online where students

will participate in virtual discussions via an online discussion forum Students will work

in small collaborative groups to complete weekly reading posting and hands-on

assignments throughout the semester Each class session during the semester will include

a web page that presents the information covered in that weeks class a description of a

hands-on lab activity and the assignments for the next class

Prerequisites for this Course

It is assumed that students entering this graduate-level course have some computer skills

and are familiar with the process of designing instructional materials Students who enroll

in this course should have some basic familiarity with the web and web editing software

Experience designing and developing simple web pages is helpful however advanced

technical skills are not required for this course Introductory or advanced skills in HTML

are not the focus of this course The focus instead will be on many of the associated skills

that are needed to construct comprehensive educationally-relevant online resources such

as organization of information navigation writing for the web graphic design and page

layout accessibility and usability issues and evaluating the educational value of web

resources Other courses in the Instructional Technology program are offered for students

who wish to gain beginning andor advanced web design skills Please contact the

instructor for more information or to discuss which additional courses may be best suited

for you

Time Requirements

Course topics will be demonstrated and discussed in class however additional time

outside of class is required to complete weekly assignments and the final semester

project A good rule of thumb is that students should expect to spend approximately 1 to

2 hours outside of class for each hour spent in class Since the class meets for 3 hours per

week students should plan to spend approximately 3 to 6 hours per week completing the

reading posting and hands-on assignments for that week Additionally an attempt will

be made to allow some class time to be used for team members to meet and work with

other members of their groups

Course Philosophy

Courses in the Instructional Technology (IT) Program in the College of Education

prepare instructional technology professionals for diverse leadership responsibilities in

Pre-K-12 settings school district technology administration higher education training in

industry settings and instructional design and development of all levels of instructional

materials The IT Program at the University of Houston can be distinguished from IT

programs at other institutions through our unique philosophy based on a strong

commitment to the broad representations of community individual learning and the

collaboration that strengthens the two This philosophy is in accordance with the College

of Educationlsquos conceptual framework Collaboration for Learning and Leading

Relationship to the College of Education Conceptual Framework

Collaboration is cooperative activity characterized by dialogue and shared effort

Participants will collaborate with peers in classroom activities projects and

presentations

Learning implies knowledge skills and dispositions gained through systematic study

and the modification of behavior as a result of training and experience Learning in this

course is emphasized through the meaningful use of instructional technologies and

authentic assessment techniques Participants will prepare a portfolio demonstrating their

learning in this course

Leading involves initiating and promoting positive change Leading is highlighted in this

course as participants prepare and make presentations demonstrating how technologies

can be used to support learning

The design curriculum and instructional flow of CUIN 7330 is aligned with the learner-

centered proficiencies and principles of the Conceptual Framework of the College of

Education ―Collaboration for Learning and Leading In CUIN 7330 as with other

courses in the IT program this framework allows students to collaborate with each other

with faculty members and with members of the community to discover and investigate a

variety of challenging educational objectives that take advantage of innovative and

meaningful ways to use of technology in education

Specific Goals and Objectives of this Course

This course like all courses in the Instructional Technology program in the College of

Education prepares instructional technology professionals for diverse leadership

responsibilities in Pre-K-12 settings school district technology administration higher

education training in industry settings and all levels of instructional design and

development The IT program at the University of Houston is distinguished from IT

programs at other institutions through our strong commitment to the broad

representations of our community individual learning and the collaboration that

strengthens both

The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to the collaborative process of

designing and developing a community-based educationally relevant web site Students

in this course will gain an understanding of many of the critical issues involved in

working with local organizations to design and develop a comprehensive method for

disseminating online content that will be of interest to students teachers administrators

and researchers as well as members of the general community Students in this course

will explore a wide range of topics related to the design production and evaluation of

large scale educational web projects including

Working in a collaborative environment to design and create online materials

Choosing the best technological tools to create educational web resources

Information architecture and design

How organizations determine how to present their content online

Managing project deadlines

Testing for web site usability

Understanding and planning for we site accessibility issues

Evaluation of web sites as educational resources

At the end of CUIN 7330 each student will be able to demonstrate that they can apply

appropriate technology tools and theories for enhancing their own professional learning

and productivity They will use technology in communicating collaborating conducting

research and solving problems In addition they will plan lead and participate in

activities that encourage lifelong learning and will promote equitable ethical and legal

use of computer technology Students in CUIN 7330 will continually assess their own

growth as they seek to create coherent representations of the knowledge linking new

information with existing understandings in creative meaningful ways Relevant

authentic learning tasks will be explored in a motivating learner-centered environment

Learning will be facilitated through both face-to-face and online interactions among the

classroom community To ensure that diverse student preferences for learning and

expression are honored a variety of learning modes and assessment strategies will be

utilized including whole-class discussions and debates face-to-face and online

collaborative group work individual readings and the design development and

evaluation of instructional materials situated in authentic contexts

Additionally each student should be able to demonstrate that they can use computers and

other technologies in research problem-solving and product development Students will

use a variety of media presentation and authoring packages plan and participate in team

and collaborative projects that require critical analysis and evaluation and present the

products they develop during for the course

Specific competencies for this course are aligned with the International Society for

Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Facilitation Standards Activities and

assignments in this course attempt to meet the following

TF-IA Demonstrate knowledge skills and understanding of concepts related to

technology

TF-IB Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay

abreast of current and emerging technologies

TF-VA Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional

development and lifelong learning

TF-VB Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make

informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student

learning

Attendance and Participation

Regular class attendance is expected as is appropriate and informed class participation

Because of the collaborative nature of this course students are expected to work within a

team environment where each participant contributes to the development process based

on their individual areas of expertise Students are also expected to actively participate

virtually in online discussions both with members of their own team and with other

students and facilitators in the course

Required Materials

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course Readings for this course will come from

articles published on the web and from handouts given out in class To access the online

readings you will need to have access to a computer that is capable of connecting to the

Internet as well as a recent version of a common web browser (such as Microsoft

Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator or Mozilla Firefox)

Your web browser should be configured so that you can access multimedia content

online Below are links to some of the more popular browser plug-ins and helper

applications that may be downloaded for free

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files)

RealPlayer (to hear RealAudio and view RealVideo files) Be

sure to look for the link to the Free Real Player not the free trial version of the

version of RealPlayer you must purchase

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Learning is both an active and reflective process

Social interaction introduces multiple perspectives through reflection

collaboration negotiation and shared meaning and

Learning is mediated by the learner

Course Format

Course activities will take place both in class where students will participate in face-to-

face discussions and conduct topic-related activities as well as online where students

will participate in virtual discussions via an online discussion forum Students will work

in small collaborative groups to complete weekly reading posting and hands-on

assignments throughout the semester Each class session during the semester will include

a web page that presents the information covered in that weeks class a description of a

hands-on lab activity and the assignments for the next class

Prerequisites for this Course

It is assumed that students entering this graduate-level course have some computer skills

and are familiar with the process of designing instructional materials Students who enroll

in this course should have some basic familiarity with the web and web editing software

Experience designing and developing simple web pages is helpful however advanced

technical skills are not required for this course Introductory or advanced skills in HTML

are not the focus of this course The focus instead will be on many of the associated skills

that are needed to construct comprehensive educationally-relevant online resources such

as organization of information navigation writing for the web graphic design and page

layout accessibility and usability issues and evaluating the educational value of web

resources Other courses in the Instructional Technology program are offered for students

who wish to gain beginning andor advanced web design skills Please contact the

instructor for more information or to discuss which additional courses may be best suited

for you

Time Requirements

Course topics will be demonstrated and discussed in class however additional time

outside of class is required to complete weekly assignments and the final semester

project A good rule of thumb is that students should expect to spend approximately 1 to

2 hours outside of class for each hour spent in class Since the class meets for 3 hours per

week students should plan to spend approximately 3 to 6 hours per week completing the

reading posting and hands-on assignments for that week Additionally an attempt will

be made to allow some class time to be used for team members to meet and work with

other members of their groups

Course Philosophy

Courses in the Instructional Technology (IT) Program in the College of Education

prepare instructional technology professionals for diverse leadership responsibilities in

Pre-K-12 settings school district technology administration higher education training in

industry settings and instructional design and development of all levels of instructional

materials The IT Program at the University of Houston can be distinguished from IT

programs at other institutions through our unique philosophy based on a strong

commitment to the broad representations of community individual learning and the

collaboration that strengthens the two This philosophy is in accordance with the College

of Educationlsquos conceptual framework Collaboration for Learning and Leading

Relationship to the College of Education Conceptual Framework

Collaboration is cooperative activity characterized by dialogue and shared effort

Participants will collaborate with peers in classroom activities projects and

presentations

Learning implies knowledge skills and dispositions gained through systematic study

and the modification of behavior as a result of training and experience Learning in this

course is emphasized through the meaningful use of instructional technologies and

authentic assessment techniques Participants will prepare a portfolio demonstrating their

learning in this course

Leading involves initiating and promoting positive change Leading is highlighted in this

course as participants prepare and make presentations demonstrating how technologies

can be used to support learning

The design curriculum and instructional flow of CUIN 7330 is aligned with the learner-

centered proficiencies and principles of the Conceptual Framework of the College of

Education ―Collaboration for Learning and Leading In CUIN 7330 as with other

courses in the IT program this framework allows students to collaborate with each other

with faculty members and with members of the community to discover and investigate a

variety of challenging educational objectives that take advantage of innovative and

meaningful ways to use of technology in education

Specific Goals and Objectives of this Course

This course like all courses in the Instructional Technology program in the College of

Education prepares instructional technology professionals for diverse leadership

responsibilities in Pre-K-12 settings school district technology administration higher

education training in industry settings and all levels of instructional design and

development The IT program at the University of Houston is distinguished from IT

programs at other institutions through our strong commitment to the broad

representations of our community individual learning and the collaboration that

strengthens both

The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to the collaborative process of

designing and developing a community-based educationally relevant web site Students

in this course will gain an understanding of many of the critical issues involved in

working with local organizations to design and develop a comprehensive method for

disseminating online content that will be of interest to students teachers administrators

and researchers as well as members of the general community Students in this course

will explore a wide range of topics related to the design production and evaluation of

large scale educational web projects including

Working in a collaborative environment to design and create online materials

Choosing the best technological tools to create educational web resources

Information architecture and design

How organizations determine how to present their content online

Managing project deadlines

Testing for web site usability

Understanding and planning for we site accessibility issues

Evaluation of web sites as educational resources

At the end of CUIN 7330 each student will be able to demonstrate that they can apply

appropriate technology tools and theories for enhancing their own professional learning

and productivity They will use technology in communicating collaborating conducting

research and solving problems In addition they will plan lead and participate in

activities that encourage lifelong learning and will promote equitable ethical and legal

use of computer technology Students in CUIN 7330 will continually assess their own

growth as they seek to create coherent representations of the knowledge linking new

information with existing understandings in creative meaningful ways Relevant

authentic learning tasks will be explored in a motivating learner-centered environment

Learning will be facilitated through both face-to-face and online interactions among the

classroom community To ensure that diverse student preferences for learning and

expression are honored a variety of learning modes and assessment strategies will be

utilized including whole-class discussions and debates face-to-face and online

collaborative group work individual readings and the design development and

evaluation of instructional materials situated in authentic contexts

Additionally each student should be able to demonstrate that they can use computers and

other technologies in research problem-solving and product development Students will

use a variety of media presentation and authoring packages plan and participate in team

and collaborative projects that require critical analysis and evaluation and present the

products they develop during for the course

Specific competencies for this course are aligned with the International Society for

Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Facilitation Standards Activities and

assignments in this course attempt to meet the following

TF-IA Demonstrate knowledge skills and understanding of concepts related to

technology

TF-IB Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay

abreast of current and emerging technologies

TF-VA Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional

development and lifelong learning

TF-VB Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make

informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student

learning

Attendance and Participation

Regular class attendance is expected as is appropriate and informed class participation

Because of the collaborative nature of this course students are expected to work within a

team environment where each participant contributes to the development process based

on their individual areas of expertise Students are also expected to actively participate

virtually in online discussions both with members of their own team and with other

students and facilitators in the course

Required Materials

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course Readings for this course will come from

articles published on the web and from handouts given out in class To access the online

readings you will need to have access to a computer that is capable of connecting to the

Internet as well as a recent version of a common web browser (such as Microsoft

Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator or Mozilla Firefox)

Your web browser should be configured so that you can access multimedia content

online Below are links to some of the more popular browser plug-ins and helper

applications that may be downloaded for free

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files)

RealPlayer (to hear RealAudio and view RealVideo files) Be

sure to look for the link to the Free Real Player not the free trial version of the

version of RealPlayer you must purchase

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

commitment to the broad representations of community individual learning and the

collaboration that strengthens the two This philosophy is in accordance with the College

of Educationlsquos conceptual framework Collaboration for Learning and Leading

Relationship to the College of Education Conceptual Framework

Collaboration is cooperative activity characterized by dialogue and shared effort

Participants will collaborate with peers in classroom activities projects and

presentations

Learning implies knowledge skills and dispositions gained through systematic study

and the modification of behavior as a result of training and experience Learning in this

course is emphasized through the meaningful use of instructional technologies and

authentic assessment techniques Participants will prepare a portfolio demonstrating their

learning in this course

Leading involves initiating and promoting positive change Leading is highlighted in this

course as participants prepare and make presentations demonstrating how technologies

can be used to support learning

The design curriculum and instructional flow of CUIN 7330 is aligned with the learner-

centered proficiencies and principles of the Conceptual Framework of the College of

Education ―Collaboration for Learning and Leading In CUIN 7330 as with other

courses in the IT program this framework allows students to collaborate with each other

with faculty members and with members of the community to discover and investigate a

variety of challenging educational objectives that take advantage of innovative and

meaningful ways to use of technology in education

Specific Goals and Objectives of this Course

This course like all courses in the Instructional Technology program in the College of

Education prepares instructional technology professionals for diverse leadership

responsibilities in Pre-K-12 settings school district technology administration higher

education training in industry settings and all levels of instructional design and

development The IT program at the University of Houston is distinguished from IT

programs at other institutions through our strong commitment to the broad

representations of our community individual learning and the collaboration that

strengthens both

The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to the collaborative process of

designing and developing a community-based educationally relevant web site Students

in this course will gain an understanding of many of the critical issues involved in

working with local organizations to design and develop a comprehensive method for

disseminating online content that will be of interest to students teachers administrators

and researchers as well as members of the general community Students in this course

will explore a wide range of topics related to the design production and evaluation of

large scale educational web projects including

Working in a collaborative environment to design and create online materials

Choosing the best technological tools to create educational web resources

Information architecture and design

How organizations determine how to present their content online

Managing project deadlines

Testing for web site usability

Understanding and planning for we site accessibility issues

Evaluation of web sites as educational resources

At the end of CUIN 7330 each student will be able to demonstrate that they can apply

appropriate technology tools and theories for enhancing their own professional learning

and productivity They will use technology in communicating collaborating conducting

research and solving problems In addition they will plan lead and participate in

activities that encourage lifelong learning and will promote equitable ethical and legal

use of computer technology Students in CUIN 7330 will continually assess their own

growth as they seek to create coherent representations of the knowledge linking new

information with existing understandings in creative meaningful ways Relevant

authentic learning tasks will be explored in a motivating learner-centered environment

Learning will be facilitated through both face-to-face and online interactions among the

classroom community To ensure that diverse student preferences for learning and

expression are honored a variety of learning modes and assessment strategies will be

utilized including whole-class discussions and debates face-to-face and online

collaborative group work individual readings and the design development and

evaluation of instructional materials situated in authentic contexts

Additionally each student should be able to demonstrate that they can use computers and

other technologies in research problem-solving and product development Students will

use a variety of media presentation and authoring packages plan and participate in team

and collaborative projects that require critical analysis and evaluation and present the

products they develop during for the course

Specific competencies for this course are aligned with the International Society for

Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Facilitation Standards Activities and

assignments in this course attempt to meet the following

TF-IA Demonstrate knowledge skills and understanding of concepts related to

technology

TF-IB Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay

abreast of current and emerging technologies

TF-VA Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional

development and lifelong learning

TF-VB Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make

informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student

learning

Attendance and Participation

Regular class attendance is expected as is appropriate and informed class participation

Because of the collaborative nature of this course students are expected to work within a

team environment where each participant contributes to the development process based

on their individual areas of expertise Students are also expected to actively participate

virtually in online discussions both with members of their own team and with other

students and facilitators in the course

Required Materials

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course Readings for this course will come from

articles published on the web and from handouts given out in class To access the online

readings you will need to have access to a computer that is capable of connecting to the

Internet as well as a recent version of a common web browser (such as Microsoft

Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator or Mozilla Firefox)

Your web browser should be configured so that you can access multimedia content

online Below are links to some of the more popular browser plug-ins and helper

applications that may be downloaded for free

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files)

RealPlayer (to hear RealAudio and view RealVideo files) Be

sure to look for the link to the Free Real Player not the free trial version of the

version of RealPlayer you must purchase

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to the collaborative process of

designing and developing a community-based educationally relevant web site Students

in this course will gain an understanding of many of the critical issues involved in

working with local organizations to design and develop a comprehensive method for

disseminating online content that will be of interest to students teachers administrators

and researchers as well as members of the general community Students in this course

will explore a wide range of topics related to the design production and evaluation of

large scale educational web projects including

Working in a collaborative environment to design and create online materials

Choosing the best technological tools to create educational web resources

Information architecture and design

How organizations determine how to present their content online

Managing project deadlines

Testing for web site usability

Understanding and planning for we site accessibility issues

Evaluation of web sites as educational resources

At the end of CUIN 7330 each student will be able to demonstrate that they can apply

appropriate technology tools and theories for enhancing their own professional learning

and productivity They will use technology in communicating collaborating conducting

research and solving problems In addition they will plan lead and participate in

activities that encourage lifelong learning and will promote equitable ethical and legal

use of computer technology Students in CUIN 7330 will continually assess their own

growth as they seek to create coherent representations of the knowledge linking new

information with existing understandings in creative meaningful ways Relevant

authentic learning tasks will be explored in a motivating learner-centered environment

Learning will be facilitated through both face-to-face and online interactions among the

classroom community To ensure that diverse student preferences for learning and

expression are honored a variety of learning modes and assessment strategies will be

utilized including whole-class discussions and debates face-to-face and online

collaborative group work individual readings and the design development and

evaluation of instructional materials situated in authentic contexts

Additionally each student should be able to demonstrate that they can use computers and

other technologies in research problem-solving and product development Students will

use a variety of media presentation and authoring packages plan and participate in team

and collaborative projects that require critical analysis and evaluation and present the

products they develop during for the course

Specific competencies for this course are aligned with the International Society for

Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Facilitation Standards Activities and

assignments in this course attempt to meet the following

TF-IA Demonstrate knowledge skills and understanding of concepts related to

technology

TF-IB Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay

abreast of current and emerging technologies

TF-VA Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional

development and lifelong learning

TF-VB Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make

informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student

learning

Attendance and Participation

Regular class attendance is expected as is appropriate and informed class participation

Because of the collaborative nature of this course students are expected to work within a

team environment where each participant contributes to the development process based

on their individual areas of expertise Students are also expected to actively participate

virtually in online discussions both with members of their own team and with other

students and facilitators in the course

Required Materials

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course Readings for this course will come from

articles published on the web and from handouts given out in class To access the online

readings you will need to have access to a computer that is capable of connecting to the

Internet as well as a recent version of a common web browser (such as Microsoft

Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator or Mozilla Firefox)

Your web browser should be configured so that you can access multimedia content

online Below are links to some of the more popular browser plug-ins and helper

applications that may be downloaded for free

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files)

RealPlayer (to hear RealAudio and view RealVideo files) Be

sure to look for the link to the Free Real Player not the free trial version of the

version of RealPlayer you must purchase

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

TF-IA Demonstrate knowledge skills and understanding of concepts related to

technology

TF-IB Demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay

abreast of current and emerging technologies

TF-VA Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional

development and lifelong learning

TF-VB Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make

informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student

learning

Attendance and Participation

Regular class attendance is expected as is appropriate and informed class participation

Because of the collaborative nature of this course students are expected to work within a

team environment where each participant contributes to the development process based

on their individual areas of expertise Students are also expected to actively participate

virtually in online discussions both with members of their own team and with other

students and facilitators in the course

Required Materials

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course Readings for this course will come from

articles published on the web and from handouts given out in class To access the online

readings you will need to have access to a computer that is capable of connecting to the

Internet as well as a recent version of a common web browser (such as Microsoft

Internet Explorer Netscape Navigator or Mozilla Firefox)

Your web browser should be configured so that you can access multimedia content

online Below are links to some of the more popular browser plug-ins and helper

applications that may be downloaded for free

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files)

RealPlayer (to hear RealAudio and view RealVideo files) Be

sure to look for the link to the Free Real Player not the free trial version of the

version of RealPlayer you must purchase

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

QuickTime Player (to view QuickTime movie clips and

QTVR files)

Macromedia Flash Player (to view Flash movies)

Windows Media Player 10 (to view Windows Media movie

clips and hear Windows Media audio files)

Computer Familiarity and Email Access

Regular use of a computer will be essential for this course Whether you have a computer

at home or are planning to use a computer in one of the computer labs on campus the

most important thing is to have a place you are familiar with where you can use a

computer can install software and save files Both Windows and Macintosh computers

are available in the College of Education CITE computer lab and at other labs on campus

The computers in Room 315A where our classes will be held should have all of the

software needed for this course You can find information about how to set-up an account

that will allow you to access the computers in the CITE Lab by going to the College of

Educations My Advisor system at httpmyadvisorcoeuhedu and selecting the

CreateReset Your Account link

Students enrolled in this course must also have a functioning e-mail account If you do

not already have a reliable e-mail account or are unhappy with your current e-mail

service for any reason you may apply for a free University of Houston e-mail account

Information about obtaining a UH email account may be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpemail_id=6

Required Software

You will need to purchase a copy of FrontPage 2003 for Windows for this course

The University of Houston has a Microsoft Site License for the campus One major

advantage of this license is that students are eligible to purchase some software that has

in the past only been available to faculty and staff Faculty staff and students may

purchase software for off-campus computers for the cost of approximately $700 per CD

After each product below you will find the number of CDs in parentheses More

information can be found at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=32

Software available for purchase by UH students includes

Office 2004 for Macintosh (2)

Office 2003 for Windows (3)

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

FrontPage 2003 (1)

Office XP Professional (3)

Windows XP Professional Upgrade (2)

For more information go to the UH website at

httpwwwuheduinfotechphptemplatephpsoftware_id=4

All Microsoft products are sold at the Cougar Byte the University of Houston computer

store For questions regarding purchasing call 713 743-5310 or email Charles Hoffman

Important Note You must have a Cougar 1Card to purchase these products and you will

not receive the boxed version just the software on a CD

Data Storage

Due to the large size of the projects created in this course some files you work with may

be quite large Storage space on a College of Education server will be available for

students in this course however you may also want to have your own back-up copies of

files you are using this semester Zip disks are being phased out by the CITE Lab and we

are recommending that students transfer their critical work to either recordable CDs or

other reliable large-capacity storage options such as portable external hard drives

Students are encouraged to purchase a USB Flash memory device such as the ones

shown below which make it easy to move files from one computer to another A

minimum of 512 megabytes is suggested although having more storage space is always

preferable

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Course Calendar and Class Topics

Class 1 Tuesday January 17 2006

Welcome and Introductions

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

History of CUIN 7330 Overview of Previous Web Projects

Why We Use Microsoft FrontPage in this Course

In-Class Activity Discussion of Student Needs Weekly Topics and Final

Semester Project Ideas

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o We Are the Web

httpwwwwiredcomwiredarchive1308tech_prhtml

o Seconds Out Round Two

httpeducationguardiancoukprint038585332827-10869900html

o What Is Web 20

httpwwworeillynetcomlpta6228

o E-learning 20

httpelearnmagorgsubpagecfmsection=articlesamparticle=29-1

Posting Assignment 1

o Post a message in which you introduce yourself and briefly discuss any

experience and expertise you already have in web design and

development including areas such as

1 experience using basic Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags

2 created a basic web page with a program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver

3 created hypertext links on a web page

4 created tables on a web page

5 created and modified graphics for a web page

6 created graphic hot spots (image maps)

7 optimized graphics for the web

8 added audio to a web page

9 added video to a web page

10 have created a blog

11 have created a webcast or podcast

12 experience using RSS

13 experience using CSS

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

14 experience using XML

15 experience using web tracking software

16 written technical information

17 written andor published in a newsletter magazine journal or book

18 created a web-based form

19 created interactive web components with JavaScript

20 created interactive web components with Authorware

21 created interactive web components with Flash

22 created database web components with ColdFusion

23 worked on a professional web project for a client

24 managed a web or other technology project

25 conducted web usability studies

26 conducted web accessibility studies

27 collectedanalyzed web usage statistics

28 have developed curriculum or lesson plans

29 have been or are currently an educatorteacherinstructor

30 any other skills you think are noteworthy that have not already been

identified

o IMPORTANT NOTE 1 There are no right or wrong answers for this

assignment--it is simply a way to gather information about where students

are in terms of their previous experiences related to website design and

working on technology projects IMPORTANT NOTE 2 Also please

include your current email address in your introduction in case there are

important messages that need to be sent to you during the semester

Posting Assignment 2

o After completing the Class One Reading Assignments on Web 20 select

at least one thing you found interesting and relevant to our in-class

discussion about the current state of the web Then post a message in

which you discuss what you found and why you feel it is relevant to our

work this semester

Hands-On Assignment 1

o As we begin thinking about the design and development of new web

projects it may be helpful to review some of the earlier web projects that

we discussed in Class One created by students in previous semesters To

review the projects go to

httpwwwcoeuheducoursescuin7330class1class1htmlprojects

Write a brief report in which you discuss at least one thing you like on one

of the sites one thing you dont like on one of the sites and one suggestion

for how something you dont like might be improved on one of these sites

Be sure to include in your report which site(s) your comments refer to and

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

which specific pages you are describing--it will be helpful to include the

URL of the pages you are discussing Be prepared to discuss your findings

in the next class

Class 2 Tuesday January 24 2006

Review Assignments from Class 1

FrontPage Basics

o Working with Graphics

o The Use of Tables and Cells

o Setting Page Properties

o Hyperlinks Anchors and Bookmarks

o Interactive Buttons and Web Components

o Thumbnail Images Image Maps and Rollover Images

In-Class Activity Hands-On Practice Using FrontPage

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Relevant Factors in the Selection of Computer Programs for Course Web

Site Design

relevant-factorspdf

o Evaluating the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Web Sites

httpwwwtechsouporgprintprintpagecfmarticleid=72amptopicid=0amptyp

e=npostory

o Introduction to Usability

httpwwwusabilityfirstcomintroindextxl

Posting Assignment 3

o Next week we will begin looking at website usability In preparation for

that you should begin thinking about what specific items should be

considered as you are designing and creating web materials For this

posting assignment select a few issues that you feel are most important

and discuss how these items may affect the web materials you will be

designing this semester The list on the Class 2 webpage may be helpful as

you begin to think about all of the different components that are involved

in designing creating and evaluating the usability of a website

Hands-On Assignment 2

o Select an educationally-relevant topic and create a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some of the elements that were discussed and

demonstrated in class (such as formatted text tables graphics image

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

maps thumbnail gallery rollovers etc plus any other components you

wish to add that we have not yet covered in class) Be sure that all of the

pages contain hyperlinks so that it is easy to navigate between pages In

addition try to add a graphic identity to the pages by choosing specific

colors text styles buttons graphics and other elements that are repeated

throughout the pages--and most importantly that support the educational

theme of the pages and does not detract from the primary message your

are trying to convey through the website

o Finally save or upload these pages to your directory on the Discover

server and then submit a brief report in which you discuss the pages you

created and include the URL of your first page

Class 3 Tuesday January 31 2006

Review Assignments from Class 2

Adding Media Elements to a Web Page

o Adding Audio

o Adding Video

In-Class Activity Exploring New Web Tools

o Google Tools

o Other Search Options

o Wikipedia

o Blogs

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o If Higher Education Listened to Me

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0550pdf

Posting Assignment 4

o Conduct some research on the web to find examples of how students

andor instructors are using blogs in an educationally-meaningful way

Then post a description of what you found and discuss the advantages and

disadvantages of trying to something similar at the University of Houston

Hands-On Assignment 3

o Select a topic related to some of the topics we have been discussing during

the first few weeks of this course and use at least three different Internet

search tools listed on the Class 3 webpage to search for information on

that topic Post a message that includes a description of the topic you

selected which search tools you used and discuss what you found

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

including the similarities and differences in your results Please monitor

the postings so that you do not search on the same topic as other students

Class 4 Tuesday February 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 3

Web Site Usability

In-Class Activity Finding Web Usability Examples and Non-Examples

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Lee Annes Usability Page

httpdiscoverycoeuheducuin7330spr06lakortus

o Interview with Sarah Horton (author of Access by Design A Guide to

Universal Usability for Designers)

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_horton

Comments

httpwwwdigital-webcomarticlessarah_hortoncomments

o Browser Compatibility Tutorial

httpwwwnetmechaniccombrowser-phototutorialhtm

Posting Assignment 5

o Continue examining the College of Education web site

httpwwwcoeuhedu and try to find several things that you feel could be

improved on the site This can include any of the topics we discussed in

this weeks class (the graphic look of the site the layout and categorization

of information the readability of text specific navigation options etc) or

other issues that you feel are important but were not discussed Post a

message in which you discuss your suggestions and be sure to include the

URLs of the pages you mention so that they will be easy to find

Posting Assignment 6

o Use the College of Education web sites search option

httppathfindercoeuhedu and try to locate several different pieces of

information you think current or prospective students would be looking for

and see how easy or difficult it is to find useful information on those

topics Then post a message in which you discuss what you searched for

what you found and whether or not you were satisfied with the results

Hands-On Assignment 4

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

o At this point all students should have created a series of at least 3 web

pages that contain some text images hypertext links and some type of

audio or video media For this weeks hands-on assignment you should do

one of the following

Review the web usability guidelines (found on this page andor on

the web) and then check the web pages you created to see what

modifications you can make to your pages to improve the usability

You should try to come up with at least 4 different things you can

do that will make your pages more useful and easier to navigate

or

Review the web usability guidelines (found on the Class 4

webpage andor on the web) and then check the web pages you

created to see if there are any instances where you did not adhere

to one of the principles of web usability

Then submit a brief report in which you provide specific details of

what you found and what changes you did or did not make to your

pages as well as why you made these particular decisions about

your web pages

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 5 Tuesday February 14 2006

Guest Speaker Dr Marshall Schott Director of Educational Technology and

University Outreach at UH

Review Assignments from Class 4

Real-World Web Usability

In-Class Activity Selecting Project Topics

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Usability Testing Basics

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsbrandemkt_stratprintphp826491

o One Day Usability Testing

httpwwwclickzcomexpertsarchivesebizprod_managearticlephp830

171

Posting Assignment 7

Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class regarding

the Faculty Toolkit we have been asked to develop after you have had some time

to think about the project In particular try to add to the discussion in the areas of

o The Audience - Who is the Sites Primary and Perhaps Secondary

Audiences

o The Goals of the Site - What is the Expectation of Visitors to the Site

o Best Practice in Education - Where Will These Examples Come From

o Are there Other Issues You Can Think of that Have Not Been Mentioned

You may find it helpful to review Jennifers beginning site on Podcasting as you

work on this assignment Its at

httpwwwclassuheduclassidtTutorials_HelpPodcasting

Hands-On Assignment 5

Begin working on your selected topic(s) and start conducting some research to

collect the following information

o Brief Definition - what is it

o Requirements - whats needed to use it

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

o Best Practice in Education - examples of how this technology is being

used in education

Then submit a brief report in which you include what you have found so far

that can be used to answer address these items

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 6 Tuesday February 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 5

Website Accessibility

In-Class Activity 1 Exploring Web Accessibility Tools

In-Class Activity 2 Working on the Faculty Toolkit

o Defining the Audience

o Defining the Goals of the Site

o How to Demonstrate Best Practices in Education

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Interface Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecominterfaceaccesshtml

o Page Design Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecompageaccesshtml

o Graphics Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomgraphicsaccesshtml

o Multimedia Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecommultimediaaccesshtml

o Typography Accessibility from the Web Style Guide

httpwwwwebstyleguidecomtypeaccesshtml

Posting Assignment 8

o To continue the conversation we had in this weeks class post a message

in which you discuss your reaction to the issue of website accessibility Is

it important Do we really need to pay attention to accessibility guidelines

for the University andor the state of Texas Is there more to this issue

than what we covered in class And what role should accessibility play in

our design of the Faculty Toolkit What do you think

Hands-On Assignment 6

o As we discussed in class each section of the Toolkit will include a

consistent set of drop-down menus on that sections main page Using the

menu structure of Jennifers Podcasting site as a guide begin to create an

outline of what menu items your topic should include

o Begin collecting graphics that can be used on your pages Google Image

Search and other image search engines may be a good place to look for

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

images In addition you should look at the following sites that offer free

images Creating Online at httpwwwcreatingonlinecomstock_photos

has free images for personal or commercial use and stockxchng at

httpwwwsxchu another free stock photo site

Begin creating a color scheme for your section of the Toolkit again based

on the layout of the Podcasting site That site uses a combination of 3

different colors one color for the background of the page and two darker

colors for the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the page For this

part of the assignment select at least three different 3-color designs that

might be used in your section of the Toolkit You may wish to use the

Infohound Color Schemer (httpinfohoundnetcolour) that Lee Anne

mentioned in class or another similar resource you find

Then submit a report in which you discuss what you found and created and bring

all materials with you to class next week

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 7 Tuesday February 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 6

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Designing Menus

o Collecting amp Creating Graphics

o Defining a Color SchemeGraphic Identity

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Theres Something in the Air Podcasting in Education

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypdfERM0561pdf

Posting Assignment 9

o Post a message in which you continue the discussion we began in class

regarding copyright and educational fair use See if you can find any

examples of how other educators or educational institutions are dealing

with this issue and include the results of your investigation in your

posting

Hands-On Assignment 7

o As we discussed in class use the test-colorhtm page that was created to

develop a series of pages on your selected topic You may change the

colors of the pages to any combination you like but you should create at a

minimum a main menu page for your topic with a brief description and

either text or graphic links to the various sub-pages of your site You

should also try to locate copyright-free graphics that can be included on

your pages and replace any earlier graphics you found on non-copyright-

free web pages

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the link to your work so

that your main page and sub-pages may be viewed

Class 8 Tuesday March 7 2006

Review Assignments from Class 7

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Discussion of Content Text

o Style Sheets

o Links and Navigation

o Copyright Issues

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Reading Assignment

o Educause is a non-profit association that promotes the intelligent use of

information technology in higher education The organization publishes

EDUCAUSE Review (httpswwweducauseeduappserindexasp) a bi-

monthly magazine that includes articles on current trends and

developments in information technology on college and university

campuses

The JanuaryFebruary issue of Educause Review is online at

httpswwweducauseeduappsererm06erm061asp

Archives of articles for the past several years are available online at

httpswwweducauseeduappserarchiveasp

For this weeks reading assignment select at least one article from either the current

issue or from the archives that provides information about use of technology in higher

education especially by faculty

Posting Assignment 10

o Describe the article you read for this weeks reading assignment and

discuss your reaction to the article especially as it relates to your work on

the Faculty Toolkit project this semester

Hands-On Assignment 8

Continue working on your component of the Faculty Toolkit by completing the

following

o make sure that all of the pages on your topic are created and include

navigation links

o modify the color stylesheet to create the main page and sub-pages you will

need for your topic and finalize the colors as we went over in the class

o use and modify the menu stylesheet for the main page and sub-pages you

are creating on your topic to finalize all of the pull-down menu items

Then use the Online Submission System to submit the URLs to your site If you

are unable to upload the material to the Discovery server please bring it with you

to class so that it can be uploaded from there and submit a brief note indicating

that is what you did

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 9 Tuesday March 21 2006

Review Assignments from Class 8

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Clarifying Content Text

o More with Style Sheets

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Reading Assignments

Posting Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Posting Assignments

Hands-On Assignment

o There will be no new assignments for this week so that students will have

a chance to get caught up on assignments that have not been yet been

completed Please review the previous class web pages and make sure you

have completed all of the Hands-On Assignments

Class 10 Tuesday March 28 2006

Review Assignments from Class 9

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Questions for Our Client

o Determining a Stopping Point at Semesterlsquos End

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment Explore the following websites

o Massachusetts Institute of Technology

httpwebmiteduteachtech

o University of California Davis

httpftgucdavisedu

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

o Alleghany Community College

httpwebdevccacedutalkintoolkithtm

o University of California San Diego

httporpheusucsdedufacguideait

o Claremont McKenna College

httpitsclaremontmckennaeduFSGuide

Posting Assignment 11

o Prepare a list of questions about your section of the Faculty Toolkit for Dr

Schott who will visit our class next week

Hands-On Assignment

o This is not a graded assignment but in order for you to make progress on

your final semester project you should continue working on your

component of the Faculty Toolkit and focus on collecting content on your

topic Bring the material to class next week and we will spend time in

class modifying the content before adding it to the website

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 11 Tuesday April 4 2006

Review Assignments from Class 10

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

o Visit from Dr Schott ndash Questions from Students

Adding Audio Interviews

Other Decisions about Toolkit Format

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Balancing the Learning Equation Exploring Effective Mixtures of

Technology Teaching and Learning

httptechnologysourceorgarticlebalancing_the_learning_equation

o What is the Best Model for Producing a Technology Transformed

Faculty

httpwwweducauseeduirlibrarypowerpointSER0560pps

o Blogging as a Course Management Tool

httptechnologysourceorgarticleblogging_as_a_course_management_to

ol

o RSS The Next Killer App For Education

httptechnologysourceorgarticlerss

o Digital Natives Digital Immigrants

httpwwwmarcprenskycomwritingPrensky20-

20Digital20Natives20Digital20Immigrants20-20Part1pdf

o Overcoming Educators Digital Immigrant Accents A Rebuttal

httptechnologysourceorgarticleovercoming_educators_digital_immigr

ant_accents

Posting Assignment 12

o Review all of the components being created for the Faculty Toolkit (links

are above) and look for items that should be added to the list of

consistency standards we addressed this week Then post a message in

which you describe what you found including the specific page and

location and briefly discuss why you feel each new standard should be

implemented

Hands-On Assignment 9

o Using the Other Decisions about Toolkit Format on the Class 11 webpage

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

modify the pages you are creating so that they comply with these

standards Additionally you may make other changes to the pages based

on either material you find or that are discussed on this weeks Posting

Assignment

Class 12 Tuesday April 11 2006

Review Assignments from Class 11

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o Blogs as a Tool for Teaching

httpwwwstevendkrausecomacademickrause-blogs-chepdf

o Blogging and RSS mdash The Whats It and How To of Powerful New

Web Tools for Educators

httpwwwinfotodaycomMMSchoolsjan04richardsonshtml

o What is a News Aggregator

httpdavenetscriptingcom20021008whatIsANewsAggregator

o Blogging Clicks With Colleges - Interactive Web Pages Changing Class

Participation

httpwwwuheduednews2005wpost20050320050314wikiblogshtml

o Engines Of Our Ingenuity Podcasts

httpwwwnprorgrsspodcastpodcast_detailphpsiteId=5183222

Posting Assignment 12

o This is a continuation last weeklsquos posting assignment Continue to look for

items that should be added to the list of consistency standards we have

been discussing Then post a message in which you describe your ideas

about implementing new standards and briefly discuss why you feel each

new standard should be implemented

Hands-On Assignment 10

o Continue working on the text that will go on each page of your section of

the Toolkit We will spend time in next weeks class reviewing this

information and providing feedback on each section

Also as we discussed in this weeks class there are many interesting and

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

hopefully useful articles on the web that visitors to the Faculty Toolkit

might find interesting For this part of the assignment conduct some

research to come up with a few good articles on your topic that can be

added to an Additional Resources section of your pages Once you select

which articles you think should be included create a list that includes the

following information

Name of the Article

Name of the Author(s)

Author Affiliation (University business government agency etc)

URL of Article

A brief description (in your own words) of what the article is about

and the major points it makes

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Class 13 Tuesday April 18 2006

Review Assignments from Class 12

In-Class Activity Continued Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Reports

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Posting Assignment

o No new assignment this week

Hands-On Assignment

o Continue your work on the Faculty Toolkit

Class 14 Tuesday April 25 2006

Review Assignments from Class 13

In-Class Activity Finalizing Work on the Faculty Toolkit

Discussion of Final Semester Project Presentations

Assignments for Next Class

Reading Assignment

o None

Posting Assignment 13

o In place of the final posting assignment for this course I am asking that

you please email me (brobinuhedu) the answers to the following

questions

Question 1

What do you feel were the biggest challenges you faced while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 2

What do you feel were the greatest accomplishments you had while in the

course and while working on the project

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Question 3

What do you feel were the biggest disappointments if any you had while

in the course and while working on the project

Question 4

What were the most significant things you learned from being in the

course and from working on the project

Question 5

Do you have any other comments that you would like to make about the

course and your work on the project

Question 6

What grade do you think you deserve for your participation in this course

And if you would like to discuss why please do so

Hands-On Assignment

Try to complete work on your section of the Faculty Toolkit

Complete a brief one-two page final project report that describes your work on

the Faculty Toolkit and addresses the following elements

o What was your major goal for this project

o What tradeoffs if any did you have to make in your design

o What if anything would you do differently if you had to do it all over

again

o What work remains to be done

o What suggestions can you make that will help the next student or group of

students who will continue work on this project

Class 15 Tuesday May 2 2006

Final Project Presentations

Assignments and Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

13 WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS -1 point for each

class discussion worth a maximum of 13 points

Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions as new topics are

introduced and weekly reading and hands-on assignments are reviewed

10 HANDS-ON ASSIGNMENTS -3 points for each hands-on assignment worth a

maximum of 30 points

Grades for the weekly assignments are based on two principal factors

(1) your knowledge and understanding of the topic as demonstrated in the completion of

the assignment and

(2) the extent to which your work takes into account the needs of the project you are

developing Please make sure that you carefully read the description of each weekly

assignment and follow all of its requirements

13 POSTING ASSIGNMENTS -1 point for each posting assignment worth a

maximum of 13 points

Student participation in online discussions is another important component of this course

So please make an effort to complete the posting assignments on a timely basis

COMPLETION OF THE FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT -worth a maximum of

24 points

Each student will be graded on the final project component that is completed by the end

of the semester Each individual team members grade will be based on the degree to

which the work satisfies the requirements of the project as assessed by the instructor and

in meeting the requirements of the client

Final Semester Project Rubric

FINAL

PROJECT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Usability Guidelines

We Covered in the

Course

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is of

excellent quality

and needs no

further work before

it can go live

The overall

appearance

navigation

and usability

of your

section of the

website is

good but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of

your section of

the website is

fair but would

benefit from a

set of revisions

before it goes

live

The overall

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website is poor and

must have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

There are major

problems with the

appearance

navigation and

usability of your

section of the

website and the

site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Adheres to

Accessibility

Guidelines We

Accessibility

guidelines have

been used in a full

and comprehensive

Most

accessibility

guidelines

have been

Some

accessibility

guidelines have

been used in

Few accessibility

guidelines have

been used in your

section of the

There are major

problems with the

accessibility of

your section of

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Covered in the

Course

manner in your

section of the

website and it

needs no further

work before it can

go live

used in your

section of the

website but it

could be

improved with

minor

revisions

before it goes

live

your section of

the website but

would benefit

from a set of

revisions before

it goes live

website and must

have a

comprehensive set

of revisions before

it goes live

the website and

the site cannot be

improved without

a complete re-

design or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Clearly Written and

Meaningful Content

Is Included on Your

Section of the

Website

All of the content

in your section of

the website is

clearly written and

meaningful

Most of the

content in

your section

of the website

is clearly

written and

meaningful

Some of the

content in your

section of the

website is

clearly written

and meaningful

Little of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful

None of the

content in your

section of the

website is clearly

written and

meaningful or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Graphics Included

on Your Section of

the Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the graphics

in your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

graphics in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

graphics in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Multimedia

Components

Included on Your

Section of the

Website are

Meaningful of High

Quality and Have

Been Optimized for

Web Delivery

All of the

multimedia

components in your

section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

Most of the

multimedia

components in

your section

of the website

are

meaningful of

high-quality

and have been

optimized for

web delivery

Some of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for

web delivery

Few of the

multimedia

components in

your section of the

website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery

None of the

multimedia

components in

your section of

the website are

meaningful of

high-quality and

have been

optimized for web

delivery or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Meets the

Needs and

Requirements of the

Client

All of the material

in your section of

the website meets

the needs of the

client

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

meets the

needs of the

client

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to meet the

needs of the

client

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs of

the client

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

meet the needs

and requirements

of the client or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website Is

Appropriate for

Audience

All of the material

in your section of

the website is

perfectly matched

to the intended

audience

Most of the

material in

your section

of the website

is nicely

matched to the

intended

audience

Some of the

material in your

section of the

website seems

to be matched

to the intended

audience

Very little of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended audience

None of the

material in your

section of the

website seems to

be matched to the

intended

audience or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

Your Section of the

Website

Demonstrates

Creativity

Your section of the

website reflects that

you went above

and beyond the

material covered in

this course and

added major

elements to the site

that increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as a

digital resource

Your section

of the website

reflects that

you included

some

unexpected

elements to

the site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness

as a digital

resource

Your section of

the website

reflects that you

included a few

unexpected

elements to the

site that

increase its

functionality

usefulness and

overall

effectiveness as

a digital

resource

Your section of the

website has other

problems that must

be addressed

before creative

design issues can

be evaluated

Your section of

the website does

not demonstrate

any creative

thinking or no

work was

submitted

3 points 2 points 1 point 5 points 0 points

FINAL SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATION AND REPORT -worth a

maximum of 20 points

Students will be graded on their ability to describe their individual contribution to the

overall project in a written final project report In addition students will be graded on a

final project presentation to the class outlining the results of their work in a thorough and

professional manner

Final Semester Project Presentation and Report Rubric

PROJECT

REPORT Excellent Proficient Average Poor No Credit

The Project Report

Describes the

Purpose of the Final

Project

The report is well

organized very

well written and

describes the

purpose of the

project in a

thorough and

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

purpose of the

project

The report

describes the

general purpose

of the project in

an adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the purpose of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the purpose or

report is not

submitted

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

thoughtful manner

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Process of Creating

the Final Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

process of creating

the project in a

thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

major points

of the process

of creating the

project

The report

describes the

process of

creating the

project in an

adequate

manner

The report only

partially describes

the process of the

project andor there

are inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the process or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 2 points 1 point 0 points

The Project Report

Describes the

Challenges Faced in

Creating the Final

Project

The report is well

organized clearly

written and

describes the

challenges faced in

creating the project

in a thorough and

meaningful

manner

The report is

well written

and clearly

describes the

challenges

faced in the

project

The report

describes the

challenges

faced in

creating the

project

The report only

partially describes

the challenges

faced in creating

the project andor

there are

inaccuracies or

major oversights in

the document

No attempt is

made to describe

the challenges or

report is not

submitted

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

The Final Semester

Project is Presented

to the Class in a

Professional and

Thorough Manner

The presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and all

elements of the

project are clearly

explained All

questions about the

project are

answered in a

thoughtful and

professional way

The

presentation is

conducted in a

professional

manner and

most elements

of the project

are explained

Some

questions

about the

project are

clearly

answered but

not all

The

presentation is

conducted in an

adequate

manner and

some elements

of the project

are clearly

explained but

not all

Questions about

the project are

only briefly

answered

The presentation is

conducted in a

careless manner

andor most

elements of the

project are not

clearly explained

Questions about

the project are only

briefly answered

There are major

problems with the

presentation or it

is not done

5 points 4 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

Factors that May Affect Your Grade

The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your

grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and

submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages Penalties for late

assignments will be assessed

Also be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up when you

fall behind Collaborative project-based courses such as this one offer students a unique

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

opportunity to work on real projects and interact with real clients As such there are real

deadlines and real items that students agree to deliver the same as in an actual

employment situation In exchange for this opportunity students assume a greater

responsibility to be self-motivated and organized and when working as part of a

collaborative team carry their fair share of the workload

Feedback from the Instructor During the semester the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments Some

of the feedback will be in person via e-mail or in some cases as part of the in-class

discussion Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material

submitted by everyone Other feedback will be more individualized and will principally

be in response to each students or student teams work on their project component In

addition students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties

with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course

Problems that May Occur in the Course

Students do not follow the assignment instructions Please read the assignment

instructions carefully If you have any questions about what is required please

contact the instructor for clarification

Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind Keep in mind that the

semester may seem long but in reality the time goes by very quickly This course

is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines It will require a great

deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses Incomplete grades

are not normally given at the end of the semester It is expected that all work

negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor will be completed by the

end of the semester

Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the

quality of the work and thus negatively affects the grade

Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend

working on assignments If this occurs students should communicate with the

instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution

Incomplete Grades

Occasionally students enter a course thinking that they can take an incomplete if they

decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time Keep in mind

the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete state ―The grade

of Ilsquo is a conditional temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but for

reasons beyond his or her control has not completed a relatively small part of his or her

requirements A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back

of each semesters class schedule booklet Please remember that after one year a grade of

I in a course automatically becomes an F if the unfinished work has not been

completed If you have any questions please contact the instructor for more information

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty

Policy which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at

httpwwwuhedudoshdbkacadachonpolhtml

This policy defines academic dishonesty as Employing a method or technique or

engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is

not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements

Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work Plagiarism is a

serious offense and students in this course as in all IT courses face serious consequences

if they submit work that is not their own If you are uncertain about what does or does not

constitute as plagiarism please discuss your concerns with the instructor

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitincom a

plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course

Turnitincom assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet

sources or from other students enrolled in the same course More information about

Turnitin is avaiable online at httpwwwturnitinorgstatictourtour_masterhtml

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure

of an individual assignment andor referral to the department chair for consideration of

additional action which may include failure of the course and suspension from the

university

Student Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that the university make

reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities as defined in the act Students

who feel they need assistance under the ADA guidelines should approach the instructor

to discuss such consideration early in the semester When possible and in accordance

with 504ADA guidelines we will attempt to provide reasonable academic

accommodations to students who request and require them Please call the UH Center for

Students with DisABILITIES at 7137435400 for more assistance (See

httpwwwuheducsd)

Standards Course

Objectives

Instruction and

Activities

Assessment Assessment

Criteria

Evidence that

the Standard

has been Met

TF-IA Demonstrate

knowledge

skills and

understanding

of concepts

related to

technology

Students gain a

solid

foundation in

the following

areas working

in a

collaborative

group

Class Lectures

and

Demonstrations

Participation in

Weekly Class

Discussions

including

Weekly

Hands-On

Assignments

Weekly Posting

Assignments

Completion of

See Grading

Criteria for

Hands-On

Assignments

See Grading

Criteria for

Posting

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for attending

class and

participating in

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation

TF-IB

Demonstrate

continual

growth in

technology

knowledge and

skills to stay

abreast of

current and

emerging

technologies

TF-VA Use

technology

resources to

engage in

ongoing

professional

development

and lifelong

learning

TF-VB

Continually

evaluate and

reflect on

professional

practice to

make informed

decisions

regarding the

use of

technology in

support of

student

learning

choosing the

best

technological

tools to create

educational

web resources

understanding

how

organizations

determine how

to present their

content online

managing

project

deadlines for a

client testing

for website

usability and

accessibility

and evaluating

web sites as

useful

educational

resources

Discussion of

Weekly

Readings amp

Review of

Hands-On and

Posting

Assignments

Continuous

assessment and

feedback from

instructor on

weekly

assignments

the Final

Semester

Project

Final Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Assignments

See Final

Semester

Project Plan

Script and

Storyboard

Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project Rubric

See Final

Semester

Project

Presentation

and Report

Rubric

class

discussions

85 of

students will

receive

between 24

and 30 points

for completing

weekly Hands-

On

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 10

and 13 points

for completing

weekly Posting

Assignments

85 of

students will

receive

between 18

and 24 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project

85 of

students will

receive

between 16

and 20 points

for completing

the Final

Semester

Project Report

and

Presentation