Assignments
This page provides an overview of the work that contributes to your final course grade, and connects you to descriptions for those projects and workshops through the links below. (Note that no descriptive detail appears on SVSU Canvas for any of these assignments.) I activate assignment pages as we need them, so do not worry if you cannot access all of the descriptions at the beginning of the semester.
Your course grade is computed from the points you earn on 4 projects and 7 workshops. Combined, these assignments total 1300 points.
You can read more about grading and what factors might influence your grade on the Policies page.
Projects
I use the term projects to categorize assignments that are significant undertakings, and that require development and refinement time that may span several weeks of the semester. You will complete 4 projects this semester that collectively contribute 950 possible points to your course grade.
3 of the 4 projects connect to the same core topic, which itself ties to the challenge of acquiring and assessing professionally relevant knowledge. For that work, you will identify an object of study (OoS) that will provide focus for your work.
Each project description details several elements of the work, including design requirements, hints and tips, and submission guidelines. Use the links below to access those descriptions.
- Research Journal (for the Journey Map) (RJ). 200 points. The RJ project serves two purposes: (1) to gather the details of your experiences with an object of study that you select as the focus for your research and design work this semester; and (2) to provide a space for preliminary examination of and reflection upon those experiences. The RJ is challenging because it requires you to make regular (even daily) entries, and emphasizes both detailed reporting and careful reflection.
- Journey Map (JM). 250 points. The JM project reports on your journey to understanding the object of study (OoS) you selected as the focus for your research and design work this semester, including your evaluation of its usability and how well it meets your needs and expectations. The JM is challenging because it demands both neutral, objective examination and personal, subjective evaluation to complete the design analysis.
- Evaluation Report (ER). 250 points. The ER requires you to deliver (by screencast video) an evaluation of your experiences with your object of study, drawing on your Research Journal and Journey Map projects. The ER is challenging because it asks you to consider not only your experience of integrating the OoS into your professional workflow, but also how it might serve others.
- Interview Podcast (IP). 200 points. The IP requires you to produce a podcast that features a solo discussion or an interview with a classmate, peer in the program, or professional technical communicator. The IP is challenging because it requires preparation (framing a set of topics for discussion), audio production (recording, editing, development of complementary content), and because most of this work requires you to use technology that is likely new to you.
Workshops
I use the term workshops to categorize assignments that are smaller scale than projects, work that can be completed in the space of a single class session, or within the space of a single class week. The concepts, strategies, and practices examined through workshops build and reinforce your working knowledge for the course. You will complete 7 workshops this semester that collectively contribute 350 possible points to your course grade.
Each workshop description details several elements of the work, including design and discussion requirements, and submission guidelines. Use the links below to access those descriptions.
- Document Design. 50 points. Using Microsoft Word, you design a 1-page profile that discusses your professional development interests, and your experience with information design.
- Screencast Design. 50 points. Using Techsmith Capture and the Screencast.com streaming service, you create and share a screencast focused on the profile document you created during the Document Design workshop.
- Examining Design. 50 points. You examine a design object to determine what is essential to understanding it's design, and how best to report those details to an audience.
- Reflection. 50 points. You reflect upon topics relevant to reading and discussion to date.
- Observe and Report. 50 points. You report on a professionally relevant event within or beyond the campus community.
- Editing Audio. 50 points. You work on telling a story from audio files provided to you for the purpose of the workshop.
- Class Conference. 50 points. You engage two or more peers in discussion of their Evaluation Report projects, and respond when they do the same with you. Note. This assignment has been dropped for Winter 2021.