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Clayton State University
Writing for Digital Media

CMS 3710 Writing for Digital Media is a core class in the Communication and Media Studies (CMS) program at Clayton State University. A printer-friendly version of this Fall 2008 syllabus is available, but please be aware that these pages are frequently updated. Check the online syllabus regularly to make sure that you have the most current information.

Class Meetings

MWF 12-12:50, University Center room UC 138

Required Software

You must be able to access your CSU email account and your CSU web space on a regular basis. If you are unable to do either of these things, you should drop the class.

You will need a word processor that can open Microsoft Word documents. 

Class projects will require Macromedia Dreamweaver, which is installed on the computers in our classroom (UC 150). Macromedia also offers a 30-day free trial version of Dreamweaver. At one point during the semester, you probably will want to download this free trial version to your laptop. However, to maximize its usefulness, DO NOT download the program until the week indicated on our class schedule.

Recommended: The Mozilla Firefox web browser.

Required Texts & Media

  • Making the Invisible Visible, by Hillman Curtis, New Riders Press, 2002. ISBN 0735711658 (Amazon)
  • The Language of New Media, by Lev Manovich, MIT Press, 2001. ISBN 0262632551 (Amazon)
  • Web Style Guide, 2nd edition, by Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton [This is a free, online text.]
  • A flash drive with your name written on it in indelible marker. This will be used as the local disk in Dreamweaver. You should bring the flash drive with you to class every day, unless otherwise instructed.
  • CSU Writing Handbook
  • CSU Writing Guidelines
  • CD-ROMs, videotapes, and other materials may be placed on reserve at the library.
  • Photocopies and Web sites (announced in class and linked from the schedule) will be assigned throughout the semester.
  • A college-level dictionary.

Complete Before Class on Wednesday, August 20

  • Complete the assigned readings listed on the Schedule page for this week.
  • Activate your CSU email and Web space
    (if you have not already done so). 
  • In class, complete GA View quiz 0.

Contact Information

  • Professor: Dr. Steve Spence
  • Home page: http://www.stevespence.org/
  • Email: sspence [at] clayton [dot] edu
  • Office: Music 219
  • Office hours: TBA
  • Phone: 678.466.4721

To obtain this document in an alternative format and request accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, 678-466-5445, disabilityservices@mail.clayton.edu.

Policies

General Policy

Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.

University Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.

Course Attendance Policy

Attendance is expected for all class periods.  Attendance is required for quiz and examination periods.  Any absence must be accompanied by a written excuse from a doctor or other competent authority. Students who miss more than nine classes--excluding absences due to documented medical emergencies or official university functions--will be administratively dropped from the class. Dropped students will earn a W or a WF in the course.

Missed Work

Without excuse, a grade of zero points will be assigned for the missed work.  If a valid excuse is provided, the following policies apply.

  • Make-up quizzes will be given only if they are taken before the quiz is discussed in class. If the make-up quiz cannot be taken before this time, the missed quiz will not count in calculating the overall quiz grade. This means that other quizzes will be responsible for a greater weight in determining the course final grade.

  • Make-up examinations will be given only if they are taken before graded examinations are returned to students.  In the event that a make-up examination cannot be taken before exams are returned to other students, a substitute examination or other assignment will replace it in determining the course final grade.
     
  • The final examination must be taken.

Participation

You should come to every class prepared to engage actively in discussions of the readings and other course materials. If you are naturally shy, you will need to make a special effort. Average (i.e. "C" level) performace in this area equates to the following:

  • No more than three absences from class throughout the semester. Two instances of late arrival or early departure will be considered equivalent to one absence.
  • Thorough preparation. (See the Quizzes page for more information.)
  • Frequent, engaged, and thoughtful responses to the course material.

When answering questions and offering your opinions during class discussions, your comments should direct us toward the central importance of the topic, as it relates to the subject and goals of this class. Your comments should draw out your classmates, encouraging them to develop the most important ideas and implications of the text. Energetic participation from you will make the class more enjoyable for everyone, so please read, write, and contribute thoughtfully and actively.

Midterm Progress Report

The midterm grade in this course will be issued on October 7.  Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W."  Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, by midterm, which occurs on October 10.  The last day to withdraw without academic accountability is Friday, October 10, 2008.

Computer Requirement

Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access.  For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm.

Computer Skill Prerequisites

  • Able to use the WindowsTM operating system
  • Able to use Microsoft WordTM word processing
  • Able to send and receive e-mail using OutlookTM or Outlook ExpressTM
  • Able to attach and retrieve attached files via email
  • Able to use a Web browser.

In-class Use of Student Notebook Computers

All CSU students are required to be in regular communication with their instructors via their CSU email account.  (See http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm)  Dates that you will be required to bring your laptop to class will be listed on the Schedule page of the online syllabus.

Disruption of the Learning Environment

Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not be tolerated.  While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior.  A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class.  A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal.  If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF.

A more detailed description of examples of disruptive behavior and appeal procedures is available.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, all work must be individual. Collusion (working with another student or tutor without authorization) or plagiarism (use of another's ideas, data, statements, or other work without acknowledgment and/or extensive use of another's ideas, data, statements, or other work with only minimal acknowledgment) will not be tolerated.

Students who violate these policies may be formally charged with academic misconduct. The minumum penalty in such cases will be an F in the course. As university regulations stipulate, students guilty of academic misconduct may also be suspended or expelled. Judicial procedures are described in detail elsewhere.

Complaints

Complaints about separate assignments should be discussed with the instructor. Complaints about the final grade should be discussed with the instructor in at least one conference soon after the next term begins. If the conference on the final grade does not resolve the problem, the complaint should then be taken to the department chair of Communicative Arts and Integrative Studies.

Course Description and Goals

Course Number and Title

CMS 3710 Writing for Digital Media, CRN 86654

Course Description

CMS 3710 is an advanced writing course that considers dispersed computer networks as new media forms. The course begins with hands-on experience in the design and development of electronic documents. It then offers a survey of the aesthetic, historical, and theoretical contexts that shape communication using digital media.

Prerequisite

ENGL 1102 (C)

Credit Hours

3 credit hours (3-0-3)

Program Goals

CMS 3710  is a core class in the Communication and Media Studies (CMS) program. The goals for the class align with goals 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the CMS program outcomes. Through successful completion of the assignments, students demonstrate high-level reading, writing, and critical thinking skills along with an understanding of the theoretical, historical, and aesthetic factors involved in writing for digital media. 

Reading and Writing Proficiency

CMS 3710 is a specialized writing class designed for students preparing for careers as professional writers and communicators. Even students with high-level reading and writing skills will likely find some of the texts challenging. Likewise, the writing assignments demand a sophisticated ability to analyze texts and formulate written responses to them. 

Students with a shaky grasp of grammar, mechanics, or reading comprehension should plan to spend several hours each week working with tutors in the A&S Writers' Studio and/or the Center for Student Success.

Grades

Major Projects

Grades on the three projects will be based on the CSU Writing Guidelines and other criteria as detailed on the project directions pages.

Evaluation of Writing

Grades on the assessment and final exam will be based on the CSU Writing Guidelines. Each component will earn a flat letter grade: A (95%), B (85%), C (75%), D (65%), F (55%), or 0. Writing that earns a "D" or an "F" in any single component cannot earn a overall grade higher than "D" or "F." Assignments earning a C or higher in all three components will earn an overall percentage grade that is an average of the three component grades.

Because this class is intended for communication and media professionals, grammatical and mechanical perfection is expected. Imperfect writing will earn no higher than a C; assignments with more than one error will likely earn a D or F.

Final Grades

Final grades will be determined using the weighted average presented in Table 1. In borderline cases (e.g. an 89 average),  class participation will be the deciding factor.

Table 1: Percentages of Final Grade
WebCT quizzes 25 percent
Writing assessment 10 percent
Final exam 20 percent
Project 1: XHTML home page 05 percent
Project 2: web site evaluation 20 percent
Project 3: professional portfolio 20 percent

Writing Assessments

You must successfully complete an in-class writing assignment (as evaluated by the CSU Writing Guidelines) in order to earn a C or higher in the course. You will have two chances to do so: near the midpoint in the semester and on the final exam.

The first assessment is designed to test your knowledge of new media as well as give you a sense of your writing level. The second assessment, written at the end of the semester, will count as part of your final examination score.

Assessment 1

The first assessment will be an academic essay, written in class, on topics covered to that point in the semester.

You will not have books, notes, or Internet available during the exam. You must type your essay on one of the UC150 computers. There is no minimum word count, but the essay should demonstrate the following characteristics: 

  • a clear thesis that specifically addresses the topic; 
  • specific examples and details drawn from the texts; 
  • a definite pattern of organization, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.

You will be given a list of three questions similar to questions that will be posted here later in the semester, and you will select one to answer.

Assessment 2

The second assessment will be a 120-minute writing exercise. See the Final Exam page for more information.

Discussion Paragraphs

You will participate in online discussions of class material by submitting paragraphs to our class's WebCT bulletin board. For each date that "email discussion paragraph" is listed in our schedule, you should do the following:

Write and submit your MS Word document

  1. Carefully read all paragraphs on this topic that already have been submitted to our WebCT bulletin board.
  2. Compose your own paragraph responding to the text, to in-class discussions of this text, and/or to other students' responses.
  3. Draft this paragraph in Microsoft Word, and include your name, my name, "CMS 3710" and the date at the top of the page.
  4. Save this MS Word file as "YourLastName 3710 #." 
    (The # stands here for the  number of the paragraph as indicated on our schedule. For example, the file containing Louise Johnson's fifth discussion paragraph should be labeled "Johnson 3710 5").
  5. Send this file as an email attachment to me at <sspence@clayton.edu>. Include the name of your file in the message's subject line.
  6. Send the file by midnight on the night before the paragraph is due (the date listed on our schedule). Late paragraphs will earn no credit.

Post your paragraph on WebCT

  1. Open both MS Word and WebCT. Select and copy the text of your paragraph in Word, and paste it into the appropriate bulletin board discussion posting on WebCT.
  2. Post the paragraph by midnight on the night before the paragraph is due (the date listed on our schedule). Late paragraphs will earn no credit.

Content Guidelines 

Each paragraph that you submit should contain no fewer than six and no more than eight sentences. It should begin with a topic sentence that makes a clear and defensible claim about the text or ideas under discussion. In addition, it must present an original idea. Merely summarizing the text or my lectures is not sufficient. For the same reasons, a paragraph that merely re-states or agrees with another student's ideas is not acceptable. Finally, each paragraph also should offer examples or other concrete details that support its points. These examples may be drawn from the texts, from previous discussions, or from your own experience. References to others' written work should cite the source of the information, including page numbers when appropriate.

The following eight-sentence paragraph--which responds to the WSG's chapter 3, "Site Design"--is an example of the level of detail I'm expecting. It discusses the site www.clayton.edu.

The Web Style Guide notes that "it is often advantageous to use the home page to split the audience immediately into interest groups and to offer them specific, more relevant information in menu pages deeper within the site" (58). In keeping with this recommendation, Clayton State's home page features prominent links to submenu pages designed for two important sets of users: "Future Students" and "Current Students."  Both of these submenu pages demonstrate the user-centered design strategy that is fundamental to the WSG's recommendations. For example, the "Future Students" page includes a column of important dates and a relatively low-bandwidth animation that highlights the university's strengths. These elements meet the needs of prospective students, who likely will want an overview about the university itself along with deadlines for application, etc. The "Current Students" page targets different users with different needs. Rather than general information and "eye candy," current students want quick access to specific information. Their page therefore consists of a straightforward, fast-loading list of links clustered by topic.

Grading

See the Grades page for details.

Quizzes

WebCT quizzes on the readings and screenings will be given approximately once a week, at the beginning of class.  If you fail to take a quiz during the required timeframe, you will not be able to take it at a later time.

The quiz format will vary, including short answer, fill in the blank, paragraph, multiple choice, etc.

In some cases, you will complete short Dreamweaver web-design projects and post these to your CSU web space. I will grade these by comparing your online results to the directions presented in class.

Preparing for the Quizzes

The quizzes are challenging, and students often ask how they can improve their scores. Here is my advice:

  1. If a study guide is available, read it carefully.
  2. Read or view the assigned texts thoroughly, taking notes. Often, this requires multiple readings or screenings.
  3. While taking notes
    • Pay attention to form as well as content. What are the major components of the piece, and how are they organized?
    • Think about the historical and discursive contexts that shaped the material (including the work of theorists).
    • Make sure that you recognize the names of the primary agents (e.g. authors, leaders, antagonists), places, and concepts.
    • Make a special effort to connect this material to topics and materials that we have already covered.
  4. Bring your notes with you to class.
  5. Be prepared to offer thoughtful answers to questions and comments posed by me and by your peers. 

Final Exam

The final exam will be a series of paragraphs written in class, on topics covered throughout the semester. You will have 120 minutes.

The exam will be closed book, closed notes, and you may not use any Internet resources. You must type your essay on one of the UC150 computers. There is no minimum word count, but the paragraphs should be well-organized and detailed.

Each paragraph should thoroughly answer the question and cite specific examples from the texts or our class discussions to support its answer. (On average, I expect the paragraphs to consist of six to eight sentences.)

Projects: General Information

You will complete three major projects. You also will complete writing assessments, quizzes, in-class and online discussions, and a final exam.

Writing Assessments

You must successfully complete an in-class writing assignment (as evaluated by the CSU Writing Guidelines) in order to earn a C or higher in the course. See the Writing Assessments page for further information.

Major Projects

I will update the summary of requirements and directions for each project as details are finalized. The links below will take you to these separate pages:

General Format and Requirements

Projects must be submitted in the assigned format at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. Information on proper writing mechanics is available in the CSU Writing Handbook.

All written work should be grammatically sound and employ standard U.S. spelling and punctuation. Projects must be submitted in the required format at the beginning of class on the due date. Projects that fail to conform to these requirements will be returned for revision; the lateness penalty will apply for each day taken to correct basic grammatical or formatting problems.

I reserve the right to change the due date of any assignment at any time by giving appropriate notification. You are responsible for all information presented on this syllabus, in class, and through email. Major assignments submitted after their specified date will be lowered one letter grade per class period. Please keep up with the deadlines listed on our Schedule.

Copies & Completeness

Please note: Success in this class includes demonstrating your ability to use electronic technologies to accomplish professional tasks. Any variation of "The computer ate my homework" will not be acceptable.

Students must keep a copy of each out-of-class assignment until the original is graded and/or returned. I strongly recommend making both paper copies and multiple backups of  electronic files. (Keep backup files on a floppy disk in addition to those on your computer's hard drive.)

The projects that require posting on your CSU Web space may be updated and revised up to the moment that I grade them. However, please note that your grade will be based on what I find when I arrive at the site. 

All writing assignments must be completed for a grade in order to earn a final grade other than F.

Email Etiquette

You will need an email account to communicate with me and with other members of the class. Please note that you will be responsible for information that I or other members of the class send to your CSU account. If you prefer another email address, make sure that your CSU account is set up to bounce messages to your preferred address.

You also should be aware that email is not a secure medium. A good rule of thumb: don't write anything in an email message that you wouldn't also write on a postcard.

As email becomes a more important part of our professional lives, it becomes more important to ensure that our  messages are efficient, accurate, and effective. You should get in the habit, now, of organizing and saving important messages that you send or receive as a student or as an employee.

Every message that you write for this class should include a concise and accurate subject line that indicates the topic of the message. Every message should, at minimum, include your name at the bottom of the message. (Most email programs have a signature feature that will add a standard footer to all your messages.)  In general, each message should deal with only one subject or piece of information.

In addition, please mention this class, preferably in the message's subject line.

Project 1: Class home page

Before creating your project 1 home page, you will need to set up your CMS 3710 web space by following the directions on the Creating Your Site study guide.

Your home page for this class will be developed in three stages (with three separate due dates). At each stage, the files should be on your Clayton State Web site, readable using Mozilla Firefox, by the beginning of class on this day.

At every stage, your page should be easily readable and navigable. By stage C, your page also should reflect a well-defined persona.

Stage A

Create your home page

If it is not already open, open your site in Dreamweaver. Make sure that the "Local view" is selected in the Files panel. Right-click on the "Site" folder in this panel and select New File. A blank html page will open in the page window.

Your CMS 3710 home page will eventually provide links to your online projects. At present, it should include the basic "who, what, when, and where" information necessary to make Web pages freestanding, as specified by the Web Style Guide. This includes the course title of our class.

In class, we will download the following files to get started. Right-click to download.

[If you have advanced knowlege of HTML/CSS and do not want to use these files as the basis of your project 1 page, see me for permission.]

You must save your home page file with the file name "index.htm," and you should save it in the "3710" folder on your local computer along with the subfolders you have already created. When you are done, the files--viewed in Dreamweaver's "Files" panel--should look like the graphic below. [You can ignore the "print.css" file until stage B.]

Dreamweaver folders image

Upload your home page and folders to the server

Once your home page is complete and saved to your local drive, you will upload the files and folders to your CSU web space. To begin, click once on the "3710" folder to select it.

Next, click the blue arrow to "Put" the files and folders on your local drive to your account on the student server. This copies the entire site from your local drive to the server. You will be prompted for your password.

[If you are using something other than Dreamweaver to create files on your laptop, you will have to copy them to the server using a separate FTP program.]

Note that this creates the identical file structure on the server that you have created on your local drive or disk (otherwise the page links won't work).

Once you have set up the folders and moved your home page file ("index.htm"), test your page by following the "home" link next to your name on our class roll.

Stage B

By this point, your home page should include an 8-10 sentence description of the web site that you use most frequently. Describe the site and your expectations for it using the terms and concepts outlined on the Web Style Guide's (WSG) Site Design Themes page. Answer this question: Is the site's design appropriate for your particular needs?

In addition, by this point your home page should use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to control the layout of all  text, links,  and any images on the page. As the WSG notes, readability requires that the text of your home page not extend beyond 10-12 words per line (Layout Tables). By Stage B, the page also must include a link to the home page for our class.

Finally, your page should now use a separate CSS file, called "print.css," to control the page's print layout. When printed, you page should look like the print layout for this sample page. Right-click to download a copy of the template file, print.css, that controls this sample page.

Stage C Design

The "persona" conveyed by a text is the sense of its author's character and personality. This textual persona is communicated by all aspects of the text's content and design. 

By Stage C, your home page should communicate a well-defined authorial persona.  In other words, your page's chosen color scheme, illustrations, language, and layout should reflect your personality. (At the same time, your page also should conform to usability standards, including standard English.)

Stage C Format

All physical aspects of your home page's display (e.g. backgrounds, colors, fonts and font sizes) must be handled using a separate (i.e. external) cascading style sheet (CSS). You must create your own sheet, although you may use the Stage B examples as a starting point.

In addition to the links required at stage B, your home page should include working links to the opening pages of your web site analysis and your professional portfolio.

By this point, your home page should validate as "XHTML 1.0 Transitional," "XHTML 1.0 Strict," or "XHTML 1.1" using the Web Consortium's markup validation service. Your page should include a link directly to this service, similar to the link on our class home page. More information about XHTML is available on our Links page under Standards.

Dreamweaver includes several tools that covert files with MS Word and other nonstandard HTML to compliant XHTML. Start with the "File > Convert" command.

Project 2: Web site analysis

The files that comprise your Project 2 should be on your Clayton State Web site, readable using Mozilla Firefox, by the beginning of class on the date listed on our Schedule page.

Content

Your project will analyze a Web site recognized for excellence. You should choose a finalist from the SxSW festival's interactive web awards for 2006, 2007, or 2008.

To analyze both good and bad aspects of the site's design, you will apply the guidelines presented by Curtis and Horton/Lynch. Specific and detailed information from both our texts and from the analyzed sites should be cited and incorporated into your argument. Don't waste time on minor points: your analysis should emphasize the most important elements presented by our texts.

Minimums

The minimum (i.e. "C" level) length for your analysis is twelve detailed paragraphs of six to eight sentences each. This will include the two introductory paragraphs that will appear on your home page. In addition, your project must include at least five separate html pages and five screen shots from the analyzed site that illustrate your major points. Finally, links to relevant pages within the analyzed site must be included.

Format

In general, the project should conform to the guidelines for good design as presented by our texts. Your interface should be clear and aesthetically pleasing. Use colors and graphics that reinforce a professional tone and that do not interfere with the text.

All words must be spelled correctly, and links to pages outside of your analysis should open in a new window. All hyperlinks to internal documents must be relative.

Citation

You should use in-text parenthetical citations to credit the authors. Use page numbers for Curtis and live links for Horton/Lynch. Here are examples:

  • Curtis depended on inspiration from the Swiss designer Josef Müller-Brockmann to focus his corporate site re-design on the beauty of precision and simplicity (115).
  • Horton and Lynch note that designing flexible-width layouts is in many ways more challenging than designing fixed-width layouts (Fixed versus Flexible).

Your project pages should be placed in a folder called "project2" located within the "3710" folder in your Clayton State Web site. The link "2" on our class roll page should connect readers to the first page of your project.  

In addition, your 3710 home page should include a prominent link called "Project 2: Web Site Analysis." This link also should take readers to the opening page of your analysis.

Grading

Projects will be evaluated using the CSU Writing Guidelines. See the link in the blue bar for the basic Guideline standards. The project will earn a letter grade for each of the Guideline's three components:

  1. Content,
  2. Organization,
  3. Mechanics, Grammar, and Style.

No project earning a D or lower in any of the three components may earn an overall grade higher than D. Once this basic standard is met, the project's overall grade will be determined by an average of the three component grades.

Content

To earn a C or higher in this component, the project must meet or exceed all of the requirements detailed in the "Content" and "Format" sections above.

Organization

Every page of your analysis must include the "Who, What, Where, When" information necessary to orient readers on the Web, including an appropriate page title, top-level <h1> heading, and subheadings. In addition, your site should conform to the organizational standards presented in the Web Style Guide and MTIV. See particularly the WSG discussion on "chunking" information as well as the chapter on site design. Your pages' navigational tools should be obvious, easy to use, and logically structured for your readers' needs.

Mechanics, Grammar, and Style

All links must work. To ensure that this is the case, test your completed project on someone else's computer. [Because of a software glitch, Dreamweaver sometimes creates absolute links pointed at files on a particular C drive rather than creating the properly relative links. If you fall victim to this error, your links will seem to work on your computer, but they will be broken on everyone else's.]

Spelling: Dreamweaver includes a spell-checker, accessible under the "Text" menu. Use it.

Punctuation: The basic rules of punctuation must be followed. Please note that American style requires placing commas and periods inside quotation marks. For models of these conventions, refer to books published in the United States. 

Sentence Structure: The basic rules of grammar and sentence structure must be followed. Ask a friend or family member to read over your final draft before the due date.

Style: Clarity, conciseness, and concreteness are vital for Web-based communication. In addition, your language should convey and maintain a professional tone. 

Project 3: Professional Portfolio

Project 3 is due on the date listed on our schedule page. The files should be on your Clayton State Web site, readable using Mozilla Firefox, by the beginning of class on this day. Be prepared to demo your portfolio for the rest of the class.

Content

Create a digital portfolio that showcases examples of your talent in at least two of the following media: oral, textual, visual, audio, or digital. The following guidelines indicate the minimum acceptable examples for each medium:

  • Oral: 1 minute of audio or video, with 1 still image;
  • Still images: minimum 5 examples;
  • Text (e.g. research papers, newspaper articles, prose fiction): 2000 words;
  • Poetic texts: 5 poems;
  • Audio (e.g. music or spoken word poetry): 1 minute;
  • Video: 1 minute;
  • Digital: 5 screen shots.

Note that these are guidelines. Exceptions in length or minimum number are fine, as long as they offer clear and comprehensive evidence of your talents.

In addition, your portfolio should provide a link to an electronic copy of an up-to-date résumé. (The easiest way to accomplish this is to upload and link a copy of the MS Word file.) Your link should indicate the file format and size.

Page format and coding: In general, the portfolio should follow all Web Style Guide recommendations regarding effective web-based communication. You should create a new external CSS file that controls the style of your pages. Unless you are targeting a specific audience known to work with older computers (e.g. elementary school teachers, Third-World NGO's), you may assume a minimum screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels. This means that your layout's width should not exceed 600 pixels. All hyperlinks to internal documents must be relative.

An example site from the university system of Minnesota offers a good model for the level of professionalism that I'm expecting. For an impressive example from the generation right behind you, take a look at the Webby-Award-winning portfolio created by Tyler Morgan, an 18 year old in Texas.

Finally, sites created by Andrew Ellis, Rebecca Jackson, and Fred Morales-Prince also provide useful examples of what CMS students have done in the past.

Organization

Your project pages should be placed in a folder called "portfolio" located within the "3710" folder on your CSU student web site. The link "3" on our class roll page should connect readers to the opening page of your portfolio.

In addition, your 3710 home page should include a prominent link called "Project 3: Professional Portfolio." This link also should take readers to your portfolio's home page.

Every page of your portfolio must include the "Who, What, Where, When" information necessary to orient readers on the Web, including an appropriate page title, top-level <h1> heading, and subheadings. In addition, your site should conform to the organizational standards presented in the Web Style Guide. See particularly the discussion on "chunking" information as well as the chapter on site design. Your pages' navigational tools should be obvious, easy to use, and logically structured for your readers' needs.

Mechanics, Grammar, and Style

All links must work. To ensure that this is the case, test your completed project on someone else's computer. Because of a software glitch, Dreamweave sometimes creates absolute links pointed at files on a particular C drive rather than creating the properly relative links. If you fall victim to this error, your links will seem to work on your computer, but they will be broken on everyone else's.

Spelling: Dreamweaver includes a spell-checker, accessible under the "Text" menu. Use it.

Punctuation: Perfection is expected. The basic rules of punctuation must be followed. Please note that American style requires placing commas and periods inside quotation marks. For models of these conventions, refer to any book published in the United States. 

Sentence Structure: Perfection is expected. The basic rules of grammar and sentence structure must be followed. Ask a friend or family member to read over your final draft before the due date.

Style: Clarity, conciseness, and concreteness are vital for Web-based communication. In addition, your language should convey and maintain a professional tone. 

Grading

Projects will be evaluated using the CSU Writing Guidelines. See the link in the blue bar for the basic Guideline standards. The project will earn a letter grade for each of the Guideline's three components:

  1. Content,
  2. Organization,
  3. Mechanics, Grammar, and Style.

No project earning a D or lower in any of the three components may earn an overall grade higher than D. Once this basic standard is met, the project's overall grade will be determined by an average of the three component grades

Outside Links

The following links are offered as starting points for students in CMS 3710. The list will change as the course progresses.

Index

None of the lists mentions everything available on the World Wide Web for that topic. If your research requires it, make sure to use several of the WWW search engines available.

Textbook Links Back to Top

Hillman Curtis
Curtis's corporate site maintains an inspiring portfolio, in addition to examples from the book.
Hamlet on the Holodeck
Janet Murray's personal web site includes a number of illustrations of examples and ideas in her book.
Language of New Media
Lev Manovich's personal web site includes a number of illustrations of examples and ideas in his book, including chapter 2.
Stevenberlinjohnson.com
Steven Johnson's web log.

CSU Writing Resources Back to Top

Writing Guidelines
These are the standards used to evaluate written work in CMS 3710.
Writing Guidelines Mini-Handbook
These pages offer a condensed handbook for writers.

CSU Web space Back to Top

Activating Your CSU email/Web space
The page is maintained by the Hub.
Using your CSU Web space
Created by the Hub, this is a good, short tutorial to get you started using FTP to move files to your CSU web space. It uses WS-FTP LE for its examples.

Internet Art Back to Top

A is for Apple
This is among the most sophisticated uses of the Web's hyperlinked structure that I have come across.
ArtCrimes
ArtCrimes collects images of graffiti art from around the world. The artwork is a great example of the science-fiction writer William Gibson's observation: "the Street" finding new uses for media of all kinds. In this case, the aerosol spray can becomes a medium of self-expression.
Artport at the Whitney Museum
The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York maintains this portal to net.art, including a gallery of commissioned works. The museum's 2001 Bitstreams exhibition includes a good overview essay about the impact of computers on art and artists.
 
Public Domain
Atlanta-based Public Domain is a loose affiliation of new media artists and activists.
Levitated Tile
A great single-artist site of playful, interactive creations. Take a look at the Open Source section.
Listening Post
This site documents an extraordinary museum installation built around real-time chat.
Requiem for a Dream
This site for the film won awards for the London-based Web design firm hi, Rez!. It's opening navigation screen is extraordinary.
SoulBath
Also created by  hi, Rez!, SoulBath includes several good examples of 3-dimensional, interactive site maps.
SxSW Interactive Art Show
This annual exhibition is held in Austin, Texas, and promotes interactive art. Its Web site includes galleries of Web sites entered in its competitions.

Internet Mapping Back to Top

The following list of links is taken from Manuel Castells, The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society (London: Oxford UP, 2001): 246.

Cybergeography.org
The site offers maps of cyberspace, including An Atlas of Cyberspaces by Martin Dodge and a list of annotated links. 
International Bandwidth
This site is maintained by a private company that sells data about worldwide Internet capabilities and usage.
Matthew Zook
"The Zooknic Internet Geography Project is an ongoing effort to understand and analyze the Internet through the development of a series of metrics on its use and composition."
Alexa.com
Alexa offers monthly ranking of the web's 500 most visited websites.
Mediametrix.com
The site offers monthly ranking of websites.
NUA Internet Surveys 
This site of estimates about worldwide internet users is somewhat dated. It looks like they stopped updating around April 2003.
 

HTML and other Web Coding Back to Top

Internet Related Technologies
A good site for advanced coding.
Making Web Pages
This site, maintained by CSU's Center for Learning Enhancement, offers several useful how-to pages, including step-by-step directions for students who wish to publish Web pages using their Web space. The page is still keyed to the old Earthlink ISP, but much of the information is still relevant if you are using WS-FTP.
www.htmlhelp.com
Very helpful for advanced coders, this site maintained by the Web Design Group offers a comprehensive set of authoring references, tools, and guides.

Web Design Back to Top

Cardiothoracic Imaging
An outstanding example of educational Web site design, created by one of the authors of the Yale C/AIM Web Style Guide (cf. the last entry in this section).
Color Palette Creator
This Javascript-powered site lets you choose a base color and quickly generate complementary tones of that color.
CSS Cheat Sheets
(At least) two good ones are available. Leslie Frank's page is more straightforward, while ilovejackdaniels.com's is more detailed.
CSS Zen Garden
This site demonstrates the flexibility and power of CSS. Graphic artists have crafted individual style sheets that give very different "looks" to the same HTML file.
Flickr Creative Commons
Flickr's users have published millions of images that we can use, under a variety of different restrictions. Make sure to follow the requirments.
 
Jakob Nielsen's useit.com
Nielsen, among the Web's best-known authorities on information architecture, maintains a resource for usability. His hotlist of other recommended Web sites is particularly useful.
Media Inspiration
This is an excellent site to review the work of high-end graphic designers.
Stylegala.com
This is a publication about web design and standards.
Webby Awards
The Web's answer to the Oscars, sponsored by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Webmonkey
This webzine is devoted to creating World Wide Web sites.
Web Style Guide
This online style guide by Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton is a required text for the course. On their "Design Themes" page, Lynch and Horton define nine types of audiences and discuss the appropriate design strategies for each one. A good example a site designed for higher education is Yale University's Cardiothoracic Imaging. However, it's important to note that the Style Guide's selective focus neglects many less utilitarian uses of the Web. A is for Apple, for example, is net.art that mobilizes the design theme of lengthy contact time and non-linear structure for very different purposes.

Web Standards and Professional Organizations Back to Top

A List Apart
This Web journal publishes articles and other resources for the standards-compliant developer community. (The New Media Studio in UC 150 uses Dreamweaver MX 2004, so the following does not apply there. However, if you use Dreamweaver 4.0 on your own computer and are comfortable changing low-level settings, you may want to read the article on making Dreamweaver default to more standards-compliant code.)
New York Public Library Web Style Guide
This is the best place to start learning about transitional XHTML and CSS. The NYPL uses both languages to ensure that the widest possible audience can benefit from its resources. Its style guide offers excellent explanations and tutorials.
Web Standards Project
A coalition of designers and graphic artists seeking to convince the major browser makers that consistent support of standards are in everyone's best interest.
W3C Markup Validation Service
Use this site to test your home page's XHTML.
World Wide Web Consortium
Headed by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, this is the Web's ultimate standards body.

Schedule

The schedule was last updated on 19 August, 2008.

All dates, times, and assignments are subject to change. Please check this page regularly to make sure that you have the most current information. Reading assignments should be completed and projects must be submitted at the beginning of class on the days indicated. You should bring your flash drive with you to class every day unless otherwise instructed. Unless otherwise instructed, computers should be shut down at the end of each class.

Week 1: August 18
Reading Online syllabus; Campbell handout
Monday Buy the books; complete the assignments listed on the home page
Wednesday Quiz 0: the syllabus and the readings
Friday Manovich introduction
Week 2: August 25
Reading Manovich, "Principles of New Media" (27-48; web)
Monday Workshop: Numerical Representation
Wednesday Quiz 1; Workshop: Modularity and Automation
Friday No class
Week 3: September 1
Reading Manovich, "Principles of New Media" (27-48; web)
Monday No class - Labor Day
Wednesday In-class discussion: Variability
Friday Quiz 2; In-class discussion: Transcoding
Week 4: September 8
Reading Manovich, "What New Media is Not " (49-61; web); "Intro. to Dreamweaver" study guide
Monday Quiz 3; In-class discussion
Wednesday In-class workshop: Dreamweaver 101
Friday In-class workshop: Dreamweaver 101
Week 5: September 15
Reading Curtis 1-93; Web Style Guide's (WSG) Site Design Themes section and pages linked from Themes page. Curtis grids, web design; Dreamweaver and CSS
Monday Quiz 4; CSS positioning workshop
Wednesday CSS positioning workshop
Friday In-class workshop: Project 1A due
Week 6: September 22
Reading Web Style Guide: Editorial Style section, "Chunking" page, typography 146-57
Monday Quiz 5; In-class discussion
Wednesday In-class workshop: CSS and variable devices
Friday In-class workshop: Project 1B due
Week 7: September 29
Reading Curtis 147-51; Web Style Guide: Graphics
Monday Quiz 6; In-class discussion
Wednesday In-class workshop
Friday In-class workshop
Week 8: October 6
Reading Choose and analyze Project 2 web site
Monday Midterm grades posted; In-class discussion
Wednesday Project 1B paragraph due
Friday Midterm, last day to withdraw and receive a W grade; In-class workshop: Capturing screenshots
Week 9: October 13
Reading Curtis 95-135
Monday  
Wednesday  
Friday  
Week 10: October 20
Reading Manovich chapter 2, "Cultural Interfaces" (63-93)
Monday  
Wednesday Quiz Curtis; discussion
Friday Manovich discussion; Project 1C print and online versions due
Week 11: October 27
Reading Manovich chapter 2, "The Screen and the User" (94-115)
Monday  
Wednesday Quiz: Manovich (covers 63-115)
Friday  
Week 12: November 3
Reading N/A: Revise Project 2
Download Project 3 is due next month, so this Friday is a good time to download the 30-day free trial of Dreamweaver to your laptop.
Monday Submit MS Word version of Project 2; Project 2 Workshop
Wednesday Project 2 Workshop
Friday  
Week 13: November 10
Reading Manovich chapter 3, "Selection" (116-35; web)
Monday Discussion: Selection within computers
Wednesday Project 2 due; Selection & the broader culture: postmodernism grads2.jpg
Friday Selection & the broader culture: The DJ
Week 14: November 17
Reading

Manovich chapter 3, "Compositing" (136-60; web)

Manovich chapter 3, "Teleaction" (161-75; web)
Monday

Quiz 14; In-class discussion: Film compositing

Quiz 16; In-class discussion Workshop, Project 3 grads.jpg
Wednesday In-class discussion: Video compositing
Friday In-class discussion: Digital compositing
Week 15: November 24
Reading TBA
Monday  
Wednesday Thanksgiving Break
Friday Thanksgiving Break
Week 16: December 1
Reading TBA
Monday Workshop, Project 3
Wednesday Project 3 due
Friday  
Final Exam: TBA
TBA  

Study Guides

This page provides links to study guides for the class's major texts. Please note that the individual study guides are not included in the printer-friendly version of the syllabus. Because the study guides change frequently, they should be printed separately.

Students often ask how they might improve their grades on the quizzes and exams that cover our readings. The following are my recommendations. For each reading and film/video screening,

  1. Print and read the study guide carefully.
  2. Read or view each text or screening carefully, taking notes on important points and their relationship to our class topics. Usually, you will need to read/view the material at least twice.
  3. Be prepared to offer thoughtful answers to all of the questions in the study guide.
Anderson, "The Long Tail"
This study guide covers Anderson's Oct. 2004 article in Wired.
Campbell, "Culture and the Evolution of Mass Communication"
This study guide covers the photocopy handout available on the first day of class.
Castell's "Digital Divide" and "Challenges"
More to come.
Dreamweaver
These study guides offer tutorials for setting up your 3710 site in Dreamweaver as well as styling your pages using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
 
Johnson: "Agents"; "Listening to Feedback"; "Desktop"
This study guide is covers sections from Steven Johnson's books Interface Culture (1997) and Emergence (2002).
Manovich, from The Language of New Media
This study guide covers the assigned chapters from Manovich's 2001 book.
Murray: Hamlet on the Holodeck
This study guide is broken down by chapters.