ENGL 303: Multimedia Writing, Spring 2007

"Computers are not only designed in language but are themselves equipment for language." - Winograd and Flores

Center for Literary Computing :: www.clc.wvu.edu
This page: http://clc.as.wvu.edu:8080/clc/Members/sbaldwin/courses/engl303s07
The ENGL303 Class List is here.
The ENGL303 Wiki is here.
The ENGL303 Blog Wiki is here.
Professor Sandy Baldwin
charles.baldwin at mail.wvu.edu
293-3107x33490
Office Hours: T,R 1030-1120, STA 139 and by appointment.

Course Description

Study of communication and design issues in multimedia composition. Focuses on communication, creative expression, persuasion, interactivity, and rhetorical principles. Practice in composing multimedia documents such as online publications, interactive literary works and tutorials. ENGL 303 is part of the English Department's Technical Writing and Editing sequence. ENGL 303 is not a web design course nor an intro to html. This is a writing course and does involve considerable writing. The course is organized around discussion and workshop. The readings combine technical information on multimedia writing, cultural and social theory, and case studies / examples. Multimedia is broadly defined, including but not limited to text, image, audio, and animation. The course will focus on web-based multimedia. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to

• author and design web sites;
• write for the web with awareness of genres and audiences;
• understand the complexity of representation and expression using multimedia;
• analyze the social and material transformation of writing in multimedia environments.

Course Materials

At WVU Bookstore: Julian Dibbell, Play Money [PM] and Jennifer Tidwell, Designing Interfaces [DI]

You will need access to a camera, preferably digital, and a computer with internet access. You will be issued an account on this website (CLC) and on the Arts and Sciences server. You will develop your websites on the latter account, and use SSH to transfer files. A good, free SSH client is at http://versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/win/28216. Talk to me if you need a Mac version. In-class tutorials will cover all the required skills.

Requirements

20% = Eight short responses to prompts posted to the class wiki. Due by class time on days indicated on the syllabus by R. Note: you choose any 8 of the dates indicated.
20% = My Writing Space Project, due Jan 30
20% = Activity / Site Collaboration, due Mar 6
20% = Re-Vision Project, due Apr 12
20% = Virtual Public / Space Collaboration, due May 3

Grade Descriptors

A Exemplary work that demonstrates originality and initiative. The content is mature, thorough, and well-suited for the audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well-organized and formatted so that it is accessible and attractive; genre conventions are effectively used; mechanics and grammar are correct.
B Good work. The work generally succeed in meeting goals in terms of audience, purpose, and genre without the need for further major revisions. It may need some minor improvements in idea, content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics.
C Satisfactory. Work is adequate but requires some substantial revisions of idea, content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics; may require further work in more than one area.
D Work is unprofessional, requires extensive revisions of idea, content, presentation, writing style, and/or mechanics. The writer has encountered significant problems meeting goals of audience, purpose, and genre.
F Not enough information; inappropriate for the situation; and/or major and pervasive problems in terms of content, presentation, or writing style/mechanics that interfere with meaning. May be incomplete, or plagiarism may compromises the work on ethical grounds.

Participation, attendence, and work due

A great deal happens during class and your presence contributes to the communal learning environment. Participation and attendence are crucial. Attendence will be taken regularly after the first week of classes. You are allowed two unexcused absences. Subsequent unexcused absences will reduce your overall grade. I will determine what constitutes an excuse. All reading, writing, and other work is due on the date indicated on the schedule. Unexcused late work will receive no credit. I will determine what constitutes an excuse.

Academic Integrity

West Virginia University expects that every member of its academic community shares the historic and traditional commitment to honesty, integrity, and the search for truth. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, cheating and dishonest practices; and forgery, misrepresentation, or fraud. Here is WVU's statement on Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism.

Social Justice Statement

"West Virginia University is committed to social justice. I concur with that commitment and expect to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and nondiscrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration.

If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangement with Disability Services (293-6700)."

Schedule

Jan 9 Introduction

Jan 11 Don't forget to post your introduction to the wiki! Use the link above.Topic: Defining Multimedia and Intro to SSH. Read Multimedia.

Jan 16 Topic: Writing Spaces. Read From Pencils to Pixels, The World Wide Web, and Hypertext and Our Collective Destiny. R

Jan 18 Rhizome. Note: this is a philosophical text, and contains many references that are probably unfamiliar. Don't get hung up on trying to understand everything, but go with the flow, read for the ideas. We'll also look at Aspen Magazine: Multimedia in a Box.
Linktheory: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3.

Jan 23 Topic: Writing and Classifying. Read Lost and Found and The Bag. R

Jan 25 Read Be Succinct!, How Users Read on the Web, Response Times. Taxonomy of a room.

Jan 30 My Writing Space Project due by classtime (we will work on the project in class)

Feb 1 Intro to Activity / Site Collaboration.
Adding images. bunny
Examples of creative multimedia. How I loved the broken things of Rome, Cacophonie, Catch the Landmine, Definitions, The Meddlesome Passenger, Leviathan, Zombie and Mummy

Feb 6 Read Time Frames and The Image Culture. Images, Photoshop. Project 2: Put into groups, brainstorm.R

Feb 8 Read Pattern Language. Patterns. Using DIV rather than tables. Project 2: Begin creating instructions.

Feb 13 Read DI Chap 1 and 2. Interface and navigation standards and practices.
CSS, CSS Zen Garden.
In class: 1) Choose a website from the list that no group member wrote a response to. 2) Look at the site as a group and identify the use of one pattern from Chapter 1 and one from Chapter 2 of Tidwell. Choose another site if you cannot find these patterns. 3) As a group, explain the following: what the patterns is (with reference to Tidwell), where the pattern is used (on what pages? etc.), and why the pattern is used (what advantage does it give the site? etc.). Also, try to comment on how effectively the pattern is used (how could the site do a better job? etc.). In all instances, be as specific in reference to the site as possible. 4) Present the site and the patterns to the class. Each member of the group should participate.
R

Feb 15 Read DI Chap 3.
1) Gestalt Principles. 2) Navigation Principles. 2) Images. Bring project images (as many as you have so far) and work on them in class. Morgantown image.

Feb 20 Read DI Chap 4 and 5.
Layout. A List Apart
Design document due in class, uploaded to your A&S webpages. The document must be a webpage with at least 500 words describing the project, including: draft instructions, list and explanation of design patterns used, list and explanation of illustrations used, explanation of site architecture and navigation (site map to be handed in during class). Post Design Documents here.

Feb 22 Read DI Chap 6.
What is interactivity?
Forms and interactions. Forms!. Example: Doug Sohn
Work with design documents.

Feb 27 Plan User Research Sessions in class. Sample Usability tests and reports.
Usability!

Mar 1 Perform User Research Sessions in class.
Draft site due!

Mar 6 Activity / Site Collaboration due by classtime
What is a search engine? Google Options, Google Zeitgeist, Anatomy of a Search Engine, Yahoo Buzz, Buzztracker, Googlism, Miserable Failure Google, Miserable Failure Yahoo, Googlebombing, Google vs. Scientologists, Adwords Happening by Christophe Bruno

Mar 8 Intro to Re-Vision Project.
Read: Web 2.0.
Watch: Web 2.0: the machine is us/ing us.
Web 2.0 wiki response.
Also, for reference: Tags, Network, Narrative, flickr, Skype, EPIC 2014.
CSS Zen Garden as an example of metaphor/image design vs. Budugllydesign

Mar 13 Read DI Chap 9 and skim Chap 7 & 8.
Look at the following CSS Zen Garden designs: Contempo Finery, Switch On, Pleasant Day, By the Pier, Invitation, Yellow Jet, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Rain (not working!).
Dreamweaver. Tracing sample.
R

Mar 15 CSS again! Grab this stylesheet. Don't forget the W3 link to CSS Official Reference. In addition to CSS Zen Garden, some other good resources are CSS/EXP, CSS Play, CSS Maxdesign, and Design Detector.
Wabi-Sabi/organic design for your site. Read: Koren on Wabi-Sabi, Wabi-Sabi for Web 2.0, Wiki on Wabi-Sabi, 37signals on Wabi-Sabi, Emotion & Design, Cloninger on Gothic-Organic (not all the links work but think about the design and techniques for organic look), Wabi-Sabi Flickr images to look at

Mar 20 1) Analog textures and elements. 2) Sitemaps. Sample html and css for today.
A good place for textures is Imageafter.
At least three images on your site by today.
Animation/Interaction.
R

Mar 22 Discuss FAQs. Animation/Interaction.
Begin reading PM.

Mar 27 No Class. Spring Break.

Mar 29 No Class. Spring Break.

Apr 3 Intro to Virtual Public / Space Collaboration.
Feedback.
Read PM up to Part 3
PM.
R

April 5 Workshop Project 3 in class.
Sitemaps. They evolve with the project. The simplest are textual tables of contents. More elaborate are various 3D / diagrams / visualizations. For the designer/writer the map is a way to represent relations and actions on the project. For the user, the map tells "where I am." Look at the examples at http://www.dynamicdiagrams.com/what/ia.html .
As a group, brainstorm on project 4.
Read PM up to Part 4.

April 10 Discuss del.icio.us and tag clouds. About del.icio.us, About Tags, Popular tags on del.icio.us, Today's Popular Pages on del.icio.us, Recently Saved Items on del.icio.us.Sandy's website with tag cloud.
Discuss Public / Space Projects.
Read PM up to Part 6.
R

April 12 Re-Vision Project due by 6pm.Class cancelled. Read PM up to Part 7.

April 17 1) Reflective posting to blogs. 2) Group discussion. 3) Write a provisional paragraph that describes briefly the problem and a possible solution. 4) Discuss paragraphs. 5) Make a timeline, assign tasks, etc.
Read PM up to Part 9.
R

April 19 Work in groups on your own. Some goals:
- Add to wiki to include: 1) considerations of other solutions; 2) revised argument for your solution (why, in balance, it is the right one); 3) examination of the feasibility of your solution. For all this, look at the prompt.
- Add discussion of site structure to wiki.
- Leave class with clear timeline and tasks for all group members.
Read PM up to Part 10.

April 24 Work with groups.
Finish PM.

April 26 User Testing/Workshop: by class time, each group should upload a "draft" (i.e. the current state of the project). Groups will receive comments from the class and from Sandy.
Evaluations and Conclusions.

May 3 Virtual Public / Space Collaboration due by 6pm. Don't forget a reflective email to Sandy on the project and group experience.

Useful Links

WWW Consortium (the reference for website specifics)
Hypertext Terms
The GIMP, an alternative to Photoshop
CSS Official Reference
US Gov. Usability Guidelines
How Children Use the Web
How People with Disabilities Use the Web
k10k Designer Site
Alternative Reality Gaming
Cloudmakers/The Beast
Vanishing Point Game
Designing Interfaces Web Site
SL Learning Environments
Julian Dibbell's Page
Play Money Wiki
Test your webpage's usability

Maps of the Internet from the CNET Gallery

Brenda Laurel: "The most engaging interactive narrative relies on flow; that is, uninterrupted participation in the unfolding action. Poor interaction design can interrupt flow and degrade the experience." Lev Manovich: "Today the interactive media asks us to click on an underlined phrase in order to pass to another one. We are asked to follow pre-programmed associations, that do and don’t exist, in other words [...] we exchange the mental structure of others with our own. [...] Interactive media asks us to identify ourselves with someone else’s mental structure."