ENG101/ESL WEBSITE PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT SHEET
established by 17 January
completed V1 due by noon Monday 28 April
completed V2 due noon Monday 5 May
worth 10% of your final grade (V1 worth 2%; V2 worth 8%)
DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIO
The website portfolio is designed to be a curation of the representative and reflective sample of your work. In order to demonstrate that you have met the stated course goals, you will select evidence from the assignments you have produced in this course; then, you will describe how each of these assignments demonstrates your ability to apply the concepts and skills taught in this course.
As we have discussed time and again, this course teaches the following habits of good writing:
Rhetoric: Consider the rhetorical situation and the relationship between context, audience, and argument.
Process: Draft, revise, edit. Offer and receive feedback on work in progress
Argument: Craft a purposeful stance on an issue. Demonstrate critical thinking. Persuasively organize ideas
Research: Find and use credible evidence in support of your arguments and counterarguments.
Attribution: Cite ideas, words, and images from other composers skillfully, ethically, and appropriately.
Conventions: Demonstrate appropriate control over language and punctuation.
Modes: integrate multiple modes of communication (Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic, Nonverbal) ethically and skillfully.
Your portfolio will contain your reflections about the assignments you produced during the semester. Your reflections should demonstrate how these assignments display your competency in multimodal communication:
· your weekly blog posts
· your selected blog posts that are graded as your response papers
· your Process! work
· major written argument
· major digital project proposal paper + annotated bibliography
· Ignite pitch presentation (a recorded version of you presenting the Ignite presentation)
· major digital project
· the portfolio website itself
Some ideas for the web site:
You might want to choose different communicative modes around which to structure your website so that different modes have individual pages on your web site, each page has a reflection on how the mode works, why it is important, and how your work with it meets the stated course goals, then link to sub-pages within that individual mode’s page that showcase and describe specific assignments.
For example, to highlight the work you did in the Written mode of communication this semester, you could design a main Written page that discusses your reflections on the blog posts, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Written Argument. Then you could have, as a sub-page for your Written main page, individual pages for Blog Posts and Comments, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Major Written Argument.
In other words, besides a home page, your web site will have one main page each that discusses your reflections related to the different communicative modes PLUS sub-pages that showcase and reflect on individual assignments. Be sure to offer a unified, coherent argument for your work within each mode and the validity of the assignments you have selected as direct evidence. These brief reflections should demonstrate your ability to analyze your own work using the concepts discussed in this course and addressing the main issues that I list below.
Additionally, you could organize your website around individual assignments and topics, explaining each of them, the communicative modes that each assignment helps you practice, the course topic, important concepts in the course, etc.
Please use weebly to create your site for this course. Sample sites can be found on my website.
GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE REFLECTIONS:
These reflections can begin more generally (in which case they would likely serve as introductory material on the main pages for each of the communicative modes), then need to move to more specifics as you engage, describe, and showcase specific assignments. If you choose to organize your site around assignments, you will consider these questions and directives as you explain the assignments you highlight rather than doing so separately.
Linguistic
Compare the ways in which the final versions of your written assignments were more effective (or, perhaps, less effective) than your earlier drafts. Make sure to consider purpose, audience, argument, evidence, and language conventions.
How was conveying this information particularly suited to the Written mode? How do your written assignments use more than alphabetic text to convey their messages? In other words, how do these primarily written assignments rely on and incorporate other communicative modes as well?
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these written assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Also, talk about your experiences with using powerpoints, prezis, and the web as a medium in this class.
Were there differences in the ways you addressed the assignments because your responses were in the form of electronic texts?
You should also talk about your experience with creating your web site and putting materials online as part of this section.
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these electronic assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Aural + Oral
In the oral presentations in this course, identify your strengths and weaknesses in responding to the needs of the listening audience (e.g., attention-getting devices, organization, repetition, transitions, timing, visual aids).
In the formal oral presentations in this course, identify your strengths and weaknesses in controlling the body (e.g., eyes, gestures, posture, movement, voice, use of space).
In the oral presentations in this course, identify what you would do differently if you gave the presentations again.
How did class discussion help you become a better communicator in the Oral mode? How did the presentations do the same? What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these oral assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Visual
Compare the ways in which the final versions of your design for the visual components of your presentations, the Artifact for the Major Project, and your website are more effective (or, perhaps, less effective) than your earlier drafts. Make sure to consider purpose, audience, argument, evidence, and language conventions.
Explain how your designs use more than words to achieve your purposes. Consider layout, design, headers, images, fonts, color, and other graphic elements. For example, talk about how your use of images contributed to your argument.
Describe the processes you have used effectively in composing the final drafts that you believe are worth repeating when you do other projects. Consider planning, collaboration with peers, using library resources, revision techniques, editing techniques.
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these visual assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Spatial + Gestural
In reflecting on the oral presentations and your conversations with one another in class, talk about whether you used gestures, eye gaze, posture, space, and movement to emphasize some of your points.
Ch. 8 from the E-book is a good place to go for more information about nonverbal communication. You could also cite from the E-book on your website.
Some aspects to keep in mind while designing your web site:
Areas
Guidelines
Purpose
Design a homepage that quickly and clearly conveys your portfolio for this class. The web site will have a main page with an introduction and a menu that will link to your reflections, findings, and conclusions.
Supporting Points
Additional pages should address specific, well-defined subtopics, providing focused information regarding your reflections for the various artifacts you have produced for this course and a self-evaluation of your work during the semester.
Evidence
Provide well-documented information and reasoning for each of your supporting points. Talk about how your work demonstrates your multimodal communicative competency. Cite all images, sound, video, and writing that you take from outside sources. When you cite web sources, link to them.
Use of the Medium
Take advantage of what the web has to offer. Use links, images, and other web features to convey ideas.
Navigation
Use menus, color schemes, and other design features that make finding, identifying, and accessing information easy. A site that is difficult to navigate will lose points on the grading rubric. For example, if users can’t easily find supporting points, then those supporting points won’t be strong.
Accessibility
Use colors, fonts, type sizes, and other design features that are visually accessible. As with navigation, a site that is difficult to access will lose points in almost every category on the grading rubric.
Arrangement
Arrange text, images, and other elements on the page in ways that create patterns and meaningful connections.
Consistency
Use colors, fonts, type sizes, and other design features in ways that create consistent patterns. For example, make sure all major headings (such as the headings you might give to your supporting points) appear in the same color, font, and type size.
Conventionality
Proofread to make sure you follow the conventions for grammar, mechanics, and style. Serious errors in this category will affect other categories.
Audience
Meet the needs of all targeted users. Choose words and images with them in mind. Failure to address your audience’s needs will affect most categories on this rubric.
Origin
The website should identify its origins: its creator, the course that fostered its growth, the institution that hosted the course, and the website’s latest update. An “About Me” page (optional) works nicely.
WORTH NOTING
As I have already graded your previous assignments, I will not be re-grading them simply because they are now part of your website. I will instead be grading the portfolio as a whole, the reflections you write, and the degree to which the web site portfolio demonstrates your mastery of the multimodal communication.
The portfolio is worth 10% of your final grade.
established by 17 January
completed V1 due by noon Monday 28 April
completed V2 due noon Monday 5 May
worth 10% of your final grade (V1 worth 2%; V2 worth 8%)
DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIO
The website portfolio is designed to be a curation of the representative and reflective sample of your work. In order to demonstrate that you have met the stated course goals, you will select evidence from the assignments you have produced in this course; then, you will describe how each of these assignments demonstrates your ability to apply the concepts and skills taught in this course.
As we have discussed time and again, this course teaches the following habits of good writing:
Rhetoric: Consider the rhetorical situation and the relationship between context, audience, and argument.
Process: Draft, revise, edit. Offer and receive feedback on work in progress
Argument: Craft a purposeful stance on an issue. Demonstrate critical thinking. Persuasively organize ideas
Research: Find and use credible evidence in support of your arguments and counterarguments.
Attribution: Cite ideas, words, and images from other composers skillfully, ethically, and appropriately.
Conventions: Demonstrate appropriate control over language and punctuation.
Modes: integrate multiple modes of communication (Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic, Nonverbal) ethically and skillfully.
Your portfolio will contain your reflections about the assignments you produced during the semester. Your reflections should demonstrate how these assignments display your competency in multimodal communication:
· your weekly blog posts
· your selected blog posts that are graded as your response papers
· your Process! work
· major written argument
· major digital project proposal paper + annotated bibliography
· Ignite pitch presentation (a recorded version of you presenting the Ignite presentation)
· major digital project
· the portfolio website itself
Some ideas for the web site:
You might want to choose different communicative modes around which to structure your website so that different modes have individual pages on your web site, each page has a reflection on how the mode works, why it is important, and how your work with it meets the stated course goals, then link to sub-pages within that individual mode’s page that showcase and describe specific assignments.
For example, to highlight the work you did in the Written mode of communication this semester, you could design a main Written page that discusses your reflections on the blog posts, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Written Argument. Then you could have, as a sub-page for your Written main page, individual pages for Blog Posts and Comments, the Annotated Bibliography, and the Major Written Argument.
In other words, besides a home page, your web site will have one main page each that discusses your reflections related to the different communicative modes PLUS sub-pages that showcase and reflect on individual assignments. Be sure to offer a unified, coherent argument for your work within each mode and the validity of the assignments you have selected as direct evidence. These brief reflections should demonstrate your ability to analyze your own work using the concepts discussed in this course and addressing the main issues that I list below.
Additionally, you could organize your website around individual assignments and topics, explaining each of them, the communicative modes that each assignment helps you practice, the course topic, important concepts in the course, etc.
Please use weebly to create your site for this course. Sample sites can be found on my website.
GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE REFLECTIONS:
These reflections can begin more generally (in which case they would likely serve as introductory material on the main pages for each of the communicative modes), then need to move to more specifics as you engage, describe, and showcase specific assignments. If you choose to organize your site around assignments, you will consider these questions and directives as you explain the assignments you highlight rather than doing so separately.
Linguistic
Compare the ways in which the final versions of your written assignments were more effective (or, perhaps, less effective) than your earlier drafts. Make sure to consider purpose, audience, argument, evidence, and language conventions.
How was conveying this information particularly suited to the Written mode? How do your written assignments use more than alphabetic text to convey their messages? In other words, how do these primarily written assignments rely on and incorporate other communicative modes as well?
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these written assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Also, talk about your experiences with using powerpoints, prezis, and the web as a medium in this class.
Were there differences in the ways you addressed the assignments because your responses were in the form of electronic texts?
You should also talk about your experience with creating your web site and putting materials online as part of this section.
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these electronic assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Aural + Oral
In the oral presentations in this course, identify your strengths and weaknesses in responding to the needs of the listening audience (e.g., attention-getting devices, organization, repetition, transitions, timing, visual aids).
In the formal oral presentations in this course, identify your strengths and weaknesses in controlling the body (e.g., eyes, gestures, posture, movement, voice, use of space).
In the oral presentations in this course, identify what you would do differently if you gave the presentations again.
How did class discussion help you become a better communicator in the Oral mode? How did the presentations do the same? What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these oral assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Visual
Compare the ways in which the final versions of your design for the visual components of your presentations, the Artifact for the Major Project, and your website are more effective (or, perhaps, less effective) than your earlier drafts. Make sure to consider purpose, audience, argument, evidence, and language conventions.
Explain how your designs use more than words to achieve your purposes. Consider layout, design, headers, images, fonts, color, and other graphic elements. For example, talk about how your use of images contributed to your argument.
Describe the processes you have used effectively in composing the final drafts that you believe are worth repeating when you do other projects. Consider planning, collaboration with peers, using library resources, revision techniques, editing techniques.
What successful strategies (strategies for composition, for argumentation, for convincing audience members, for conveying information clearly and effectively) did completing these visual assignments teach you that you might be able to use in other situations outside of this class?
Spatial + Gestural
In reflecting on the oral presentations and your conversations with one another in class, talk about whether you used gestures, eye gaze, posture, space, and movement to emphasize some of your points.
Ch. 8 from the E-book is a good place to go for more information about nonverbal communication. You could also cite from the E-book on your website.
Some aspects to keep in mind while designing your web site:
Areas
Guidelines
Purpose
Design a homepage that quickly and clearly conveys your portfolio for this class. The web site will have a main page with an introduction and a menu that will link to your reflections, findings, and conclusions.
Supporting Points
Additional pages should address specific, well-defined subtopics, providing focused information regarding your reflections for the various artifacts you have produced for this course and a self-evaluation of your work during the semester.
Evidence
Provide well-documented information and reasoning for each of your supporting points. Talk about how your work demonstrates your multimodal communicative competency. Cite all images, sound, video, and writing that you take from outside sources. When you cite web sources, link to them.
Use of the Medium
Take advantage of what the web has to offer. Use links, images, and other web features to convey ideas.
Navigation
Use menus, color schemes, and other design features that make finding, identifying, and accessing information easy. A site that is difficult to navigate will lose points on the grading rubric. For example, if users can’t easily find supporting points, then those supporting points won’t be strong.
Accessibility
Use colors, fonts, type sizes, and other design features that are visually accessible. As with navigation, a site that is difficult to access will lose points in almost every category on the grading rubric.
Arrangement
Arrange text, images, and other elements on the page in ways that create patterns and meaningful connections.
Consistency
Use colors, fonts, type sizes, and other design features in ways that create consistent patterns. For example, make sure all major headings (such as the headings you might give to your supporting points) appear in the same color, font, and type size.
Conventionality
Proofread to make sure you follow the conventions for grammar, mechanics, and style. Serious errors in this category will affect other categories.
Audience
Meet the needs of all targeted users. Choose words and images with them in mind. Failure to address your audience’s needs will affect most categories on this rubric.
Origin
The website should identify its origins: its creator, the course that fostered its growth, the institution that hosted the course, and the website’s latest update. An “About Me” page (optional) works nicely.
WORTH NOTING
As I have already graded your previous assignments, I will not be re-grading them simply because they are now part of your website. I will instead be grading the portfolio as a whole, the reflections you write, and the degree to which the web site portfolio demonstrates your mastery of the multimodal communication.
The portfolio is worth 10% of your final grade.