IRLS475/575 

Coursework and Assignments

Last altered 8/19/02

Expectations for the IRLS475 Undergraduate students and IRLS575 Graduate students

 

The undergraduate IRLS475 students are distinguished from the IRLS575 graduate students both in the quantity and the quality of the work expected.

The graduate students have to do some groupwork, and their examination is longer.

Further details are in the Course Requirements File.

Assignments

 

The papers are to be submitted

  • usually by the WebCT assignment drop box
  • a less preferable alternative is by WebCT internal email to me, put 'Assignment One (or <whatever>)' as the subject and send the assignment either as the message or as an attachment to the message.

Pure electronic documents need to be either plain text or formatted using HTML (just 'Save As' HTML using your favourite word processor). If you do not do this, then I will have to do it, by translating whatever document you supply into HTML (and it is far better for each of you to do it once, rather than me to do it 30 times).

As to the format and content.... I am much more interested in content than anything else. Some assignments may be in the form of papers, other may be in the form of projects. For papers, you need to write about four pages.

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

Assignment 1

 

Due mid October

Early submissions of papers are most welcome.

(General Grading considerations: You should write about four pages (if you write less than 2 or more than 6 think carefully about what you are doing). I am not concerned with grammar, style, or spelling-- provided I can understand the paper and the faults are not so severe as to be a distraction.)

Either

 

(Grading criteria: Clear articulation of your problem, theories and arguments; Relating your view to its intellectual context (ie what other writers' have said on the subject); No originality expected except a) in the marshalling of the material, and b) in the examples; If you can find original examples of your own (ones not in my Notes or the recommended readings), that is a definite plus; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making. Adequate bibliography.)

Or

 

(Grading criteria: Clear articulation of your problem, theories and arguments; Relating your view to its intellectual context (ie what other writers' have said on the subject); No originality expected except a) in the marshalling of the material, and b) in the examples; If you can find original examples of your own (ones not in my Notes or the recommended readings), that is a definite plus; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making. Adequate bibliography. )

Or

 

(Grading criteria: Clear articulation of a task sequence with changing tools; Thoughtful suggestions for improvement; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making.)

Or

 

(Grading criteria: Clear articulation of his contribution; Relating your view to its intellectual context (ie what other writers' have said on the subject); No originality expected except a) in the marshalling of the material, and b) in the examples; If you can find original examples of your own (ones not in my Notes or the recommended readings), that is a definite plus; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making. Adequate bibliography..)

Or

 

(Probable Grading criteria: Clear articulation of your problem, theories and arguments; Relating your view to its intellectual context (ie what other writers' have said on the subject); No originality expected except a) in the marshalling of the material, and b) in the examples; If you can find original examples of your own (ones not in my Notes or the recommended readings), that is a definite plus; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making. Adequate bibliography.)

Assignment 2

 

This may be revised.

First part due Sun December xxx Midnight

Second part due Sun December xxx Midnight

Early submissions of papers are most welcome. Put up your material as soon as it is available.

This assignment is an individual project to be done on your own.

First part

Imagine here that you are a consultant for a client wishing to establish a Web site (primarily for supplying information). To help your client, by way of illustrating good practice:- you are to find one example of an existing Web site that is designed well, and one example of a Web site that is designed poorly; and you are to write up the reasons or justification for your views.

  1. You are to submit the result as an html web page that has links to the two chosen sites. Groups will shortly be established for each student as an individual. And the submitted page is to be uploaded to your own individual 'group'. That will allow everyone in the class to see every page that every other student produces, and also see all the chosen example sites.
  2. This is not an exercise in Web site design on your own; rather it is an exercise in Web site appraisal. There are different skill levels among you students at producing Web pages. No grading credit is going to be given for polished, as opposed to rudimentary, Web pages. All the grading credit will go on your choice of Web sites and, more especially, what you have to say about them.
  3. If you wish to, you may substitute for either your 'good' or 'bad' choice the SIRLS website, and write an evalation of it
  4. There are many Web sites which themselves provide examples of good or bad design and reasons (for example, Alertbox or Web pages that suck). You are not to use these. Find your own.

 

(Grading criteria: You should write about the equivalent of four pages of ordinary text (if you write less than 2 or more than 6 think carefully about what you are doing). I am not concerned with grammar, style, or spelling-- provided I can understand the paper and the faults are not so severe as to be a distraction. Then:- Clear articulation of your views and arguments; Soundness of what is said; Appropriate appeal to evidence; Clear and concise exposition of the points you are making.)

Second part

You are to read what one or more other students have posted, and look at those students' example Web sites. Then you are to post to the discussion group 'Web Site Appraisal' at least one message showing an acquaintance with, and an intelligent appreciation of, the material perused.

(Grading criteria: This will be an all or nothing assessment. A judgement will be made as to whether you have carried out the task.)

Grade weighting

80% of the marks will go on the first part; 20% on the second.

Take Home Exam

 

Due Wed December xxx Midnight

IRLS575

This is intended to be a 2 hour examination to be done in your own time at home, and returned to me at the latest by Wed December xxx Midnight. Early submission are welcome.

Submit either by uploading to the Assignment dropbox (preferred choice) orby WebCT internal email to me, put 'Final' as the subject and send the assignment either as the message or as an attachment to the message.

Pure electronic documents need to be either plain text (that is, .txt) or formatted using HTML (just 'Save As' HTML using your favourite word processor). Try not to use other formats (else I just have to translate them).

There is a length restriction on the scripts-- 6 pages is the limit. Shorter scripts are fine, indeed welcome.

Answer one question from each of the two sections, making a total of two questions