D#6.0, HW#4: Deadlines 5 & 6 Reflections
In regards to Deadline 5, I thought that Jing and Screencast were really interesting to use. I’d never tried using anything like Jing. I think it’s a really cool tool that I may be able to use for another class in the future. I don’t know if it is really possible to compare Screencast to Youtube in terms of the services they provide. I have to admit, I love Youtube, but I thought Screencast was perfect for the Project and other professional/educational purposes. As I stated last week, I wasn’t too confident about how my videos came out, but I was satisfied with what I produced. As far as the rest of the deadline work, I thought that the Case Study that was posted was fairly realistic. I could imagine the situation with the gaming prototype would actually happen. Everyone wants their programs to be on gaming systems, computers, and cell phones. The only way to come up with a really great product, though, is to conduct a well-designed usability test. I think that all the course outcomes were touched on in this deadline. Rhetorical knowledge, as well as knowledge of critical writing/reading/thinking, processes, and conventions, were all components of video project.
For this weeks deadline, Chapter 22 helped in learning more about critical writing and the processes in doing so. By reading more about formal reports, I gained a lot of insights into how I can improve my writing in this area. However, some of the concepts from the chapter can surely be applied to other writing assignments. It also was helpful to enter the discussion board with several other ideas floating around already. I think that once again, all of the course outcomes were developed in this deadline. For example,”understand the collaborative and social aspects of research and writing processes,” under the processes outcome was definitely a part of our discussion board assignment.
D#4.0, HW#4: Project One – Instructions
I don’t know why, but my PDF files came out ridiculously large (~20 MB). I have a feeling that’s why it took an hour and a half to save the four of them. In any case, here is my cover memo and I’ll be adding the four sets of instructions about Google Spreadsheets as they finish uploading. I don’t know when that will be…
Basically, technology hates me.
D#4.0, HW#5: Deadline #4 Reflection
This deadline was really difficult for me. Not really because of the project itself, but because of technical issues I had. I couldn’t get my PDFs to save as multiple pages, each page was it’s own PDF. It was super frustrating to try and combine them, especially because I had to use Acrobat off of ASU’s My Apps. If you’ve never used the My Apps resource before, try it. It runs so slow. You’ll never want to use it again. I don’t!
I feel like the readings this week, as well as last week, really prepared me for the first project. The information about drafting and critical thinking helped me analyze how I was writing and the I should be writing. I think that the readings from this week helped me focus on what it is that makes a document “good,” so to speak. As far as design and set up go, I think that the overall look and feel of a document really determine how we interpret how reliable something is. Also, just in general how much we like something and it’s visual appeal is also at stake.
I really liked the graph assignment and the C.R.A.P assignment this week. I thought both were pretty interesting at seeing how visuals are very important. I especially liked the graph assignment because of all the humorous graphs and charts that were on that website.
Jing was fun to play with! I tried my Project 2 script, but I definitely need more practice.
Overall, I’d say that aside from some computer issues on my part, this deadline was actually quite enjoyable.
- Peer Reply Post #1: Eric Grabin, HW#2
- Peer Reply Post #2: Valerie Cooper, HW #5
- Peer Reply Post #3: Jennifer, HW#3
D#4.0, HW#3: Website Layout Analysis
The website I chose to analyze was the My ASU homepage. I visit this website on a daily basis.
The overall balance of the page was achieved by the left alignment and the use of the boxes for categories. Duplication was seen in the headings and the tabs. The document had a really good flow. It used lines, boxes, and tabs as a way to create a sense of flow across the page. Other elements that helped the flow were the headings and even the header image. The font on the page was all sans-serif aside from the ASU logo, which just helped draw more attention to it. One of the areas I think that the ASU page could improve on is bringing a little whitespace to the left side of the page. Although it is balanced, I feel that adding some whitespace to the text-heavy left side of the page would help make the page more eye-pleasing. However, I think that the page itself is well-designed, effective, and fairly intuitive.
C.R.A.P Principles
Contrast: The overall color scheme for the page was grey and white. The contrast came in with the link color. All the links are a vibrant red, which sticks out. There isn’t much variety in font size, though. Most of the font seems the same throughout the entire page. There are some areas where the font has been bolded, which usually indicates that it’s a group heading. It emphasizes whatever the phrase or word may be. Other areas of contrast on the page were the header and footers, the email counter, and the ad/announcement banners on the right of the screen. The header is a gold with a pop of maroon in the corner where the Arizona State University logo is. The footer is a dark grey that is sharp contrast against the white of the page. The email counter, next to the link “My Gmail,” appears as a red square. This really draws your attention to it, which is a good thing if you need to check your inbox! Lastly the two banners for FAFSA workshops and life on campus are really vibrant and unlike any of the other colors on the page. The first banner is a yellow and black combo, so because the background is white, it really sticks out. The second banner is a bright aqua. This is quite possibly one of the first elements you notice about the page. Since both are ads/announcements, I think both are really effective at drawing people in.
Repetition: There are so many elements on this page that are repeated. The titles of the different class boxes like “Quick Links,” “My Classes,” or “My Tasks” are all bolder, for example. All the links on the page, aside from those found on the banner, were the same red color. There was also a repetition in the items to the left of the page. The icons were different, but the fact that an icon was present next to each item (somewhat like a bullet) was very repetitive. The way things were lined and spaced was very repetitive. All of the links under the first half of “Quick Links,” for example, even repeat the word “my” at the beginning of each link. The links at the bottom of “My Classes” are also lined up in a way that draws interest. Lastly, tabs were pretty consistent on this website. ASU uses tabs to organize a lot of the information on the homepage.
Alignment: When looking at this page it is easy to see that how the majority of text is aligned. Aside from the text in the upper and lower right corners, which is right aligned, and the text in the ad banners, which is centered, everything is left aligned. There is also whitespace on the left and right sides which goes along with what was mentioned in one of the Youtube videos. Also, because the main content is organized into boxes on the page, these boxes line up with each other. Nothing is just thrown on the page, which gives the site a nice clean look.
Proximity: This whole page is a great example of proximity. Similar items have been grouped together and even given their own boxes, like the News box or the “My Tasks” box. These lump links and information of the same category together. The links at the top right corner are just another example of this concept. We see a clear division on the page at the top, too. The page goes from the golden header to a maroon line and then a grey area that holds the tabs. Theres another area of links at the bottom that are grouped together because they all “work together,” so to speak. The designers did a good job at dividing the information using whitespace, lines, and colors.
D#4.0, HW#2: GraphJam Image Analysis
Chapter 8 dealt with the use of visuals in technical communication. It stressed that visuals can both help and hurt your document. One of the topics that was discussed was organization.
They say “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This is very true about charts and graphs. They can help readers understand what may be a fairly complex concept. Although there are several types of charts, I chose to highlight this pie chart. The reading gives a list of guidelines for every pie chart.
Pie Chart Guidelines, pg. 211
- Limit the chart to no more than seven sections
- This chart only has two sections. √
- Use contrasting colors, particularly for those segments next to each other
- This chart uses blue and green, but they are fairly harsh on the eyes. √
- Label each segment clearly
- The key to the side labels the segments clearly. √
- Make the percentages in the chart equivalent to those in your data
- Although I’m sure that this chart is pretty correct, that’s just me being biased. I doubt there is any data to back up this chart. If there is, I want to see it… now. X
- Provide a caption for the chart
- The caption is quite clear. √
- Don’t add too many effects to a pie chart
- There aren’t any effects to this pie chart. √
TOTAL: 5/6
So, when looking at how well this chart lived up to the guidelines in the book, it earned a grade of 5/6. That’s a score of about 83.3%. In academic terms, that would be a B. Now, while B’s are technically pretty stellar, the above graph fails to meet the requirement for the most crucial part of a pie chart, the data. The charts are all based around a set of data. If you don’t have data to back this up, then making a chart is just a waste of time.
Obviously this chart is not a good example of a pie chart that should be used for any “real” purpose. Charts can even be created using a number of computer programs. All you have to provide is the input and the program will construct a chart for you. If you plan to find one on the net that will support your main idea, it’s important to check for accuracy. Databases on the world wide web are great resources for finding visuals that may enhance your document.
Image Source: http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=3167588352
D#3.0, HW#7: Deadline #3 Reflection
I think that the work involved with Deadline Three was a bit more time consuming and project oriented than the last deadline. I didn’t know what to expect from the assignments for today. The project outlines surprised me. I wasn’t sure about the format, or if I was over-thinking everything. I also have never really used the program that I was assigned to research. This aspect overwhelmed me a bit. I think, however, that learning about a resource that is readily available to me is a good thing, though. I’m a little scared about the Jing videos, however, because you only have one chance to record them. From this week’s deadline I think that it has helped in reaching some of the course outcomes. We’re learning about drafting (HW 5-6) and that it is going to take a lot of research to draft a good document. Many of the outcomes listed involve learning about proper ways to write, and I think that the readings about voice and transnational communication are related to that, too. I took a lot away from this deadline and I am excited to see how the first two projects will go!
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Peer Reply Post 1: Jennifer, HW #7
Peer Reply Post 2: Kathryne, HW #5
Peer Reply Post 3: William, HW #7
D#3.0, HW#6: Project 2 – PSA
Plan
- Define or describe the real problem or reason for writing
- To provide a guide for faculty, staff, and students from GTU on how to use Google Spreadsheets to upload, create, edit, and share spreadsheets.
- Establish goals and purposes for writing
- To provide enough information for students to use Google Spreadsheets effectively and efficiently.
- Identify stakeholders and what they want or need
- The stakeholders are the faculty, staff, and students reading my IT instructions. They want to be able to use the program with ease.
- Consider the ethical choices involved with the problem
- Is it ethical to use Google jargon? Have I confirmed all information I presented about Google Spreadsheets?
- Consider document formats and delivery methods
- The format of documents will be 2 screencapture videos using Jing and 2 detailed storyboards.
- Identify what information you have and what information you need
- I am not familiar with Google Spreadsheets, so I’ll need to do find out everything.
- Choose technologies that will best assist you and your audience
- For creating videos, Jing will be used. For viewing these videos, a video player will be used, For the storyboards, Powerpoint will be used to create slides. A cover memo will also be included which, I am assuming, will be in PDF format. To create and view the PDF, Adobe Acrobat will be used. My audience will either need Acrobat or Reader to view it.
Research
- Determine the types of information necessary and how to get them
- The necessary information is how to upload, create, edit, and share spreadsheets using Google Spreadsheets. I will obtain this information by reading the Google Docs Help that focuses on Google Spreadsheets.
- Conduct research and gather information
- I still need to do in-depth research regarding the use of Google Spreadsheets.
- Organize the information you gathered
- Evaluate the information and decide if further research is necessary
- Further research is necessary.
D#3.0, HW#5: Brainstorm
- Upload
- I may upload an existing spreadsheet
- I may upload an existing file that is not a spreadsheet.
- Create
- Show how to create a simple spreadsheet
- Show how to use formulas
- Show how to use templates
- Edit
- Show how to change files that have been shared
- Show how to edit files that have been saved online\
- Show how to organize files
- Share
- Show how to share documents
- Show how to collab on documents
D#3.0, HW#4: Project 1 – PSA
Plan
- Define or describe the real problem or reason for writing
- To provide a guide for faculty, staff, and students from GTU on how to use Google Spreadsheets to upload, create, edit, and share spreadsheets.
- Establish goals and purposes for writing
- To provide enough information for students to use Google Spreadsheets effectively and efficiently.
- Identify stakeholders and what they want or need
- The stakeholders are the faculty, staff, and students reading my IT instructions. They want to be able to use the program with ease.
- Consider the ethical choices involved with the problem
- Is it ethical to use Google jargon? Have I confirmed all information I presented about Google Spreadsheets?
- Consider document formats and delivery methods
- The format of the documents will be PDFs with screen captures included.
- Identify what information you have and what information you need
- I am not familiar with Google Spreadsheets, so I’ll need to do find out everything.
- Choose technologies that will best assist you and your audience
- For reading and creating PDFs, Adobe Acrobat or Reader will best assist my audience and me.
Research
- Determine the types of information necessary and how to get them
- The necessary information is how to upload, create, edit, and share spreadsheets using Google Spreadsheets. I will obtain this information by reading the Google Docs Help that focuses on Google Spreadsheets.
- Conduct research and gather information
- I still need to do in-depth research regarding the use of Google Spreadsheets.
- Organize the information you gathered
- Evaluate the information and decide if further research is necessary
- Further research is necessary.
