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Requirements:
Class hypertext project (small groups)
25%
Net Forum (informal writing and interaction), class participation
25%
Research Project
20%
Final exam
30%
[Information added 9/24/97]
The hypertext project will focus on Mandeville's Travels; the individual Research Project may continue this work, or explore something entirely different. I will provide additional details shortly. For the hypertext project, I would like you to work in small groups of 3-5 people. Select a passage of at least 500 words and do the following: using OmniPage, scan and check (or keyboard) the passage into computer format. Using Claris Home Page or an HTML editor of your choice, format the text appropriately. Once you have the text selected and "digitized,"begin to locate information that will allow you to gloss these passages, including definitions, commentaries, supplemental information, pictures, maps, and so on. BE SURE TO RECORD ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOR THESE ITEMS. Information on how to do this can be found on the Search Tools page; a version of the MLA Style Sheet can be found online here. If possible, bring the original images (maps, etc.) to the CIC and we will scan them there. Otherwise, either make a photocopy, or see if someone in the New Media Center in the Library can help you make a scan there. Save a copy of any material that you enter into computer format in my courses folder. We'll work through that process in class.
Please use lower case in naming all of your project files and use the extension ".html" rather than ".htm" for text file name extensions. You may store files--images, text, etc.--in the "Mandeville's Travels" folder in the "Mosser" folder in the "Courses2" volume mounted on the CIC computers' desktops. Create--or ask me to--a folder for your group's material in order to keep track of it. If you work on a non-Macintosh computer at home or elsewhere, save your material to disk (Macs can read DOS/Windows disks) and bring it to class. The Mac can translate most kinds of word-processing formats, but you can always save the file as "TEXT" if you are unsure. That should be enough to get you started.
Although you will be able to find much useful material on the World Wide Web, it is still no substitute for the Library. You should also sharpen your "quality" filters when acquiring WWW materials. A useful guide to "Evaluating Internet Resources" can be found by clicking here.
In addition to the "glossing" operations described above, each group will compile a 3-5 pp. (750-1250 words, or 250 per person in the group) analysis/ critique of your passage examining the ways in which our present-day knowledge corroborates or challenges Mandeville's knowledge. If you are unsure of the way in which your project will be evaluated, you can find a useful discussion of the relationship between hypertext/multimedia projects and traditional critical/expository essay projects here. This will also give you an idea of the kinds of things I will be evaluating.
Please post the page numbers and topic of your passages to the class list so that we consolidate or avoid duplications. Since there are two sections of this class, we may have to negotiate duplicated requests...
For the individual research project, as I have already noted, you may do more of the same, in either electronic or hardcopy format, or you may explore another topic, from another text. This project, also, should have a VERY NARROW, SPECIFIC FOCUS. If you were to opt to fulfill this requirement by writing a "traditional" essay, aim for 5-8 pages of well-written (proof-read), unpadded, thoughtful prose, using the MLA Style Sheet as a documentation guide. Other kinds of projects should be equivalent to this in quality and quantity, but we will probably have to negotiate just what that means on an individual basis (better to do this earlier rather than later).
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