ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Course Listserv: 
The course will have its own listserv for general communication of class information.

Course Web Site:
The course will have its own web site which provides course-related information (syllabus, resources, assignments, etc.). The course web site will also provide an organizing or introductory page for the class projects.

Course Tools:
For web page creation: student's choice of HTML editor, recommend Netscape Page Composer or Claris HomePage
To create SGML texts: Author/Editor or WordPerfect+SGML
SGML DTD: the teilite.dtd from the TEI and the Model Editions Partnership DTD. Adventurous students may explore building their own TEI-based DTDs.
To create stylesheets and indexing: DynaText 4.1 and InSted for Windows (and possibly for UNIX)

Informal Writing and discussion

Listserv:
Informal writing on class topics will be an important part of the course. In addition to being available for questions, comments and clarifications about in-class discussion, students will each be required to lead an online session to discuss course readings.

Student Web Portfolios:
Students will devote a portion of their web space to the written work they do for the course (see below). It is hoped that students will not only keep the contents of these portfolios for their future use, but will also gain experience in using the web as a place where they can develop a complete portfolio of their work at UVM.

Formal Writing

Expanded Bibliographies:
Based on their informal writing and on discussion, students will write brief reviews of 10 of the class readings. These expanded bibliographies will be collected as a course web book.

Simple Encoded Text:
As our first structured text, students will create a simple SGML text and print stylesheet version of a paper, project, or piece of original writing they have done for another course. We will use this piece as a way to explore simple document analysis, the TEI header, and the basic SGML tools.

The Big Project:*
The project will include three components: an encoded primary resource, a context paper, and a process description paper.

a) The encoded primary resource: Students will choose a textual artifact from Special Collections. They will analyze it, determine the best way to digitize it (transcription, dirty OCR, page image, combination), deeply encode it, and mount it on the UVM electronic text server.

b) The context paper: Students will research the textual artifact: who wrote it? in what context was it written? what is it related to? etc. This paper will itself be encoded and mounted with their primary resource.

c) The process description paper: Encoding a text requires both technical decisions about how the text should be structured and presented, as well as aesthetic and editing decisions about how the text should best be encoded to make it useful for further study. Students will keep a detailed journal discussing the process and their choices. A formal paper based on this journal will be included as an encoded text with their project.
 

Grading will be a based on a point system. A percentage of points will be awarded for completing the assignments (including attendance and participation). Additional points will be awarded based on the quality of work.  (Students will be expected to know how to use the spell and grammar checker on their chosen word processor.)

Breakdown:

listserv and discussion:	15 pts
expanded bibliographies:	20 pts (2 pts each)
simple encoded text:	5 pts.
big project:	35 pts

*(see Ben Schneiderman's article "Relate-Create-Donate" at http://www.cs.umd.edu/projects/hcil/members/bschneiderman/rcd.html)
 

Hope.Greenberg@uvm.edu, 23 April 1999