Download MPJ Syllabus | PDF

There is a gap between the production of an idea and its reception. The audience is likely thousands of miles away and surrounded by other messages. How do we establish a reconnect between the original concept and its final recipient? How do we cut through the clutter of visual information hitting us every day? How do we account for cultural differences? This class will address those questions and give you the tools to bring ideas to life and connect those ideas to people.

The overall goal, as you know, is to make a site live at the end of the semester that successfully provides a framework for the work you’ll be doing with your health care stories. We’ll combine text, audio, video, photos and graphics to create a powerful user experience and you’ll be the ones designing and developing the final pages. It is a lot to learn and a lot to do in a short amount of time. However, if you are  prepared to work hard and push yourselves past the learning curves you’ll encounter,  I can guarantee you that you’ll be showing off a site you’re proud of in May.

The course will emphasize design, information architecture, interactivity, communication and unique/progressive multimedia assets and will guide you along the cutting edge interactive communication.

Student Learning Outcome

• To expose you to the framework of web design and development at basic and
intermediate levels.

• To provide knowledge and expertise in developing for the web using XHTML & CSS and Content Management Systems, and to expose you at a basic level to web technologies that enhance user experiences such as Flash and jQuery.

• To have a clear grasp of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and usability standards used in the development of web sites.

• To foster your ability to critically analyze web sites and their functionality. Your power as an effective communicator is directly correlated with your ability to understand and critique the power of visual and verbal messages. With your eyes open you can see the impact of web design and functionality on our everyday lives.

• To complete a fully functional web site for the class project that showcases your work telling stories about the current state of health care.

• To give you the tools to be able to develop and design your own web site.

CLASS WORKLOAD

Because many of you will be working with unfamiliar software and technologies be prepared for projects to take much longer than you expect, plan ahead. While dealing with a wide variety of technologies it’s easy to get lost, however there is hope! We will be tapping into many existing resources to help bring concepts to life.

Remember that while learning the software is very important, the programs are only a tool in producing a compelling, informative experience for the user.

A lot of Learning to be had
We will go over a great deal during the semester, however we can’t cover all the answers during class time. As with life, most knowledge gained is self facilitated. Learn to love the Google and share the answers to common questions on our class blog.

MAJOR PROJECT (WEB SITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT)

65% of final grade

The web site we’re creating is the main way that your effort in the class will be assessed. It’s very important that we all work together to pull this web site off and accordingly some of the work that you’ll be graded on will be part of groups or teams. Your grade for the final web site will be determined by the following breakdown:

• Sites Critique/Site Architecture 5%
• Design Options (Home & Secondary Page) 20%
• Work as part of Development Team 20% (Team Assigned by Instructors)
• Final Completion of your Specific Part of Site 20%

MINOR PROJECTS

• 15% of final grade

Throughout the semester you will be asked to do work outside of class and in class to help you understand concepts we’ve discussed or to help in creating the final web site for the project. This includes your reading, bringing in web sites for discussion and working on assigned homework. A lot of this will be weighted heavily at the beginning of the semester and will let up as work on the project takes over in the weeks after spring break.

CLASS BLOG

• 10% of final grade

You have been invited to join our class blog and are required to post and respond to your classmates posts throughout the semester. The blog is intended to help document the process of creating the site and a central place to share information about the project. Posts will be required weekly and comments will also be required if you don’t take the initiative to create discussions naturally.

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

• 10% of final grade

The lectures and lessons for the class are designed to be open forums for discussion. While some material will warrant more direct lecturing, for the most part we will be engaging in conversation and exercises regarding web design and your project throughout the semester. Your attendance to our meetings is mandatory and your failure to fulfill this requirement will result in a deduction in your final grade. Be prepared to speak your mind in class and review the guidelines for critiques and discussion in the sidebar.

DEADLINES

Deadlines are a part of life and are certainly an absolute in the communications industry. This class is run on strict deadlines so plan accordingly, your deviance from stated deadlines will be met with a deduction in your grade for that project. This includes in-class assignments and projects that you are assigned to complete on your own.

Projects that are more than 10 minutes late at the beginning of class will be considered past deadline and your grade for that project will be marked down 1 letter grade.

If extenuating circumstances are the cause of you turning in a project late, please speak with me as soon as possible. I cannot say with certainty that I will accept your reason for turning in the project late, but I will listen to what you have to say. This discussion needs to happen before a project deadline though, not after. I can be reached via email and in my office hours to speak with you about these situations.

FLEXIBLE SYLLABUS

I reserve the right to revise this syllabus as need requires, or based on our pace this semester. Plan on this.

Academic integrity policy

The Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the Policy and know that it is their responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources in written work. The policy also governs the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments as well as the veracity of signature on attendance sheets and other verifications of participation in class activities. Serious sanctions can result from academic dishonesty of any sort.

Syracuse University sets high standards for academic integrity. Those standards are supported and enforced by students, including those who serve as academic integrity hearing panel members and hearing officers. The presumptive sanction for a first offense is course failure, accompanied by the transcript notation, “Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy.” The standard sanction for the first offense by a graduate student is suspension or expulsion. Students should review the Office of Academic Integrity online resource “Twenty Questions and Answers About the Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy” and confer with instructors about course-specific citation methods, permitted collaboration (if any), and rules for examinations. The Policy also governs the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of participation in class activities. Additional guidance for students can be found in the Office of Academic Integrity resource: “What does academic integrity mean?”

For more information, visit the Syracuse University Academic Integrity Office:

http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/

Persons with Disabilities

If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), 804 University Avenue, Room 309, 315-443-4498 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with documented disabilities “Accommodation Authorization Letters,” as approrpriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.

Our community values diversity and seeks to promote meaningful access to educational

opportunities for all students. Syracuse University and the Newhouse faculty are committed to Your success and to supporting Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). This means that in general no individual who is otherwise qualified shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be  subjected to discrimmination under any program or actitvity, solely by reason of having a disability. For further information, see the ODS website, Office of Disability Services at http://disabilityservices.syr.edu. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf: 315-443-1371; email: odssched@syr.edu.

You are welcome to contact me privately to discuss your academic needs although I cannot arrange for a disability-related accommodation.

Use of Student Work (FERPA)

I will use academic work that you complete this semester for educational purposes in this course during this semester. Your registration and continued enrollment constitute your permission.

To help you get a sense of each project, I usually show examples of previous student work that I found to be successful. I will also use academic work that you complete this semester in subsequent semesters for educational purposes; however, before using your work for that purpose, I am required to get your written permission or I will render your work anonymous by removing all your personal identification. If you do not want your work to be shown for any reason please contact me and I will be sure not to include your work in this manner.