Final Project Format and Expectations

*Please read ALL OF THIS before coming to us with questions!

As we have discussed in lab, each project should include an introduction/context statement and a report on the project itself.  Both of those will be posted to the course website.  Each of you will also make a brief (but inspiring / challenging / amusing / otherwise engaging) presentation in lab about your experiences.  Below, find our expectations for each of these components.

Note: if your project does not fit this format, you MUST let us know ASAP.

The Introduction (Due Wednesday, Nov. 23):

For those doing a more applied project, this section should provide some background information that will help us (and others) better understand the rationale behind your work.  You might survey previous projects that have addressed a similar issue, or you might present an overview of whatever problem it is you are trying to address.  Aim for a focused account; the information you provide should not be arbitrary, but directly related to the work you are doing.  Reading this, then reading your project, we should say “aha! I see why you did what you did.”  You’ll want a minimum of 5 academic sources, though drawing on more will make your statement richer.

For those of you doing a more scholarly project, this section introduces the main ideas and organizational framework of your work.  Like your applied peers, you want to focus your introduction on only those details relevant to understanding the project you have done.  Since your work is largely research based, you will likely need more sources overall – assume a minimum of 10 for the whole project.

Regardless, introductory statements should be somewhere between 4 and 7 pages, double-spaced, in Word – but you’ll be posting them to the WordPress site.  Feel free to include figures, links and images in the post if you like. Remember that even though you’re posting in the form of a blog, you are still expected to maintain a scholarly approach and tone. Please use standard in-text citations (Collins and Allen 2011) and list all references at the end.

The Project (Due Dec. 14):

Obviously, this portion will vary widely among students, but should include the final product of your scholarly work (a feasibility statement, a meta-analysis, etc) or a summary of/reflection on your applied work.  Include any resources, videos or images you created while completing your project, and any relevant information for their use.  Again, this should probably be between 4 – 7 pages and will be posted to the WordPress site – though lengths will depend on the nature of your project.  Talk to us if you are unsure about how long this should be, but also trust your intuition: tell us as much as we need to know to understand what you did and what it meant to you.

The Presentation (to be given during the last week of lab):

Seriously, go watch some TED talks before you work on this.  They are exemplars of informative and inspiring presentations, and you can learn a lot from them.

We’re not looking for a step-by-step PowerPoint here – we want you to tell us what you got out of this project (even if it’s not what you thought you would learn going in) in a way that is as interesting for us as it is fun and worthwhile for you.  Think about the challenges you faced and how you addressed them – think about surprises along the way – think about what you will take from this work and how it will impact your future.  That’s what we want to hear here.  So be thoughtful, and tell a good story.

These presentations should be short, 5-8 minutes.  They can be interactive, and you may use any props you like.  PowerPoint is fine, but make sure you use it creatively.  Prezi is also a fun online presentation manager you might want to play around with.

We will be presenting in lab on the week of Dec 5^th. Come ready to be enlightened by your classmates, to ask good questions, and to applaud the efforts of your friends and peers.

Posting Instructions

1. Go to wordpress.com and set up an account. You’ll get an email to activate your account. Activate.

2. Let your TA know what email address you used to set up the account, and we’ll add you as an author to the site. Email us your email at pclarkallen@gmail.com or jcoll08@gmail.com

3. Once you’ve received and accepted an invitation to join the blog, sign into wordpress and navigate to the website ils252improvesyourworld.wordpress.com

4. Move your mouse to the upper left corner over the course site name, and click on “dashboard” which is the first tab in the drop-down menu.

5. Now you’re ready to post. Click on “Add New” under “Posts” on the left-hand side.

6. Title your post and create content. Make sure to click on your name under “Categories” in the lower right corner of the window. This will make sure that your post will be archived on your individual page.

7. When you are ready, click on the blue “Publish” button on the upper right hand side of the window. Don’t forget to spell-check and proof-read!!!

8. If you’d like a short bio to appear on your page, email it to me, and I’ll load it on.

9.  If you’d like to use Tags, feel free to create your own in the widget on the lower right corner of your window. These are keywords that website viewers can see and use to find posts relating to their interests.